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Pain for Mass Gain?

Steve doing dumbbell curls

It’s an old joke…

Patient: Doc, it hurts when I do this.

Doctor: Then don’t do that.

That should be posted in every gym. Unfortunately, people think that it’s a good thing to power through pain… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: injuries, joint pain, muscle burn, pain to gain, shoulder injury, shoulder pain

Ultimate Trick to Get You Big and Ripped

Bench pressing in gym

Q: Many years ago, I tried negative-only sets on most of my exercises. My partners lifted the heavy weight for me, and I lowered it slowly, six seconds on each of six reps. I got some decent strength gains but not much mass at all. That’s what gives me reservations about your negative-accentuated [or X-centric] technique. Will it build muscle for me even though pure negatives didn’t?

A: The heavy, pure-negative sets that you tried are great for building neuromuscular efficiency—the nerve connections that improve strength. You also get some muscle trauma; however, you lose muscular tension between each rep when your partners lift the weight for you… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic hormones, big and ripped, constant tension, fat burning, GH, hypertrophy, mass building, muscle building, muscle burn, negative-accentuated, negative-only training, neuromuscular efficiency, pure negatives, tension time, testosterone, x-centric training

Muscle-Growth-Threshold Training for Fat Loss

Q: I know you suggest one second to lift and three seconds to lower. Do you ever use a slower lifting cadence, like lifting in three or four seconds instead of only one? Wouldn’t that produce more tension time for unique muscle-growth stimulation?

A: Yes, it can be a great variation for more mass creation as well as a fat-burning catalyst. But the big reason to slow down on the lifting stroke is for more strength. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: fat burner, fat loss, frank rich, GH, growth hormone, growth threshold, lactic acid, muscle burn, muscle-building, quick start, quick-start muscle building, rep cadence, strength, vascular arms, vascularity, veiny arms

Are X Reps More Power or Density?

Q: I totally get the idea of Power-Density for more muscle size, and I notice that some of the top bodybuilders use that type of mix. I’m not sure how X Reps fit in, though. Is a set with X Reps more power or density? And why are they so great? Aren’t they just a few short-range movements at the end of a set?

A: Considering the studies that show the biggest bodybuilders’ muscles are jam-packed with type 2A fibers, the ones with both power and endurance (density) capabilities, all bodybuilders should be using both types of sets (and X Reps can help, as you’ll see). [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 2a fibers, arnold, endurance, fat burning, fiber activation, hormone trick, Jim Caruso, muscle burn, power and density, tension time, testosterone, X Reps

Your 3-Week Mass Blast—Big Bursts of Muscle Mass Fast

Q: Being drug-free, I was very interested in The 4X Mass Workout. Considering the colleague you mention in that e-book who has trained with a lot of pros while he was using drugs and that he also trained drug-free, his advice is priceless. For drug-free guys, he says he likes 3 weeks of high-intensity-style power training alternated with 3 weeks of lower-intensity, slightly higher-volume workouts. What do you think about this for a big mass blast: 3 weeks of total-10×10 training, followed by 3 weeks of total-4X workouts, followed by 3 weeks of the 3D Power Pyramid [a straight-set lower-rep Positions-of-Flexion workout listed in The Freak Physique e-book]?

A: That looks like a great mass-building, progress-yielding progression. You shift gears every 3 weeks for plenty of muscle-stimulation tweaks… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x10, 2a fibers, 3d pof, 3d power pyramid, 4X, drug-free, fast mass, fat burning, freak physique, high volume, high-intensity training, hormones, mass blast, mass building, multi-angular training, muscle burn, muscle mass, muscle-building, over-40, power and density, prepare to grow, pure density, tension time, Truth About Testosterone

Top 5 Fat-Loss Blast-Off Tips

Jonathan Lawson Abs and Delts - Key Muscle-Size Exercise for Shocking Shoulders

It’s not easy getting lean—at least for most people—which is why fast fat loss is always a hot topic. Most of you reading this probably want to uncover your abs sooner rather than later…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: alcohol, beers, biotrust, blood sugar, calorie reduction, calories, cardio, cocktails, diet, fat burning, fat cells, fat loss, fat-loss tips, fat-to-muscle workout, free protein, GH, growth hormone, lean, low-carb protein, metabolism, muscle burn, negative-accentuated, nutritoin, occlusion, physique, post-workout, ripped, slow negatives, sugar, top 5 fat loss, weight loss, x-traordinary abs, x-treme lean, zig-zagging calories

The I-Hate-Squats Workout

Jonathan Lawson squatting - The Dumbest Thing You can do if you want Extreme Muscle Mass

Q: I’m so frustrated. I constantly hear and read bodybuilders saying that you have to do free-bar squats to get big. You even put squats as the Ultimate Exercise for quads in your Ultimate Mass Workout e-book. It’s supposedly the best quad exercise and also stimulates overall mass gains. But I always get hurt when I squat heavy. My lower back craters, and I’m tired of it. Can’t I just use leg presses instead?

A: Some trainees simply aren’t built for free-bar squats. Because of leverage factors—usually long legs, the upper body pitches forward, which can put the lower back at risk. Heavy weights also compress the vertebrae. (Is it really beneficial to have 500 pounds sitting on your shoulders pushing down on your spine? Hmm.)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: boost testosterone, free-bar squats, hack squats, I-hate-squats workout, lean mass, leg exercises, leg presses, leg workout, legs, lower back, mass gains, muscle burn, negative-accentuated, negative-accentuated squats, quads, smith machine squats, squats, testosterone, ultimate exercise for quads, Ultimate Mass Workout, X Reps, x-rep partials

Rest/Pause or Drop Sets: Which is Better?

Q: What’s better, rest/pause or drop sets, and what’s the difference? I mean, I know what they are; you rest about 10 seconds between rest/pause sets using the same weight, but with drop sets you move immediately to a lighter set with no rest. But is one better than the other?

A: We’ve found that rest/pause is best for exercises that use max force as their key growth component (midrange and stretch movements). It’s a great way to add a little more volume and force overload without too much extra time in the gym. The short rest of 10-15 seconds allows ATP and nerve pathways to regenerate somewhat so you can continue the force-overload assault.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: drop sets, mitochondria, muscle burn, rest/pause, rest/pause and drop sets, rest/pause or drop sets, tension overload, X Reps, x update, x-rep update, x/pause

Top 3 In-the-Gym Fat-Burning Tricks

Q: What can I do during my workouts to get leaner right now? I have some pounds to lose, especially around my middle. My goal this year is to see abs all summer, so I want to get rid of the fat fast.

A: You may be doing some of these things already, but here are our top-3 tips to ramp up fat burning in your weight-training workouts (of course, you also have to adjust your eating to make these tricks super-effective):

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x mass building, abs, afterburn, anabolic, anabolic fasting, bodyfat, brad pilon, cardio, eat stop eat, fat burning, fat loss, fat-burning tricks, fiber activation, fiber stress, get lean, growth hormone, intermittent fasting, lactic acid, metabolism, micro tears, microtears, microtrauma, mitochondria, muscle burn, muscle pump, occlusion, positions of flexion, testosterone, triple-shredded combo, ultimate fat-to-muscle workout, weight loss, x-centric, x-treme lean

Ripped Abs: Your First 3 Steps

Q: I’m sick of being soft and blubbery. I really want to see my abs, but I’m not sure where to start. Do I just start working out harder and wait for them to appear? Please help.

A: When we get “soft and blubbery,” usually over the winter (Steve’s pic at left below), our first step to getting ripped abs for the warmer weather is to stop eating crap…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, 4x mass method, abs, alcohol, belly fat burn, build muscle, burn fat, calories, cardio, catabolism, cheat day, diet, fat burner, fat burning, GH, growth hormone release, metabolism, muscle builder, muscle burn, muscle-building, protein, ripped abs, spring body, summer body, victory day, winter body, x-treme lean

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