In Part 2 of his series, Mahler shows you how to get big and strong without ever getting bored with your workouts.

The most effective muscle-building programs might also be the simplest. How simple? Try one exercise.

Hey, Reg Park is the guy who inspired Arnold to start lifting. You gonna argue with Arnold? Huh? Huh? I didn't think so. Now get to reading.

Doug Hepburn wasn't a good marketer. He simply called his best workouts "Program A" and "Program B." However, what those titles lack in inspiration, they make up for in building size and strength.

Long before steroid use became common in the weight-training world, legendary strongman Doug Hepburn proved that the right combo of training, nutrition, determination, and recovery can create superhuman strength.

Has Mike discovered the Holy Grail of training programs? Has he figured out a way to keep the body from adapting? Can he levitate just by using the power of his mind? Answers to these questions and more are contained herein.

Miyomato Musashi wrote: "You should study all things to broaden your life. You should specialize in several things to polish your life." Studying a variety of training methods is a good idea because there's a synergy among many schools of thought. A book on the benefits of sandbag training may give you ideas on how to improve your powerlifting routine. While studying a variety of training methods is a great idea, you want to focus on a few things at a time and do them well. For example, if you want to improve your squat, then make that the focal point of your workouts and place other things on maintenance. Having a laser-like focus will increase the odds of achieving your goals. Just don't make the mistake of having too many goals at one time.

Many lifters will do twenty sets for the chest and biceps but only three sets of leg extensions and leg curls for the lower body. In addition to building an imbalanced physique, this form of training will lead to overtraining very quickly. It's far too easy in life to gravitate toward things that we like to do, and avoid things that we don't like to do. This is a recipe for disaster in and out of the gym. If you don't like working legs then you probably need to do more leg work!

Many lifters will do twenty sets for the chest and biceps but only three sets of leg extensions and leg curls for the lower body. In addition to building an imbalanced physique, this form of training will lead to overtraining. It's far too easy to gravitate toward things that we like to do and avoid things that we don't like to do. In order to be successful, you have to be willing to do things that you don't want to do. If you don't like working legs then you probably need to do more leg work!

One of my favorite books is A Book Of Five Rings by Miyomato Musashi. Musashi was a badass 17 th century Japanese swordsman who never lost a duel in over sixty fights. This book outlines his philosophy of success. I re-read it recently and was amazed by how many of his principles apply to a variety of areas in life, including productive strength training.

"I'm sick. Should I train or not?" That question pops up on forums all the time. The answer? Yes , you should train!

Getting bigger and stronger requires dedication, persistence and lots of hard work. So, let’s just forget about all that nonsense and pull out some Jose Cuervo.

Break That Plateau! Tired of your routine? Time to shake it up! by Mike Mahler "The only difference between a rut and a grave is the depth." —Gerald Burrill Sometimes training can become monotonous and you find yourself stuck in a rut. If you don't shake things up, you'll end up like that geek at your gym that's been bench pressing 185 pounds for ten years. You know who I'm talking about. Every gym has at least one and they often enjoy rea...

High Octane Cardio Train like a man, not a rodent! by Mike Mahler No More Hamster Cardio! I gotta' tell you, I hate doing cardio. There's nothing more boring to me than sitting on an exercise bike, going up and down on a Stairmaster, or running on a treadmill. I sometimes drive by a gym in Santa Monica and see dozens of people on the latest and greatest cardio machines, staring at the television and looking like caged hamsters running on treadmills. In addit...

Go to any gym these days and you see most trainees doing an endless number of reps all in the hopes of attaining the oh-so elusive and fleetingly short pump.

Power Hungry A Conversation with Jimmy "The Iron Bull" Pellechia by Mike Mahler What are the limits of human strength? Is there a certain threshold that no human can overcome? It's easy to think so, until you talk to someone like Jimmy "The Iron Bull" Pellechia, then you begin to believe that anything is possible. Although Jimmy can toss around huge amounts o...

Tudor Bompa is known to many as the man who single-handedly revolutionized Western training methods. After more than forty years of work in the arena of international sports, he's widely considered one of the world's leading specialists when it comes to periodization, planning, peaking, and strength and power training.

Refresher Course Say Goodbye to your Weakest Link! by Mike Mahler   The purpose of this column is tri-fold. Purpose number one is as a "refresher course" for seasoned lifters. Sure, deep down, you may know this stuff, but it's been so long since you first read about it that you've forgotten the rationale behind the subject matter. Secondly, this column's for those readers who have just graduated from the newsstand mags. Maybe th...

Combat Conditioning Five Months Without Weights by Mike Mahler If you’re serious about living the Testosterone lifestyle, then you know you’re going to have to train for the rest of your life. No excuses. It’s a fact that we’ve all welcomed and accepted. But if you’re going to be working out your whole life, then you’re going to have to try some new stuff occasionally. If you don’t, not only will your progress...