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Major Muscle Expansion

Q: Your e-zines on fascia stretching are very interesting. I’ve been using your suggestion of supersetting a contracted exercise with a stretch exercise. It feels awesome, and I’m already seeing more muscle expansion, like on my inner chest. My question is, Why should I do actual full reps on the stretch move? Why not just hold in the stretch position so it’s a constant stretch on the pumped muscle?

A: We get excited and proud when bodybuilders take an idea and run with it. Congratulations. That’s an excellent variation that could make the fascia-expansion supersets even more effective—a Static X on the stretch exercise.

For the uninitiated, our fascia-expansion technique is engorging the target muscle with a contracted-position exercise, like leg extensions—blood pours into the muscle immediately after due to occlusion—then you quickly move to a stretch exercise, like sissy squats, to elongate the pumped muscles. That helps push out and stretch the fascia, the fibrous tissue that encases the muscle. It’s believed that a tight fascia restricts muscle growth, so loosening it can allow faster unbridled size gains.

We like your idea of a stretch hold, or Static X, but if you’re doing two supersets as we recommend, you may want to do the stretch holds on only the second round. That’s because you still want to get some of the force-generating benefits—fast-twitch activation—on the first set of the stretch move, which you best achieve with movement.

With that slight tweak, here’s how your 3D Positions-of-Flexion triceps routine might look:

Midrange: Lying extensions, 2 x 9-12

Fascia-Expansion Superset 1
Contracted: Pushdowns, 1 x 9-12
Stretch: Overhead extensions, 1 x 9-12

Fascia-Expansion Superset 2
Contracted: Pushdowns, 1 x 9-12
Stretch: Overhead extensions (Static X set), 1 x 30 seconds to 1 minute

Jonathan Lawson, triceps pushdowns and overhead DB extensions - Major Muscle Expansion

There are a number of ways to vary that. For example, as we’ve mentioned, you can do a drop set on the contracted-position exercise, pushdowns in this case. That can give you an even bigger pump before you move to the stretch-position exercise. The bigger the pump, the more the fascia is stretched when you elongate the muscle during the second exercise. Either way, by the second round your triceps will be full and look like two overfilled water balloons on the backs of your arms. As you mentioned, it does feel awesome.

Once again, good thinking—and keep experimenting to keep growing. [Note: For the 3D POF exercises for every bodypart, see the e-book 3D Muscle Building, and for more on the latest stretch-overload research, see the Freak-Physique Stretch-Overload Workout.]

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

Boost Testosterone…
With Cardio?!

If you want to build muscle (of course you do!) and ramp up your testosterone levels while burning a ton of fat at the same time, you need to try this workout if you haven’t already…

–> Use this cutting-edge cardio trick to boost testosterone and muscle growth
Note: This is NOT traditional HIIT or boring steady-state cardio

Intensity for Muscle Immensity?

Q: I’ve been reading your e-zine for years, and I have almost all of your e-books. Great info, and thanks to you I have a lot of new muscle. 3D POF is great! My question is about rep ranges. You’ve talked about using lower reps, medium reps, and higher reps. I’ve read that the key to muscle growth is intensity, and that rep ranges don’t really matter. Can’t I just keep doing about eight to 10 reps, the best range for muscle growth, on all my exercises and train intensely, to failure, to make the best gains? Do I really need different rep ranges?

A: While intensity is the big key to forcing muscle growth, there is no doubt that the predominant fiber type in a particular muscle dictates its best rep range for fastest size gains.

[Read more…]

The Simple Mass-Building Solution

Q: I’ve read a little on your Point-of-Flexion training, and it seems complicated. I was thinking about getting the 3D Muscle Building e-book, but I’m not sure I’ll understand it. I guess I really want to know two things: if it works and if I will “get it” once I read the e-book.

A: It’s actually “Positions” of Flexion, but “Point” of Flexion works too—same meaning. POF is far from complicated; in fact, it streamlines mass-building bodypart routines. POF gets to the “point”—you don’t waste time or effort so you have more recovery ability for maximum growth.

[Read more…]

Progressive Mass

Q: I’ve read almost everything at your site [X-Rep.com], and I’m ready to get started. I’m 17 years old, 5’11” and 175 pounds. I’ve been training for two years. My question is, Which program should I start with? Should I do Jonathan’s 20-pounds-of-muscle-in-10-weeks program [3D Muscle Building e-book] or go straight to your X-Rep Mass-Detail Workout [in the Ultimate Mass Workout e-book]? Your X-Rep program gave you freaky results fast, so I’m thinking I should go with that one.

A: Either would work well for you at this point. At 17, you are in your prime growing years. And you already have some experience. So if you continue to train hard and sensibly, you should build stellar progressive mass with whichever routine you choose.

[Read more…]

Should You Skip Triceps Work?

Q: I was reading that because most bodybuilders do a lot of pressing, they shouldn’t do much direct triceps work. I do bench presses and incline presses for chest and overhead presses for shoulders, so isn’t that enough work for my triceps? I’m drug-free, so I don’t want to overtrain them.

A: Two things to consider:

1) MRI studies show that bench presses and overhead presses do hit the triceps, but mostly the medial and lateral heads; in other words, the bulkiest section of the triceps, the big long head, is almost totally neglected. [Read more…]

Ignite a Fat-to-Muscle Reshuffle

Q: I got your three fat-loss e-books [Triple-Shred Offer], and I’ve read them all. Great information, and I’m soooo ready to start. I like the X-treme Lean High-Definition Workout, but I’d want to incorporate a negative-accentuated set for each muscle [as you discuss and include in The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout]. Where should I put the NA set in the X-treme Lean Workout? I want to be ripped this summer while I still have time!

A: Excellent question, and we’re glad you’re tailoring the workouts to your needs—to rip up faster. You’re right. Using a negative-accentuated set for each bodypart should make the X-treme Lean High-Def Workout even better, just don’t get carried away (of course, you’ll also need to stick to the diets and eating info in that e-book as well)… [Read more…]

Pec Contraction Without Machines or Cables

Q: You have cable crossovers, cable flyes, or pec deck flyes listed as contracted-position exercises for chest in 3D Muscle Building. I train in a home gym without a cable set up. What should I do for pec contraction?

A: Contracted-position exercises are usually isolation exercises that keep the target muscle under tension throughout the set. In other words, there is no bone-support at lockout so the target muscle gets no rest till the end of the set… [Read more…]

X-hybrid Techniques: DXO vs. 1 1/4s

Q: I have your e-book with all the X-hybrid techniques [Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building]. I’m having some excellent workouts integrating one or two every time I train. My question is about Double-X Overload. As you describe it, I do a quarter rep down near the stretch position between each full rep, but I’ve also read you guys say you’ve used 1 1/4s. What’s the difference? Isn’t DXO the same as 1 1/4s?

A: The simple answer is that Double-X Overload (DXO) stresses the STRETCH or semi-stretch point—when the muscle is elongated. For example, at the BOTTOM of a press or flye. [Read more…]

New Size On Your Tri’s: The Big Finish

Q: In Positions-of-Flexion mass training, how do you identify dips and bench dips for triceps? Are they midrange, stretch, or contracted?

A: While both parallel-bar dips and bench dips have synergy, or muscle teamwork, which is generally a midrange quality, we classify both types of dip as contracted-position exercises. In other words, we like either as a BIG finisher to put more size on your tri’s… [Read more…]

Build 3D Arms

Q: I’ve been on the basic Positions-of Flexion biceps and triceps routines you outline in 3D Muscle Building. I’m getting spectacular pumps, and I think my arms have grown already. I’m ready to go to all the POF routines in 3D for all my bodyparts. My question is on biceps. I don’t really feel concentration curls. Is there another ending [contracted-position] exercise I can do instead to help build 3D arms?

A: For the uninitiated, Positions of Flexion is training each bodypart through its full range. For example, for biceps, it’s barbell curls (midrange), incline curls (stretch), and concentration curls (contracted). [Read more…]