4X Archives - X-REP.COM

10X Fat-to-Muscle Workout

Q: I’m using The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout because I need to get ripped quick. It feels great, I’m seeing more muscularity, and people are commenting on how lean I’m getting. The thing is, I’m really sold on 10×10. I just bought and read The Ultimate 10×10 Mass Workout, and it sounds awesome. I even tried it on arms, and mine just blew up bigger than they’ve ever been. My question is, Can I add 10×10 to the Fat-to-Muscle Workout somehow?

A: We can tell you’re very motivated, and that’s more than half the battle to getting the ripped, eye-popping physique you’re striving for. You just have to be careful not to overtrain. That said, keep in mind that the 10×10 method is very taxing, which is why we usually suggest you use it on one Ultimate Exercise per bodypart, no other work for that muscle.

[Read more…]

Weekly Change for Big Muscle Gains

Q: I want to thank you for the great programs and excellent tips, like X-Reps. My background is in Olympic lifting, but I’ve been into bodybuilding lately. I made some okay gains training heavy, but I’ve made much better and faster progress training heavy one week and using an all-4X program the next.

A: You didn’t really ask a question, but we just wanted to commend you on being brave enough to give all-4X training—every other week—a try.

So many trainees are stuck in the must-always-train-heavy-to-grow mentality that they miss out on significant muscle-size stimulation. It’s probably the key reason most complain about such slow gains. Plus, they get injured much more often.

[Read more…]

Mix Muscle Hits to Get Big and Ripped

Q: Thanks for the X-centric Mass Workout! Mixing heavy work, negative-accentuated sets, and 4X has given me the best gains of my life. My bodyweight increased over 5 pounds, but my abs are sharper with veins in the lower part. I’m stoked, and the ladies seem to like it too. LOL! My question is about NA sets vs. negatives at the end of regular sets. After two heavy sets, you say to reduce the weight on the last set for an NA set on the big exercise [like bench presses]. Couldn’t I just keep the weight heavy and add four to six negatives at the end of that last set? I feel like I need another heavy set. I have a partner, so he could lift and I could lower on the negatives. I think Mike Mentzer recommended this style.

A: In his prime, Mentzer actually recommended a 3-phase set to get big and ripped…

[Read more…]

Flip Your Growth Switch With This 4X Mass Mix

Q: I’ve been using the Positions of Flexion 4X program [in The 4X Mass Workout 2.0]. I’m blown away at how much muscle I gained in a month. 4 pounds! That’s after a couple of years with zero muscle gains. That workout is all moderate-weight 4X and 3X sequences, and I’m wondering if I should use your downward-progression 4X method every so often, adding weight on each set. How should I work it into that program?

A: There are a couple of excellent options, but we have a simple one that’s our favorite. Before we lay it out, let’s explain the 4X vs. DP 4X since we have a lot of new readers…

[Read more…]

Iso-TORQ First for a Muscle-Mass Burst

Q: I’ve been using the modified pre-exhaustion method every other workout [from the Pre-Ex 3X e-book]. I’m not supersetting; I just do the isolation exercise first for a 4X sequence, then I do the compound [midrange] exercise after that with 4X. I just got your 4X Mass Workout 2.0. I really like the high-rep [TORQ] idea. What do you think about using that [30-20-15 3X sequence] on the isolation exercise for modified pre-ex?

A: We speak from experience when we say this iso-TORQ method produces a crazy pump—and you’ll feel the target muscle on the big midrange move better than ever. This is one of our favorite super-growth stimulators. Get close to failure with 30 reps, rest 45 seconds, go to failure at 20; rest 45 seconds, go to failure for 15+ reps…

[Read more…]

1 Set of 1 Exercise for More Cuts, Veins, and Size

Q: I’ve been using an X-centric set [lift in one second, lower in six] for every muscle and have noticed more cuts, veins, and I’m pretty sure more muscle size. I usually use it on the last set of a 4X sequence, but I’ve heard it’s better on the first set to get more of a warmup. Which is better, the X-centric set on the first or last set of 4X?

A: In a previous newsletter, we outlined how to use an X-centric set on the last set of a 4X sequence with The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout. We showed a lat routine with 4X on the first exercise.

[Read more…]

Ripped Abs: Your First 3 Steps

Q: I’m sick of being soft and blubbery. I really want to see my abs, but I’m not sure where to start. Do I just start working out harder and wait for them to appear? Please help.

A: When we get “soft and blubbery,” usually over the winter (Steve’s pic at left below), our first step to getting ripped abs for the warmer weather is to stop eating crap…

[Read more…]

Size and Shreds Now: Jacked Fat-to-Muscle Workout

Q: I know that the short rests between sets with 4X get your fat burning jacked with growth hormone. How can I use 4X in The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout for a double-whammy? Where would you suggest I put it, or should I use it at all?

A: The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout has you train each muscle group only once a week. That’s because you use heavy sets as well as X-centric and high reps for more fiber microtrauma—which encourages fat burning as well as muscle-fiber remodeling…

[Read more…]

One-Station Mass Attacks (Improvise for Muscle Size)

Q: My gym always seems to be crowded—and people “camp out” on equipment. It’s hard to work in because I’m using the 4X method and rest only 30 seconds between sets (I love the Positions-of-Flexion version). Should I just lengthen my rest times to work in on a piece of equipment?

A: If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em. In other words, you can “camp out” on equipment too—sometimes you can do your entire POF 4X bodypart routine in one spot. For example…

[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…]