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One of Arnold’s favorite mass-building methods was antagonist-muscle supersets—chest/
Alternating two opposing muscle groups can do good things for anabolic drive, muscle stimulation, and even fat-burning metabolism. The problem is, it’s hard to superset in a crowded gym.
[Read more…]We’ve discussed our “iFast” method for simultaneous hypertrophy and fat loss (yes, it is possible)…
It’s basically a 12-hour protocol done only two non-consecutive days during the week…
We were apprehensive at first, but it works. Here are Steve’s results—and he’s in his 50s… [Read more…]
Q: I don’t always have time to go to the gym three times a week. That means I can’t always get in three full-body workouts, which I’ve heard is the best for muscle mass. Should I just do two full-body workouts with the big, basics, like squats, bench, etc. on weeks I can’t make it three times? Do you guys have an ebook with a 2-times-a-week program like that? I want to look like a bodybuilder, but time is hard to come by for me right now.
A: Three full-body workouts a week is the old-school standard for mass, but hitting each muscle only twice a week may be even better for many bodybuilders. According to Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., one of the elite hypertrophy researchers… [Read more…]
Q: I wanted to report on my progress. I’m 53 and am making the best muscle gains of my life using something you haven’t really discussed. I get bored easily, so what I do is one week I use the Over-40 STX workout [Anabolic Reload e-book] and the next week I go to the Pure-Positions STX program [Stretch Overload e-book]. I think it’s working so well because every week I am getting all three of the hypertrophy requirements but with different splits and exercise mixes. I swear my shirts are already tighter after only three weeks. Just want to thank you guys for my new gains!
A: Hmm, very interesting—and a novel approach. We usually suggest doing one of those programs for four to six weeks, then switch to the other for another four-to-six-week mass phase.
But who are we to argue? Sounds like alternating them is working off the charts for you in the over-40 muscle mass department. Exciting stuff! Now… [Read more…]
Q: I tried Arnold’s method of using a high-rep set to end my major exercises, like bench presses, (Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout e-book, Chapter 1). But I’m just too fatigued to feel the target muscle on that last set. After reading about Doug Brignole’s 50-40-30-20-10 method in Chapter 4, I was thinking about using that on an isolation exercise to feel the target muscle better, like crossovers for chest after bench. Is that a good idea?
A: It could be, but you left a lot of variables out. For example, how experienced are you? That amount of work may be too much. How many days per week are you training each muscle? If it’s once, that amount of volume may work well, if it’s twice, maybe not.
Let’s assume your an intermediate bodybuilder using full-range Positions of Flexion (as explained in Chapter 2). If you pyramid on the big midrange exercise (bench), adding weight over three to four sets, then you do a stretch move for two heavier stretch-overload sets, you’re left with the isolated contracted move—cable crossovers, as you mentioned—or lying cable flyes, pictured below. Should you use Mr. America’s Super-TORQ method (50-40-30-20-10 + drops)?
That would most likely be severe overkill. Remember Brignole is a Mr. America winner, and he only uses it on ONE exercise per muscle—and that’s all he does for that bodypart at that workout. A better idea is to use a streamlined version, our TORQ method (tension-overload repetition quantity)…
We touched on TORQ in the Power-Density e-book Q&A chapter (page 51), but
Why does high-rep, continuous-tension isolation work pack on new muscle tissue so quickly? Here’s what Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., respected hypertrophy researcher said:
Research supports that lifting with continuous tension can provide a potent stimulus for muscular hypertrophy, even when relatively light weights are used (Tanimoto, et al., 2008). The true benefit probably has to do with an acute restriction of circulation to the working muscles…. Repetitive muscular contractions cause a compression of blood vessels, impeding both inflow and outflow during exercise and creating a hypoxic intramuscular environment. There’s evidence that the hypoxic effect mediates a hypertrophic response, conceivably by the buildup of metabolites and reduction in pH levels associated with such training.
To put it in simpler terms: Continuous-tension TORQ makes the post-set pump insane—which triggers major mass gains.
Note: In the Super-Size Crash Course e-book the Phase 1 program has you use a heavy Power workout at one session for each target muscle (pyramid and lower-rep sets); then at the next workout for you do a lighter Density workout–using the 4X mass method and ending with TORQ. The Phase 2 workouts are a mix of Power & Density, using Downward-Progression 4X, Progressive-Speed 4X, and a high-rep finisher exercise. Add this best-selling e-book to your mass-building library for ONLY $10 ($24 value). More info HERE.
The Ultimate Power/Density Mass Workout e-book that includes Basic P/D Mass Workout (pyramid + 4X), Positions-of-Flexion P/D Mass Workout (full-range muscle attacks with POF—midrange, stretch, contracted), and Mr. America Doug Brignole’s Super-TORQ method and program is still ONLY $9 ($24 value) HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
One of the most interesting read-me pages on Testosterone and other muscle-building hormones we’ve seen is The Truth About Testosterone.
It even talks about a fruit, a specific part, that can up your T naturally. Cranking up your testosterone will not only get you jacked in the gym, but in the bedroom too—not to mention help rip up your midsection as it ignites fat burning. If that interests you, there’s more from our colleague and registered dietician, HERE.
