• Shop
  • Checkout
  • My Account

X-REP.COM

Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation

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

New Size Surprise for Hardgainers

Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman flexing - New Size

Q: I just started the Size Surge program for some new size this year, and it feels great so far. I love the workouts. One problem I’m having is that on some exercises that I’m supposed to pyramid the weight up, I don’t get enough reps on the second heaviest set. For example, on dumbbell presses, my reps go 9 and then 4 or 5 after I add weight. Should I just keep doing that, use the same weight on both sets or what?

A: We’ve answered a similar question concerning barbell curls before, and we suggested using the same weight on both sets; however, that’s a single-joint move. It sounds as if you’re having problems pyramiding on the big compound, or multi-joint, exercises, which is common for thin guys looking for muscle size… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Blog Tagged With: ace-2, ace-dd, body types, colakoglu, endurance fibers, European Journal of Applied Physiology, hardgainers, mass building, muscle gains, nerve-to-muscle connections, new size, pyramiding, pyramids, reverse pyramid, size surge program, tension time

Why Your Growth is Slow—and How to Make it Explode

Muscle fiber growth illustration

Q: I pound away at my workouts, but I’ve only gained about three pounds of muscle in nine months. I’ve gotten stronger, but where’s the size?! I don’t know what to do. I add weight to my exercises whenever I can, but that doesn’t seem to help. I want big, full muscles that will fill out my T-shirts.

A: Are you doing your work sets in the eight-to-10 rep range? Are you resting about 2 minutes between sets? Are your sets lasting about 25 seconds? Are you doing that on all of your exercises? If so, THAT’S WHY YOU’RE NOT GROWING. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 2a fibers, actin-myosin strands, atp, belly fat burn, bodybuilders, dual-capacity fibers, European Journal of Applied Physiology, explode, glycogen, high reps, jerry brainum, miracle fix, mitochondria, muscle growth, muscle pump, muscle size, myofibrillar, myofibrils, sarcoplasm, sarcoplasmic expansion, size, slow to grow, slow-mo, speed reps, strength

Shorter Workouts and More Muscle Mass

Striated delts: Eye-Popping Shoulders: Full-Range Workout

Q: I’m putting in more hours at work to make ends meet, so I don’t have a lot of time to train. I can get to the gym three days a week. I really want to start The Ultimate 10×10 Mass Workout [that uses only the Ultimate Exercise for each muscle group]. My problem is that I’m not convinced the 10×10 method will work. As much as I want to try the routine, I’m not sure I’m convinced that using lighter weights can really build muscle.

A: For the uninitiated, 10×10 is taking a weight you can get 20 reps with, but you only do 10. You rest for 30 seconds, then you do 10 more and so on until you complete 10 sets of 10 reps. The first sets are easy—almost too easy—but the last few sets are severe, and the pump is unreal. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x10 method, alpha-3 specialization, anabolic swelling, build muscle, endurance, European Journal of Applied Physiology, fast-twitch, freak physique, GH, growth hormone, muscle mass, Power, short workouts, shorter workouts, slow-twitch, specialization, stretch-overload workout, type 2a muscle fibers, type 2b, ultimate 10x10 mass workout

6 Ways to Get Bigger Right Now

Q: I just want to get bigger as quickly as possible? I’d settle for looking like your before pictures at the X-Rep site. I’m working out four days a week on a basic routine with mostly compound exercises. Do you have any tips on ways to get bigger right now?

A: It takes time to pack on mass; however, most trainees can do better than they’re doing and double or perhaps triple their progress. Here are 6 ways to get bigger “right now.”

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 20 pounds of muscle, 2a fibers, 6 ways to get bigger, amino acids, anabolic, arnold, beyond x-rep muscle building, bodybuilders, burnout sets, catabolic, density, endurance, European Journal of Applied Physiology, fiber activation, grow while you sleep, growth fiber activation, low-carb protein, mass building, Power, protein, rep temp, slow negatives, Ultimate Mass Workout, Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout, ways to get bigger, X Reps, x-rep partials

Elo-Overload: Mass Machine Gasoline

Q: I’ve been hearing a lot about muscle stretch and how it’s uniquely anabolic. What’s the best way to build mass with this information—a freehand stretching routine?

A: Freehand stretching routines can do okay things for muscle growth. In fact, a recent study showed muscle hypertrophy from ONLY freehand stretching, but it wasn’t extreme…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 20-rep squats, 3d power pyramid, all-stretch workout, anabolic, anabolic acceleration, anabolic receptors, anabolic stretch, build mass, change to gain, elo-overload, ergo-log, European Journal of Applied Physiology, fiber recruitment, freak physique, freak-physique stretch-overload workout, freehand stretching, hypertrophic, mass machine, metabolic, muscle elongation, muscle growth, muscle stretch, platz legs, platz quads, pure-positions stx, quads, slow-twitch, stretch overload, stretching routine, STX, stx method, testosterone, tom platz, Truth About Testosterone

3 Fast Fat-to-Muscle Tips to Get You Ripped

If you’re like us, you’re a little concerned. Spring is just a few weeks away and summer will be here before you can say, “Who stole my abs.” When the heat hits, you don’t want to be the victim of an ab-napping. It’s a lot more fun if you peel off your shirt that first warm day at the beach, pool, or lake and your midsection looks like acid-etched granite.

Of course, there is a downside. You have to put up with all the glares, stares, and the questions, like, “Man, how do I get ripped?” or “What workout are you on?” or “Can I touch your abs?” LOL!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 10x10, 4X, abs, adipose, belly fat burn, burn fat, Canadian Journal of Applied Physiology, cardio, drop sets, European Journal of Applied Physiology, fast fat-to-muscle tips, fat burning, fat-to-muscle, fat-to-muscle tips, fat-to-muscle workout, fiber recruitment, growth hormone, hormone trick, hormones, hypertrophy, interval cardio, microtrauma, muscle fiber recruitment, muscle microtrauma, negative-accentuated, negatives, research, ripped, self-esteem, slow-mo, steady-state cardio, testosterone, TORQ, ultimate fat-to-muscle workout, vascularity

Anabolic Drive and 10X Muscle Mass

Jonathan Lawson squatting - Anabolic Drive and 10X Muscle Mass

Q: The 10×10 method sounds great in a number of ways for building muscle size, but one concern I have is the lack of anabolic hormone stimulation. Aren’t heavy, low-rep sets best for that? Should I combine 10×10 with heavier workouts to get that essential anabolic environment for best gains?

A: While doing a number of heavy-weight, low-rep sets can contribute to anabolic drive and hormone release, it may not be the best or most-efficient route. According to a report from Jerry Brainum, three groups were compared, and all subject performed the squat: [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x muscle mass, 10x10, 10x10 method, 10x10 workout, anabolic drive, anabolic hormones, European Journal of Applied Physiology, hypertrophy, jerry brainum, Power, strength

Rev your Mass Machine with the S-Overload Workout

Jonathan doing sissy squats - Rev your Mass Machine with the S-Overload Workout

Q: I’ve been hearing a lot about muscle stretch and how it is uniquely anabolic. What is the best way to build mass with this information—a freehand stretching routine?

A: While freehand stretching routines can do okay things for muscle growth, a much more effective mass-building route is doing a workout of all stretch-position exercises with weights. 

That way every bodypart will get the anabolic acceleration of [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic, change to gain, European Journal of Applied Physiology, fast-twitch, freak-physique workout, hypertrophic, mass machine, s-overload, s-overload workout, slow-twitch, stretch overload, STX, testosterone, traumatic overload, Truth About Testosterone, type-1 fibers, type-2 fibers

Extreme Muscle Size: Forgotten Hypertrophy Method

Q: At your suggestion, I’ve been including higher-rep sets in many of my workouts. I’m seeing much more size and vascularity. My question is, do sets of around 20 reps work because I’m getting growth in more slow-twitch fibers or are the fast-twitch ones getting larger as well?

A: Yes, both—and as bodybuilders, we want to maximize ALL hypertrophic pathways, even size in the slow-twitch fibers. Higher-rep sets also give you anabolic hormone surges…

According to Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., who conducts studies on muscle hypertrophy,

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic hormones, bodybuilders, Brad Schoenfeld, brazilian study, Colorado Experiment, European Journal of Applied Physiology, fast-twitch, fiber activation, glycogen storage, hormones, hydrogen ions, hypertrophic, hypertrophic pathway, hypertrophy, hypertrophy method, lactic acid, max-muscle expansion, max-muscle x-pansion, men's health, mike mentzer, mitochondrial growth, mmx fast mega-mass workouts, mmx method, muscle failure, muscle ph, muscle size, muscle tissue, power-and-endurance, proteins, sarcoplasmic expansion, size, slow-twitch, strength, type-1 fibers, type-2 fibers, vascularity

New Study: High-rep sets, then heavy builds MORE MUSCLE MASS

Leg extensions

I love TORQ (Tension-Overload Repetition Quantity–30-20-15) high-rep sets. I’ve been using it on the isolated contracted-position exercise to finish off a muscle. Should I ever do it first, on the big midrange exercise?

Yes, and here’s why. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: European Journal of Applied Physiology, heavy sets, high-reps, muscle mass, TORQ

  • 1
  • 2
  • 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

  • Login / My Account

Copyright © 2021 · X-Rep.com