Q: I totally get the Power-Density idea for more muscle size, and I notice that the top bodybuilders use that mix. I’m not sure how X Reps fit in, though. Do they make a set more power or more density? And why are they so great? Aren’t they just a few short-range movements at the end of a set?

A: Considering that the latest studies show that the biggest bodybuilders’ muscles are jam-packed with type 2A fibers, the ones with both power and endurance (density) capabilities, all bodybuilders should be using both types of sets (and X Reps can help, as you’ll see).

Even when Arnold was in his prime, he would do a power pyramid on an exercise, adding weight to get fewer reps, and then end with one or two higher-rep sets for density. He knew instinctively that the P-D combo is what it took to get massive (photo by Caruso--for more on Arnold’s power-density methods, see The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout)...

What about X Reps? For the uninitiated, they are short end-of-set eight-inch pulses at the semi-stretch position--such as near the bottom of an incline press. So you do a full-range set to exhaustion, then you lower to where the target muscle is somewhat stretched and do short, eight-inch pulses. They are very intense, so we usually do them only on the last set of any big exercise...

Those “few short-range movements” do a number of excellent things for packing on mass--and also for fat loss....

1) X-cess fiber activation. When a muscle fails with a heavy weight, say 8 reps, it’s the nervous system that craps out. In fact, most researchers estimate that on any given set to exhaustion, you’ve only used 30 percent of a muscle’s fast-twitch fibers--and hardgainers with low neuromuscular efficiency hit even fewer than that. X Reps can help jack up that percentage...

If you move the bar to the semi-stretch point, such as near the bottom of a press or chinup, that’s the strongest point on the stroke for the target muscle to fire--and therefore you activate more fibers. So pulsing in that low X Spot helps you surpass that 30 percent mark, making a set three to five times more effective at stimulating mass.

2) X-tra tension time. By adding three to five X-Rep partials at the end of a set, you provide more density by keeping the muscle under tension for a longer period. That can better stimulate the key 2A growth fibers that are already engaged, providing some density emphasis to enhance growth in the endurance constituents of those fibers.

3) X-tended muscle burn. By continuing a set with partials, you automatically up the fatigue factor and amplify muscle burn. That firestorm is linked to growth hormone output, which is a potent fat burner. The more you get your body to produce, the faster your fat-to-muscle effect will be. (Can J Appl Physio. 22:244-255; 1997)

Bottom line: By simply adding three to five X-Rep partials at the end of the last set at the key X spot on the stroke, you get more muscle stimulation as well as fat-burning activation. As you can see, X-Reps are both power and density, not to mention an uptick in major muscle-building intensity.

So, yes, X Reps are pretty great--and if that’s the case, how about doing X-Rep-only sets for even more mass effects? Good question, and one we’ll discuss in a future e-zine.

Q: I bought myself and my wife a gym membership, and I started on your Quick-Start Muscle Building program. I’m getting good results already, but my wife will only do aerobics classes. She won’t touch the weights because she says she doesn’t want big muscles. What can I tell her? She is more concerned about losing fat.

A: Tell her not to worry about building big muscles. That attitude is from the dark ages. A little more muscle will actually help her look better and get leaner faster. In fact, most medical doctors now suggest that their patients, male and female, lift weights--and many say that lifting is more important than cardio. Here’s a quote from our X-treme Lean e-book that may help convince your wife:

“Many women think ‘muscle’ is a dirty word. Not true. It gives the female body a metabolic boost and more curves in the right places. Women don’t have to be concerned with building too much muscle thanks to their female hormone balance--more estrogen, very little testosterone. Women should train just as hard as men do, using weight training to sculpt their bodies.”

The overly muscled women bodybuilders take male hormones to get that way. If your wife isn’t taking those, she doesn’t have to worry. She can use weight training followed by some cardio to transform her body quickly, as Becky Holman, Steve’s wife, did...

Show your wife those photos and emphasize that Becky trained to build muscle first and foremost--and it worked fast, boosting your metabolism through the roof! It’s done wonders for men too, so you may want to consider her direct/indirect POF workouts [on pages 50-52 in X-treme Lean] as your next step after the Quick-Start program.