Q: I have a few questions: 1) After the beginner’s guide [Quick-Start Muscle Building] what e-book do I go to next? 2) Is it unusual to “feel” bigger as you go [through the Quick-Start programs]? It’s like an awareness of my muscles that I’ve never had—strange but nice. 3) I’m unclear on what to do if I’m sore and it’s time to work that muscle again—like my chest is still really sore, it’s chest day again, so do I work it or skip?

A: Great questions. We suggest you follow up with the 3D Muscle Building e-book after the beginner’s guide (Quick Start). There is a 10-week program in it that Jonathan used to add a lot of muscle quickly. You can try it as it’s listed, the exact way he used it, or the retooled version with X Reps. If you just started lifting, however, we recommend his first non-X-Rep version in Chapter 1 until you have about six months of training under your belt.

No, it’s not unusual to feel bigger using the Quick Start Guide. The program is designed with that in mind—using force-generation exercises plus the neuromuscular stimulation of slow contracted-position exercises. That provides the perfect growth stimulus for the beginner, as the research studies we discuss in that e-book indicate. Most beginning programs don’t build muscle from the get-go; the Quick Start workouts do, as you’re finding out.

As for soreness, if it’s only mild, you can hit the muscle hard when it’s time. If soreness is more severe, you should train the muscle again, but use lighter poundages and don’t go to exhaustion on your exercises. In other words, make it an easy, pump workout to bathe the muscle in nutrient-rich blood. Keep the reps fairly high (around 12) on each exercise, with the 12th rep being fairly easy. You should strive for full engorgement to facilitate recovery and growth.

NOTE: The Quick-Start Muscle Building Guide is perfect for beginners, obviously, but it’s also ideal if you’ve slacked off and haven’t trained in a while but want to make a serious comeback. It’s a great addition to any muscle-building library, and you can get a copy HERE. The 3D Muscle Building e-book is the POF bible and full of great info that should be mandatory for anyone serious about building muscle. Grab your copy HERE.

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

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

ATTENTION OVER-40 BODYBUILDERS

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