The internet is a spectacular resource when it comes to finding new approaches to diet, exercise and muscle building. Just about anyone can build and maintain a website, which means that more people can now communicate their various training methodologies through the media of text, images, video and sound.

The downside if you’re looking for serious muscle building advice is that discriminating the kooks and whackos from the educated, legitimate minority can be a time-consuming, frustrating experience. Many people just go with the first site they find, and wind up wasting valuable time and energy on ineffectual, unscientific workout regimes.

In this article, I’d like to list a few of the more worthwhile, honest sites out there, the ones that will give you the most for the least. One site that focuses on serious, hardcore training methods, as well as providing a lot of information you would never have discovered in your typical bodybuilding rag, is www.dragondoor.com. One section of the site is entirely dedicated to the work of Pavel Tsatsouline, the man credited with bringing the muscle building device of the kettlebell to Europe and America. Pavel’s approach is very different to anything you’re likely to encounter in a western gym. He frequently utilizes equipment that, while some of it may seem initially arcane, actually includes the best tools for moving beyond the limited world of weights stacks and into the far more enviable realm of true, tough, stable muscular density and power. Definitely worth a look.

Another section deals entirely with advice pertaining to building muscle using only your own bodyweight. It includes the foundational work for gymnastics and breakdancing. While an adult man or woman will stand little chance in approaching the skills and power of a professional gymnast, that’s the case with most sports, and there’s every reason to believe that using the basic techniques of the sport can lead to a kind of functional fitness far beyond any aerobics or killer-abs class. And one look at the body of a professional (male) gymnast will reveal what is in fact a far more appealing aesthetic, closer to the symmetry and beauty of an ancient Greek sculpture than to the pumped-up, unnaturally hideous appearance of competetive bodybuilders. Ever wanted to learn to hold a handstand, perform a one-arm pull-up or, even more impressive, a planche push-up? This is the place to go.

For someone looking for an approach that focuses more on appearance than function, my advice would be to check out www.precisionnutrition.com. A site that begins with the simple question, “What do I need to eat to become what I want to be?”, it features a variety of courses tailored to men and women, as well as serious athletes and fitness professionals. The site is owned and mantained by none other than John Berardi, author of the ever-popular hard-gainer’s manual, ‘From Scrawny To Brawny’, and a quick flip through the manual will show you that Berardi is a true practitoner of his own creed. Try out his free seven-day course and you’ll get his free e-books on nutrition strategies and healthy desserts.

Last but most certainly not least, take a flip through to Vince Delmonte’s site, vincedelmontefitness.com and order his e-book. This man’s principals, while they draw on traditional methods and commonsense, may well change the way you see fitness and strength training forever. Delmonte endured the worst of hard-gainer living before coming out as the muscular, sculpted god he currently appears to be. Find out how he did it, and you may find yourself on a new life-path.

© Vince Delmonte www.VinceDelMonteReviews.com 2009. All rights reserved.