Q: Researchers say that the most important reps of a set are the last ones, which slow down. But when I do a Speed Set [with 1.5-second reps], none of the reps are slow toward the end. I hit a wall and have to terminate the set. Am I doing something wrong? [Read more…]
Speed Sets Pack On Mass (my experiment)
To recap last week’s newsletters, with Speed Sets—1.5-second reps, you’re involving more fast-twitch fibers along with slow-twitch on the early reps…
More than you do with a normal, slower rep speed… [Read more…]
Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 187: Arnold’s Traffic-Stopping Walk
One of Arnold’s past hobbies was to walk the streets shirtless and see how many car accidents he could cause. The truck in the background barely avoided a light pole and a bearded man in a turban on skates playing a guitar. (Yes, it was Venice, California.) [Read more…]
More 20-Rep Sets for Mass?
Q: What do you think about repeating the STX sequence after a rest for for the same exercise? Would two rounds help increase fast-twitch fiber activation even more? [Read more…]
Best Reps for Mass-Building Sets (study)
Q: I’ve always thought that lower reps were for mass. Do I need high reps at all? Don’t they just deplete recovery and inject inefficiency and fatigue into hypertrophy workouts?
A: Just the opposite for most trainees. I say “most” because there are a few fast-twitch-dominant people on one end of the Bell Curve who thrive on low reps. But consider this study (Mitchell, et al. 2012)…
Trainees did three sets of leg extensions to failure three times a week for 10 weeks. And each leg was trained differently…
One leg used 80 percent 1RM (lower reps), while the other was trained with 30 percent 1RM (higher reps)…
Quad growth was excellent but not different between legs. The interesting part was…
It appeared that the heavy-load training grew primarily the fast-twitch fibers, while the light-load training increased type-1, or slow-twitch, fiber size. Remember, there was no difference in hypertrophy response…
No doubt all fiber types grew in both legs; however, heavy leans fast-twitch and lighter leans slow-twitch—because of so many preliminary reps…
Would a mix of high and low reps yield even better results? My guess would be yes…
It’s only one study, so more research is needed; however, it appears to confirm that using a variety of rep ranges can produce hypertrophy in multiple fiber types for more overall mass.
And that’s one of the key reasons I include rep ranges from 20 down to 8 in Old Man, Young Muscle over three to four sets per muscle. It works…
As I mention in OMYM (page 44), respected researcher Jerry Brainum recently said that “It’s now known that type-1 [slow-twitch] fibers are capable of showing a significant level of hypertrophy, more than previously believed.”
So including a higher-rep set or two can provide another layer of mass. And let’s not forget that a high-rep set first can trigger more fast-twitch activation on the sets after due to slow-twitch exhaustion (STX).
Sculpt your perfect physique: Get the ideal exercise for each muscle, the best add-on moves for ultimate mass, complete 35-minute workouts, exercise start/finish photos, and details on building muscle fast and efficiently in 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.
Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
Recommended
Specialize for Massive Size
Specialization training is when you devote your time and attention to building up a particular lagging muscle group or set of muscle groups.
Most guys in the gym use specialization to build bigger “visible” muscles like arms, forearms, or calves, but little do they know that they’re wasting countless sets and reps…
Plus, they initiate no growth hormone response—meaning all their specialized sets are basically worthless!
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Stretch Reflex vs. Stretch-Pause for Mass
We’ve determined that pausing between each rep at the stretch—stretch-pause—is less damaging than standard sets using a controlled “explosion” at the turnaround. [Read more…]
Quick Set Mass Effect
Q: I really blew up when I went to your 20-second rests between sets. Pump was crazy for me. I’m not sure I can reduce it to 10 seconds before my last set. Is that really necessary? I’m not a wuss. I just want 10 extra seconds of rest. LOL [Read more…]
Muscle on a Scarecrow: Ah-ha Mass Moment
I’m a slow-twitch-dominant “scarecrow,” a.k.a, ectomorph. For some reason, though, I’ve never quite understood why I gain more mass with higher reps. Maybe a wizard can help with my brain thing… [Read more…]
Muscle Genes vs. Skinny-Lean Mass Workouts
I was Iron Man magazine’s editor in chief for 27 years, and for 20 of those I worked out with our advertising coordinator Jonathan Lawson, who was about 15 years my junior.
But youth wasn’t the only thing he had over me from a bodybuilding perspective. He was also much more [Read more…]
Easier Sets Build More Mass?
I’ve mentioned that going to failure—grinding until you can’t get another rep—can derail mass gains. Too much of that and you can’t recover by your next workout, which cancels out growth…
The reason is usually said to be muscle damage. Hitting failure on multiple sets creates a lot of trauma, but not just to the target muscle… [Read more…]
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