Q: I got the Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0 [with Super TORQ] after reading about all the great results people have had. Fantastic e-book! Might be your most interesting so far, and I’m already using your variation of Super TORQ. Wow! I’m sore to the core. Lol! My question is about stiff-legged deadlifts. You have it as a 30-20-15-10 sequence in your Modified Super-TORQ Program (page 49). Why not 40 or 50 reps on the first set, as with your other exercises?
A: From our vantage point, and experience, semi-stiff-legged deadlifts are one of the more dangerous exercises. One false move and your lower back can get whacked…
That’s happened to us multiple times back when we were training ultra-heavy—and one reason we stopped. We’ve since brought them back into our routines, however…
But even with lighter poundages, your form can break down quickly as fatigue sets in. Granted, it’s different for everyone, as unique structures create different leverages and tolerances to specific moves, but still…
Keep your back flat throughout the set, and reverse the downward motion of the bar when it reaches mid-shin level. Make that turnaround controlled, no jerking.
You do NOT want a lower-back injury. It can keep you from training for days or weeks.
We also suggest NOT pushing your first 30-rep set to failure. You should have a few reps left in your tank.
In fact, you may not want to push any of the sets to failure. Us? As soon as our form heads south even a little, we stop the set…
We’ll even stop at 20, making the sequence 20-15-10-8.
Even at 20 reps, with a rep speed of 3 seconds to lower and 1-2 to lift, you get 60-to-90 seconds of tension time on the first set. And close to that on the second as well…
It’s HIGH-end hypertrophic tension time for new and improved hamstring swell.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Build MASS with bodyweight training
One way you’re guaranteed to pack on stacks of muscle is through a process called muscle protein synthesis (MPS), which more than doubles 24 hours after an intense workout…
Until recently, MPS was only elevated when trainees would lift 70-90% of their one-rep max…
That’s not only dangerous for your joints, but it also sets you up for high injury risk every time you exercise…
It used to be believed that training with your own bodyweight couldn’t get you the same results as training with your 70-90% one rep max… Until NOW.
–> How to build MASS with bodyweight training