Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation
In Chapter 9 of Old Man, Young Muscle, you’ll find the Stretch-First POF Workout…
It’s a great variation from using the ideal exercise first, as you start with the important full-stretch range with high reps—for example, dumbbell flyes first for 20 reps followed by the ideal chest move, decline presses for two sets—10, 7. [Read more…]
Here’s a recent quote, a reminder actually, from Dr. James Di Nicolantonio: [Read more…]
Q: I’ve been using your Stretch-First POF Workout [pages 71-72 in Old Man, Young Muscle]. I’ve grown more in six weeks than most of last year. Doing the stretch exercise first is the bomb. It’s giving me some sick gains. One question: You’ve mentioned how bench dips for triceps are bad for shoulders, but you have it in the workout as the ending contracted move. Do you still do those? [Read more…]
Q: I’ve followed you over the years. Your Positions-of-Flexion method has given me muscle gains beyond my expectations. Logical and precise. I have your Old Man, New Muscle and am using the full-POF Stretch-First Workout inspired by the great Mike Mentzer. With all the research on stretch-partials being best for growth, can I do the stretch exercise in those workouts with only partials? That exercise is first for each muscle, so it should be high reps. Do I just do 20 partials? [Read more…]
When Arnold was in the gym for serious bodybuilding training, he always used a multi-angular approach—never just one exercise.
Yes, he relied on big, basic exercises, like barbell curls, but also stretch- and contracted-position moves, like incline curls and concentration curls—what I call Positions-of-Flexion training… [Read more…]
Q: After reading your new page, my takeaway is that the ideal exercise for each muscle is a key to more mass with shorter workouts. Does that mean your 3-exercise system [Positions of Flexion: midrange, stretch, contracted] is unnecessary? Do I only need the ideal exercise for each muscle for the best gains?
A: The full-range, 3-move approach is not obsolete by any means, as the new ebook explains.
However, each target muscle does have an ideal exercise you should emphasize for ultimate mass gains. [Read more…]
Q: Your Positions-of-Flexion mass training is great! Using the 3D Muscle Building e-book and workouts, I’ve designed different programs for myself with the three-exercises full-range stimulation, and I credit POF with the 50 pounds of muscle I’ve built over the years. Thank you. My question is, What do you think about starting with the stretch-position exercise for each POF bodypart routine? Stretch is one of the biggest mass stimulators because of that muscle elongation, so why not start with it?
A: Your question reminded us that years ago we experimented with the stretch-move-first method, and it produced such good gains that a video was created, “Hypercontraction Training.”
For example, you train a few sets of FLYES first for pec stretch overload. Then you work bench presses (midrange) and end with cable crossovers (contracted)… [Read more…]
Q: Your 4X training is fantastic. It has me growing again, and it’s perfect with 3-way POF. My question is about muscle feel. How important is it for size increases? I ask because I have trouble feeling some major body parts, like shoulders and chest.
A: We think it’s EXTREMELY important to feel the target muscle working; if you don’t, you may be using other muscle groups to move the weight or simply not innervating enough muscle fibers for a big anabolic response. [Read more…]
Q: For us home-gym rats, how can we incorporate Positions-of-Flexion mass training with a very basic setup? I only have a barbell, rack (for squats/bench, etc.), and a dip/chin station; I don’t have any dumbbells. Is it possible?
A: It’s very difficult to do full POF routines for most bodyparts without dumbbells because most finishing contracted-position exercises are single-joint moves, like laterals for delts or bent-arm bent-over laterals for midback. Nevertheless, you can improvise and create some very effective NEAR-full-range bodypart programs. [Read more…]
Q: I’m using a Positions-of-Flexion program from 3D Muscle Building. I’ve read a lot about the pro bodybuilders’ training, and I’m just not sure three exercises per muscle, as you recommend in POF, is enough. Can you help me understand why that’s sufficient for building the most mass?
A: First, realize the all pro bodybuilders use anabolic steroids. Those drugs heighten recovery and growth significantly. That means they can tolerate a lot more volume at each workout. On top of that, the pros have genetics for building muscle and recovering from work far superior to us normal mortals… [Read more…]
