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The Squeeze Technique for a Massive Physique

Contracted leg extensions

Q: A friend of mine used to compete in bodybuilding contests, and he swears that practicing his posing improved his muscle size and shape. I think it was all in his mind. There’s no resistance when you flex, so it couldn’t build more muscle. I think he believes it did because he just happened to be getting more and more ripped from dieting and training, which made him look better every time he practiced posing. What do you think?

A: Yes, as you get more and more ripped, you’ll definitely look bigger, even as your bodyweight drops. A fat-free physique creates the illusion of mass, as you can see from the photos below of Jonathan from our X-treme Lean e-book. Nevertheless, you’re friend is also right… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x training, blood flow blockage, bodybuilding, fatigue, flexing, look bigger, massive physique, mike westerdal, occlusion, physique, positions of flexion, protect your family, ripped, sarcoplasm, sarcoplasmic expansion, self defense, squeeze technique, x-centric training, x-treme lean

Double Up to Muscle Up

Traditional squats in power rack - Mass Rules: Get Huge With These Moves

Q: In a previous newsletter you talked about using DXO [Double-X Overload from the Beyond X e-book] on stretch-position exercises like flyes. I tried it on squats , and it felt incredible! I backed off on the weight, but my quads were on fire and I really felt them working better than a regular set. Is it good to use DXO on the big midrange exercises like squats and bench presses along with stretch-position exercises?

A: Absolutely. You have to use less weight, and that allows you to do the DXO set in perfect form and really connect with the target muscle—plus get unique muscle-fiber activation for new growth. You could end your squats with a DXO set… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Double-X Overload, dxo, home protection, mike westerdal, muscle building, muscle growth, muscle up, protect your family, self-defense, squats, x-rep partials

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 60: Frank Zane Age 50

Frank Zane, relaxed in studio

Frank Zane, 3-time Mr. Olympia, was never a bigger-is-better bodybuilder. He concentrated on his weak areas to sculpt ripped, aesthetic mass… [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 50 years old, aesthetic, after-40 muscle building, bodybuilding zen, Brad Schoenfeld, frank zane, home protection, mike westerdal, mr. olympia, over 40, over 40 bodybuilders, POF Mass-Move Matrix, protect your family, ripped, self-defense, symmetry

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 57: Sergio Oliva Victory

Sergio Oliva had perhaps the most incredible bodybuilding genetics of all time—tiny waist, broad shoulders, and long muscle bellies in every body part. You can see that in his famous “victory” pose here… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 1967 Mr. Olympia, 1968 Mr. Olympia, 1969 Mr. Olympia, 1970 Mr. Olympia, 1971 Mr. Olympia, 1972 Mr. Olympia, anabolic reload, arnold, bodybuilders, bodybuilding zen, genetics, hypertrophic progression, IFBB, mike westerdal, mr. olympia, protect your family, sergio oliva, victory, victory pose, volume training

3 Workouts a Week to Get Bigger and Stronger

Q: I just want to say that The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout and The X-traordinary X-Rep Workout have the best bodybuilding info I’ve ever read. I’m so stoked, and I’m already noticeably bigger and stonger after only a month. My question is that I’m using the Basic X-Rep Workout as it’s listed [3 different workouts], but I’m working out Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. In the X-Rep Workout e-book you say to train four days a week—M, T, Th, F—doing the Monday workout again on Friday. Is working each bodypart once a week with the 3-way split okay?

A: You answered your own question without even realizing it. If you’re getting bigger and stronger, you’re onto something that works well for you. Stick with it: Workout 1 on Monday, Workout 2 on Wednesday, and Workout 3 on Friday. Simple, with lots of recovery time for muscle growth—and each workout takes less than an hour. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3 days a week, 3-days-a-week pof program, 3-way split, bigger, Dave Goodin, mike westerdal, protect your family, self-defense, steroids, stronger, x-rep workout, x-traordinary x-rep workout

Avoid Adaption with Alternative Exercises

Jonathan Lawson one-arm cable lateral raises - Look Bigger with One Simple Exercise

Q: Alternating arm routines at every workout is working great for me! My guns are looking large and in charge! I’m using [the arm-specialization routines] in the 3D HIT program [as outlined in the X-traordinary Arms e-book], and I notice that on many non-arm exercises you have an alternate listed as well. Like on delts for the stretch-position exercise, you have one-arm cable laterals or incline one-arm laterals. Since alternating arm exercises is working so well, can I alternate all the exercises that have substitutes listed?

A: That was a perfect question to go with the first one—and based on our discussion of adaptation, absolutely. Shake things up! In fact, we do that often for many muscle groups. Doing something a little different can be a killer get-bigger trigger! One of our favorites is what you list—alternating one-arm cable laterals with incline one-arm laterals at every other delt workout. It’s a great way to get some variety into your routine and hit the muscle with a slightly different stimulus—cable vs. dumbbell—in the stretch position. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d hit, 3d muscle building, 3d pof, adaption, alternative exercises, get-bigger trigger, mike westerdal, muscle building, protect your family, real life self defense, self-defense, x-traordinary arms

Progressive Overload Iso-Density for Muscle Immensity

Faildo crossovers ripped

Q: I’ve been using the 4X mass method for over a month with good gains–now noticeable muscle. I just tried it with the “downward-progression” style [adding weight each set so the reps drop—12-10-8-6], and it’s fantastic. I feel a new level of stimulation. You suggested using it on the big midrange exercises, but what about on the stretch and contracted ones? Can I use it on those too, or is that not advised?

A: For the uninitiated, downward-progression 4X (DP 4X) could be called “semi-heavy growth-threshold training.” Here’s the DP 4X drill… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x method, change to gain, density, density training, dp 4x, home protection, hypertrophic tension time, iso-density, mike westerdal, neuromuscular stimulation, progressive overload, protect your family, real life self defense, super-size crash course

The Rest/Pause Link to Major Muscle and Strength

Q: I’ve been following your newsletters and noticed you guys talking about rest/pause not too long ago. Can you explain the technique a little more and the reasoning behind it?

A: Rest/pause is basically taking a very short break after you hit exhaustion on a set, and then repping out again with the same weight. The brief rest/pause allows the lactic acid to clear somewhat from the muscle and the nervous system and ATP to regenerate to a degree as well.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d muscle building, anabolic, anabolic stimulus, dante, dc training, doggcrapp, Double-X Overload, dxo, forced reps, heavy singles, mike mentzer, mike westerdal, muscle, muscle size, muscle strength, physique, protect your family, pyramids, rest/pause, size, strength, X Reps, x-rep partials

Low Reps Plus Short Rests for Mass-Building Success?

Q: I’ve always gotten pretty good size and strength gains from heavy weights and using the six-to-eight-rep range. Could I be more myofibrillar dominant? And, if so, do you think I would benefit more by doing 4X mass training with lower reps, say 4×6, but still with short rests so that my sarcoplasm gets growth benefits as well?

A: Great question! For new readers, the myofibrils are the force-generating actin and myosin strands in the muscle fibers. If you have more of those than usual, you would be considered myofibrillar dominant. A good example of that is Mike Mentzer, who was squatting over 500 pounds at age 16…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x mass training, 4x mass workout, actin, bodybuilders, Charles Poliquin, gains, hardgainers, home protection, hypertrophy, low reps, mass building, mike mentzer, mike westerdal, myofibrillar expansion, myofibrils, myosin, powerlifters, pre-exhaustion, pre-fatigue, protect your family, sarcoplasm, sarcoplasmic expansion, self-defense, short rests, size gains, strength gains

Go Slow to Grow and Burn Fat

Big, vascular, lean arm curling a dumbbell

Q: I got your Quick-Start Muscle-Building Guide because I haven’t lifted in a few years. Fantastic info and it’s already working for me. On some exercises, you suggest lifting in 3 seconds and lower in 3 to help improve nerve force for strength. I’ve seen in many of your emails that you sometimes lift in 1 second and lower in 6. Should I try that? I think you said it helps burn fat, and I would love to see my abs sooner rather than later.

A: Lifting in 1 second and lowering in 6 is what we call X-centric, or Negative-Accentuated, training. It is a great FAT BURNER as well as MUSCLE BUILDER, but you shouldn’t use it just yet (more on why in a moment).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: atp, beginners guide, build muscle, burn fat, carbs, creatine, eccentric, energy fluid, fat burner, fat burning, fat-to-muscle, GH, glycogen, growth hormone release, metabolism, microtears, mike westerdal, mitochondria, muscle builder, muscle fibers, muscle-building, myofibrillar growth, myofibrils, negative-accentuated, negatives, protect your family, quick-start muscle building, sarcoplasm, slow negatives, slow to grow, tension time, time under tension, ultimate fat-to-muscle workout, x-centric

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