Q: I’ve read almost everything at your site [X-Rep.com], and I’m ready to get started. I’m 17 years old, 5’11” and 175 pounds. I’ve been training for two years. My question is, Which program should I start with? Should I do Jonathan’s 20-pounds-of-muscle-in-10-weeks program [3D Muscle Building e-book] or go straight to your X-Rep Mass-Detail Workout [in the Ultimate Mass Workout e-book]? Your X-Rep program gave you freaky results fast, so I’m thinking I should go with that one.
A: Either would work well for you at this point. At 17, you are in your prime growing years. And you already have some experience. So if you continue to train hard and sensibly, you should build stellar progressive mass with whichever routine you choose.
If we were in your shoes, however, we’d go with Jonathan’s early 10-week program first, two five-week phases. After that, move to the original X-Rep program we used for our one-month transformation…
Give it another five weeks. Those three programs in that sequence will give you a good progressive mass gains…
Weeks 1-5: Jonathan’s Phase 1, a big, basic three-days-per-week anabolic primer
Weeks 6-10: Jonathan’s Phase 2, full-range work (3D POF—max force, stretch overload, tension/occlusion)
Weeks 11-15: X-Rep Mass-Detail Program (3D POF plus an X-Rep chaser, pages 78-80 in the Ultimate Mass Workout e-book)
One last tip that we harp on a lot (because it’s very important): Between each of those three programs—the fifth and 10th weeks in Jonathan’s 10-week program and then again at the end of the 3D X-Rep program—downshift your intensity so you reap the anabolic benefits of supercompensation. Use your same work weights, but stop every set two reps short of failure.
That will keep your nervous system primed for heavy poundages, but not damage muscle tissue. You want to completely heal during that week of subfailure workouts. In fact, you’ll notice yourself growing during those medium-intensity weeks as your muscles fully refill and recuperate—or supercompensate. (We used that downshift strategy the week before our after photos above were taken.)
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
ANABOLIC HORMONE RESET SOLUTION
Yes, it is possible to simultaneously build muscle while losing fat…
The right form of intermittent fasting will help you gain more muscle while you burn fat…
That’s because it supercharges your anabolic environment, including testosterone and growth hormone production.
According to Dr. Michael Mosley, it results in “better metabolic adaptations, improved muscle-protein synthesis and a higher anabolic response to post-exercise feedings.” [J App Phys., Jan. 2011: 236-45]
Proper fasting will NOT have you burning muscle—just the opposite as your body fat decreases and your testosterone and growth hormone increase. [Webber, J., et al. (1994). Br J Nutr.]
Still on the fence? Our friend Shaun Hadsall used an approach similar to how The Rock does it, which is explained in the new 1-Day Hormone Reset protocol, developed specifically for the over-40 crowd (women use it too, as you’ll see). Check out his results at the link below…
–> Your anabolic hormone RESET to melt fat, build muscle, and slow aging