Q: I’m using the three-days-per week Size Surge program with the first set for each muscle with high reps (MMX method). My problem is that I don’t feel the target muscle with the weight for 20+ reps. The weight seems to “float”–just too light to keep the muscle engaged. Should I just slow down the reps for more tension time on the high-rep set?
We hear you. For us it’s more of a problem on only certain exercises. Not on squats, but yes on curls, for example.
Keep in mind that the key to the first set is not necessarily number of reps but rather time under tension. You want more tension time – over a minute of target-muscle engagement…
So slowing down your reps is good solution. In fact, on the exercises you have trouble feeling 20 reps, instead use X-centric reps, or negative-accentuated. That’s lifting in one second and lower in six seconds ON EVERY REP.
You should pick a weight that allows around 9 X-centric reps so your tension time on that first set is around 60 seconds (7 seconds x 9 reps = 63 seconds).
The slow-mo negatives will help you FEEL the weight and activate slow-twitch as well as some dual-component 2A fibers. Getting growth in those two types will boost mass considerably…
And with those two fiber types fatigued from your first lighter X-centric set, your heavier sets will activate more fast-twitch growth fibers, including more dual-component 2As and power 2Bs.
So when you hit biceps on Wednesday, you do your curls like this…
Barbell curls: 3 x 9 Xcen, add weight for 9, rest/pause 5
Why more tension time is important
For those not familiar with why that first longer-tension-time set is important, it’s based on a Brazilian study published in the European Journal of Applied Physiology…
In the study the researchers had one group do a preliminary set of leg extensions 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. Here are the results from the researchers…
The men who started their workout with the light set built up more muscle strength than the men who trained their legs in the traditional way. The scans also showed that doing a set to failure with light weights resulted in a bigger increase in MUSCLE MASS.
Two reasons for better growth: 1) pre-fatigue of slow-twtich fibers for more fast-twtich activation on the heavier sets and 2) growth in the slow-twitch fibers…
Will slow-twitch growth will help? Yes! According to Jerry Brainum, a trusted bodybuilding authority for more than 40 years:
Some emerging evidence shows that the muscle fibers most affected when training with lighter loads and higher reps are the type-1 muscle fibers. These fibers are often referred to as ‘endurance fibers.’ In the past, it was thought that most muscular growth resulted from a hypertrophy of type-2 muscle fibers, and while this is still true, it’s now known that type-1 fibers are also capable of showing a significant level of muscular hypertrophy.
But instead of high reps you can use slow-mo for more eye-popping muscle growth.
X-centric Training: For more on the negative-accentuated method as well as many complete mass-building programs, grab a copy of The X-centric Mass Workout. Includes how a 60-year-old man added a full inch of muscle to his arms with X-centric workouts in only two weeks! That’s not a typo! A 60-year-old man adding an inch to his arm measurement.
SIZE SURGE: For variations as well as the complete original program Jonathan used to pack on 20 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks, grab a copy of The X-traordinary Size Surge Workout 2.0–a perfect hyper-growth routine for winter.
Till next time, train hard–and smart–for BIG results.
–Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com