Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation
Q: I’m getting some wicked pumps with Pre-Ex 3X. But I’ve been reading about your high-tension-time training methods. Do you think using higher reps on the pre-ex exercises is a good idea so I get 60 to 90 seconds of tension time?
A: Interesting idea. Optimal hypertrophic tension time is said to be 40 to 60 seconds, and many researchers extend that to 90 seconds. Most bodybuilders do sets that last only around 20 seconds… [Read more…]
We’ve mentioned in previous newsletters how Arnold had an instinct for training every muscle from the three critical angles—midrange, stretch, and contracted, what we call POF.
And it’s why he built one of the most massive physiques of his era.
Loaded stretch exercises may have been the biggest key to his mass. Check out this quote from respected researcher Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D. on a recent stretch study [“Stretch training induces unequal adaptation in muscle fascicles and thickness in medial and lateral gatrocnemii,” Scand J Med Sci Sports, Jan 30, 2017]…
Studies in animals have shown that loaded stretch is a potent stimulus for muscle growth, most notably shown by the early work of Jose Antonio…. [But] this is the first study I’m aware to show that a relatively modest loaded stretching protocol produces significant hypertrophy in humans.
Notice the words “modest loaded stretching” and “significant hypertrophy.” Exciting stuff!
Arnold made it a point to do pain-inducing stretch-position moves for almost every muscle—like biceps…
Stretch-position exercises are the most neglected in the gym because they can hurt—but they work…
It’s clear that muscle stretch is one of the 3 hypertrophy keys that you should attack for freaky muscle growth. And many researchers think stretch is the ultimate get-bigger trigger. For you, that means in the gym…
Do loaded muscle elongation for super-size stimulation! Here’s how to do it…
The Freak-Physique Stretch-Overload Workout contains mass-building research, stretch exercises for EVERY muscle plus multiple workouts supercharged with anabolic stretch, including 3D Power Pyramid (Positions of Flexion) and Pure-Positions STX (slow-twitch exhaustion). This may be the most important mass-building information you’ve ever read, and for a limited time you can add it to your mass-building library, a $19 value, for ONLY $9 HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Iron Man Publisher John Balik worked at Vince’s Gym in Studio City back in the ’60s. He has great memories—and funny stories—like when Arnold walked in for the first time…
Vince looked up over his glasses, paused and said, “You look like just a fat f#@k to me.” And looked back down.
It brought Arnold down to earth and made him realize he needed to be more polished, more ripped, to be the greatest of all time…
And that’s what he did, winning the Mr.Olympia seven times…
We can say from experience that Vince was unique in his approach to both people and training…
We’ve got the over-300-page e-book anthology on Vince and all of his methods, and it’s a treasure trove of mass-building, physique-etching info. You’ll definitely want this in your mass-building library for sure…
–> Check out Vince Gironda: Legend & Myth HERE
It will blow your mind and blow up our muscles—everything from Train 21 Rest 7 to 10-8-6-15 to Vince’s Stone Age Nutrition to Failure vs. 60-80 and much, much more (remember, it’s over 300 pages!).
Q: I’m not gonna lie… I sometimes get bored with my training or just have random days when my motivation is a bit low. That makes it tough to get to the gym, but I really don’t want to skip a day because of that. What if I took random days here and there to do only one exercise for each muscle. Would that be good for growth, and how often could I do that?
A: Any deviation from the norm will shock new muscle size, especially if it’s something that challenges your growth threshold like 10×10 of only one exercise. [Read more…]
No, it’s not turkey and roast beef on whole wheat. It’s just a funny name for a method of training that can super-charge your mass gaining. It’s something we came up with years ago but haven’t mentioned in a long time… [Read more…]
Q: Using a static hold [StatX] at the end of a regular set near the muscle’s stretch is killer. I feel like I’m getting bigger after only a short time on this routine. Are those holds better than the X Reps your recommend with some movement?
A: It depends on the exercise, but in most cases, some movement, as in X Reps, may produce slightly better results. Here’s why… [Read more…]
Sylvester Stallone (“Rocky!”) is now 73 years old—and he’s still in awesome shape. While the photo below was taken a few years ago, it’s damn inspiring… [Read more…]
Q: I’m on the Size Surge 2.0. I’m loving it! Feeling bigger already, but I have a question about shrugs. I started with dumbbell shrugs, 4X style. Then I went to barbell shrugs and got a whole new soreness in my upper back. The exercises don’t feel that different. Why did I get so sore?
A: Amazing how one little tweak to an exercise can trigger new soreness. It’s all about angle of pull and restriction vs. non-restriction. [Read more…]
Q: I just got the your Size Surge 2.0 e-book. Great programs and tons of motivation (Jonathan is a beast). My question is on the M4X workout you have listed with the finisher set added on. Instead of negative accentuated or pure negatives, could I do your 30-20-15 TORQ method instead? I really want to incorporate the upper hypertrophic-tension time [60-plus seconds] for more mass.
A: You could do that; BUT it’s a pretty large increase in total volume. That’s because instead of only one additional “finisher” set, you’re doing three. And instead of 7 extra reps, you’re doing 65! Quite a big difference… [Read more…]
Q: I like the look of veins on my arms. Do you think doing high-rep TORQ training will help me get more vascularity?
A: How vascular you are is primarily genetic—and freaky veinage is usually only visible when you have low body fat, so diet plays a pretty big role as well.
BUT, doing higher reps, especially on continuous-tension-type moves, like concentration curls for biceps and pushdowns for triceps, can increase capillary proliferation—and perhaps create more gnarly vascularity… [Read more…]
Shawn Ray is often referred to as the uncrowned Mr. Olympia, taking second in that contest twice: ’94 and ’96. His physique was almost flawless as this classic pose shows… [Read more…]
