Q: I’m using the Basic X-traordinary X-Rep Workout and making pretty good gains. I love that the workouts are quick and that I only use the Ultimate Exercise for each bodypart. My problem is that I think my gains could be even better because I’m not getting a big pump in some bodyparts. I do the density drop set on the Ultimate Exercise at the end, but most muscles just don’t pump like they should. Can I add an exercise to get more pumped? I have time.
A: That’s a common problem because everyone has muscles with low nerve force and/or fewer fast-twitch fibers. That makes getting a pump in those bodyparts more difficult, especially using only a big compound exercise. There are a number of things you can do, such as 10×10 style to end instead of a drop set, but we’ll give you something less time-consuming…
Right now you end with a density drop set on the big exercise—two higher-rep sets back to back—for increased tension time and occlusion, or blood-flow blockage. After a long time under tension, when you stop the set, there should be a tidal wave of blood rushing to the muscle. Unfortunately, the big, compound exercises don’t always do that job well, especially in slacker bodyparts…
We’ve suggested the same Ultimate Exercise for both the power pyramid and the density drop in the Basic X-Rep Workout to keep the workouts short and simple. But for max tension, contracted-position exercises are best—like lateral raises for delts, leg extensions for quads, and pushdowns for triceps…
So for those muscles that aren’t pumping well, simply add one set of a more isolated contracted-position exercise after the drop set. For example, for triceps you would do this…
Decline extensions (pyramid), 2 x 9, 7
Decline extensions (drop set), 1 x 10(6)
Pushdowns, 1 x 15
That one set of a single-joint contracted-position exercise will build on the pump you ignited with the drop set and blow up your triceps big time!
The Basic X-traordinary X-Rep Workout is very flexible—and also lists those key contracted-position exercises you can add to each bodypart routine. The workouts will still take about an hour—and that translates into more muscle size and power, and you should get more pumped!
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
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