HERE’S A WRITTEN INTERVIEW OF STUART McROBERT, BY JAMES LOWE OF KJAG Radio:

1. Stuart, welcome to The Mic. I love your new book -- actually, all four of them. How did you come to write the big book, and why four books in one? 

Thank you for the interview. 

BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT incorporates four interrelated books -- four books in one. As a result it truly is a comprehensive work -- 640 pages and nearly 400 photographs. Although I initially planned to produce a single book of no more than 200 pages, the project kept expanding and evolving until it became a truly complete book. And it’s for both men and women, of all ages. 

2. When you started training at the age of 14, what were some of the experiences you had, and what did you use for training instruction and facilities? 

Even before I was 14 I was dissatisfied with my puny body, and admired well-developed bodies. Marvel comics inspired me through their phenomenally developed super heroes. I also found some books in local libraries on physical training and bodybuilding that motivated me. 

At that time in England -- early 1970s -- there weren’t any newsstand bodybuilding magazines that I came across. But I did come across some subscription bodybuilding magazines. They and the library books gave me my first training instruction. On hindsight, the library books gave better instruction than the magazines, but the glitzy magazines made a bigger impression on me, and I followed the instruction they promoted, which often wasn’t appropriate for me but I didn’t realize that for a number of years. 

I trained at a local community center, which had a rudimentary gym. That gym became the focal point of my life for several years. 

3. Tell us about each book. 

BOOK ONE is a step-by-step, twelve-month training program, with modifications to accommodate all levels of training experience. The Program removes all guesswork and trial and error from training. No matter how experienced you may be, you’ll still learn much that will help you to forge ahead with your training. And there’s detailed instruction on how to train after you’ve completed The Program. All the instruction you need for many years of successful training is in BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT. No other book provides the substance and detail on how to train like this one does. 

BOOK TWO is about 200 pages devoted to exercise technique. BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT has the most comprehensive, detailed information on exercise technique available in any publication. With it you can achieve total mastery of exercise technique, and take a huge step toward a lifetime of safe, effective training. 

BOOK THREE: Additional to The Program, and exercise technique, BOOK THREE gives you hundreds of additional pages of invaluable information. This is required so that you can maximize the effectiveness of The Program. It includes:

             a. The truth on age and exercise

             b. How to optimize your recuperative powers

             c. Gym savvy, where to train, and gym conduct

             d. Cardio training

             e. How to avoid injuries

             f. Rep speed and control

             g. How to optimize your exercise selection

             h. What scientific studies really mean to you

             i. A primer on anatomy

             j. The most thorough lexicon of muscle-building, and training

             k. How to get started if you’re a beginner 

And an effective, practical, proven program for bodyfat loss is given, too. Learn how to rid yourself of excess fat without losing any muscle, and without any hype, gimmicks, or special foods. It’s not as complicated as many people think it is provided you know what you’re doing. 

BOOK FOUR is an especially important section of BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT. It details the astonishing recovery I made from debilitating injuries. The improvement I experienced from the therapy was dramatic. It was as if I was given a new spine, and new knees. I now have ranges of movement in my neck, back, and knees that I haven’t had for over 15 years. Old injuries were healed fast. And that was after many years during which I believed that the injuries were permanent. 

In BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT I explain the original problems and their causes, the corrective therapy, the maintenance care, and the critical lessons for you to learn. It’s one of the most important accounts I’ve ever written. 

The full package of healing I used has never before been published, anywhere. 

4. You edited a training magazine, tell us about it. 

HARDGAINER ran for 15 years, from 1989 until early 2004 -- 89 issues in total. It was a subscription-only magazine, devoted to drug-free training methods primarily targeted at genetically typical people. The training methods that work for regular folk are different to those used by genetically gifted, drug-enhanced bodybuilders and strength athletes. 

5. You have had over 400 articles published -- what magazines have you been in? 

They include, in no particular order, IRONMAN, FLEX, MUSCLEMAG INTERNATIONAL, MUSCLE & FITNESS, MUSCULAR DEVELOPMENT, MUSCLE TRAINING ILLUSTRATED, MUSCLE MEDIA 2000, and NATURAL BODYBUILDING. 

6. Stretching has been well debated. Where do you come down on this -- during a workout, before, after, or is it needed at all? 

It’s not essential. Many people don’t stretch, but still train. But provided the stretching is done correctly, it’s an excellent component of training, and one that I recommend. For progressive stretches -- the ones that increase your flexibility -- I recommend they are done immediately after a workout. But some stretching can be carefully done earlier on if there’s any unusual tightness, in order to return the body to its normal level of flexibility. 

7. People want abs. They do crunches like mad but no diet? 

You can have great abs, but if they are covered by a thick layer of fat, you won’t see them. Correctly done, crunches will develop abs, but to see your abs you need to reduce your bodyfat sufficiently, and to do that you need to diet. But don’t shed fat quickly or else you’ll lose muscle. 

8. How would someone get back into training, after sickness? 

Never train during sickness. When recovered, ease back into training gradually, from a very comfortable start. How easy you start, and how gradually you return to your regular training depends on the severity of the sickness, and how long it kept you out of the gym. 

9. How does someone move along in their routine? For instance, they want to go up in weight, should they go up every workout? 

If they are beginners, then they probably can go up in weight most workouts, at least to begin with. Later on the progress will be slower. I recommend small but regular increases,. rather than larger but less frequent increases. For example, add one pound each week rather than ten pounds once every two months. 

Two of the biggest mistakes that people make are taking on too much training to begin with, and trying to progress at a fast pace. Both cause burn out, injuries, and failure. Most people who start an exercise program will give it up within a few months. But had they started with much less training -- a realistic amount that they can find time and energy for -- and had they progressed at a slow but steady pace, the drop out rate would be far less. 

10. Cardio . . . is it important to for bodybuilders and fighters only, or should average people do cardio as well? 

I recommend it for everyone, but only provided it’s done correctly. Do too much too soon, and most people will pack it in quickly. Instead, start out easily, and increase the workload slowly and gradually.  

The body is capable of tremendous increases in fitness, strength and overall conditioning, but only if you start out conservatively, and build up slowly and gradually. If you do too much, and try to progress too quickly, your body will protest and you’ll likely give it up. 

11. What is “too old” to train or “too young” to train? 

It’s never too old to train. In fact, the older you are the more important it is to train. And it’s never too young to do some sort of training. The key is in doing the right sort of training, and progressing in the right way -- relative to age, goals, health, equipment, and so on. 

12. You mention proper weight loading and unloading. Why do others never mention this in other books? 

BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT is a complete book, and covers many topics that other training books don’t, and of the topics that most training books cover, I cover them in a more detailed and careful way. 

13. You have one-arm dumbbell row for back in the book. I have heard recent reports that this is a dangerous exercise. Where do you come down on this? 

All exercises are dangerous if done incorrectly. Incorrect exercise technique is the norm in gyms, and it’s no wonder that so many people get injured. Done correctly, the one-arm dumbbell is a safe, effective exercise. 

14. Warm-up sets are mentioned in the book. Why do people miss them out in their workouts? 

Laziness, not being aware of the importance of warm-up sets, or both.  

15. Neck work is mentioned in the book. Why do people miss this out of their training? 

Neck work isn’t common, but it should be common. Correctly done, neck work strengthens the neck, makes it more resistant to injuries, and the extra neck girth looks impressive. 

16. A lot of people use “energy drinks” such as Red Bull and Speed Stack. Are these good for training, or should be avoided? 

I never use them, or recommend them. If people feel they have to use them to be energized for training, there are deficiencies in their nutrition and sleeping habits. Much better to address the causes of insufficient energy by improving nutrition and sleep. 

17. You have had injuries, and have advice in the book on how to recover from injuries. Have you had any feedback from people who have tried the methods, or from people who dismiss the methods? 

All the injuries I had were avoidable. I got injured only through ignorance and foolishness. If my guidance given in BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT is followed, injuries will be avoided. But for people who have injuries, I provide the methods for healing. They worked wonders on me, and on many others, too. I’ve had excellent feedback from others on the success of the methods. 

18. Arnold used a method in the 1970s where he would take a bodypart a day and do every exercise from every angle. And there are various spilt routines to choose from. Which are the best methods? 

Keep in mind that Arnold inherited a potential for muscle size far greater than the average man, and he used steroids. That combination, together with his ferocious capacity to train, and his great dedication, was what made him into the bodybuilder he became. But the average bodybuilder won’t respond in the same way that Arnold did, because the average bodybuilder has average potential for muscle size, and usually the good sense not to mess with dangerous drugs like steroids. That is why typical bodybuilders should train in a different way to how Arnold trained. 

BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT describes in detail the best routines to use. They can be full-body, or split, but they must be special interpretations -- not the type that Arnold used, for example. 

19. What future plans for writing do you have? Are you working on another book? 

I worked on BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT for five years. It was a massive undertaking. I’m between the books at present, with no plans for starting another in the immediate future. 

20. Where can people purchase your book, and what makes this one different than others on the market? 

The book can be bought through www.hardgainer.com. And if you buy a copy now you’ll get a bundle of free bonuses. 

What makes BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT different than others on the market? Let me paraphrase the endorsement by Dr. Gregory Steiner, a chiropractor in Texas, USA:  

“The physical training world is notorious for hyperbole, drugs, dishonesty, inappropriate training routines, insufficient attention to safety, and excessive commercialization. BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT is different. It’s honest, safety-minded, health-conscious, inspirational, free of hype and drugs, and packed with instruction that works for all trainees. 

“For everyone interested in improving their physiques, fitness, and well-being -- beginners, intermediates, and even advanced trainees -- there’s no better book than BUILD MUSCLE, LOSE FAT, LOOK GREAT. It’s an authoritative book, crammed with responsible, safe, and highly effective instruction for men and women.” 

There are many testimonials for the book -- they can be found at www.hardgainer.com. 

The book comes with a money-back guarantee. If you don’t like the book, for whatever reason, and you bought it through www.hardgainer.com, you may return it for a full refund.