Inside the Mind of an Iron Icon: on strength training and bodybuilding

It is difficult to capture for those not familiar with Stuart's work, the impact he has had on thousands of dedicated yet disillusioned bodybuilders. I came across Beyond Brawn by accident on the internet in 2001 at the age of 30, and it was like reading an autobiography of my own failed expectations from lifting continuously since the age of 14.The three grueling days of lifting-- chest and back, legs and shoulders, arms--each muscle group consisting of 6-8 exercises for 2-3 sets, one day of rest and then start the whole thing over again-each gym session was near two hours. There were some strength gains and very modest size gains but most of that came from going from 14-18 years old, and much less from literally giving my life away to the gym. I had no diet to speak of, no brick and mortar to build the house, I was in a constant state of drained/rubbery/sore muscles. For the most part the weight I could lift and the size I achieved were unchanged, especially considering the effort I put in. The only thing I really had to show was low BF% from burning so many calories. I did exactly like Tom Platz, Lee Haney, Kevin Lavrone and the other "big names" said they did in the Weider publications, so why did my years of near religious dedication not pay off?!?!? Why did I not achieve even a sliver of what they did?? Guess I need to add more exercises, add more volume, change the rep count, intensifiers, alter something, surely "the secret" is somewhere in those publications! Well, I went through this charade in one form or another through my adult life including marriage and children, always feeling deep regret for not being able to figure it out. After all, my job is as a chemical engineer, I solve complex problems using formulas and experimentation for a living, so how could I not possibly figure this one out after 17 years of relentless pursuit--am I just defective?Beyond Brawn was the light bulb, the epiphany, the awakening, that changed EVERYTHING, and gave mylifting life back before it was too late. Thank you Stuart!! for taking what you learned along the way and having the fortitude to go against the bodybuilding publishers grain--For staying true to what you knew to be the answers for legions of genetically typical lifters who really gave their all but were doing so the wrong way. My only regret is that I didn't find your publications earlier, if only the internet was around in 1992. I'm now 46 and have different goals, but am stronger and in better shape than I was at 25, and I've done it with 6 total lifts per week for 2 sets each, and workouts that last 35 minutes max. My personally engraved "little gem" 0.5lb and 1.0lb weights have served me well. I lift in the comfort of my garage with a modest setup, gone are the days of "gearing up" for the gym. The lifting journal I created in excel is now many many pages, but I'm able to go through it as see the progress over now more than 15 years, very rewarding....My two high school kids have friends on the football team that tell them "your dad is jacked", comments I never would have gotten in my 20's I'm getting in my mid 40's and it was achieved by cutting the time spent by 90% but doing it with laser focus on (as stated in section 7.66 of Beyond Brawn) "golden fleece of bodybuilding and strength training--linear progress for long periods"My own son is now 14 and starting to lift as required for high school sports. He has the same passion for it as his old man. The first thing I had him do was read the Insider's Tell All Handbook on Weight Training Technique, followed by starter sessions on squat, deads, bench press, overhead press, pullups--and that's ALL! We video tape his technique and review it for corrections. The amount of weight is meaningless until he gets his form down. We talk constantly about form, stimulus, rest and recovery, and GRADUAL progress in the Big Five. He now has his own logbook and is faithfully documenting his small increase each session and feeling the reward of documented accomplishment. He's starting to read Beyond Brawn at the beginning of his lifting life, rather than after the prime years as was my case. So the way I like to think of it is that my years of frustration and failure were a sacrifice made for his benefit and with luck, the benefit of others he might reach over time when they compare his short but effective program against their obscenely long but ineffective programs. I will forever be an apostle of Stuart's work and try to reach as many young lifters as possible with these fruits of knowledge.So with that history, "Inside the Mind of an Iron Icon", was an amazing read for me, literally read it every spare second I had (including stop lights on the street :-) I've had the same questions about this reclusive author answered in this book. Learning more about Stuart personally beyond his 400x20 deadlift quest outlined in BB really completed the journey. In addition, getting it in context of Chuck and Marty's successful lifting careers was quite special as I got to know about them and their friends in the process.If you lift and truly want to accomplish your goals, make Stuart McRobert's books the foundation. And top it off with Inside the Mind of any Iron Icon to put in context the effectiveness and reach of his system. The program designs Mike has created for himself have already given me great ideas on how to further my progress. Resistance training can literally be a fountain of youth, something you cannot understand in your 20s but I now understand at 46 with a small foundation of core exercises I can do year upon year, while still having time for career, family, and other interests....you too can get your life back!!

I've been a fan of McRobert since about 2005 or 2006 when I first read his books, Brawn, Beyond Brawn and Further Brawn. Much of what he wrote about stuck with me for years after that as I trained and competed as a powerlifter.Drawing on a variety of information I gleaned from a variety of sources (namely McRobert, Jim Wendler and Mark Rippetoe, who all believe in low to moderate volume and big compound exercises), I totaled 1500 raw in powerlifting competition (560 squat, 370 bench press and 570 deadlift), although I was too fat at the time that I did it at 341 pounds. That was November 1, 2014. I'm not going to sit here and pretend that it was 100% low volume and two day a week full body workouts or something like that. There were times when I trained with a group of powerlifters who used a lot more volume, so I was doing as they did. But it always wore me down and I would get injured, and I'd go back to what I knew deep down was best.Anyway, fast forward to 2019, and I've lost a significant amount of weight (more than 100 pounds), and I'm gearing up for another run at competing in powerlifting. I'm utilizing McRobert's advice and training twice a week and forcing myself to resist the urge of adding in volume training. With appropriate training, my goal is to hit the same total as before (1500) at 40 years old (I'll be 40 in August) and at 242 pounds instead of SHW.Enough about me and my training though, this is supposed to be about McRobert's (and Chuck Miller's) book. I actually found out about this book listening to Miller promote it on a podcast. He was so passionate about training, powerlifting, and McRobert's training principles that I thought I'd pick it up. Also, he trained with powerlifting legend Marty Gallagher, so that didn't hurt either. He has a lot of good information to share about his training with Gallagher and his experience in strength training.The book is more than just training information though. Since information on McRobert himself seems so scarce, I was also pleased to read about Stuart and his background, from being a teacher to magazine editor and author.Grab this book.You won't be let down by it.

Fan's of Stuart McRobert and his magazine Hardgainer will love this book. This book covers a lot of ground. Especially useful for less experienced trainees. Good stuff in here for the more advanced trainer as well - particularly the chapters Chuck Miller dedicated to his powerlifting training career. A great book on ALL the specifics of HARD training, how to set up a program, how to keep getting gainsfrom a program. These programs on paper may not look that difficult to many because of the limited number of sets. Try running thru theseprograms for awhile where the emphasis is on barbells/dumbells - NO MACHINES, exercises which hit the core and multiple muscles perlift, therefore calling for HEAVY weights no matter the rep range worked. RESULTS can be yours following the advice in this book.

Excellent book and wonderful summary of Stuart's training philosophies. I enjoyed the detailed information as well as the insights into some of their life experiences. I remember reading Chuck Miller's articles and enjoyed them a lot with a lot of his focus on strength. I have all of Stuart's books and like them all. Training is really like Occam's razor. The simplest solution is the best almost all of the time. Get unnecessary or superfluous information out of the way and you will most likely find this the fastest way to the truth or to the best explanation. Combine this with Bruce Lee's adopt what is useful and discard the rest. Read and understand the concepts and most importantly apply them on a consistent basis with increasing intensity and you should be able to reach or at least get close to your potential. I purchased the Kindle edition and it was very well done. Chuck what a beautiful picture of your daughter and I am so sorry for your loss.

This is a great read and a pleasant change from Stuart's other books. I read it quickly and felt like I was reading the underlying philosophy behind his training methods. This is the foundation stone of all his other works. Beyond Brawn is my first choice for training specifics and this is now right next to it for getting behind the scenes of the lessons in Beyond Brawn. Plenty of good stuff to revisit in the course of time.Second review:Since my first reading I've been through this book several times over. I now think it is just as important as Beyond Brawn. This book gives so many examples of programmes that I felt much more able to devise my own sensible plan without question of it's potential. Equally, I also felt like I was gaining an understanding of the potential pitfalls my plan had and the steps to take should I reach a block. There are many examples of programmes, why they will work and why they won't. If you've read the author's other works you might be thinking "well he's already covered all that..." but somehow this book clarifies it all in greater detail and some great examples.I was originally running two workouts a week with two or three compound lifts for each workout. In my first year I gained close to 250lb in the "big three" lifts. Newbie gains probably. For the last three months I've added another 70lb. I'm closing in on an 800lb "big three" total. I've never been stronger or lifted so consistently. I'm 50 ears old and smashing it! I've a lot more to come...After the first year of consistent training (meaning 106 workouts) I switched to a three days per week plan with a small increase in volume and fewer very hard sets (as defined by Stuart). I thought I was burning out and not seeing enough size to accompany the strength. I now believe I just wasn't ever focussed enough on the compound lifts or progressing them and that I hadn't actually started moving enough weight to challenge my puny body to grow. Without reading this book I may never have made that realisation.The three days per week plan has yielded the additional 70lb but already I'm planning to adjust the structure back to a two days per week plan and get to it. I wasn't exactly sure how I would do that before this book, hence the drastic change of programme. I'm still within the golden rules of abbreviated training but now I'm sure how I can proceed, having absorbed the extra detail from this book.I've read many of the older books and a good number of newer ones. It never ceases to amaze me how much some of the authors rage about their way, train to the death or puking at least. At the bottom of it all (in small print usually) is a little message that Stuart has consistently advocated in all his books. Poundage progression using good form is the way, usually at a rate of 1 to 2 lb a week for each lift. I think I'm a good example of what can be achieved, I've outstripped the proposed rate of gains so far and it doesn't seem like I'm going to slow down too much too soon.. As a youth I was painfully thin with poor muscle insertions, long gangly limbs and little coordination. Now I am seeing good rates of development in strength and size. Even stubborn areas are expanding the tape measure and I couldn't be happier.Buy Beyond Brawn, AND Inside the Mind..., spend time getting to grips with the principles. Just do it like Stuart tells you and you will grow.Oh, and one more point, sub 15" stubborn biceps can grow on a diet of compound lifts.

“INSIDE THE MIND OF AN IRON ICON on strength training and bodybuilding.”Review by Peter Azzopardi – Personal trainer, Yoga TeacherIf you are looking for a book that cuts through the ‘Bro Science’ of muscle building which is so prevalent in gyms, then all of McRobert’s books are a must read and this one is no exception.Unlike his other works, the book reads as an interview conducted by Chuck Miller between himself and McRobert and includes details of the latter’s life and times, not previously disclosed in his other books.Contained within the many questions and answers are the rules for successful strength training over the long term and as ever, whilst keeping drug free.Useful real life examples of training cycles are given.Advances in sports nutrition and supplementation have occurred during the course of McRobert’s career and I would urge people to investigate these further. McRobert himself does not like to advocate the use of these much as they can distract people from the basic package of food, rest, recovery and sound training. There are, however some which are science backed and can make a great addition, as long as the other key elements are in place.Over all, I found the book to be an interesting and useful addition to my complete collection of McRobert’s other books and one that I could definitely recommend either to beginners or advanced trainees who are frustrated with the many conflicting methods recommended in gyms and main stream magazines and one which I’d be happy to advise my clients to read.

If you are interested in making meaningful progress with your weightlifting—whether for powerlifting, bodybuilding or general health—then you will enjoy Stuart McRobert’s latest book, ‘Inside the Mind of an Iron Icon’. McRobert has written nearly a thousand articles and several books (including the indispensable ‘Beyond Brawn’ (2nd ed. 2006)) in which he describes the ‘abbreviated training’ programmes that he believes will produce the greatest benefits for ‘genetically-ordinary and drug-free’ lifters—in other words, for the majority of us. McRobert’s emphasis upon the ‘Big Six’ compound exercises—rather than the endless combinations of isolation exercises popularised by drug-assisted bodybuilders of the ‘steroid era’—might once have seemed old-fashioned or retro. However, the recent and growing popularity of ‘old school’ programmes like Stronglifts, Madcow and others has vindicated McRobert’s faith in the principles that underlie the kind of abbreviated programmes he has been espousing for years, and gives his work a new relevance. In essence, his message is simple. Progress is founded on a continuing striving for excellent form; on the big compound lifts; on consistency, plenty of rest between sessions, good sleep, good quality food, and perhaps above all—on patience: there are no quick gains or shortcuts, despite what the popular magazines promise, and to achieve your goals it may take you several years of dedicated and intelligent lifting. This new book (written mostly in dialogue form) contains discussion of all these factors and many others: the format is accessible and works particularly well when McRobert deals with particular topics like nutrition, or when he describes some of the experiences and lessons that have shaped his approach to the Iron Game. Powerlifter Chuck Miller is the perfect interlocutor for McRobert; the two chapters he contributes towards the end of this book are informative and—unexpectedly—moving. In their different ways, both McRobert and Miller have dedicated the best years of their lives to picking heavy stuff up off the ground, and both know the meaning of obsession. One of the surprises of this book is the way these two seasoned lifters and family men, with a perspective shaped by decades in the gym, by injuries, failures and loss, convey a sense of the consoling human simplicity of weightlifting—when approached the right way—and of its place within the good life.

It was funny reading this book with aching shoulders, knees and back after being drawn into training 5-6 hours per week or more due to frustration at my lack of results. I am a personal trainer and should know this but this book made me cast my mind back to a time when I got the best results ever. During this time I was following a routine very similar to the one in the book. Time went by and I began adding work into my routine until I was doing probably as much as one of the bodybuilders in the magazines. This book is a must read if you are frustrated with your progress when lifting weights. I tell the younger guys I meet in the gym to train in a similar way but it is easy to get caught up in the nonsense of muscle marketing-In short familiarise yourself with Stuart macrobert and read this I'm glad I did

This book contains very good information, but very repetitive. I'm glad I didn't buy the book Brawn and beyond the Brawn, because seems like is exactly the same over and over after read the reviews. This book is exactly the same, around 50 or more pages are about the hard gainer magazine and the other books, few other pages just to fill up something and the rest very repetitive, dead lift, squat, bench and press, agree with that, training have to be simple.Don't take drugs, train hard using compound lifts, eat healthy and train 2 or 3 days a week, that's the summary of the book.