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Body Type and Mass Gains

Steve at age 15 compared to age 62

My friend and colleague Doug “Mr. Universe” Brignole recently said something that had me rewinding to years ago when I reported on a study that verified his point… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: ace-2, ace-dd, body types, colakoglu, density training, ectomorph, European Journal of Applied Physiology, hardgainers, heavy sets, high reps, mass gains, mesomorph

Solving the Big-Muscle Puzzle

Jonathan Lawson doing dumbell shrugs

Q: Thank you for clearing up the muscle-growth mystery for me. I always believed in going heavier and heavier to get bigger. Now I know that’s only a small part of the puzzle. Working in the 4X method, X Reps, drop sets, and even some of your high-rep TORQ sets has already gotten me bigger in just a few weeks. My question is, Do you think some people get a better size response from power training and others get more size from density [endurance] work?

A: Absolutely. As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, the BIGGEST powerlifters don’t train for sarcoplasmic (endurance fluid) expansion yet have good muscle size. That’s because they were big dudes in the first place, which may signify more myofibril-building capacity. That would explain their extraordinary strength. The myofibrils are the actin-myosin strands inside the muscle fiber that generate force, but for most trainees that’s not the key to ULTIMATE SIZE… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x10, 4x method, actin, bad gas, biotrust probiotic, drop sets, ectomorphs, fat burning, force generation, free probiotics, free supplements, glycogen, hardgainers, heavy sets, mass building, mitochondria, muscle building, muscle fullness, muscle growth, myofibrillar growth, myosin, powerlifters, pro-x10, sarcoplasmic expansion, tension overload, tension time, TORQ, X Reps, x-centric, x-hybrid techniques

Mix Muscle Hits to Get Big and Ripped

Q: Thanks for the X-centric Mass Workout! Mixing heavy work, negative-accentuated sets, and 4X has given me the best gains of my life. My bodyweight increased over 5 pounds, but my abs are sharper with veins in the lower part. I’m stoked, and the ladies seem to like it too. LOL! My question is about NA sets vs. negatives at the end of regular sets. After two heavy sets, you say to reduce the weight on the last set for an NA set on the big exercise [like bench presses]. Couldn’t I just keep the weight heavy and add four to six negatives at the end of that last set? I feel like I need another heavy set. I have a partner, so he could lift and I could lower on the negatives. I think Mike Mentzer recommended this style.

A: In his prime, Mentzer actually recommended a 3-phase set to get big and ripped…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, abs, big and ripped, biotrust, direct/indirect, drug-free, fat burning, forced reps, free protein, gains, get big, get ripped, heavy sets, ladies, low-carb protein, metabolic drive, metabolism, mike mentzer, myofibrillar growth, negative reps, negative-accentuated, negative-only training, overtraining, positive failure, sarcoplasmic growth, steroids, tension time, veins, x-centric mass workout

The Semi-Heavy Size Jolt (joint-saving power hit)

Q: I got your Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0, and I really like the 3-way split of the Basic Workout. I also like doing only one or two exercises for each muscle with a power hit and a density hit at the same workout. My question is, I’m 48 years old and not sure I can handle pyramiding down to 5 reps on big exercises, so should I just do regular 8-rep sets to failure? These days my joints don’t like anything below 8 on most exercises.

A: That’s a good solution. For example, on chest-supported dumbbell rows for mid-back, your set sequence would be…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3x, basic workout, biotrust, density, Doug Brignole, downward-progression 4x, dp 4x, failure, free protein, heavy sets, joints, low-carb protein, Mr. America, muscle fatigue, power hit, power-density, power-density mass workout, progressive-speed 4x, pyramids, size jolt, Super TORQ, super-size crash course, TORQ

Ultimate Muscle Size: Slow-twitch first—Fast-twitch burst

Q: Doing one high-rep set first before heavy sets is your MMX method for more fast-twitch fiber activation and growth. Isn’t that first high-rep set just a glorified warmup set?

A more accurate word is “focused” or “targeted.” Why? Because you get the benefits of multiple lighter warmup sets with that one slow-twitch-exhaustion (STX) set, using 20-plus reps to failure… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic, fast-twitch, heavy duty, heavy sets, high-reps, jerry brainum, john balik, lactic acid, mike mentzer, mmx method, STX

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

Jonathan doing 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

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