• X Shop
  • Checkout

X-REP.COM

Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation

  • Home
  • About Us
  • X Shop
  • X Files
    • Latest Articles
    • FAQ
    • Ezine Archive
  • Testimonials
  • Contact Us
  • Gallery
  • Subscribe

Mr. America’s Stretch Take

Doug Brignole performing the lat pull-in exercise

Mr. America/Mr. Universe Doug Brignole has some thoughts on my recent musing on stretching and stretch moves for mass.

He makes the observation that some muscles respond better than others to full stretch, and putting some into a full stretch can be dangerous, such as rear delts. Bringing the arm too far across that body can damage the shoulder joint…

And also lats. Here is Doug’s take… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: contraction, Double-X Overload, Doug Brignole, dxo, Mr. America, stretch exercises, stretch overload, stretch position

Can I Train Each Muscle Once a Week for Mass?

Steve and Jonathan flexing

Q: I have two questions. First, the photo from your 2005 using X-Reps and [Double-X Overload] is impressive for an ecto. How much did you weigh? Second question: Many bodybuilders in the gym train each muscle only once a week. Do you think that’s a good way to train if I increase my sets?

A: If I remember correctly, I weighed right around 190 in 2004, Jonathan was just under 200. The following year, adding DXO to our X-Rep workouts, I clocked in at 195, and Jonathan was 205. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Brad Schoenfeld, Double-X Overload, dxo, once-a-week, research study, Richard Winett, study

Double-X Overload Mass Tactic

Steve's before and after X-Rep pics

Jonathan and I first began experimenting with Double-X Overload, or DXO, way back in 2005, the year after we introduced end-of-set X-Rep partials into our training… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Beyond X, Double-X Overload, dxo, mass gains, mass tactics, muscle gains, stretch overload

Double Up to Muscle Up

Traditional squats in power rack - Mass Rules: Get Huge With These Moves

Q: In a previous newsletter you talked about using DXO [Double-X Overload from the Beyond X e-book] on stretch-position exercises like flyes. I tried it on squats , and it felt incredible! I backed off on the weight, but my quads were on fire and I really felt them working better than a regular set. Is it good to use DXO on the big midrange exercises like squats and bench presses along with stretch-position exercises?

A: Absolutely. You have to use less weight, and that allows you to do the DXO set in perfect form and really connect with the target muscle—plus get unique muscle-fiber activation for new growth. You could end your squats with a DXO set… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Double-X Overload, dxo, home protection, mike westerdal, muscle building, muscle growth, muscle up, protect your family, self-defense, squats, x-rep partials

Inside Muscle-Growth Secret

Q: I need to build up the inside of my chest, the cleavage, so to speak. A training friend told me that really squeezing and flexing at the bottom of cable crossovers will get my inner pecs popping. Is that true?

A: While full-range cable crossovers can help develop the entire pec muscle—even the inner sections—believe it or not, the BEST way to attack that insertion point of the target muscle is by emphasizing stretch overload… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic fasting, best chest exercise, beyond x-rep, brad pilon, chest exercises, chest workout, Double-X Overload, dumbbell flyes, dxo, eat stop eat, inner chest, inner pecs, intermittent fasting, Jacob Wilson, mass-boosting, muscle gains, muscle growth, partial reps, secrets, stretch overload, X Reps, x-rep update

Double-X Overload Everything

Jonathan Lawson doing incline dumbbell flyes

Q: I have almost all of your e-books. They’re all great, and I reread them often for motivation and ideas. Right now I’m on The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout. Can I Double-X Overload everything stretch-related in that program? It seems like that would produce even more muscle microtrauma similar to the negative-accentuated sets on the big exercises. That should speed up my fat loss and muscle gains, right?

A: If you give a man a fish, he eats for a day; if you teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime. What does that have to do with your question? We’re just glad to see you taking techniques from our other e-books and applying them to your current workout. You’re learning how to “fish”—grasping the mass-building concepts and applying them when and where appropriate… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic hormones, bodyweight training, Double-X Overload, dxo, fat burning, fat loss, fiber splitting, hyperplasia, muscle microtrauma, muscle protein synthesis, myotatic reflex, stretch overload, x-hybrid, x-hybrid techniques

Double-X Overload Warmups?

Vascular forearm - 2 Easy Ways for BIG Muscle Gains

Q: I’m making some incredible progress using your Double-X Overload technique, but I wanted to let you know that I don’t just use it on my work sets. DXO works for warmup sets, too. I usually use it on at least one of my two warmup sets for the big [midrange] exercises, and I feel much stronger on my work sets. Great technique!

A: That’s a good tip. We love feedback from fellow weight trainers who think instead of just following the pack. One reason Double-X Overload (DXO) works so well on warmup sets is because of the enhanced occlusion and nervous system activation.

For those unfamiliar with DXO, it’s an X-Rep partial in the semi-stretch position between each full rep. That provides a slightly more explosive action, which has been shown to heighten nerve force (many top-level powerlifters do light, explosive sets for that very reason—it helps them lift more weight). [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 3d muscle building, alpha muscle, alpha-3 specialization, beyond x-rep, blood flow blockage, bodybuilders, Double-X Overload, dxo, explosive reps, growth hormone, iso x, journal of strength conditioning research, nervous system, occlusion, powerlifters, progress, stage sets, warmup sets, warmups, x-hybrid tactics, x-rep partials

The Perfect Rest Time for Packing on Muscle Mass

Q: I’m an avid reader of your e-books as well as your website. I’ve been experimenting recently with a heavy set to failure (approximately 10 reps), adding X-Rep partials to the end. Then I do a second X-Only set, often with added weight. This is an excellent trigger for growth, especially if you warm up using the DXO [Double-X Overload] technique. On the warmup set, I do anywhere from four to five X Reps between [full-range] reps, and the burn is incredible! That [combination] has had such a strong effect on my body, that I now have some stretch marks appearing. I’m definitely getting much more muscular while dropping fat. Another thing I’ve been experimenting with is shortening the stroke of X Reps, to the point where I’m almost doing a static hold. I just pulse out very small partial reps. Which brings me to static holds. Research shows subjects adding a few pounds of muscle after only one workout, but that workout was followed by two weeks of rest. Surely two weeks off between workouts is ridiculous. I was wondering how you stand on recovery time and static holds?

A: Thanks for the feedback and your confidence in our methods. We discuss a lot of what you’re discovering and experimenting with in our X-Rep Update #1 e-book. Former Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler used a lot of X-Only sets, as we discuss in Chapter 5, Mr. O’s Wild X-O Workouts. Notice Cutler’s short stroke on this exercise…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: belly fat burn, cardio, Double-X Overload, dxo, failure, fat burners, fat burning, full-range, Jay Cutler, mr. olympia, muscle mass, partial reps, recovery, recovery time, rest, rest time, static contraction, static holds, stretch marks, x-only sets, x-rep partials, x-rep update

DXO Works on Warmup Sets Too

Jonathan doing speed reps on cable curls

Q: I’m making some incredible progress using your Double-X Overload technique, but I wanted to let you know that I don’t just use it on my work sets. DXO works for warmup sets, too. I usually use it on at least one of my two warmup sets for the big [midrange] exercises. I feel much stronger on my work sets. Great technique!

A: That’s a good tip. We love feedback from fellow weight trainers who think instead of just following the pack. One reason DXO works so well on warmup sets is because of the enhanced occlusion and nervous system activation.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d muscle building, anabolic fasting, beyond x-rep, blood flow blockage, Double-X Overload, dxo, eat stop eat, explosive reps, fast-twitch, growth threshold, intermittent fasting, journal of strength conditioning research, nervous system, occlusion, ripped, strength, warmup sets, warmups, X Reps, x-hybrid tactics, x-rep partials

The Rest/Pause Link to Major Muscle and Strength

Q: I’ve been following your newsletters and noticed you guys talking about rest/pause not too long ago. Can you explain the technique a little more and the reasoning behind it?

A: Rest/pause is basically taking a very short break after you hit exhaustion on a set, and then repping out again with the same weight. The brief rest/pause allows the lactic acid to clear somewhat from the muscle and the nervous system and ATP to regenerate to a degree as well.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d muscle building, anabolic, anabolic stimulus, dante, dc training, doggcrapp, Double-X Overload, dxo, forced reps, heavy singles, mike mentzer, mike westerdal, muscle, muscle size, muscle strength, physique, protect your family, pyramids, rest/pause, size, strength, X Reps, x-rep partials

  • 1
  • 2
  • 3
  • Next Page »

:: Get the latest news and specials :: Sign Up for our Ezine!

Shopping Cart

Number of items in cart: 0

  • Your cart is empty.
  • Total: $0.00
  • Checkout

Log In

Copyright © 2025 · X-Rep.com