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Do One Set Slow For New Muscle Growth

Q: I’m having a lot of trouble with delts. I don’t feel any of the exercises, and my delts never get sore. Right now I’m using a [Positions-of-Flexion] routine. Should I add exercises for some new muscle growth in my shoulders?

A: One of the big problems with delts is that they don’t get enough eccentric, or negative stress. And science says that lowering is the most important for muscle growth (the negative is what causes muscle soreness)…

Think about it. On lateral raises, the leverage shift is extreme, with high resistance through the top third of the stroke and almost zero through the bottom third. [Read more…]

Quick Hits for Muscle Size

Q: I just started the Size Surge Phase 1 workouts, and I like what I’m feeling so far. One concern is that I desperately need more muscle size in my shoulders, so I’m wondering if I can add some lateral raises to the Monday and Friday workouts.

A: The Size Surge Phase 1 program is three days a week, and the Monday and Friday workouts are already loaded with big exercises. We have a better idea for some delt specialization than adding to those two sessions. First, here’s the Phase 1 split: [Read more…]

Direct/Indirect Training Split: Upper Pec Specialization

Q: The direct/indirect training split is awesome! I think my muscles have always needed more hits per week, but I followed the pros and trained each muscle only once a week. That never worked for me. The direct/indirect training split [in The 4X Mass Workout e-book] has already added new muscle to my arms and shoulders and back. My one problem area is upper chest. I’ve moved upper chest work to the front of my direct pec program. That’s helped some, but on indirect, day when I train triceps, close-grip bench presses are the indirect chest exercise. They don’t hit my upper chest, so should I do close-grip incline presses instead on triceps day?

A: Hmm, close-grip incline presses might be a solution, although we’ve never been huge fans of close grip on inclines. They can be hard on the shoulder joints. Experiment using a light poundage to see if you feel your upper chest kick in on those. There’s another solution supported by recent research that we have tried… [Read more…]

Shoulder Size—Try This New Pressing Exercise

Q: In The Ultimate Mass Workout e-book, you identify the Ultimate Exercise for delts as dumbbell upright rows. I’ve always read that overhead presses are best for building massive shoulders. Almost everyone I talk to says to press for delt size. Can you explain your thinking?

A: Our thinking was that any type of overhead press over-emphasizes the front-delt heads. Jonathan has overpowering front delts, so presses hit his side-delt heads even less than most trainees; however, a recent experiment has us revising our thought process somewhat. [Read more…]

Key Muscle-Size Exercise for Shocking Shoulders

Q: I have limited time to train, so I try to use the best exercise for each bodypart. Your Ultimate Mass Workout e-book has been priceless in that regard, and I’m using a version of the basic program you outline with the Ultimate Exercise for each bodypart. Most are right on, but I have a problem with my shoulders. They’re not responding to dumbbell upright rows [the Ultimate Exercise for delts discussed in Chapter 6]. Is there another exercise I can use?

A: First, check your form. You should be starting with the dumbbells almost at arm’s length with your palms facing your thighs and the inner ‘bells touching. That creates a pull on the medial-delt heads in the important semi-stretch position. As you pull the dumbbells up, your hands should move out so that at the top of the stroke they are outside of your outer chest and your upper arms are parallel to the floor. [Read more…]

Analyzing Mr. Olympia’s Workout

Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building E-book Excerpt Analyzing Mr. Olympia’s Workout From an X-Rep Perspective

Throughout this e-book we’ve mentioned how Ronnie Coleman, Mr. Olympia, trains with an emphasis on semistretched overload. Those observations were the result of watching his latest DVD, “The Cost of Redemption,” which is an ungodly display of muscle mass and raw strength captured by videographer Mitsuru Okabe. In fact, his mass-training style is a prime example of max-force-point overload on almost every exercise. [Read more…]