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Amplify the Mass Effect? New Look at Key Muscle-Size Study

We discuss a lot of mass-building studies, and we often get questions about altering the procedure of those studies to make the mass effect even more effective. What the heck are we talking about? For example…
The Brazilian study that found one high-rep set prior to heavier low-rep work helped activate more fast-twitch fibers and overall hypertrophy in the target muscle. People asked if two high-rep sets would be better than one and produce even better mass effect, but before we answer, here’s a review of that study for those who aren’t familiar.

It was published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology, and researchers had one group do a preliminary set of leg extensions to failure with 20 percent of their one-rep-max before moving to heavier sets. The other group did only standard sets with 75 percent of their 1RM. Rests between sets for both groups were 30 seconds to one minute…

More muscle size and strength occurred in the group that included a preliminary high-rep set because “muscle failure (principally of [slow-twitch] type-1 fibers) and metabolic accumulation induced by prior exhaustive exercise [promoted] a greater global recruitment of type-2 [high-growth] fibers during traditional training sets and, thus, further stimulate muscle performance and adaptations.” [Ergo-log.com]

Jonathan Lawson shoulder press smith machine mass effect

In other words, the high-rep set fatigues slow-twitch fibers to allow more fast-twitch growth fibers to fire on the heavier sets, resulting in a better hypertrophic muscular response. We incorporated the high-rep-set-first protocol from that study into our Max-Muscle X-pansion methods in the MMX Fast Mega-Mass Workouts, but what about the mass effect from two high-rep sets to begin?

Testing the Mass Effect

It may work even better. We say “may” because it will no doubt work great for those with average or more slow-twitch fibers, and maybe only average for those with a preponderance of fast-twitch. That said, it should work great for most trainees, as most of us have “average” fiber makeups. If you want to try it, you can alter the Downward-Progression 3X method to DP 4X as follows…

Set 1: Pick a weight with which you can get 20+ reps and go to failure (20 to 30 repetitions).

Rest 30 seconds, then do…

Set 2: Use the same weight again and go to failure—getting around 15 reps.

Rest 40 seconds, then do…

Set 3: Add weight so you hit failure at around 9 reps.

Rest 1 minute, then do…

Set 4: Add more weight so you hit failure at around 6 reps.

Notice that you simply add a second lighter-weight set with only a 30-second rest after Set 1. That should increase the slow-twitch fatigue—and growth activation—allowing better fast-twitch stimulation on Sets 3 and 4.

You’ll see standard DP 3X recommendations for every major muscle on pages 39-48 the MMX e-book. Simply alter as outlined above. There are also other MMX methods to try, like 8-10-8 supersets and Rest/Pause MMX.

You can get bigger faster with upfront slow-twitch stimulation, which will produce overall muscle-mass acceleration: Amplified Mass Effect!

MMX Fast Mega-Mass Workouts mass effect

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

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
X-Rep.com

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3x, 4X, downward progressoin, dp 4x, fast-twitch, high-rep, mass building, mass effect, max-muscle x-pansion, MMX, muscle performance, muscle size, slow-twitch, strength

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