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Q: I’ve been on the Anabolic Reload workout for two weeks and feel considerably bigger. I was wondering if it’s okay to gradually increase volume with drop sets instead of rest/pause? I get a better pump with drop sets and I saw a study that found drop sets very effective for building mass, so you can volumize for muscle size.
A: We saw that 2017 study as well. It was by one of our favorite researchers, Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., and the conclusion was… [Read more…]
Q: I’ve been using a drop on my last set, and I do speed reps on that lighter drop. It works great for finishing an exercise, but I’m wondering if I should do it on stretch-position movements, like stiff-legged deadlifts for hamstrings or overhead extensions for triceps? It seems like the proven anabolic effects of stretch with the fiber shock of speed reps would be an excellent mass combo.
A: X-celeration, or speed, sets are much more dangerous with stretch-position exercises because the target muscle is fully elongated. That said, we do use it from time to time, but not with a 1.5-second-per-rep tempo. It’s more like a 1/1 or even 1/2—lift in one second and lower in one or two seconds. [Read more…]
A: That’s a solid routine, but training the whole body with the best compound exercises, even if it’s only with a couple of sets, along with X Reps can be taxing. It’s not for every body. That’s why we provide alternatives, like a three-day version and a four-day version, with some of the workouts lasting only 35 minutes or so. You said you can only train two days a week, however, so those aren’t options for you.
Here’s a better alternative to simply cutting the sets: Try the drop-set technique with X Reps so that within the one set you’re actually doing two in less time. For example, on incline presses, do a set to failure, finish the set with X Reps at the appropriate position, then reduce the weight to a poundage that allows about six hard reps. You’ll be doing about the same amount of work in less time, which is a classic intensity amplification technique for mass building. You can do that on as many exercises as you want, doing one X-Rep drop set instead of two straight sets. That should reduce your workout time considerably, have you feeling less drained and may even produce better results!
Q: I love the feel and pump I’m getting from TORQ [30-20-15] and Super TORQ [50-40-30-20-10]. My problem is on the drop sets on the last set. I am so fatigued, I don’t get many reps on the drops. I revert to the poundages I used on the previous sets, but no go. Should I just lighten the poundages even more for my drops?
A: That’s one solution. Another is to drop the get-big bomb by changing the parameters of the drops… [Read more…]
Q: I like to train heavy, but I fully understand that tension time, or density, can build size as well. My question is, won’t drop sets accomplish both?
A: The drop-set method is one of the best for getting size in the myofibrils as well as a hypertrophic sarcoplasmic burst. And even new veinage too… [Read more…]
Q: I’ve been using the 4X mass method on just about every exercise for just over a month and have gained five pounds of muscle. I’m still lean with abs, so I know it’s not fat. I often do 3X sequences, the way you sometimes recommend, but if I don’t do all 4 sets, I feel guilty. It’s just that I don’t want to overtrain, which is how I feel when I do 4X on all exercises. Should I just bite the bullet and do 4X on everything?
A: If you’ve gained five pounds of muscle in a little more than a month, you’re doing damn good! Most bodybuilders don’t gain five pounds in a year… [Read more…]
Q: I like the idea of doing something different on the last set of a 4X sequence. You mentioned a drop set, and that works great. What about a heavier pure-negative set? Like on curls my partner would lift it for me, and I would lower [a heavy weight] slowly for six negative reps.
A: That depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Pure negatives—your partner lifts the weight, and you lower in six seconds—are designed to attack the force-generating myofibrils in the muscle fibers, which means they are primarily for strength building with only minor size effects, so not really building a lot more muscle… [Read more…]
Q: Your 4X Mass Workout e-book is one of my favorites, but I’m not sure using 4X at every workout will produce maximum mass for me. As you say in The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout, a muscle needs both density and power to grow to its biggest at the fastest rate possible. To me, 4X feels like more density because I fatigue very quickly. Then the muscle feels worthless on the next exercise. I’m thinking about using the Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout that includes both 4X [short rests] and power sets [with longer rests]. Are there any adjustments you would suggest?
A: The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout is great for building size and strength (4X is primarily for muscle size). As you said, the Power-Density Mass Workout is a mix of straight power sets, 4X sequences and drop sets. For example, here’s the biceps routine from the full-range Positions-of-Flexion workout in that e-book: [Read more…]
Q: No matter what exercise I use, I can’t feel my lats working. I’ve tried drop sets, but I get nothing from those. Any suggestions on how to get new growth for slacker muscles? I feel lat-less.
A: You’re not alone. Most trainees have difficulty feeling the back working. The arms tend to take over because the nerve-to-muscle connections to the lats are underdeveloped. But there is a great way to get in touch and grow the slacker muscles in your back… [Read more…]
Q: Right now I’m into your idea of using a basic workout to get big, so I’m using The Basic X-traordinary X-Rep Workout [pages 28-30 in that e-book]. I’ve been on it for three weeks, and I already feel bigger. I’m also stronger every time I train. Unreal results for workouts that take an hour. My question is, What can I do or add to that program for my slacker bodyparts? Like my shoulders desperately need extra roundness. Should I just add sets?
A: Simply adding sets to the existing delt workout is one way to go (but there’s another way that we like even better coming up). For example, the delt routine is dumbbell presses, and you pyramid the weight. Your reps should go 9, 7, 5-6, and on the last heaviest set you do X-Rep partials… [Read more…]
