Q: My training partner and I are arguing. He wants to start using heavy negative-only training, but I told him that your e-book [the X-centric Mass Workout] warns against it. He reads your newsletter, so please convince him that it’s not a good idea.
A: In the X-centric e-book we cited a study that showed the extreme damage caused by negative-only training (someone lifts the weight for you, and you lower slowly). Muscle recovery for some of the subjects took weeks; however, most of those subjects were untrained, so they didn’t have the cumulative capacity to handle traumatic loads. If you’ve been training for a year or more, that’s probably not your case…
In fact, pure-negative sets can be beneficial if you use them correctly, BUT, as we explain in that e-book, that style is more power-oriented—it’s a strength-building tactic, not a real size booster. Here’s why…
For a pure-negative set, you use about 25 percent more weight than your normal nine-rep set. Sounds good so far—excellent overload. The problem is that when your partner or partners lift the weight for you, you lose tension from the target muscles. That’s not so good from a size-building standpoint…
With heavy, pure-negative sets, you’re essentially doing rest/pause negative singles WITHOUT continuous tension throughout the set. Plus, you also DON’T get the myotatic reflex at the turnaround—the important quick shift from negative to positive that activates more muscle fibers (in the X-centric e-book we discuss how that’s key for maximum size stimulation)…
So, pure-negative overload is not a bad thing if you’re looking to build strength—you just have to be sure you’re getting a sufficient density, or endurance, component in your training as well. That’s to trigger all-around growth in the dual-capacity type 2A muscle fibers, the ones that are dominant in the biggest, freakiest bodybuilders, like former Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman…
Now, the negative-accentuated (NA) technique we recommend and include in the programs in the X-centric Mass Workout is raising the weight in one second and lowering in six. While we classify NA as a density tactic, you also get some power overlap. Here are the reason it’s an excellent tactic for extreme 2A growth:
1) You get continuous tension throughout the set; you raise and lower the weight yourself, so the target muscle stays engaged—unlike pure negatives with which someone raises the weight for you.
2) You achieve excess muscle trauma from the negative emphasis. The six-second lowering on every rep causes more microtears.
3) You get optimal fiber activation with a semi-explosive turnaround. The weight is manageable so when you move from your slow negative into a fast positive, you trigger the myotatic, or stretch, reflex, which research shows innervates dormant muscle fibers for critical growth stimulation.
Those tremendous mass-boosting benefits explain why we prefer Negative-Accentuated sets—we want to build ultimate muscle size; strength is secondary. But back to pure-negatives for a moment…
If you decide to use negative-only sets for every muscle, the fiber damage will be more severe, so you may require more time between workouts…
For example, if you use the three-way split program in the X-centric e-book, you would substitute a negative-only set for the each NA set. Instead of training four days a week, you may want to train only three: Workout 1 (chest, delts, triceps) on Monday, Workout 2 (quads, hams, calves) on Wednesday and Workout 3 (back, biceps, abs) on Friday. That will give you seven days of recovery for each muscle…
Also, because you’ve replaced the NA set, which is more density-oriented, with a negative-only power-style set, you’ll no doubt need more density work than only the 4×10 sequence on the isolation exercise. You may want to experiment by finishing each muscle with 6×10 or even 10×10—if you’re above average in the genetics department.
Good luck and let us know how your negative overload experiment goes.
Note: Learn more about the X-centric Mass Workout e-book by clicking the cover below:
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Boost Testosterone…
With Cardio?!
If you want to build muscle (of course you do!) and ramp up your testosterone levels while simultaneously burning a ton of fat, you need to try this workout if you haven’t already…
–> Use this cutting-edge cardio trick to boost testosterone and muscle growth
Note: This is NOT traditional HIIT or boring steady-state cardio