By Brandon Cook

“The survival of the fittest is the ageless law of nature, but the fittest are rarely the strongest. The fittest are those endowed with the qualifications for adaptation, the ability to accept the inevitable and conform to the unavoidable, to harmonize with existing or changing conditions.” – Unknown

While we know Hybrid Muscle Training is Awwwesome for athletes and martial artists OR even your average weekend warrior (who wants to be as strong as he looks)… YOU might be wondering if this type of training is appropriate for the ectomorph, whose main purpose is to put some meat on his bones!

I mean, after all is said and done…. Elliott Hulse and Mike Westerdal (the creators of Lean Hybrid Muscle Program) are NOT ectomorphs. In fact, they are on the opposite end of the spectrum. They are endomorphs and basically have the opposite problem of your average hardgainer. Meaning… instead of finding it difficult to build muscle, these guys find it easy to gain weight… muscle and fat. The difficulty for the endomorph is staying lean as they can gain fat just by looking at a donut! (more…)

By Brandon Cook

“Empty your mind, be formless. Shapeless, like water. If you put water into a cup, it becomes the cup. You put water into a bottle and it becomes the bottle. You put it in a teapot it becomes the teapot. Now, water can flow or it can crash. Be water my friend.”
- Bruce Lee

I hope you’ve been following along with the guest posts on the blog by Mike Westerdal, the co-creator of Lean Hybrid Muscle. If you missed them… well than you really messed up!

Only kidding … here’s the links below:

It’s Time to Get Primal!

Hybrid Muscle Training For Athletes and Martial Artists

The Superiority of Functional Strength Versus Gym Strength

This type of hybrid training is something that a lot of the top strength coaches are moving towards. I, myself, have been using hybrid training in my own personal quest to develop “Super Hybrid Muscles.”

One of the top coaches whose training philosophy I really like is Jason Ferruggia. Jason has trained a ton of combat athletes and even wrote a book geared towards mixed martial artists called “Fit to Fight.”

Ferruggia’s training style  is also very hybrid-like itself (in my opinion), even if he doesn’t refer to it in such a way.  I’ve never really used that term “hybrid” either, yet this is what Mike and Elliott like to call it… and I, for one, am NOT going to argue with these huge behemoths!

So, in honor of the successful release of Lean Hybrid Muscle Reloaded I decided to unleash my own “hybrid-style” training program that is a mixture of everything I’ve learned so far.  I’m calling this The Awakened Warrior Workout and I’ll reveal it VERY SOON! (more…)

By Brandon Cook

(The devolution of modern man thanks to Mickey D’s)

Now I know what I’m about to say in this blog post is somewhat debatable, at least according to those people who believe the Earth is flat, only 2,000 years old, and is still the center of the universe! However, I’m going to say it anyway. (more…)

By Brandon Cook

“The narrow waist and tiny joints are actually a blessing, as it will make every pound of muscle on your body look like three pounds. Often slender-boned bodybuilders of 190 pounds are mistaken for 220 pounds or more due to this illusion.” - Ron Harris

As a hardgainer, you should understand that your genetic capacity for muscle growth is not quite on the same level as those lucky, genetically gifted mesomorphs, who can put on muscle just by thinking about bench pressing! Okay maybe I’m exaggerating a little bit, but not too far from the truth.

You’re going to have to train smarter, be more disciplined, and have the perseverance to overcome the genetic shortcomings of the ectomorph body type you’ve been endowed with.

Especially, if you are training naturally… which is the ONLY way I recommend!

That being said, you should have no fear… even as an ectomorph you can build muscle and develop an impressive physique. Just take a look at Frank Zane, a 3 time Mr. Olympia who trained in the same era with Arnold Schwarzenegger. In fact, Frank is one of only 3 people to ever defeat Arnold in a bodybuilding contest!

Frank Zane stands at 5’9″ and typically competed at 185lbs naturally. However he was quoted as saying that he has won shows both naturally and with steroids.

If so he was probably using lower doses of steroids (remember this is at a time when you could get them legally from your doctor.) Frank has stepped on stage at a ripped 195lbs during bodybuilding competitions and the extra 10lbs could be from drugs. Although maybe not… Only Frank knows for sure.

Even though he may have used some steroids to achieve his Olympia shredded physique, I want you to realize that he is mostly natural and wasn’t using steroids at anywhere near the same capacity as the pro bodybuilder’s of today do.

To me, Frank represents the full genetic potential of an ectomorph. His body type in this picture would now be considered an Ecto-mesomorph because of all the muscle mass he has added. Also, take notice of his smaller frame, thin wrists and ankles. These are classic traits of the ectomorph as you are about to learn.

Now, if I’m losing you with all the ecto- meso- “morph” terminology, then this article should bring you up to speed. (more…)