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Easier Sets Build More Mass?

Christian Thieaudeau doing rope hammer curls

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…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Christian Thibaudeau, easier training, failure, fast-twitch, mass building, mass gains, slow-twitch, subfailure

Slightly Overtrain, Smother Mass Gains?

Casey Viator spotting Mike Mentzer on cable laterals

While Arthur Jones, inventor of Nautilus machines, wasn’t always right, and he’d call you a fool if you said he was wrong, his ideas on limited recovery ability are on the money. Here’s a quote from his 1971 Nautilus Bulletin #2: [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: arthur jones, Chris Beardsley, mass gains, mike mentzer, nautilus bulletin #2, overtraining

Question to Ask for More Mass

Mike Mentzer flexing with arms out on the beach

Muscle growth can be slow. In fact, it usually moves at a snail’s pace. Ten pounds in a year is considered spectacular progress.

That’s less than one pound a month. But could it be—should it be—faster? [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: heavy duty, mass building, mass gains, mike mentzer, muscle gains, muscle growth

Twig to Big—Putting Muscle Mass on a Flagpole

Steve Holman at 15 and after POF at 200 lbs

Q: The after photo of you when you used X-Reps [in your early 40s] is impressive. You look massive. Hard to believe you’re a hardgainer ecto type. Do you really think you’re a true ectomorph? From that photo, I’d say no. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: before and after, ectomorph, gains, mass gains, mesomorph, muscle gains, twig to big

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

“Speed” Your Mass Gains

Jonathan doing Speed Reps on cable curls

Q: I haven’t seen you mention Speed Sets in the newsletter. Are you still using them? You have them in Old Man, Young Muscle.

A: In the spirit of change to gain, absolutely. I generally do speed reps on the last set for a body part…

While studies show that the best rep tempo for building mass quickly is lift in one to two seconds, lower in three, using a different cadence can produce unique size effects… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Brad Schoenfeld, change to gain, Charles Poliquin, hypertrophy, mass gains, rep tempo, sarcomeres, size effects, speed reps

A Big Thing Holding Back Your Mass Gains

Steve spotting Jonathan for forced reps

We love our workouts—or at least we have a love/hate relationship with them…

We like to train, but the pain to gain—torching and scorching muscles—is a teeth-clenching necessity for hypertrophy. It hurts… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: hypertrophy, joint pain, mass gains, pain to gain

Mass Gains: I’m Not Insane

I was talking with my daughter and future son-in-law the other day. The subject moved to weight training quickly, as it usually does…

They both have been working out for a few years. He’s after bigger muscles, she’s after a shapely physique, muscle included. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: back exercises, back workout, ideal back exercises, mass gains

2 Mistakes Blocking Your Mass Gains

Steve deadlifting

I bring up the word “efficiency” a lot. That’s because time is precious, especially when you get old. I try not to waste it because, well, you never know when…let’s not go there…

Unfortunately, I feel as if I’ve squandered a lot of time in the gym over the years. Why? Primarily because I never quite wrapped my head around what each muscle does and how best to train them for growth… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: biomechanics, efficiency of effort, mass gains, muscle-building mistake

X-celerate Your Mass Gains With X-Reps

Tom Platz doing freehand sissy squats

In a previous newsletter I mentioned range of motion and how a target muscle is strongest near its stretch point and weakest at full contraction… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: extended tension time, mass gains, muscle fiber activation, tom platz, X Reps

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