Natural Muscles Quotes

“While muscle damage can occur from weight training, it shouldn’t be considered a growth factor on its own. If an individual does not experience any muscle damage from his workouts, but progressive overload takes place (meaning more mechanical tension), his muscles will grow. On the other hand, if another individual experiences extreme muscle damage after certain workouts but does not follow the progressive overload principle, no muscle
building will take place.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“What you should understand is that the muscular appearance varies among individuals, even if they lift the same amount of weight for a particular exercise. However, your own muscles will get bigger, if you get stronger. You can increase their size, but you cannot alter their shape, as this is determined by your genetics. You simply add “meat” to the predetermined muscles you have.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Such high-volume and fatiguing sessions not only pump the muscles during the workout, but also leave a trainee feeling "pumped" for a day or two afterward. This sensation is due to inflammation within the muscles from excessive workout volume. However, it does not represent real muscle growth. Within one to two days, as the muscles recover, the swelling subsides as the inflammation diminishes.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“You don’t need all those angles between the horizontal and vertical planes for both pushing and pulling exercises. The best gains for the chest, front deltoids,posterior deltoids, and middle traps are achieved through horizontal pushes and pulls. On the other hand, the best gains for the lats, lateral deltoids,upper traps, and lower traps come from vertical pushes and pulls.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Dips are one of the best exercises for building massive triceps. No other exercise—compound or isolation—can match the tricep gains you can achieve with dips.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Essentially, horizontal and vertical pulls are the exact opposite movements of horizontal and vertical pushes, respectively. The joint actions involved in horizontal movements are complete opposites, as are the joint actions in vertical movement patterns, assuming there are no significant differences in grip widths. This balance ensures that you work your body in a well-rounded manner. The horizontal pull exercises engage the antagonist muscles of horizontal pushes, and the same principle applies to the vertical exercises.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Let's analyze how muscles work in these exercises based on anatomy and joint actions. Soon, you'll understand that you can effectively target your entire body in each workout, eliminating the need for 6, 8, or 10 exercises per session as suggested by many "experts".”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Bilateral barbell movements or bilateral bodyweight exercises do not present the issue of instability. I consider them the ultimate tools for maximizing strength and muscle mass potential due to their stability,favorable strength curves, and the ability to load them with small weight increments.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Many suggest that dumbbells are superior to barbells for muscle mass development because they offer a greater range of motion compared to barbells. For instance, in the dumbbell bench press, dumbbells can be lowered further down compared to barbells. While this holds true for beginner lifters, it's not necessarily the case for advanced lifters. As one becomes stronger, the weight of the dumbbells increases significantly. Consequently, the length and size of the heavier dumbbells can hinder performing a full range of motion in many exercises.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Although, an increase in intensity does not necessarily mean lifting a heavier weight in order to recruit the largest muscle fibers. When you lift a light enough weight, slow-twitch muscle fibers are initially recruited. As these fibers fatigue and are unable to sustain the required force, additional fibers are recruited. If you continue this light weight set close to muscular failure, eventually all available muscle fibers are activated and engaged in the work.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“those with short tendons/long muscle fibers have
muscles that appear longer and fuller than those with the opposite proportion of muscle to tendon ratio. It’s important to note that you might have a favorable proportion of muscle/tendon in some body parts and a less favorable in others.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“The fixed height of deadlifts is a significant issue because individuals have varying anthropometric measurements, such as arm length, which can impact
their ability to perform the lift comfortably and safely. For example, people with shorter arms often struggle to lift the barbell from the floor without
discomfort in their lower back. Despite their efforts, their lower back tends to flex at the start of the movement. It would be unwise for these individuals to continue deadlifting from that height, as it increases the risk of lower back injuries. Using a weight plate or a block to raise the barbell is not a sign of weakness; rather, it reflects the fact that their anthropometry is less ideal for this particular lift.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Don’t listen to professional bodybuilders who claim that you should only eat chicken breasts and fat-free fish. Next time you have fish or chicken, don’t be
afraid to enjoy them with the skin. When making an omelet, keep the yolk—it’s packed with vitamins and necessary fats, while the egg white, aside from protein, contains minimal nutrients. Also, when buying yogurt or cheese, choose the whole versions instead of the light ones. This way, you'll provide
your body with the essential fats it needs to perform well both inside and outside the gym.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“To recap, breakfast and frequent meals are not essential, and as long as the total calories and macronutrients are consistent, the outcome remains the same regardless of meal frequency or protein intake per meal. It’s up to you to decide how many meals per day best suit your lifestyle. Choose a plan that you enjoy and can stick to consistently. If you don't enjoy breakfast or prefer fewer meals due to your daily schedule, it’s perfectly fine to stick with two main meals. On the other hand, if you enjoy eating breakfast or prefer more frequent meals and your schedule allows for it, go ahead and continue doing so. Tailor your diet to fit your life, rather than forcing your life to conform to a specific diet.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“In addition to health considerations, it’s worth noting that natural bodies often possess a unique beauty compared to those of steroid users. Take a look at the following image, showcasing Eugene Sandow on the left and Arnold Schwarzenegger on the right. Sandow, a man who began lifting weights long before synthetic anabolic hormones existed, represents a physique that many may find more appealing than Arnold Schwarzenegger’s, who openly admitted to using steroids. It’s highly probable that most people would prefer a body
like Sandow's over Arnold’s. If this isn’t the case for you, it’s important to accept the limitations of how much muscle the human body can naturally build and prioritize your health over any desire for excessive muscle mass.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“How long it takes to reach genetic potential varies from person to person due to individual differences in progression. However, with a proper training plan,
most individuals can achieve this goal within 3 to 5 years.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“There is a common misconception, often perpetuated by steroid users, that being above 10% body fat is considered "fat." However, for most natural individuals, maintaining a body fat percentage between 12%-15% is often optimal, and it is generally advised not to go below 10% as a natural lifter.
Staying within the range of 10%-16% body fat is a reasonable and achievable
goal.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Any effective training routine should include a squat variation that
incorporates the technique described above, where the knees and hips break simultaneously. This approach can be complemented with a deadlift variation
to ensure comprehensive leg development. The appropriate squat variations
optimize quad stimulation, while deadlifts and their variations target the
posterior musculature of the legs.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Full-body programs can be manipulated in such a manner that they are suitable for any lifter, from beginner to advanced. In fact, they are the most suitable schedule for the majority of natural
lifters. I'm referring to abbreviated full-body programs,”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Hypertrophy is not a fitness quality. Hypertrophy is the effect when a muscle gets stronger.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“it’s not the external load that determines the level of
mechanical tension and maximum fiber recruitment in the muscles, but rather the proximity to muscular failure. Therefore, regardless of the number of reps, sets should be taken close to failure to achieve maximum muscle recruitment.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“the biggest issue lies not with those who openly admit their steroid usage, but with the so-called “naturals” who promote unrealistic expectations among young individuals about what the human body can naturally achieve.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“Burning sensations and pumped muscles have
nothing to do with genuine muscle growth.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition

“the biggest issue lies not with those who openly admit their
steroid usage, but with the so-called “naturals” who promote unrealistic
expectations among young individuals about what the human body can naturally
achieve.”
― Pantelis Tsoumanis, Natural Muscles: Maximize Your Strength and Muscle Mass Naturally with Just 2 Weight Training Sessions per Week, Revised Edition