Q: I recently saw [hypertrophy researcher] Chris Beardsley say that high reps cause more damage than low reps due to calcium-ion accumulation from fatigue. Does that make you rethink the STX method? Maybe doing the first set heavier with lower reps for less damage would be better?
A: That high-reps-cause-damage conclusion is no doubt from multiple high-rep sets to failure. With STX, you’re doing only one high-rep set, the first. It’s around 20 reps…
That initial high-rep set acts as a condensed warmup set and pre-fatigues the slow-twitch fibers for more fast-twitch activation on the second Speed Set.
And there’s a reason you do that second set with 1.5-second reps…
The fast tempo accelerates fast-twitch activation even more, getting those growth fibers involved from the very first rep.
You do the Speed Set with the same weight and after a 20-second rest. You should get fewer than 10 reps; if you get more, use a heavier weight on that second set.
So there are efficiency factors involved in the STX method and reasons for one initial high-rep set for each muscle.
If you did multiple warmup sets, you’d get the same or more damage as the single high-rep STX set…
Heavier, lower-rep sets may produce less muscle damage, but you are doing considerably more joint, tendon, and ligament damage with heavy weights…
That joint and connective-tissue trauma takes a heavier toll on your recovery.
I’m not saying heavier, lower-rep training doesn’t work. I am saying it’s not necessary—that there are more efficient, safer ways to build muscle mass.
Do you want long, grueling, imprecise bodybuilding workouts or quick, focused ones with muscle gain and no joint pain? Option 2 seems more sane.
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