Uncategorized Archives - Page 5 of 7

Shirt-Splitting Muscle Size

Q: I am in need of some back width, or more specifically, lat development. I’m following your 3D HIT program listed in the X-traordinary Arms e-book, but I’m not getting a pump, and I have a hard time feeling my back working. Do you guys have any suggestions?

A: The 3D Positions-of-Flexion lat routine in that program is…

Chins (midrange), 1 x 9-12
Dumbbell pullovers (stretch), 1 x 9-12
Rope rows (contracted), 1 x 12-15

One reason you may not be getting a big pump is the last (contracted) exercise, rope rows…

[Read more…]

Mr. America’s Mass-Building Plan

Q: I just got The Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0, and [Mr. America] Doug Brignole’s one-exercise-per-muscle training is interesting, to say the least. And his interview [Chapter 4] makes a lot of good points for high-rep sets.

A: Yes, his “Super TORQ” method can rack up some impressive gains. It helped Doug get into the best shape of his long bodybuilding career, and he won the Muscle Beach International Over 50 competition while using that routine (see photo below).

[Read more…]

Stairway to Mass

Q: You’ve said that to get the best muscle-size gains, you have to use both power and density to build both sides of the 2A muscle fibers. But in The X-traordinary Size Surge Workout program, it looks like it’s all power with no endurance [density] work. So how could it produce such spectacular results in Jonathan?

A: The Size Surge program does have a dominant power emphasis, especially in phase 1, the anabolic primer segment. But there’s also some density, or endurance, work (and it expands for bigger mass gains, as you’ll see)…

[Read more…]

Muscle-Mass Measurement Mistake

Q: I just got The X-traordinary Size Surge Workout that chronicles Jonathan’s gain of 20 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks. Great info, and I’m psyched to get on the program. One observation, though… In the chapter on the Colorado Experiment, the four-week high-intensity study in which Casey Viator gained 60 pounds of muscle, he lost fat at the same time, so the scale didn’t register a 60-pound gain, only a 40-pound increase. Isn’t that true for Jonathan, too? He obviously gained a lot of muscle, but his waist measurement went down an inch, so he lost fat all over. That being the case, he probably really gained more like 25 or 30 pounds of muscle, didn’t he?

A: Hmm. You’re probably right. We stand corrected; however, we like to err on the conservative side, so we’ll say he gained AROUND 20 pounds of muscle (but probably more, as you suggest). You can sort of see his abs in the after shot, and the caliper measurements were lower, so he did lose fat…

Also keep in mind that, like Viator, he was regaining some muscle, which is easier to do than building it from scratch. Nevertheless, he did move well past his best-ever muscle size, so in our estimation, he gained at least 10 pounds of NEW muscle–or, if we use your observation of fat loss factored in, more like 15 pounds. Still an amazing gain of new mass.

In contrast, Viator actually gained back to his ORIGINAL competition weight, so no new mass was built during that four-week experiment. Nevertheless, still quite a feat of packing on beef. [Viator’s Colorado Experiment program is outlined and analyzed in the Size Surge e-book.]

Casey Viator before and after Colorado Experiment -

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

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

A Testosterone prescription is NOT the answer…

Millions of men are struggling with the problems associated with low-T in today’s world, such as extra belly and chest fat, low energy and stamina, lack of sexual desire, ED problems, and loss of muscle.

Sadly, millions of men also turn to Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) to try to overcome these problems and try to feel like a new man again…BUT there are some VERY concerning problems with TRT that every man NEEDS to know.

After reading the article below, you might want to consider alternate routes of boosting your T levels naturally instead of through something that’s potentially as harmful as TRT…

–> Why Testosterone Replacement Therapy can do more HARM than good (for any ladies reading this, please pass this on to your husband or boyfriend if they are using or have considered using TRT)

Freaky Forearms: Eye-Popping Muscle Hanging Out of Your Shirtsleeves

Q: I need some forearm mass. In a short-sleeved shirt, I want to have some beef hanging out rather than my current twigs. What’s a good routine to build some freaky forearms? And I need some veins too!

A: In a tight T-shirt, it’s the upper arms that draw the most attention, but in a baggier short-sleeved shirt, some vascular beef on your forearms is what raises eyebrows and shows you’re in serious muscular shape.

[Read more…]

Rotation for New Mass Creation (automatic anabolism)

Q: I’ve been using all-heavy training (6-8 reps) on everything up until now. I just started using your 4X method, and I swear I can already feel new growth happening. It’s also a relief on my tattered joints. I want to try it exclusively for a month or two. Will my weights increase or should I add sets? Just looking for the best “change to gain.”

A: Since this is your first time using the 4X mass method, you’ll get stronger as your muscle grow more adept at DENSITY training…

[Read more…]

The Truth About Losing Fat and Gaining Muscle

Q: From all I’ve read and experienced, losing bodyfat is all about reducing calories. If you take in fewer calories than you burn every day, you lose weight; if you take in more calories than you burn each day, you gain weight. To me, that means The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout has to require reduced calories or it can’t work. But then there’s nothing left to build muscle. I’d really like to know the truth about losing fat and gaining muscle. Comments?

A: Your energy equation is exactly why the Fat-to-Muscle program works. It can create a fat-burning calorie deficit, but not by forcing you to run extra miles every day; it stokes your metabolism so you use more energy, or fat, even at rest…

[Read more…]

3 Fast Fat-to-Muscle Tips to Get You Ripped

If you’re like us, you’re a little concerned. Spring is just a few weeks away and summer will be here before you can say, “Who stole my abs.” When the heat hits, you don’t want to be the victim of an ab-napping. It’s a lot more fun if you peel off your shirt that first warm day at the beach, pool, or lake and your midsection looks like acid-etched granite.

Of course, there is a downside. You have to put up with all the glares, stares, and the questions, like, “Man, how do I get ripped?” or “What workout are you on?” or “Can I touch your abs?” LOL!

[Read more…]

Change the Shape of Your Biceps

Q: I keep reading that the shape of your biceps is genetic and you can’t change it, but in the X-traordinary Arms e-book that came in my Anabolic After 40 package (which I love, by the way!) you say you can change the shape of your biceps. I’ve even seen respected scientists say that changing the shape of a muscle can’t be done. How do you respond?

A: What those scientists are referring to is the length of a muscle. For example, if you have a short biceps, with a gap between the lower part of the muscle and the elbow joint when it’s flexed, you can’t fill in that gap. You’ve simply been born with a high biceps insertion point (like a high calf muscle). To fill in the gap would require muscle reattachment surgery, which we obviously don’t recommend.

[Read more…]

X-Rep Lies: Before and After Photos

Q: The before and after photos at your X-Rep site are pretty unbelievable. I mean, come on, four weeks to get those changes? You must’ve either lied about the time it took or manipulated the photos. You should be ashamed of yourselves. There’s too much of that deceptive crap on the Internet.

A: Ashamed? Actually, we’re very proud. Those photos are 100 percent authentic and accurate—no photo alterations, no steroids, and they were taken about four weeks apart. (The key technique that made it happen and a step-by-step how-to is coming up.)

[Read more…]