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Progressive-Shock Size-Surge Tips

Jonathan Lawson demonstrating midrange, stretch, and contracted positions for biceps

Q: I’m astounded by Jonathan’s Size Surge transformation in only 10 weeks. His arms got huge, and he said his gains really took off during the second phase when he started using Positions of Flexion. I was thinking that I should do POF for arms in phase 1 too. Like for biceps, he has two sets of barbell curls and two sets of concentration curls. Wouldn’t I make better gains if I did two sets of barbell curls followed by one set of incline curls [for stretch] then one set of concentration curls? That’s the same number of sets, but now it’s full-range POF. I could do the same for triceps too.

A: That sounds like a good plan—at least until you realize one reason phase 2 in the Size Surge program works so well is because the muscles get a progressive-shock size effect when you shift to full-range training for the last four weeks. In other words, you force more growth adaptation to happen when you add stretch-position exercises like incline curls for biceps and overhead extensions for triceps at week 7… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: adaption, arm exercises, arm workouts, big arms, crash course, full-range positions of flexion, hormones, jonathan lawson, phase 1, phase 2, progressive-shock, size effects, Size Surge, size surge program, testosterone, testosterone production, testosterone replacement therapy, tips, transformation, trt

Your Get-Big Checklist

Q: I’ve seen Jonathan’s before and after photos and read all the info [at SizeSurgeWorkout.com]. Can you give me more details on why the program works? What makes it different? I think I just need to be convinced that it’s going to work for me.

A: We don’t blame you. If you’re going to invest a full 10 weeks in a program, you want to know the mechanics of how and why it works. The Size Surge program does! It can build loads of muscle if you train hard with it, and there are a number of reasons for that. The primary one is that both phases are dominated by big compound exercises, and the workouts are designed and organized to maximize their size effects. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10-week Size Surge, 20 pounds in 10 weeks, before and after pics, boost testosterone, failure, get big, phase 1, phase 2, phase training, recovery, Size Surge, subfailure, supercompensation

Density Overload: The Trick for More Muscle Growth

Contracted leg extensions

Q: In the Size Surge 2.0 e-book, Phase 1 is all heavy sets. I don’t have any joint problems, but I love moderate-weight 4X training. I’ve gained over 5 pounds of muscle in 6 weeks with it. I don’t want to give it up completely now, but I do want to go on the 10-week Size Surge program. Can I use the same combination approach in Phase 1 that you outline in the new Phase 2 chapters; that is, heavy work on the big exercises and 4X on the more isolated ones?

A: We understand your concern about all-heavy training all the time. Lots of trainees (including us) have suddenly packed on more mass with a dose of moderate-weight, growth-threshold 4X—or even 10×10. That’s because training all-heavy for too long NEGLECTS sarcoplasmic expansion… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x training, density training, full-range positions of flexion, muscle growth, phase 1, phase 2, sarcoplasm, sarcoplasmic expansion, testosterone, testosterone prescription, testosterone therapy, trt

Are Behind-the-Neck Pulldowns Safe?

Jonathan Lawson flexing his back and arms outside

Q: I’m in the first phase of the Size Surge Workout, and it’s incredible! I’ve already gained 4 pounds in three weeks. That’s more than I’ve gained in the past year. I’m super psyched for the next step, so I was looking over phase 2 and noticed behind-the-neck pulldowns. I’ve read those are dangerous. Can I substitute something else?

A: Behind-the-neck pulldowns should be safe for most trainees in the phase 2 Size Surge program because of 3 reasons: [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: behind-the-neck pulldowns, fat burning, fatigue, over-40, phase 1, phase 2, rotator cuffs, size surge workout, testosterone, Truth About Testosterone

Small Bones, Big Arms

Jonathan's arm measurement

Q: I’ve been training like a madman for six months, but my arms haven’t budged. I’m getting stronger, and I do see more veins on my biceps, but my arms are still skinny. A guy at the gym told me it’s because I have small bones. My wrists are under 7 inches around, and he said I can’t expect much size with small wrists. Is that true?

A: Um, in a word, NO. It’s not true. The size of your wrist has nothing to do with where your biceps and triceps attach, how much muscle-fiber density your muscles have, or your ability to pack on muscle mass.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 19-inch arms, anabolic after 40, arm workout, big arms, density, Doug Brignole, energy fluid, fat burning, fat loss, genetics, high-reps, hypertrophic, isometric abs, isometrics, Mr. America, multi-angular training, muscle fibers, muscle mass, phase 1, phase 2, POF, positions of flexion, power-density, power-density mass workout, sarcoplasm, sarcoplasmic expansion, size surge program, small bones, small wrists, Super TORQ, tension time, time under tension, TORQ, vascularity, weight loss, x arms, x-traordinary arms

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…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 20 pounds in 10 weeks, 20 pounds of muscle, 3d muscle building, 3d pof, anabolic hormone reset, anabolic hormones, anabolic primer, before and after photos, fasting, growth hormone, intermittent fasting, max force, metabolic adaptions, occlusion, phase 1, phase 2, progressive mass, shaun hadsall, stretch overload, supercompensation, tension time, testosterone, transformation, transformation photos, Ultimate Mass Workout, x-rep mass-detail workout, x-rep program

20 to 80 Pounds of Muscle

Q: I did the first [5-week phase] of Jonathan’s 20-pounds-of-muscle-in-10-weeks program [from the 3D Muscle Building e-book] and didn’t get much size from it. I gained about 3 pounds and still feel skinny. Should I go ahead and do the second five weeks of different 3D Positions-of-Flexion workouts? Do you think that by hitting all of the positions [in the Phase 2 workouts] that I will make better gains than with the first part?

A: Full speed ahead—continue with Phase 2 (your gains from Phase 1 are actually darned good; more on that in a moment). By shifting to training each muscle in the midrange, stretch and contracted positions, you should get another more sizeable muscular adaptation (growth jolt).

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 20 pounds of muscle, 3d muscle building, 3d pof, 80 pounds of muscle, anabolic primer, beginners, beginners guide, belly fat burn, bodybuilding, fast-twitch, fat burning, fat loss, high glycolytic, high oxidative, hormone trick, jonathan lawson, metabolism, muscle growth, muscular adaption, phase 1, phase 2, physique, POF, positions of flexion, quick-start muscle building, rep range, running, steroids, Steve Holman, supercompensation, weight training

Step Back to Move Your Muscle Mass Forward

Jonathan Lawson muscular - Step Back to Move Your Muscle Mass Forward

Q: I’m super impressed! I’ve been on the Size Surge workout for four weeks, and I’ve gained 7 pounds. My shirts are tighter with no increase in my waist, so it seems to be all muscle. The program calls for a back-off, or low-intensity, week between the two training phases. Is that really necessary, or can I go right into Phase 2? I don’t want to lose any mass. Any time I’ve taken a week off or even reduced my training, I’ve gotten smaller.

A: No, do not go right into Phase 2. The back-off week (#6) between the two phases has a definite purpose. It will allow your nervous system to recharge and your muscles to completely recover so you can push into the next phase with more intensity. And during that downshift week, you should get bigger, not smaller, despite what you thought you experienced in the past. Here is what hypertrophy researcher Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., says about the process… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: arnold, arnold schwarzenegger, arthur jones, bodybuilders, Brad Schoenfeld, clint eastwood, downshift, heavy training, hypertrophy, intensity, larry scott, master trainer, muscle mass, muscle size, phase 1, phase 2, positions of flexion, recharge, recovery, Size Surge, size surge workout, step back, vince gironda

2 Workouts a Week for a Massive Physique

Jonathan Lawson barbell curls - 2 Workouts a Week for a Massive Physique

Q: The Size Surge program is very motivating, and I want to start. I’m very skinny. My problem is that I can only make it to the gym two days a week. Can I make any progress doing that? Can you suggest how to alter the program for two workouts a week instead of three?

A: Yes, you can make progress on 2 workouts a week. In fact, our colleague, Stuart McRobert, who is a hardgainer expert, often suggests that high-strung “skinny” types (ectomorphs) train ONLY two days a week for best results. More than that, he says, can deplete too much recovery ability and slow or halt muscle gains. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10-week Size Surge, 2 workouts a week, complete recovery, downshift week, ectomorphs, failure, hardgainers, massive physique, muscle gains, muscular failure, phase 1, phase 2, physique, recovery, recovery ability, Size Surge, size surge workout, stuart mcrobert, two workouts a week

Muscle-Building Mistake You Can’t Afford to Make

Dumbbell flyes, stretch position - Muscle-Building Mistake You Can't Afford to Make

Q: A lot of bodybuilders go all power in the off-season. They push for more strength so size will follow. I’m thinking about using the Phase 1 program in Size Surge for that purpose—mostly big exercises with heavy weights training three days a week so I get plenty of recover-and-grow time. Would that program be okay to use for the entire 10 weeks instead of moving to Phase 2?

A: You’re right, even Arnold used to do a two-to-three-month power phase in the winter—but it wasn’t heavy low reps on every exercise, as we’ll explain. That’s the problem with the way most trainees do it: They go heavy on ALL exercises all the time for too long and neglect critical sarcoplasmic size, which can be a big muscle-building mistake… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, 4x mass method, actin, arnold, arnold schwarzenegger, atp, bulking, cardio, creatine, Doug Brignole, force-generation, glycogen, hiit, mitochondria, Mr. America, muscle fibers, muscle size, muscle-building, muscle-building mistake, myofibrillar expansion, myofibrillar growth, myofibrillar size, myofibrils, myosin, off-season, phase 1, phase 2, Power, sarcoplasm, size, Size Surge, sterngth, testosterone, winter workout

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