A Great Method
November 26, 2006 By B. J. Miceli
I first got this book in the early 90's, when I was in my early 20s and weighed about 150lbs. Putting these principles to work over these many years has brought me up to 275lbs, very strong, very solid, but not ripped. But that is the point. If you are a guy who wants to "get big" without drugs, without blowing wads of money on useless supplements, Darden has the plan (which he earlier discussed in his book "Big"; this is basically a refinement of that). Lift heavy, but not too often, do negatives (meaning you have to have a spotter, making it safer), eat nutritiously and well, and get plenty of rest. If you read the preface to his earlier book, "Big", he makes the point that he dislikes the ripped look. So do I. I prefer the fullness and naturalness of the look of the old-time strong men who were 100% natural, not ripped to the bone and pumped to the gills with drugs.
Darden's method will give you a healthy, solid, big, firm physique whose foundation is hard work, smart training, and good nutrition. And don't be put off by the "bulking up" aspect of his method. You can always lose much of the fat after you have gained muscle, but Darden and other smart, drug-free lifters know that you cannot cut up and build big at the same time. They also know that the bigger your muscles get, the harder it is to be really lean, naturally. That is just a fact of life. You have to feed your body well to enable it to grow slabs of muscle. Weightlfting approached that way, as a lifelong hobby and pastime, can be the foundation of years of good health, strength, and yes, sex appeal!