Q: Now that the weather has cooled down a bunch, I’m looking for a mass workout program for winter, to build as much size as possible. Then I’ll start to lean out in the early spring thaw. What type of program should I use? Big, basic power-bodybuilding routine or something like 4X Positions of Flexion? I can’t decide.
A: Winter is a long haul, so why not do both? A good place to start is with something like Jonathan’s Size Surge program—but you can do it with a few twists…
Jonathan’s original method was all heavy straight sets. Back when he was in his early 20s, that worked amazingly well at building his physique. He gained 20 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks—although, to be honest, he was regaining some of that mass. He had pretty much given up on bodybuilding when he finally decided to give it one more go with the Size Surge program. It worked…
Phase 1 is a M-W-F program using basic exercises, like bench presses, pulldowns, etc. and a few isolation moves, too. Here’s the split—you do only one or two exercises per bodypart, one to two all-out sets each…
Monday: Quads, Hams, Chest, Back, Delts
Wednesday: Deadlifts, Calves, Arms, Abs
Friday: Quads, Hams, Calves, Chest, Back, Delts
You can easily design your own workout around that. Just remember that one of the unique qualities of that Size Surge Phase 1 program is that each workout STARTS with a big testosterone-boosting exercise—either squats or deadlifts. Research shows that the big move significantly boosts testosterone and the ANABOLIC DRIVE of the muscles you train after. That’s because you pump new T-infused blood to those muscles, triggering peak growth…
For example, researchers found that training arms after legs produced significantly more arm size than training them alone. That first-T-Burst Training works. But it doesn’t have to be all-out, balls-to-the-wall sets. Scientists found that moderate intensity jacks up T as well—if the volume is sufficient…
That’s why, after using the Size Surge Phase 1 program, one to two all-out sets per exercise, for four weeks, move to another four weeks with it, but do every exercise as a 4X sequence…
For 4X you pick a weight with which you can get 15 reps, but you only do 10; rest 30 to 40 seconds, then do 10 more—and so on until you get to set 4. Go all out on that last set—if you get 10, add weight to that exercise at your next workout. Use that strategy for four more weeks.
Jonathan’s Size Surge phase 2 workout was full-range Positions of Flexion. In the Size Surge e-book, there is a 3-way split (pages 54-57). You can shift to that next, training Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday—Monday’s workout repeats on Friday, then you continue with the next workout in the sequence on the following Monday. Here’s that Size Surge Phase 2 split…
Workout 1: Chest, Triceps
Workout 2: Legs, Abs
Workout 3: Back, Delts, Biceps
For those not familiar with POF, you do 3 exercises for a muscle so that you train it through its full range—midrange, stretch and contracted. For lats that would be pulldowns (midrange), pullovers (stretch) and stiff-arm pulldowns (contracted)…
Do the Size Surge phase 2 as listed, with one to three all-out sets per muscle—four weeks. Then for the next four continue with 3X or 4X mass-training sequences on each—moderate weight training to push your mass to a peak.
4 Weeks: SSP1—straight sets
4 Weeks: SSP1—3X and 4X sequences
4 Weeks: SSP2—straight sets
4 Weeks: SSP2—3X and 4X sequences
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
NO MORE SHOULDER PAIN
We’ve all had our share of injuries, but nothing’s more annoying than aching shoulders.
If you hurt your shoulders, you’re done—at least for a while. And if the damage is severe, the pain can affect your workouts forever. That’s not good!
That’s why we’re recommending advice from injury specialist Rick Kaselj, MS. His tips can help make your shoulders nearly bullet-proof.
Here are a few general tips from Rick (he goes into more detail in his program)…
Top 5 Tips To Bullet-Proof Your Shoulders
- Build Tension in Your Lats. When doing shoulder exercises, activate your lats and keep your shoulders happy.
- Prime Up Your Muscles. Most people do a warm-up that just lubricates the joint, but you need to activate and turn on all the muscles in your upper body.
- Technique, Technique, Technique. This is the number one reason why people injure their shoulders. You can’t go to the gym every day and work on your max lift.
- Watch Out for Fatigue. Cooking your smaller muscles in your shoulder complex, and that increases the risk of shoulder injury and pain.
- Work on Your Shoulder Blade Muscles. Many strength coaches will say you’re wasting your time on this, but if you want to have bullet-proof shoulders, you need to work on them.
Get all of Rick’s tips and tricks for pain-free workouts below: