My last workout was Thursday, so I’ve had three full days of recovery (with a few runs in there too). The result: mega pump today. By the end of the workout I looked like I’d added 10 pounds of muscle. Motivating–and I felt great after. So my two-workout week worked well for revitalizing me. Here’s what I did today… [Read more…]
Steve: Full-Body MMX (recover to grow)
Today is Thursday, usually an off-from-the-gym day for me. But with these full-body workouts three times a week for multiple weeks, I’ve been feeling a bit drained. Solution: Recover to grow with a two-workout week–Monday and Thursday. The extra day of rest made a huge difference. The pump was better, I had more energy and I didn’t need a nap after the session. The question is, Should I go back to three workouts next week or keep it at two for one more round?Monday’s workout may tell the tale and dictate the workout sequence. Here’s how today’s full-body blast went… [Read more…]
Jonathan: Legs (50-Rep Squats)
Super-TORQ MMX
There’s one thing even more exhausting than 50-rep squats, and that’s 50-rep stiff-legged deadlifts. I’ve commented before about the comedy of walking up multiple flights of stairs after my leg workouts, but today offered a whole new brand of slow-mo stair climbing. My wife thought I was feeling sick when she saw my walking pace. LOL… [Read more…]
Steve: Full-Body MMX (stretch-holds)
I’ve been trying to use stretch-holds at the end of the last set of every exercise–or X-Rep partials. It really ups the intensity considerably. The recent study by Jacob Wilson, Ph.D.,showed significant increases in muscle size using that method. But today I noticed something: It does take a toll. I was wiped out after today’s workout…
Steve: Full-Body MMX (anabolic drive)
I always wake up on Wednesdays with fear plus excitement. I know I have to hit the gym and attack a grueling 20-rep set of Feet-forward Smith-machine squats right off the bat–at 6:50 a.m. Fear. But it’s also exciting because I know that the hypoxia from that set, as well as from the lower-rep sets after (10, 8), can trigger overall muscle growth–anabolic drive. Good motivation to hit the rest of the workout hard–and grow like never before…
Jonathan: Legs (stair stumbling)
POF MMX
For the most part, I really love having a gym in the basement. The only time I have second thoughts is during the stair stumbling that goes on when I’m done with the workout. Stairs to get up to the kitchen to eat afterwards, and more stairs to get up to my office. At least anyone in the house gets a good comedy show when I’m done… [Read more…]
Steve: Full Body MMX (metabolic uptick)
I made a small change to gain today–and it created a big metabolic uptick. The change: After my high-rep set, I stuck with the same weight for the second two sets. In other words, I added weight for my second set, when stayed at that weight for my third. That gave me a few more reps on every exercise. I was surprised at how doing only 2 to 3 extra reps per exercise all the way through took a serious metabolic toll. In fact, I had to go home and take a nap–not kidding. I was wiped out. Bonus: The pump was bigger too…
Steve: Full Body (stubborn muscle groups)
MMX Pyramid
We all have stubborn muscle groups. One of my toughest is chest–so today, instead of just a stretch move, I used Flyes as the first move in a Pre-Ex superset–at least on sets 2 and 3–doing incline presses immediately after each of those second two sets. Here’s how it went today…