• X Shop
  • Checkout

X-REP.COM

Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation

  • Home
  • About Us
  • X Shop
  • X Files
    • Latest Articles
    • FAQ
    • Ezine Archive
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
  • Gallery
  • Subscribe

3D HIT Question

Q: In the 3D HIT program [listed in the X-traordinary Arms e-book], you say to end each bodypart with one slow, higher-rep set of an isolation exercise for tension and occlusion. You also mention drop sets for those exercises. Which is better, one higher-rep set or a drop set?

A: Keep in mind that doing a drop set is a volume increase because it’s two sets back to back. For example, on concentration curls for biceps, you do a set of 10 reps to exhaustion, grab a lighter dumbbell, and immediately rep out again, getting about six more reps. Is that better than one set of 12-15 reps? That depends…

Jonathan Lawson, concentration curl - 3D HIT Question

As explained in most of our e-books, the size principle of fiber recruitment says that the slow-twitch fibers, which depend on oxygen from the blood, fire first on any set, followed by the endurance-oriented fast-twitch fibers followed by the high-threshold fast-twitch fibers (which have the most potential for growth but don’t need oxygen to fire). That domino effect is why those last tough reps are so important—to get at the key fibers with the most growth potential, which fire last.

So while a higher-rep set provides a longer continuous-tension time—no break—you get almost the same blood-blockage effect with a drop set, with one quick break to change the weight. There’s a bonus with drop sets, however; you also attack more high-growth fibers on the second phase.

Why? Because the slow-twitch fibers have very little blood from which to pull oxygen—you’ve depleted it on the first phase. In other words, the second phase of a drop set forces more medium- and high-threshold motor units to fire (if you can change the weight quickly to prevent too much blood flow and you can grit your teeth and rep through the fire!).

The question then becomes, Is getting more high-growth fast-twitch fibers to fire really the goal of contracted-position exercises? Not really. Those isolated exercises are more about occlusion and tension. So is breaking up the tension time to reduce the weight counterproductive? Not if you do a drop set correctly, as follows (then it becomes better than one higher-rep set)…

Pick a weight that you can get 10 reps with using a slow cadence—2 seconds up, 3 seconds down. That gives you 50 seconds of tension time (that’s very close to the parameters in the study we’ve discussed—56 seconds with light weight produced significant muscle growth). You get the full occlusion benefits on that first phase.

On the second phase with the reduced weight, you can activate more fast-twitch fibers—and to do that we suggest you use a faster cadence, on the order of 1 second up and one second down. Explosive-but-controlled reps have been shown to activate pure fast-twitch fibers best, and with depleted oxygen from your first drop-set phase, that will happen faster—efficiency of effort (once again, if you can stand the fire).

Remember, reduce the weight for the second phase quickly and begin repping immediately, as the less blood (oxygen) that gets in the muscle the better you can force the fast-twitch fibers to fire almost immediately.

If you do your drop sets in that manner—first phase with 10 slow, controlled reps; second phase with 6 to 8 faster reps—we think it’s a significant mass-building improvement over one higher-rep, slow-cadence set. If you’re recovery challenged, however, you may not want to use drop sets on every bodypart because, as we said, it is a volume increase.

Try the drop-set tactic on slacker bodyparts only—like on the contracted-position exercises—and be prepared for a blast of new mass.

Note: For more info on the 3D HIT, and for proven ways to pack size on your bi’s and tri’s, check out the X-traordinar Arms e-book.

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com


Get Ripped with Anabolic Fasting

With proper intermittent fasting, you can transform your physique faster than ever…

Eat Stop Eat author, before and after

Brad Pilon’s book Eat Stop Eat is THE book on Intermittent Fasting. Besides the nuts and bolts of what to do and when to burn fat and build muscle simultaneously, Brad covers all the research on IF-related topics…

From how fasting affects blood glucose/insulin/leptin/testosterone to how it jacks the muscle-building process. You’ll see all the latest science.

Grab your copy now because Eat Stop Eat is only $10 till the end of this month (it’s a $49 value!). Check it out here…

> Get THE Book on Intermittent Fasting (only $10 for a few more days)

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d hit, 3d hit question, anabolic fasting, arm exercises, arm training, brad pilon, continuous tension, drop sets, eat stop eat, efficiency-of-effort, endurance fibers, explosive reps, fast-twitch, high-threshold fibers, intermittent fasting, muscle growth, rep cadence, size principle of muscle fiber recruitment, slow-twitch, volume, x-traordinary arms

:: Get the latest news and specials :: Sign Up for our Ezine!

Shopping Cart

Number of items in cart: 0

  • Your cart is empty.
  • Total: $0.00
  • Checkout

Copyright © 2022 · X-Rep.com