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Jonathan: Chest, Back, Abs (paintastic!)

Super-TORQ MMX

With how pumptastic yesterday’s workout was, I had a feeling the results would be paintastic today, and they were. Delts haven’t been this sore in ages, and it’s rare for my biceps to get sore, but if soreness equates to growth, these things are going to be huge! LOL! Based on today’s chest and back work, tomorrow should be very interesting… [Read more…]

Steve: Full-Body MMX (stretch-holds)

I’ve been trying to use stretch-holds at the end of the last set of every exercise–or X-Rep partials. It really ups the intensity considerably. The recent study by Jacob Wilson, Ph.D.,showed significant increases in muscle size using that method. But today I noticed something: It does take a toll. I was wiped out after today’s workout…

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Steve: Full-Body MMX (speed reps)

I’m hitting my stride with full-body workouts–feeling bigger, pumps are great. But I always like to introduce some change to gain–and today that meant more pain. For chest I did Low-incline flyes supersetted with Low-incline DB presses–and I did the presses in X-celeration, or speed reps, style, which is 1.5 seconds per rep. Wicked burn, mega pump…

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Jonathan: Chest, Back, Abs (Freaky Friday)

POF MMX

The change from POF early in the week to 10×10 for the late-week workouts keeps thing interesting, and helps bring back the Freaky Friday fluctuation. Finding proper work weights and rest periods adds to the fun, as short rests with 10×10 seem to keep things moving along well, both from a time and muscle-feel standpoint… [Read more…]

Steve: Full-Body MMX (anabolic drive)

I always wake up on Wednesdays with fear plus excitement. I know I have to hit the gym and attack a grueling 20-rep set of Feet-forward Smith-machine squats right off the bat–at 6:50 a.m. Fear. But it’s also exciting because I know that the hypoxia from that set, as well as from the lower-rep sets after (10, 8), can trigger overall muscle growth–anabolic drive. Good motivation to hit the rest of the workout hard–and grow like never before…

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Jonathan: Chest, Back, Abs (power pump)

POF MMX

The change to all-DP 3X this week has resulted in a serious power pump for all muscle groups. Even slight variation is enough for some good change to gain… [Read more…]

Steve: Full Body MMX (metabolic uptick)

I made a small change to gain today–and it created a big metabolic uptick. The change: After my high-rep set, I stuck with the same weight for the second two sets. In other words, I added weight for my second set, when stayed at that weight for my third. That gave me a few more reps on every exercise. I was surprised at how doing only 2 to 3 extra reps per exercise all the way through took a serious metabolic toll. In fact, I had to go home and take a nap–not kidding. I was wiped out. Bonus: The pump was bigger too…

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Steve: Full Body (stubborn muscle groups)

MMX Pyramid

We all have stubborn muscle groups. One of my toughest is chest–so today, instead of just a stretch move, I used Flyes as the first move in a Pre-Ex superset–at least on sets 2 and 3–doing incline presses immediately after each of those second two sets. Here’s how it went today…

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Jonathan: Chest, Back, Abs (wrong workout)

POF MMX

It wasn’t until half way through today’s training session that I realized I was doing the wrong workout. LOL! Rather than saying I’m just getting old and losing my mind, I’ll say that I went with instinctive training today. My chest and back needed the work more than delts and arms, I guess… [Read more…]

Jonathan: Chest, Back, Abs (low pump)

I botched up the workout a bit today by not remember to hit the grocery store last night. The result was a really low pump level, as I was out of my usual pre-training food, so I had a handful of almonds instead. Add that to the fact that I trained several hours after eating. Not ideal… [Read more…]