The discussion on [researcher] Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.’s 3 triggers for muscle growth in your MMX e-book is very insightful. Interesting that they align with your Positions of Flexion method. If I go with the 3-days-per-week Size Surge program, will I still be getting those even if I’m not using 3-exercise POF? I’m wanting to achieve some freaky hypertrophy.

For the uninitiated, the 3 key hypertrophy triggers you must attack for optimal mass stimulation, according to Schoenfeld, are: [Read more…]

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. [Read more…]

Q: I’m on the three-days-per week Size Surge program through the winter. It’s working great with the first high-rep set for every muscle, but I was thinking about a change to gain. Since the Monday and Friday workouts are the same, I want to use the MMX method (high-rep-set-first tactic) on Monday and do standard heavy sets, without the high-repper, on Friday. What do you think of that rotation for muscle size gains?

As usual, we’ll start answers to questions about the Phase 1 SS program with a look at the split. Here it is… [Read more…]

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Q: I’m starting the three-days-per week Size Surge program next week. I want to use the high-rep-set-first MMX method to jack up muscle gains with more growth as you’ve been explaining. My question: Do I just add a high-rep set to the first exercise for each muscle, or do I make the first set listed for that exercise the high-rep set? If I add a set, does it make the volume too much?

Adding a set to so many exercises could make the Size Surge program over-taxing for most trainees. We explain a better progression in a moment. First, [Read more…]

Q: I’m a hardgainer who wants to gain one solid pound every week. Last winter I used the Size Surge program and quickly gained five pounds of muscle the first month. I was amazed. Because of my limited recovery ability, I did not do deadlifts on Wednesday, so I only trained legs twice a week. I’m ready to use SS again this winter. My question is, should I make the changes you’ve suggested to train all muscle three times a week, including keeping the deadlifts? The study appears to say that training muscles three days a week is best for mass.

First, here is the original Size Surge split, the first five-week routine of the 10-week program Jonathan used to pack on 20 pounds of muscle… [Read more…]

Q: I was stuck on the “bro split” for years without any new muscle gains. Training each muscle only once a week just doesn’t work for me. I was glad to see your discussion on the study showing that training each muscle three days a week can produce more muscle. I’m ready to try the Size Surge workout, but I notice that shoulders don’t get any work on Wednesday. Should I add some if my delts suck?

First, the three-days-per-week Size Surge program isn’t set in stone. You can alter it. In fact, in a recent newsletter we suggested [Read more…]

Q: I am committing to the three-days-per-week Size Surge routine this winter. Shorter but more-frequent muscle hits makes sense, and it’s a good change to gain for me. But with the latest findings that slow-twitch fibers have more growth potential than previously thought, I want to merge SS with the MMX method of a high-rep set first. Should I do that first high-rep set on every exercise at each Size Surge workout for faster muscle growth?

We suggest you use an initial high-rep set on only the first exercise for a muscle group. For example, back work consists of two exercises, pulldowns and bent-over rows… [Read more…]

Q: I love full-range Positions of Flexion. The exercise choices make total sense, corresponding to Dr. Brad Schoenfeld’s 3 keys to hypertrophy. My question is about time: Working 3 positions for each muscle makes my workouts long, so do I have to work all three at each one, or is there a condensed mass workout I can use?

For the uninitiated, POF has you train each muscle through its full range so you get the 3 key hypertrophy triggers identified by [Read more…]

Q: I’m a skinny hardgainer type (ectomorph). With the latest findings that slow-twitch fibers have more growth potential than previously thought, should I do more high-rep sets since I have more of those endurance fibers? Like in your MMX method, should I do two high-rep sets before I go to my heavier ones on an exercise if I want to develop more freaky muscle?

We like the way you think–very logical. Here’s our take: [Read more…]