How I Overcame My 'Skinny Genes'
Rob Thoburn
It all began in the summer of 1986. I was a skinny and insecure 16-year-old
with an insatiable thirst for muscle and an almost no potential for building
it.
I wasn't one of those people that is skinny but 'ripped'. You know, the ones
with long muscle bellies just waiting to explode given the proper stimulus (pumping
iron)?
No, I was one of skinny people that got 'gipped' when it came time to hand
out muscle fibers. I seemed to be a least a few hundred thousand short, and
those muscle fibers that I had been given weren't terribly interested in getting
much bigger.
That's why I think I had such a hard time building muscle from the very start...
My obsession with building my body eventually led to writing magazine articles
for publications such as Muscle Media 2000, Ironman, Muscle & Fitness and
the like.
I also began writing my own books. This led to appearances in the newspapers,
on television and the radio. I was invited to lecture at high schools, universities,
and to Olympic-level athletes.
Building muscle has always been tough for me, much like learning.
As best I can tell, I'm not the sharpest knife in the drawer. So when it comes
to the science of building muscle, the science of anything, for that matter--
I choose to turn to the real experts: the scientists themselves.
That's why I spend a great deal of my time corresponding with research scientists
at universities around the globe. I ask these smart people all kinds of questions.
Typically, they revolve around building muscle: What are the cellular and molecular
mechanisms by which lifting weights makes muscles bigger? What might be the
best way to trigger these mechanisms in the gym?
The fact of the matter is that scientists still don't know the answers to these
questions. Bodybuilding therefore remains an empirical process in that one does
what works.
As Dr. William Kraemer (Ph.D.) of the University of Connecticut recently told
me, weight-training is still very much in its embryonic stage.
So what works?
I have a few ideas, none of them by any means proven. My methods are largely
the result of years of frequently excessive experimentation coupled with the
occasional spark of insight provided by the scientists with whom I correspond.
I share some of the best of these methods in The R.O.B. Report.
Here's what a couple of scientists had to say about this report:
| "Hi, Rob. I enjoyed your R.O.B. reports. I think you have prepared
information that could be said to be accurate and informative for people
of various interests and education.
I have always said that bodybuilders are the most informed of all athletes
when it comes to diet, exercise and physiology. Your information will
certainly provide valuable insight where much is still lacking. I especially
liked your segment on macronutrient balance. I teach an Exercise Metabolism
course to advanced students and we spend approximately a month on the
same concepts that you have covered so well in your report.
I am sure that if you keep preparing the quality of material that I just
reviewed, that your service will become very successful.
Dr. Darren Burke (Ph.D.)
Assistant Professor,
Department of Human Kinetics
St. Francis Xavier University
Antigonish, Nova Scotia
|
| "Rob Thoburn is a dedicated, scientifically alert enthusiast
who can tell the difference between schlock and sugar. His advice is likely
to be well-founded and he understands the details that are important and
the wrinkles that tell. Rob's [books] are likely to prove be useful resources
for the body building community."
Professor Michael J Rennie
Professor of Clinical Physiology
University of Nottingham
School of Biomedical Sciences
|
Here's what readers and users say:
| "[In] the first 2 weeks from changing to the R.O.B. concept from
MAX-OT my upper arms have grown 3/4 of an inch, and my forearms have almost
grown a full inch.
I am also following Rob's guidelines for nutrition and definitely give
him full credit for my sudden muscle increases..."
Ryan
"I've incorporated the R.O.B. Concept into my last 5 workouts. I'm
very surprised and amazed at the changes in my bodypart measurements...
All of my (cold) measurements have increased...my chest has increased
by nearly 1.5 cm, my lats have become thicker and wider, both of my calves
have added approx 0.5 cm and their definition increased...both of my arms
increased approximately 2 cm and my thighs increased nearly 1 inch...JUST
IN FIVE WORKOUTS...such A BIG SURPRISE and the most amazing New Year gift
which I`ve received!"
Hasibuan
"I've been using the R.O.B. concept for 4 weeks and have gained
1 kg so far. I have tried HIT and volume and didn't gain anything from
them. Not a single pound. But when I switched to using R.O.B. the weight
began to add on.
I can see the changes in all the major muscle groups and I am definitely
going to keep at it."
On November 20, Lee adds:
"I weighed myself this morning on an empty stomach and I have gained
another kg. That's 1 kg in 2 weeks. I can see the changes. My chest is
filling up, traps looking better, lats becoming wider and shoulders becoming
larger.
Lee
|
As a MuscleBulidingCoach.com member, you can download the R.O.B. Report below.
It is divided into 4 smaller e-book files.
| 
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