Q: Your Positions-of-Flexion mass training has added 7 pounds of muscle to my body in two months! I’ve been using my favorite variations, like modified Pre-Ex and Pre-Ex 3X when possible. Change to gain, as you guys say. Great stuff. What about adding a ultimate mass finisher set? Is that something I should do to increase my size gains?
A: Yes, and we’ll give you one of the best ultimate mass finisher techniques we’ve discovered. But first a quick review—to build the suspense…
Standard POF is straight sets, either heavy to failure or moderate-weight 4X-style sequences. You do a midrange- then a stretch- then a contracted-position exercise. So for triceps, you could do close-grip bench presses (midrange), overhead extensions (stretch), and pushdowns (contracted).
Working those three specific exercises forces the triceps to work through their complete range of motion for incredible mass stimulation. You hit the middle range first, then overhead, then down next your torso. It’s one of the best max-SIZE-building methods around. Why?
Well, aside from the full-range innervation, each position triggers size increases via a unique pathway—like synergy, stretch overload, and occlusion. We don’t have room to elaborate, but if you’re interested, the POF mass-building e-book is here –> 3D Muscle Building.
One excellent POF variation you mentioned is modified Pre-Ex. That’s putting the contracted-position exercise FIRST. So you do a few sets of lateral raises before presses, leg extensions before squats, stiff-arm pulldowns before pulldowns, etc. You train the stretch position last…
So now it’s contracted to midrange to stretch—excellent change to gain…
Whether you use standard POF, modified pre-ex POF or Pre-Ex 3X, you’ve covered the full-range chain for muscle-size stimulation with that 3-way hit. But we’ve found that adding only one set of an extra exercise can trigger even more mass gains…
One set of a DIFFERENT midrange exercise is a good choice. Those are usually compound moves—such as leg presses for quads, flat-back hyperextensions for hamstrings, DB upright rows for delts…
Remember, you’re doing just one set of a different midrange exercise, but why not make it even MORE UNIQUE? For instance, pure-negative, X-centric, or speed reps. Each of those can spur new fiber activation and mass creation; however, we’ve hit on one that’s a favorite, combining two of the above…
Say you’re using DB upright rows as your delt finisher. Do X-centric reps first—that is, lift in one second and lower in six. The weight should be heavy enough that you get six reps. When you can no longer lower in six seconds, launch into speed, or X-celeration, reps—1.5 seconds per rep…
The speed reps should be in complete control—don’t throw or jerk the weight. Concentrate on moving the weight as quickly as you can while maintaining form and tension on the target muscle. Like we said, about 1.5 to 2 seconds per rep. You should get about six of these…
Why is that so incredibly effective? The first X-centric phase creates a long tension time for sarcoplasm, or energy fluid, expansion, while the slow lowering causes microtrauma in the force-generating myofibril strands in the fibers. You’re building both sides of the key 2A fibers…
The ending speed phase helps activate dormant fibers—those left to move the weight under extreme duress. Studies show that speed reps can get at new growth fibers, usually dormant 2Bs that are difficult to fire. So you create an emergency response with reps that are FAST to pack on new mass.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
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