Q: I’ve been reading that testosterone is the key muscle-building hormone, so what is the best way to get it up?
A: “Get it up?”
Speed Reps—Quick Mass-Training Tip
Q: What’s your opinion of loosening exercise form at the end of a set to get a few more reps? Like on curls I keep the reps strict for the first six or seven, then I use some upper-body motion to complete two to three more reps. I’m using the 4X method, so the weight [throughout the 4 sets] is only moderate, not heavy. I’m only using momentum to fight the fatigue buildup at the end of the fourth set. Is that okay, or should I keep my reps strict through the entire 4X sequence?
A: Because the poundage is moderate on a 4X sequence, that’s all the more reason to keep it strict all the way through. Momentum will only take the tension off the target muscle. A very SLIGHT form alteration is acceptable, but keep it as strict as possible to the end of the fourth set… [Read more…]
New Size With Full-Body One-Hit Mass Workouts
Q: I’ve been reading about the 4X training and am wondering if you have any advice on how to use it with a full-body three-days-per-week routine. I just started using the 4X method for each bodypart. I do one exercise per muscle. Monday I do chest, shoulders, back, bi’s, tri’s, abs, legs. Wednesday I do the same body parts but in a different order and using different exercises. The same goes for Friday. I take the weekend off. I’m drug-free, so I think I’ve been overtraining till now. I’m hoping that 4X will help spark some new gains.
A: That sounds like a great plan for building more mass. First, skeptical readers need to realize that three-days-per-week programs can do incredible things. We discuss the Colorado Experiment in Size Surge 2.0 and 3D Muscle Building, a four-week research project in which Casey Viator gained 60 pounds of muscle… [Read more…]
Testo-Jack, Hyper-Hypertrophy Workout
Q: I’ve been reading that testosterone is the key muscle-building hormone. Does the hormone boost come from intensity, more reps or what?
A: Arthur Jones, creator of Nautilus machines and the overseer of the Colorado Experiment that saw Casey Viator gain 60 pounds of muscle in only 4 weeks, always said that training legs hard can have a big “indirect muscle-building effect.”
What that means is that you could train your legs hard and see size gains in other muscles, such as [Read more…]
One Quick Tip to Pack on Muscle Mass Fast (it hurts, but it works!)
Q: I just got the Size Surge 2.0 e-book (thanks for the great price). It’s excellent, but you don’t mention X Reps much. I know you said when Jonathan got his great results with the original Size Surge program, you hadn’t developed X-es yet. I’ve built a lot of mass with that technique, so should I include X Reps in either phase?
A: For the uninitiated, X Reps are short eight-inch partials at the end of a full-range set. We’ll give you an alternate end-of-set mass move in a moment, but first, here’s a quick explanation of X Reps… [Read more…]
HIT Hoax? 60 Pounds of Muscle in 4 Weeks—The Truth
Q: I just read a few of your articles about 3D Muscle Building, and you say some guy built 60 pounds of muscle in four weeks. Come on. I hate it when the impossible is touted as being the norm. That never happened, which is probably why you don’t show pictures of the guy. The only photos I see are Jonathan’s before and after. His 20 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks is impressive, but it’s a far cry from 60 pounds in a month. Got any pictures of the 60-pound gain? I didn’t think so.
A: We’re as skeptical as the next guy, but believe it or not, it did happen—back in 1971. It was called the Colorado Experiment, and it was Arthur Jones’ attempt at proving that his Nautilus machines and high-intensity training could build muscle very, very quickly (and we do have the pics; see below). [Read more…]