Q: I was reading one of your newsletters I saved, and you were talking about how bad it was to see people using fast moves with ballistic reps in the gym. But I’m pretty sure I’ve seen you guys recommend fast reps recently. What’s the deal—are they good or bad?
A: There is research showing that a faster tempo can help engage more fast-twitch growth fibers; however, our speed, or X-celeration, method is not throwing the weights…
The proper performance of a speed set is about 1.5 seconds per rep. That is, you should stay in control through the positive and negative stroke, but you are moving faster than the Power Tempo, which is lifting in 1 second and lowering in 3.
Again, our X-celeration method is NOT plyometrics. While that can be beneficial to some high-level athletes, “throwing” weights has more possible negative consequences than positives.
And even with our speed sets, we don’t recommend them to beginners or even early intermediate trainees. Steve’s 18-year-old protégé in The Super-Size Crash Course, Jordon Williamson, did NOT use X-celeration. Steve knew that it was too dangerous….
Jordon is young and can train heavy, so there was really no need for speed sets. He proved that with an 18-pounds-of-muscle gain in 12 weeks. A year after he went through that program, he was more advanced and experimented with it…
Jordon was home for the summer from college, and he was looking bigger than ever. Steve helped him at the gym and saw him using speed sets correctly—on hammer curls and some other exercises. It worked well for him on a few moves to get him huge.
For more on Speed, or Xceleration, sets, as well as Downward-Progression 4X and Progressive-Speed 4X with complete workouts and Jordon Williamson’s mass-packing transformation program, see The Super-Size Crash Course HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
ANABOLIC HORMONE RESET SOLUTION
Yes, it is possible to simultaneously build muscle while losing fat…
The right form of intermittent fasting will help you gain more muscle while you burn fat…
That’s because it supercharges your anabolic environment, including testosterone and growth hormone production.
According to Dr. Michael Mosley, it results in “better metabolic adaptations, improved muscle-protein synthesis and a higher anabolic response to post-exercise feedings.” [J App Phys., Jan. 2011: 236-45]
Proper fasting will NOT have you burning muscle—just the opposite as your body fat decreases and your testosterone and growth hormone increase. [Webber, J., et al. (1994). Br J Nutr.]
Still on the fence? Our friend Shaun Hadsall used an approach similar to how The Rock does it, which is explained in the new 1-Day Hormone Reset protocol, developed specifically for the over-40 crowd (women use it too, as you’ll see). Check out his results at the link below…
–> Your anabolic hormone RESET to melt fat, build muscle, and slow aging