Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger: The Advanced Guide to Building Muscle, Staying Lean, and Getting Strong (The Bigger Leaner Stronger Series)

Even if you are an advanced bodybuilder, I would read Bigger, Leaner, Stronger first. I ran across Michael Matthew's site by accident, just researching something about working out when I was trying to put a program together for myself. Of course, when reading the articles on his site, his books are advertised. At first, I'd just close them all and continue looking at different stuff. The thing is, I read so many people's rants about how great his books were, I finally just said what the hell and bought BLS. I'm fifty one and figured I've spend so many thousands of dollars on books, magazines, equipment, supplements and flat out bulls*** over the years, what was another ten bucks, right? Another thing was that he answers questions pretty quickly and I was impressed by this. All I can say is that if you actually read these books cover to cover, and actually listen to and do the things (including diet, folks...NO CHEATING), it is the best bodybuilding program ever put together. Yeah, strong words for sure, but after three and a half decades of failure, I was ready to blindly follow what looked to be the most sensible and complete thing I'd ever read about bodybuilding. Even then, I still farted around just picking and choosing what I wanted from his teachings for a few weeks until one Sunday I sat down and just said "screw it...I'm all in." I sat for nearly an entire day and worked out my diet, sodium levels and all, and I have basically eaten the exact same thing every day since. Now that doesn't mean that YOU have to do that, but I can deal with it. The first eight weeks have been incredible. I've doubled and tripled my strength on every single lift, and while the scale is still saying the same thing, I've went down a whole size in clothing. Yes, I've put on muscle and lost fat. I'm five eleven, 250 lbs, and suddenly people are saying that they can't believe how I look after a few weeks. Do you know what it's like having a girl in her mid 20s wink and say "keep it up, sexy"? I sure didn't until about a week ago, lol. I bought this book as soon as it came out, even though I knew I wouldn't be using it for a long time because (A) I like to "master" things, so I wanted to read it over and over before I ever needed to put it to use and (B) I was craving more. What I've found, is that this book helped me understand Bigger, Leaner, Stronger better, and some of the theory is a bit more in-depth, if you are into that. I also found a continued inspiration and new way to look at things from the first few chapters. Like I said, I'm into mastery, so I still read BLS over and over, but to me, these two are simply one book. I have also purchased Muscle Myths and a few others that Mike has written and they are all fine reads, but these two books are kind of like Led Zeppelin 1 through 4, or Rush 2112 through Moving Pictures--if you are going to get something, get these first. They are his Pink Floyd Dark Side of the Moon and The Wall...enough classic rock comparisons, lol. There is a lot in these books you may not care to read, and I believe that Michael puts all of this in there because some of us want to get into the theory and science as much as he does. Some of us do not. For those that do, all the extra information is freaking outstanding. For those that don't, you know what? Skip over it. This sounds like an infomercial pitch, but after knowing what I know, I would have paid anything for it. You get EVERYTHING. The workouts, the theory, the science, the diet planning, proper form and info on where to go to get it for every exercise, how to cheat on your diet, when to take a week off, when to change it up, when and how much and WHAT cardio to do, you name it. Also, use his website. It is fantastic, and he answers your questions within a few days, a week tops. This is impressive considering that they come from many different sources. Michael doesn't just take your money and run, he is invested in your success and never, ever makes you feel like you've asked a stupid question, which I know I have!

I was excited to hear Mike's new book was out and ordered a copy straight away. Not only is this book a goldmine of info for the small price, the bonus content he personally emails you after your purchase (by forwarding your amazon receipt to [email protected]) makes the purchase a no-brainer. I'm a early 20-something physique competitor (5'7", 170 lbs, 6% bf) who's been training for about 5 years and has been following Mike's books and blog since the original Bigger Leaner Stronger came out. As a scientist I do a lot of my own research for my training/diet/supplementation just like Mike, and had come to many of the same conclusions about the best approach to a healthy lifestyle and gaining muscle. Because of this, I greatly enjoy his friendly no-BS writing style and hearing about his opinions to compare with my own. This book is a very cohesive combination of his thoughts from the MuscleForLife blog and new content for anyone interested in knowing exactly what's what in the world of weightlifting. He goes through everything you need to know about what works, what doesn't, and what fads to watch out for, in just the right amount of detail. A lot of these claims go against the grain and may be hard to believe for some. For the most part I agree with his mentality and greatly appreciate all 277 of his cited scientific studies supporting his conclusions. I've incorporated much of his findings into my regime. However, different approaches work for different people even if these specific studies suggest otherwise. Techniques such as carb cycling, losing fat while building muscle in a calorie deficit, and high volume training have worked for me and my crew while some alternative suggestions given in this book haven't, but that's just our experience. All in all, I think this is the most solid and proven approach out there. One last thing, just want to mention his supplement line "Legion" is probably the best thing to happen to the supplement industry since powdered protein. Before the highly anticipated launch of his all natural and scientifically dosed products, I used to pay an arm/leg/first born for crappy tasting overpriced "natural" products which didn't use artificial sweeteners or dyes. Some products, such as a naturally sweetened pre-workout, couldn't even be bought before Legion's Pulse. Thanks for bringing honest and healthy supplements to the market Mike. Your hard work has helped more people than you think, and you're probably well on your way to breaking a million.

Mike Mathews is an amazing author and communicator. I have not completely read the book, but can confidently report that this book represents yet another triumphant addition to the wealth of knowledge that Mike has already authored and is a natural extension of his earlier works. Those intimately familiar with the world of weightlifting, both bodybuilding and powerlifting are undoubtedly painfully aware of the insurmountable mountain of misinformation that is currently being propagated. Unfortunately, sorting through and identifying what is truth and what represents outright lies is both frustrating as well as challenging. This arduous task can be complex to such a degree that it becomes almost impossible to know what information to trust. Many of the people who circulate such information would rather compromise their own personal integrity rather than to reveal that the results that they have personally achieved are not naturally obtainable and are not the result of the training or diet that they represent and disseminate for personal gain. In contrast, Mike Mathews shines brilliantly. It is clearly apparent that he lives and breathes what he writes about. Mike has done current research and concisely translates the seemingly cryptic conclusions of innumerable academic studies to support his principles. By breaking down this information into useful bits that can be clearly understood, he demonstrates, in vivo, the tactics that work at an advanced level. Mike draws from real-world experience to communicate useful information without superfluous ramblings while maintaining personal integrity. With that in mind, this book makes no promises of a "magic bullet" or of some kind of shortcut to instant success. Mike is forthright in disclosing that such things simply do not exist. Instead, this book represents the opportunity to work smarter instead of working harder because in reality, hard work and personal dedication is what is required to maximize personal potential. Beyond Bigger, Leaner, Stronger outlines academically proven strategies to provide a rock solid program for advanced lifters to transform their training and diet into another realm. This book is well planned, well researched, and proven reliable. It is not suitable for beginners or most intermediate lifters because more basic methodologies are suitable in those situations and before these advanced techniques can be applied. If beginning in the sport, I highly recommend the original Bigger, Leaner, Stronger book instead.

I'll be perfectly frank, I spent a rather considerable amount of time debating making this purchase. There comes a point where, once you know how to balance volume, intensity, and frequency with recovery, you no longer really need any specific programming and can pretty much do whatever you feel like doing in the gym on any given day. There's not much need to worry about "optimization" or whatever, just lift heavy things and put them back down again, using exercises that target those muscle groups you wish to make stronger. Keep your diet in check, and get plenty of sleep each night. The end. It's not exactly rocket science. Just pick a training split that suits your fancy, and your schedule, and get after it. So why, then, did I end up buying this, especially when there's already so much free info online? It's just nice to have something reliable for reference at a moment's notice, without having to sift through the migraine-inducing amounts of broscience and "functional fitness" nonsense also freely permeating the web. I generally know how to separate fact from fiction, but I try to stay off the web as much as possible, as a general rule. While I do have a pretty good grasp on things like periodization and recovery and whatnot, I'm not so naive as to think I'm any kind of fitness expert, and I'm always learning something new. Mr. Matthews does a good job not only presenting a pretty back-to--basics approach to training, he also diligently cites his sources for some of the more seemingly questionable claims he makes, which I find very much refreshing after going through a number of silly Crossfit and "functional" nonsense that was based on little more than "just trust me, brah!" I also appreciate that he's not very prescriptive and allows for a number of different approaches to training. Docking a point for the emphasis on HIIT as a form of cardio. I'm aware there's been some favorable studies showing it potentially offering unique cardiovascular benefits in a shorter amount of time. I remain thoroughly unconvinced. In my (admittedly anecdotal) experience, I've consistently found it does little more than eat into my recovery whilst at most offering about the same benefits I could just as easily get from a 20 - 30 minute run. I'm a 33 year-old male who's been going on daily runs for years, and while there's no denying the very real and well documented phenomenon that is the "interference effect," the threshold for it seems to be a lot higher than traditionally thought, and I've yet to find myself struggling to balance my runs with my resistance training. To each their own, I suppose, but if you don't enjoy doing things like burpees + kettlebell swings EMOM or whatever, just know that the research has not shown conclusively that HIIT is somehow superior to traditional "steady state" training, and that, in most expert opinions (as well as my own), cardio should feel good and rejuvenating. If you're on the verge of passing out in a pool of your own sweat, I'd say you've done too much for relatively little return, if any at all, especially if strength is your main goal. What do I know, I suppose... Anecdotally, I've found that basic, boring "steady state" is what provides me with the aerobic capacity necessary to handle shorter bursts of high intensity, and the research seems to back this up, so HIIT doesn't seem to be the magic "get out of cardio free" card many have made it out to be. Even if you wanna go that route, you still need at least a decent base of aerobic and cardiovascular fitness, otherwise you'll just end up burning out and hindering your recovery. My own experience matches this to a T. Regardless, if I was to recommend a good starting point for someone wanting to know how to organize their training so as to prioritize strength and muscle, I'd probably recommend this and the first book.

When it comes to fitness and nutrition, I'm a bit of an ADHD case. I get bored easily and tend to not stick with any specific program long enough to gauge results. Let's face it, most of us, even if we know better (I've been lifting for 20 years at this point), want those results yesterday. I stumbled upon Matthew's website during my never-ending quest to find the "new-and-improved" program of the day. What I found was sound, time-tested training and nutrition advice, wrapped in a down-to-earth and and personable tone. Veterans of the iron game will find information to renew their interest and "newbies" won't be find the "attitude" so pervasive in other sites. Which brings me to Matthew's books, which I found via his website. I first purchased "Bigger, Leaner, Stronger" (BLS) on Kindle late last year. It was the wealth of information, willingness of the author to personally answers questions and commitment to basic principles of hard work, being honest and transparent, and being a "grinder" that really sold me on Matthew's style. I knew that if he ever got around to writing another comprehensive book on training that I'd be one of the first to grab it. "Beyond Bigger, Leaner, Stronger" (BBLS) is not an "improvement" on BLS because it wasn't/isn't meant to be. This isn't just a rehash of the same info in BLS; wrapped in different font(s) or "new" to include some pictures. No "2nd Edition" here. It is quite literally a sequel. Using the foundation Matthew's built in BLS, BBLS raises the bar for the intermediate to veteran lifter who is striving for his perfect physique; one that can be attained naturally. BLS was mainly about the basics and the basics will get most people to where they want to be: Bigger, Leaner, Stronger. But if you want to go beyond that, if you want to fine-tune your physique once you've built your own foundation, BBLS will guide you through that. I would and have recommended this book to friends, family and co-workers. After completing Matthew's "One-year Challenge", included as a bonus report in BBLS, I'm hoping I'm greeted by not only a better physique but another offering of training and nutritional insights from one Mike Matthews.

I love the original Bigger, Leaner, Stronger and it has influenced my current training program more than anything that came before or since. In fact everything that came before doesn't even come close to that book in my opinion. With that said I was always curious if anything in the program would change once you became advanced and this book covers every question about advanced training that you could ask and actually covers a great deal of things that you will benefit from while you're still on the original BLS program (although you do need to read and use that book first). I loved the chapters on shoulder and lower body mobility and flexibility training and I have already felt a lot less tight and more flexibile implementing some of the recommended stretches and foam rolling. Also, the chapters on Intermittent Fasting, Carb Cycling, Paleo, and staying in shape while traveling are pure gold in my opinion and answered a lot of my questions or suspicions on these methods and techniques better than anything that I've read before. I own all of Mike's book and believe that this one is so far his best. This guy has literally put out all the information that you need to get shredded in his books and has done so in an objective, fair, flexible, scientific, and best of all understandable format for us to use. It's really just on us to implement what he writes and if you do I promise you you'll get to where you want to go. I'm not someone who has reached the poundages quite yet to be considered advanced but I am really enjoying my results so far (and I'm not even advanced yet!) and I am close to my goals to where I want to be when I compete in a physique and model competition. Thanks Mike for being one of the good guys and for putting out the best stuff out there.

I am half way through the book, the content is great as usual (I got already the Bigger Leaner Stronger boom before this one), but the book itself is not good since pages are falling off while reading. I know I am not the only one experiencing this issue, I’ve read the same experience from other people in forums. Again, content is great, but book binding is very poor

This is the book I've been waiting for. I've slowly (through much trial and error) discovered what works for me through years and years of lifting. And, no surprise, it's pretty much what Mike said in his first book. And then I started to slowly change my workouts for various reasons. And again, my workouts that I've come up with are really similar to what he's teaching in his new book here. This new book, Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger, delves into so much more than just hitting weights and diet. He has some pretty nice information about flexibility and mobility - stretching and foam rolling. There's also a few chapters towards the end that go over some of the fad diet types floating around right now - Intermittent Fasting, Carb Cycling, and Paleo. He's got tips on getting your fat percentage under 10% and maintaining it there for extended periods. And there's also a great chapter on traveling that I may be returning to soon as I get closer to a vacation I've been planning. I wish that these two books had been around when I first started lifting almost 20 years ago. I would say that I wasted almost 15 of those years following the BS programs in magazines promoted by supplement companies and 'juicers.' Adding muscle and getting lean isn't as difficult or complicated as they would have you believe. Now when somebody asks me for advice, I point them first to Bigger Leaner Stronger and then to Beyond Bigger Leaner Stronger. I know that they really don't need much else besides those two books to keep the gains coming for years. Whether you want to get a six pack or add a ton of weight to your squat or bench, these are the books you should be picking up. I was compelled to write this review because I want people to buy these books - not because I care that Mike Matthews sells a lot of books (though he seems like a really great guy), but because I feel that these books will help people get into the shape that they've always wanted to be in and get much healthier while doing it.

to stay focused and keep growing is here need on this book.. most likely to be used as a journal or guidebook..

Backed by research and with the honesty to stop where the research is still working on. This book is more than a plan, to me it's a motivational Bible. Right now I don't want to apply it fully because I'm training for a 10k race. But I will get back to it, getting more and more weights over time. A must read for all gentleman willing to get fit and shredded. I'm on my way.

Finally something I can do without burning myself out. A decade of doing vey high volume bodybuilding workouts and getting burned out every few months makes me appreciate this program for the simple fact I can choose the frequency that suits me and just stick with it.

prende i concetti del primo libro , Bigger Leaner Stronger ed aggiunge contenuti avanzati sulla gestione della dieta ed allenamenti , alcuni che possono essere utili anche all'inizio quindi direi che appena finito di leggere il primo si possa iniziare con questo . come dicevo per il primo libro non ci sono formule magiche ... ma richiedono comunque fatica impegno e disciplina ... ma applicate portano risultati concreti anche in relativamente poco tempo

I like Mike's books BLS and BBLS because I've found them to be the simplest programs to follow, being at the same time the most reliable ones. Mike is very realistic and to the point on which exercises and diet advice really work. These books are very easy to read for anyone wanting to have a better, healthier physique. If you have any questions on these programs you can always reach out to him for help.