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Freak-Physique Techniques: Once per week

Massive chest flexed

Q: I stumbled across some of your old daily training blog posts, and I notice that you’d often call your last workout of the week Freaky Friday. What’s up with that? Are those freak-physique techniques you use something I can implement to grow more mass quickly? I need more size!

A: Bodybuilders always need more size—somewhere. And that’s why we implemented freak-physique techniques on Fridays for a long time. Freaky Friday was basically our way to train “outside the box.” [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: Doug Brignole, freak physique, freaky friday, intensity tactics, intensity techniques, Mr. America, power-density mass workout, Super TORQ, tension-overload repetition quantity, TORQ, ultimate exercise

The Size-Stretch Connection: Muscle Elongation for Mass Creation

Dumbbell flyes showing thick pecs - Mass-Building Myths—Or Are They? (controversial muscle-building info)

Q: Your Positions-of-Flexion mass training is great! Using the 3D Muscle Building e-book and workouts, I’ve designed different programs for myself with the three-exercises full-range stimulation, and I credit POF with the 50 pounds of muscle I’ve built over the years. Thank you. My question is, What do you think about starting with the stretch-position exercise for each POF bodypart routine? Stretch is one of the biggest mass stimulators because of that muscle elongation, so why not start with it?

A: Your question reminded us that years ago we experimented with the stretch-move-first method, and it produced such good gains that a video was created, “Hypercontraction Training.”

For example, you train a few sets of FLYES first for pec stretch overload. Then you work bench presses (midrange) and end with cable crossovers (contracted)… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d muscle building, Doug Brignole, free protein, free supplements, hyper contraction training, low-carb protein, Mr. America, muscle elongation, muscle size, muscle stretch, myofibrils, POF, positions of flexion, sarcopasm, size, stretch overload, traumatic overload

Spike Your Muscle Gains

Q: I’ve been reading about 4X and TORQ. I’m 25 and usually train heavy, but now that I have to train at home, I’m looking for the best way to keep building muscle without a lot of weights. I’m afraid with these light training methods I might lose muscle. I’ll try them because I have no choice right now, but I think heavy is the way to grow. How do I know I won’t shrink if I don’t pony up for more weights in my home gym?

A: We’ve both been using 4X-based training techniques for several years. If a couple of old guys whose anabolic hormones aren’t what they used to be don’t shrink, you won’t. In fact, we’ve got trainees from all age groups who’ve tried 4X and TORQ and many start using them constantly because they make such great gains… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, anabolic fasting, anabolic hormones, bodbuilders, brad pilon, Doug Brignole, eat stop eat, gains, get ripped, intermittent fasting, mass program, Mr. America, muscle gains, power-density, power-density mass workout, Super TORQ, TORQ

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 44: Jim Haislop’s Proportion

We featured Jim Haislop, 1968 Mr. America, way back in Zen 8. We recently ran across this shot of him, and all we can say is, Whoa! [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: bodybuilder, bodybuilding zen, Doug Brignole, fast-twitch fibers, frank rich, heavy-light, hypertrophy, jerry brainum, Jim Haislop, massthetic arms, Mr. America, physique, power-density, slow-twitch fibers, symmetry, vascular arms, vascularity, veiny arms

Ultimate Mass Move: One-Hit Chest-Back Attack

Q: I just got the Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0. Absolutely one of the best muscle-building guides I’ve ever read. I’m very interested in [Mr. America] Doug Brignole’s one-exercise-per-muscle high-rep method [50-40-30-20-10]. The problem is that it’s tough deciding which single move is best for each target muscle. He likes decline dumbbell presses for chest, but I’m thinking bench presses. What are your thoughts on that? And what about back? I see Brignole likes T-bar rows as his only upper-back exercise.

A: We like decline dumbbell presses. It’s one of the best overall pec moves; however, unlike Brignole we see the value of inclines as well (more on that in a moment). [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x10, back, chest, Doug Brignole, frank rich, high-rep, Mr. America, muscle-building, power-density, Super TORQ, tension-overload repetition quantity, TORQ, ultimate exercise, ultimate mass, vascular arms, vascularity, veiny arms

Upper-Body Move for Size or Worthless Exercise?

Q: I like the heavy/light approach you lay out in the Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0. I also do [Mr. America] Doug Brignole’s Super TORQ for only one exercise per muscle every few workouts. Great change to gain! My question is, when I do TORQ, shouldn’t I use overhead presses for delts? In your TORQ routines and Brignole’s Super TORQ program, the shoulder exercise of choice is one-arm cable laterals. But you have heavy presses in the Power-Density programs, which aggravate my shoulder joint sometimes. Still, shouldn’t I do presses in my TORQ workouts? It’s the best shoulder exercise, right?

A: We have a love-hate relationship with presses—and Brignole’s is mostly hate (as we’ll explain)… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: belly fat burn, burn fat, delt workout, Doug Brignole, heavy-light, Mr. America, muscle size, shoulder exercises, shoulder routine, TORQ, upper-body mass

Do Any Big Guys Use the 4X Method?

Q: I know Mr. America Doug Brignole uses Super TORQ and has used a version of 4X. Are there any pro bodybuilders who use the 4X method?

A: The really big guys, especially referring to pro bodybuilders, tend to use an abundance of almost anything and everything in their training—because they have, um, “special” supplements to help them recover. That and superior genetics allow them to train rather haphazardly and still grow like crazy (we know, it’s not fair). [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, 4x method, Arnold Classic, Ben Pakulski, Charles Poliquin, Dexter Jackson, Doug Brignole, genetics, MI40, Mr. America, pro bodybuilder

High-Rep Hyper-Growth

Side chest

Q: Doug Brignole’s high-rep method [explained in his interview in The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0] sounds interesting. I’d like to try it once a week for upper body. Do you think it would be okay to do an entire workout with his “Super TORQ” for chest, back, and arms, and at the other workouts that week do standard training?

A: Faster mass creation is all about experimentation. We really like your idea, as it’s similar to some of the Power-Density mass workouts in that e-book that alternate heavy training with TORQ for high-rep hyper-growth. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic fasting, brad pilon, Doug Brignole, drop sets, eat stop eat, high-reps, hyper-growth, myofibrillar growth, power-density, Super TORQ

TORQ Up Your Muscle Size

Jonathan Lawson decline bench presses for chest - 10X Muscle Building Tips

Q: I’m torn between heavy training and higher reps [TORQ]. I like ending bodyparts with lighter-weight, high-rep sets for longer tension times and more pump, and now I’m hearing that ALL-high-rep workouts are best. I’m almost 30, but I want to grow as fast as possible. Should I try all-high-rep training for a while, or is that more for when I’m older like you guys and can’t train heavy anymore?

A: Hey, we resemble that remark! LOL. The beauty of bodybuilding is that you can try whatever you want. Change is good. Plus, keep in mind that everyone responds to unique training styles differently—you may grow like never before (you’ll see an example below). And, no, you don’t have to be older to start experimenting… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: bodyweight training, Doug Brignole, high-rep sets, journal of strength conditioning research, MPS, Mr. America, muscle size, muscle-protein synthesis, power-density, Super TORQ, tension-overload repetition quantity, TORQ

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 32: Doug Brignole’s 59-year-old Arms

A few Zens back, we mentioned that our friend and colleague Doug Brignole recently won the 2019 Drug-Free Mr. Universe Open division at age 59. 

He’s not a mass monster, but rather cut from the aesthetic-physique mold. Nevertheless, even in a T-shirt, his physique is very impressive, as you can see from this flexing pic [photo courtesy of Doug Brignole]… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: aesthetic, bad gas, biotrust, bodybuilding zen, doug, Doug Brignole, drug-free, fast-twitch, free pro-x10, free probiotics, free supplements, mass, mr. universe, physique, pro-x10, probiotics, slow-twitch, Super TORQ

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