Q: I’ve been using your 4X method and throwing in some NA (negative-accentuated) sets every so often, mainly because I like some soreness. It makes me feel like I’ve done good work in the gym and am growing. Lately, I can’t seem to get much soreness from my workouts. Should I add sets or more NA or what?
A: There is no scientific research that shows that muscle soreness equals muscle growth—but we know what you mean. It makes you feel like you’ve hit the muscle hard enough to trigger growth, and it just makes sense that the microtrauma should translate into hypertrophy. We know for a fact that emphasizing the negative stroke of every rep can cause more soreness and that it can cause inflammation—which is temporary size. But that should lead to permanent mass…
We believe that a slightly sore muscle is one that’s primed for growth. It sounds like you believe that too, so how do you regain that GOOD mild soreness after you’ve adapted to 4X and NA? We suggest you try a “fun” variation called Shock-centric training…
Before we get to that, let us explain 4X and NA for those not familiar. For 4X you take a weight you can get 15 reps with, but you only do 10; rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more—and so on until you do four sets of 10. The last set should be all out, and you should NOT get 10 reps. If you do, add weight to that exercise at your next workout.
NA is simply doing a set of about seven reps, but with a cadence of one second on the positive and six seconds on the negative. So on squats, for example, you would lower in six seconds, then blast up in one second, lower in six seconds, and blast up in one second, and so on for about seven reps. The seventh rep should be failure (obviously, take precautions on squats by using safety pins or something similar).
Okay, now for the Shock-centric method that combines the two. It’s a 3X sequence with X-centric training—that is, negative emphasis. It’s very traumatic to the target muscle, so you only do it at every other workout or every third workout for a bodypart. Here’s the drill…
Take your normal 4X poundage and do an NA set—one second on the positive and six seconds on the negative—for 7 reps. It shouldn’t be difficult. Rest 30 to 40 seconds, then do 7 more NA reps. Now it’s getting tough. Rest 30 to 40 seconds and do one last NA set to exhaustion—which should be at rep 6 or 7…
So you’re doing 3 NA sets with 30 to 40 seconds of rest between, and the last set is to muscular exhaustion. You’re getting 20 or so total reps with negative emphasis, which will get you sore—and jolt new muscle growth.
How do we know you’ll grow? Think about it. Not only are you getting the trauma-inducing power of NA over 3 sets, but you’re also subjecting the muscles to longer tension times—about 50 seconds on each set…
Shock-centric training on any exercise will ignite a burst of new muscle size. It’s new stress that can build muscles that impress.
NOTE: For more on NA training, how it works, and other ways to use it, see The X-centric Mass Workout e-book. For information on 4X training, see The 4X Mass Workout.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
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