Q: I don’t seem to see you guys talking about warm-up sets very often. Do I need to do any? I’m interested in building the most mass possible.
A: If you’re using something like our 4X mass method, you don’t need warm-up sets. The first easier sets prime the pump…
For 4X you take a weight with which you can get 15 reps, but you only do 10. Rest 35 seconds then do it again—and so on for four sets. On the fourth you go all out, getting as many reps as possible. If you get 10 or more, you can add a bit of weight to that exercise at your next workout.
Notice that set 1 is easy and set 2 is harder, but not extreme. Sets 3 and 4 are the ones that take effort—but still, with 4X and its short rests the poundage you use is moderate. That means much less joint stress and risk of injury is significantly reduced…
Yet with 4X you still crash through the GROWTH THRESHOLD due to quick, cumulative muscle fatigue.
Now in some of our programs, such as The Power-Density Mass Workout, we have a pyramid on the first BIG exercise, then heavy straight sets on the stretch-position exercise, and finally 4X on the ending isolated-contracted move. Warmups are included for the first two exercises only…
For the first—the midrange move like bench presses—we list two progressively heavier warmups sets, 50 and 75 percent of your first work set.
For the stretch-position exercise—like chest flyes—one lighter warmup set is all you’ll need—if any.
Steve hasn’t trained heavy in years, so he NEVER does warmup sets; his workouts are almost all 4X-style training. However, before the workout starts he does do a minute or two of some range-of-motion stretches for the muscles he is about to work…
Before Jonathan hit 40 years old a few years ago, he often did more heavy training, usually on the midrange exercises. He’ll still throw some semi-heavy training in once in a while in his mid-40s, but he follows the above protocol of two to three progressively heavier warmup sets before his work sets, and he keeps the rep numbers higher for longer tension times.
So if and when you go heavy, FOCUSED warmup sets are a must. Make the reps controlled just like your work-set reps—one second to lift and three to lower—or even slower. You must FEEL the target muscle. It’s important for injury prevention, blood flow, and growth…
As Steve said in 3D Muscle Building:
Studies on warming up muscles found that lighter sets prior to heavy work can help the target muscle contract much better than without those preliminary sets—about 20 percent better, in fact.
Of course, if you’re using 4X, you get those mass-building warmup benefits with your first two sets.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
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