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Steve: Chest, Back, Abs + Arms/Calves

(Pre-Ex 3X, Stretch Overload)

I experimented with a modified pre-exhaustion method on Friday–high-rep isolation exercise, rest 30 seconds, then do a heavier (10 reps) compound move. It worked so well, I’m keeping it going this week. It’s basically a form of the slow-twitch-fatigue method used in the Brazilian study we discuss and incorporate into the programs in the new MMX e-book. Here’s my modified pre-ex attack for chest and back…

Chest: Machine flyes (3×22,16,12) rest 30 sec. ss with Elbows-flared machine dips (3×10,8,7); Low-incline flyes (2×12,9); Flat flyes (1×9 + StatX)
Back: Bent-arm bent-over laterals (20,15,12) rest 30 sec. ss Machine rows (3×10,8,7); Stiff-arm pulldowns (2×20,15) rest 30 sec. ss Pulldowns (2×11,9); Lateral-shrugs (22,16) rest 30 sec. ss DB upright rows (2×11,9 + X Reps)
Arms: DB pullovers (2×11,9) ss Seated DB curls (2×11,9); Lying DB extensions (1×9) ss Seated hammer curls (1×10)
Abs: Planks (1x60sec., 1x45sec.) ss Low-incline kneeups (2×9,6)
Calves: Machine leg press calf raises (1×20 R/P 15 R/P 9 R/P 7 + StatX)
Note: My current program is based on methods in the new e-book MMX Fast Mega-Mass Workouts–the Max-Muscle X-pansion System.

Summary: I’m really sold on this Pre-Ex method–high-rep iso, rest 30 seconds, heavy compound. The feel is unreal, at least for now (it’s new). The only problem is that for some muscles you have to use two pieces of equipment. For example, for chest today I did Machine flyes for high reps, then I had to walk over to the dip machine as I rested for 30 seconds and hit a heavy set there after the rest. I left my towel on the flye machine so no one would steal it. Thievery isn’t a problem with lats–Stiff-arm pulldowns/Pulldowns–or traps–Lateral-shrugs/DB upright rows. It’s a great method for zeroing in on each muscle–modified pre-ex is definitely a targeted attack to get jacked.
Diet, Supplements & Nutrient Timing: For meal-by-meal diets plus training and nutrition info, see the X-treme Lean e-book.

New Growth for Slacker Muscles

Q: No matter what exercise I use, I can’t feel my lats working. I’ve tried drop sets, but I get nothing from those. Any suggestions on how to get new growth for slacker muscles? I feel lat-less. 

A: You’re not alone. Most trainees have difficulty feeling the back working. The arms tend to take over because the nerve-to-muscle connections to the lats are underdeveloped. But there is a great way to get in touch and grow the slacker muscles in your back… [Read more…]

Get-Wide Back Attack

Q: I have almost all of your e-books. I can’t begin to tell you how much muscle they’ve helped me build. I’d be lost without them, and I reread them often. My question is about back width, which is one of my weak points. In The Ultimate Mass Workout [the original X-Rep manual] you say that parallel-grip chins is the Ultimate Exercise for lats. But in many of your programs, like the POF-X workout in the X-Rep Update #1 e-book, you have wide-grip pulldowns as the big midrange move for lats. But what about chins? I’ve read that wide-grip chinups are the best lat exercises. Can you clarify, please?

A: For most trainees, parallel-grip chins will put the biceps in an advantageous position to maximize pulling power, but not so good as to make the biceps the prime mover. That’s why we say it’s the Ultimate Exercise for lats—if you’re only going to do one exercise for lats, that’s at the top of the list. [Read more…]

Fast 3D Muscle Mass: Efficiency-of-Effort Back Attack

Q: I don’t have a lot of time to train, which is why I look to you for info. All of your techniques and workouts revolve around efficiency, which is great. I can’t afford to waste time. My question is about back training. When I do a 3D POF lat routine, doesn’t my midback get plenty of work too? And isn’t the opposite true as well: When I train midback, don’t my lats get enough stimulation? I just don’t want to do extra work that’s not necessary. Every minute I’m in the gym must count.

A: We hear you. We squeeze our training into a limited schedule, so our primary concern is efficiency-of-effort muscle building. That’s why we try a lot of things and discard what doesn’t work, constantly refining our workouts. [Read more…]