contracted Archives

Ultimate Mass Workout (over-40)

Q: I wanted to report on my progress. I’m 53 and am making the best muscle gains of my life using something you haven’t really discussed. I get bored easily, so what I do is one week I use the Over-40 STX workout [Anabolic Reload e-book] and the next week I go to the Pure-Positions STX program [Stretch Overload e-book]. I think it’s working so well because every week I am getting all three of the hypertrophy requirements but with different splits and exercise mixes. I swear my shirts are already tighter after only three weeks. Just want to thank you guys for my new gains!

A: Hmm, very interesting—and a novel approach. We usually suggest doing one of those programs for four to six weeks, then switch to the other for another four-to-six-week mass phase.

But who are we to argue? Sounds like alternating them is working off the charts for you in the over-40 muscle mass department. Exciting stuff! Now… [Read more…]

New Muscle Stress for Freaky Mass

Q: I liked the suggestion of moving from The Anabolic Reload Mass Workout, with a high-rep set first to fatigue slow-twitch fibers (STX), to a workout with a heavy pyramid first followed by STX on a contracted move. After five weeks on that, I’d like to add in stretch-position exercises for more trauma/muscle stress and, I hope, more growth. Is there a workout you can suggest?

That’s how you get more growth, guaranteed. The addition of stretch-position exercises will inflict new muscle stress and a significant spike in muscle mass… [Read more…]

Triple-Hit Anabolic Reload

Q: As you explain in Anabolic Reload, your 3 Positions of Flexion for each muscle align with Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.’s 3 hypertrophy triggers for a triple-hit anabolic reload. That got me thinking. I like the full-body workouts in that ebook, but I’m considering: Monday, all midrange work; Wednesday, all contracted; and Friday, all stretch. That way it’s only one exercise for each muscle with the STX method at each workout. Is that a good idea?

A: For the uninitiated, the 3 key hypertrophy triggers you must attack for optimal mass stimulation, according to Schoenfeld, are: [Read more…]

Pain-to-Gain Exercise Change

Q: I’m a big fan of Position-of-Flexion mass training. Hitting the three “angles” for each muscle just makes so much sense, and I know stretch overload builds mass (bird study, etc.). That brings me to my question: The overhead triceps extension with a barbell, dumbbell, cable or two dumbbells, hurts my elbows. My triceps need fullness and sweep, so I don’t want to skip that stretch-overload exercise. What can I do to avoid the old pain-to-gain myth? [Read more…]

New 3D HIT: More Muscle, Less Time?

Q: I’ve been checking out a lot of the high-intensity-training (HIT) stuff on the Web. Using one all-out intense set per exercise makes a lot of sense. But doing only one exercise per bodypart, as in most HIT programs, does not make sense to me. That’s why I want to try the more abbreviated HIT approach combined with 3D POF [training each muscle in three positions for full-range activation]. Any suggestions?

A: What you’re talking about is a key reason 3D Positions of Flexion evolved. It attacks the full contractibility range of a muscle for maximum fiber recruitment as well as [Read more…]