Q: I’m using the 3-way split in the basic program listed in the X-traordinary X-Rep Workout e-book. I’ve added about six pounds of muscle in only a month! My arms are larger than they’ve ever been, but I’m not really happy with my legs. I’m working legs only once a week on Tuesdays, with the other two upper-body workouts alternating on Monday, Thursday, and Friday. Should I add some leg work somewhere?
A: That’s one of the best bodypart splits you can use for mass, as there’s very little overlap and optimal muscle recovery AND systemic recuperation. So keep the X-traordinary X-Rep Workout split as you’re doing it—with legs only on Tuesday. The fix is, every other week, when back day lands on a Friday, add in deadlifts for some residual leg work—like this:
Week 1
Monday: Chest, delts, triceps, abs
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Back, biceps, forearms
Friday: Chest, delts, triceps, abs
Week 2
Monday: Back, biceps, forearms
Tuesday: Legs
Wednesday: Off
Thursday: Chest, delts, triceps, abs
Friday: Deadlifts, back, biceps, forearms
Repeat Week 1, followed by Week 2, and so on.
So at Week 2, and every other week after that, your back workout falls on a Friday. That’s when you add deadlifts, and that residual leg work should give you a new blast of lower-body mass.
You may want to reduce the sets on your other back exercises on those Fridays because deadlifts are extremely taxing. That BIG exercise works about 80 percent of the muscles on your body, with a shocking emphasis on legs and back—PLUS it’s a great overall anabolic mass jack. Six pounds of muscle in one month is outstanding, but prepare to grow even more!
[Note: The above bodypart split is how the Basic program in The X-traordinary X-Rep Workout is designed. The Positions-of-Flexion X-Rep program in that e-book uses a different split.]
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
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