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Researchers Wrong On Sets for Mass?

Steve hitting a most muscular pose outside of his sauna
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A recent meta-analysis was released about the best number of sets for building mass: 12 to 20 per week for each muscle…

Hmm. I’m not so sure about that “magic-mass” range. Why?

There are a lot of individual factors to consider—like age and steroids. But my biggest contention is the exercise choices in these studies.

If subjects are NOT emphasizing the ideal exercise for each muscle, they’ll need more sets to get the mass-building job done.

In other words, if you use inefficient exercises, your weekly volume will need to be higher to get the same results…

It’s like using a wrench to drive a nail instead of a hammer—you can do it, but it will take longer, and you may smash a finger or two…

On the other hand, if you emphasize the ideal exercises, you’ll grow optimally with fewer sets…

Steve demonstrating one-arm cable curls with support

Remember, the ideal exercises have the proper resistance curve, optimal line of force and reduced bi-lateral deficit. That precision engages the most muscle fibers.

I credit the ideal exercises for my decent physique at age 64. That’s with only four sets per muscle at each workout—eight sets per week, not 12 to 20.

Steve hitting a most muscular pose outside of his sauna

All it takes is 40-minute workouts three times a week. And that’s with no drugs, no hormone replacement, no Photoshop.

It’s all about efficient, precision training for better gaining.

Your Efficient Mass-Building Handbook: For complete mass workouts that include Speed Sets, the ideal exercise for each muscle, and  the best stretch and contracted add-on moves, get your copy of Old Man, Young Muscle.

And you still get The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook FREE for a limited time when you add Old Man, Young Muscle to your mass-building library. Go HERE.

New ebook covers - small

Use Precision Training to GROW!

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.

—Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com


Recommended:

ATTENTION OVER-40 BODYBUILDERS

One of the most interesting read-me pages on Testosterone and other muscle-building hormones we’ve seen is The Truth About Testosterone.

It even talks about a fruit, a specific part, that can up your T naturally. Cranking up your testosterone will not only get you jacked in the gym, but in the bedroom too—not to mention help rip up your midsection as it ignites fat burning. If that interests you, there’s more from our colleague and registered dietician, HERE.

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: efficiency of effort, efficient gaining, high-rep sets, ideal exercises, low-rep sets

Less Time, More Mass?

Steve demonstrating one-arm cable curls with support

Q: I’m making new gains with [STX and the Old Man, Young Muscle workout], but I’ve read that longer rests between sets is better for mass. I think that’s wrong in my case. You say that 20-second rests between sets is like extending the set. My question is, would it be even better to do a drop set [reduce the weight] with no rest between? [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: efficient gaining, long rest, mass building, muscle building, short rest, short rests

Mass Mantra #26

Steve in a most muscular pose and a side casual pose in April 2023

Here’s a quote from one of the most respected hypertrophy researchers today, Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Brad Schoenfeld, efficient gaining, hypertrophy, muscle gains, older bodybuilder, strength gains

Elastic-Band Mass Tweak

Jonathan doing cable curls

After yesterday’s newsletter on elastic bands and how they emphasize the contracted position at the expense of stretch, I wanted to mention an efficiency tweak. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: band exercises, band training, contracted, efficient gaining, resistance bands, stretch

One-Limb Moves and Efficient Mass Building

Doug performing cable lat pull-ins

I received a question, or really a statement, saying one-limb exercises aren’t efficient because they take too much time. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: bi-lateral deficit, efficiency of effort, efficiency-of-effort, efficient gaining, one-limb exercises, slow-twitch exhaustion

Ideal vs. Mass Feel Exercises

Jonathan doing pushdowns away from the pulley

These days I’m always insisting that you emphasize the ideal exercises for efficient mass workouts.

Those moves have specific characteristics or factors, such as optimal range of motion, ideal resistance curve, and so on (see the new ebook for details). [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: efficient gaining, ideal exercises, muscle fiber recruitment, resistance curve

Work Harder, Grow Bigger? Nope

Steve spotting Jonathan for forced reps on dumbbell shoulder presses

For years I believed that if I worked harder in the gym—to failure and beyond—I would grow bigger. I had no doubt that soon my muscles would expand beyond belief…

Hard work and patience, right? Nope. It didn’t happen. Why? I was working hard, but I wasn’t working smart—at least, not as smart as I could have been… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x density training, density training, efficient gaining, failure, grow bigger, muscle growth, vince gironda

Lazy Man’s Way to More Muscle

Steve (ectomorph) and Jonathan (mesomorph) - Sets, Reps, and Muscle-Size Success

Q: I’ve got a tip for you guys: Get off your butts and work out more often, and you’ll get bigger. It looks like you’re only working out three to four days a week. I train six days a week, two hours per workout, and I compete in bodybuilding shows.

A: Hey, are you calling us lazy? Hmm, maybe we are. Everyone is to a degree, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing if you channel it to produce progress. Laziness has been the catalyst for innovation throughout history—like cars and jets. Those things get you to your destination faster and more efficiently… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic fasting, bodybuilding, brad pilon, eat stop eat, efficiency of effort, efficient gaining, intermittent fasting, lazy, muscle building

Heavy/Light Training for Efficient Gaining

Jonathan Lawson POF lat exercises

Q: After seeing 10×10 in your newsletters, I’ve been trying it on arms [10 sets of 10 reps with minimal rest]. They blew up bigger than ever! They looked about two inches bigger when I was done. My problem is that I feel I need to train with heavy poundages to get the most growth. Do you think it would work to alternate a 10×10 workout with a conventional heavy session each week?

A: That’s precisely how we designed the Heavy/Light Ultimate 10×10 Mass Workout in the 10×10 e-book. On the so-called light day, you do only 10×10 on one big exercise for a muscle. For the uninitiated, 10×10 is taking a weight you can get about 20 reps with, but you only do 10. Rest 20 to 30 seconds, then do 10 more, and so on till you get 10 sets of 10—although on the last few sets you should only get eight or nine because they will be BRUTAL—with a giant pump! [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x10, 10x10 muscle building, back workout, density, efficient gaining, endurance, heavy/light, lat workout, POF, positions of flexion

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