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Q: I have X-traordinary Arms and really appreciate the “in-for-out, out-for-in” rule. My question
A: Yes, switching the order of the exercises in Positions-of-Flexion protocol can positively affect a target-muscle’s development. Biceps is a perfect example.
[Read more…]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…]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…]Q: I’m following the arm-specialization programs in your X-traordinary Arms e-book (I ordered the Anabolic After-40 package to get it free!). I like starting my biceps workout with cable curls, as you suggest, because I can add X Reps at the end of the last set. Many of the pro bodybuilders say free weights are better for growth, so I’m worried I’m not getting the most size stimulation. Are free-weight barbell or dumbbell curls better?
A: Not necessarily. The only problem with cable curls is weight-stack drag, which makes the negative, or lowering, stroke slightly easier; however, you get much better continuous tension with a cable curl as opposed to barbell or dumbbell curls. That’s very important for max-growth stimulation. There’s also another BIG benefit… [Read more…]
Q: I read the Size Surge Workout e-book in one sitting. It’s the best muscle-building information I’ve ever read. Very complete, and I am more excited and motivated than ever to start. After comparing the basic workouts in phase 1 with the Positions-of-Flexion workouts in phase 2, I’d like to know why you have forearm work only in phase 1? You have wrist curls and hammer curls, but no direct forearm work in phase 2. Why?
A: Sounds like you want freaky vein-streaked forearms hanging out of your shirt sleeves! We can fix that—but first, let us answer your question…
There is no forearm work in phase 2 because you do more gripping work from multiple angles. POF is multi-angular training for every major muscle group, so that makes sense. For example, you use three different biceps exercises…
But in the phase 1 Size Surge routine (pages 17-19), you only train arms once a week, on Wednesday, and barbell curls provide the only taxing grip work on that day…
On Monday and Friday when you train most of the big bodyparts, the heavy exercises that have grip-building potential require straps—such as upright rows, bent-over rows, and pulldowns. It makes sense to include some direct forearm work on Wednesday, when all you train are deadlifts (using straps), calves, biceps, triceps, and abs. One set each of wrist curls and hammer curls does the job, and the hammers also hit the brachialis muscles for enhanced biceps peak…
If you have weak forearms and want direct work in phase 2, the most efficient exercise for both the flexors (underside) and extensors (top) is rockers…
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With the dumbbells at arm’s length at your outer thighs, curl your hands up and in to work the flexors, then lower them and curl them up and out to train the extensors. Do that for about 15 reps—up in and up out counts as one rep. Do one set of rockers to forearm-frying exhaustion after your full-range POF biceps workout in the phase 2 Size Surge Workout, and you’ll forge some fierce forearms, adding some extra freak to your physique!
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
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Q: Before the start of my spring/summer job a month ago, my muscle development was progressing nicely. I was using your Positions of Flexion and X-Rep techniques on my three-days-a-week split: chest/bi’s, legs, and back/tri’s. My strength-and-size gains were steadily increasing. Then I started my summer job, and I was a lot sorer after my workouts, I take longer to recover, and I’m losing the size I had in my arms. The job is 40 hours a week of outdoor physical labor. I thought that by eating frequently with adequate protein and eight hours of sleep each night, I’d be fine, but that’s not working. Do you have any suggestions to help get me back on the muscle-building track, especially in the arm department?
A: A demanding physical-labor job can make it more difficult to grow, but not impossible. Even a high-pressure office job presents a similar problem: too much stress. It’s similar to being a hardgainer with low recovery ability and high cortisol output: You have to find the right balance and workload so you don’t overtrain, which means you sometimes have to cut back to grow.
As for your situation, we notice that while it appears you’re training each bodypart once a week on your split, that’s not really the case with arms…
When you do chest and biceps, you’re also training triceps during chest work—bench presses, etc. Then at the end of the week when you train back and triceps, you are also training biceps during back work (chins, pulldowns, etc.).
So you’re actually training arms hard and heavy twice a week, in addition to whatever you do at work, which may be why they are shrinking. Your arms are being hammered continuously with no time to recover.
First try altering your split as a way to cut back to grow: Day 1: back, biceps; Day 2: legs; Day 3: chest, triceps. If you don’t see results after a few weeks, cut back on your arm work. You may not need a full POF program for biceps and triceps, only the big midrange move plus one isolation exercise. So your anchor exercise for biceps would be barbell curls…
Do that for two sets, then follow up with one or two sets of the stretch-position exercise, incline curls…
The following week do two sets of the big midrange exercise again, but follow with one or two sets of a contracted-position exercise for biceps, like concentration curls…
That’s Split-Positions training—you still hit all three Positions of Flexion but over two workouts instead of all at one session. Here’s how your arm programs would look:
Biceps 1
Midrange: Barbell curls 2 x 9
Stretch: Incline curls 1 x 12
Biceps 2
Midrange: Barbell curls 2 x 9
Contracted: Concentration curls 1 x 12
Triceps 1
Midrange: Decline extensions 2 x 9
Stretch: Overhead extensions 1 x 12
Triceps 2
Midrange: Decline extensions 2 x 9
Contracted: Kickbacks or pushdowns 1 x 12
Feel free to substitute exercises and/or manipulate the set totals. For example, you may be able to handle two sets on the second exercises or maybe a drop set. You’ll have to experiment and monitor your recovery and hypertrophic adaptations to get the right mix of how much to cut back to grow (without cutting back too far), but the above is a good place to start to get your growth into gear.
Note: There’s more on Split-Positions training in Chapter 10 of the Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building e-book, including a complete Split-Positions mass workout program.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
