positions of flexion Archives - Page 14 of 19

TORQ-ing (Not Twerking) Your Triceps

Q: I’ve been TORQ-ing the target muscle at the end of my 4X workouts. Great way to end with a massive pump, but I tell people about it and they think I’m saying twerking. Lol. I have two questions: What if I can get more than 30 reps on the first set? What if I get fewer reps than that? Also, in Positions of Flexion, can I use bench dips instead of pushdowns for the finishing contracted position exercise for tri’s?

A: For the uninitiated, TORQ-ing, not twerking, is a 3X sequence of 30-20-15 reps, with 45 seconds between…

If you use it on the big midrange exercise first, like close-grip bench presses for tri’s, you may be able to add weight on each set. If you TORQ on the last exercise, contracted, you probably won’t be able to add weight.

TORQ—or tension-overload repetition quantity—is designed so you get at least a couple of sets within the high-end hypertrophic tension time—which is above 60 seconds. That would be sets 1 and 2 if you keep the rep speed at one second to lift and two to three to lower…

We tend to use the 1/2 tempo on higher-rep sets—but that’s still around 90 seconds on set 1 and 60 seconds on set 2. That high growth tension time is something most bodybuilders never get. Heck, many rarely get more than 25 seconds per set (can you say slow-to-no growth?).

Mr. America Doug Brignole goes even higher with his reps, starting at 50—and he swears it’s the best size-building method he’s ever used (see The Power-Density Mass Workout 2.0 for more on Doug’s Super-TORQ method, an interview with him, and his complete program, which uses only ONE exercise per target muscle).

Now to your first question (finally): What if you get more or fewer reps than 30 on the first set? If you get more, like 35, just continue to get higher reps on each set—35, 25, 18, say—and add weight at your next workout to bring down your reps…

If you get fewer, like 25, that’s fine too. In fact, we like to think of a TORQ sequence as ranges: 25-30, 15-20, 10-15. Even at a 1/2 tempo, you’ll still hit the high-end hypertrophic tension time on set 1—and maybe set 2 as well….

If you get fewer than 25 on the first set, lighten the weight for your second so you get close to matching your first. Your sets may go 22-20-15. Once again, you achieve high-end tension on sets 1 and 2.

Okay, your second question is a simple yes. We love bench dips for the POF contracted-position triceps exercise. While there is some movement at the shoulder, your front delts don’t come into play too much. You’ll torch your tri’s guaranteed.

We like to do the first 30- and 20-rep sets with no lockout, then the last set with a lockout squeeze on each (we usually don’t get 15 on that set—killer!).

Also, if you’re not strong enough to get 30 with your feet on a bench (as pictured above), put them on the floor so you’re using less than bodyweight on all of your TORQ sets…

It’s an excellent TORQ exercise to fry your tri’s for awesome new size.

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

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

Double-Duty Mass Moves

Q: In Positions-of-Flexion mass training you classify the one-arm cable lateral as a stretch-position exercise for the medial-delt head. But isn’t it really a stretch- and contracted-position exercises? There is resistance all the way through the stroke, so you get resistance at contraction [top] as well as at stretch.

A: You could classify one-arm cable laterals as both stretch and contracted, but it’s more of a stretch-position move because of the angle of pull. [Read more…]

Upper-Body Mass From the Back

Q: In the Positions-of-Flexion exercise matrix [in 3D Muscle Building] you don’t have any midrange moves listed for midback. Instead, you say, “covered with lat midrange work.” But I know I’ve seen behind-the-neck pulldowns in some of your workouts as a midrange exercise. Should I not use that exercise? Is it dangerous?

A: Doing pulldowns behind your neck can be dangerous—if you train heavy and pull the bar too low or jerk the bar down. [Read more…]

Do One Set Slow For New Muscle Growth

Q: I’m having a lot of trouble with delts. I don’t feel any of the exercises, and my delts never get sore. Right now I’m using a [Positions-of-Flexion] routine. Should I add exercises for some new muscle growth in my shoulders?

A: One of the big problems with delts is that they don’t get enough eccentric, or negative stress. And science says that lowering is the most important for muscle growth (the negative is what causes muscle soreness)…

Think about it. On lateral raises, the leverage shift is extreme, with high resistance through the top third of the stroke and almost zero through the bottom third. [Read more…]

Build Your Future Freak Physique Now

Q: Now that the weather has cooled down a bunch, I’m looking for a mass workout program for winter, to build as much size as possible. Then I’ll start to lean out in the early spring thaw. What type of program should I use? Big, basic power-bodybuilding routine or something like 4X Positions of Flexion? I can’t decide.

A: Winter is a long haul, so why not do both? A good place to start is with something like Jonathan’s Size Surge program—but you can do it with a few twists… [Read more…]

Stretch Overload: Your Mass Gains Will Explode

Q: You’ve mentioned an animal study that produced a 300 percent muscle mass increase after only a month of stretch workouts. That’s truly incredible. Is there more info? How do I duplicate those stretch procedures in my workouts to get that kind of muscle growth?

A: We refer to that animal study by Antonio and Gonyea in many of our X-Rep e-books, but the most extensive analysis was in X-Rep Update #1. Here’s a quote from Jose Antonio, Ph.D., from that e-book: [Read more…]

The Not-Gassed-More-Mass Workout

Q: Your 4X Mass Workout e-book is one of my favorites, but I’m not sure using 4X at every workout will produce maximum mass for me. As you say in The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout, a muscle needs both density and power to grow to its biggest at the fastest rate possible. To me, 4X feels like more density because I fatigue very quickly. Then the muscle feels worthless on the next exercise. I’m thinking about using the Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout that includes both 4X [short rests] and power sets [with longer rests]. Are there any adjustments you would suggest?

A: The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout is great for building size and strength (4X is primarily for muscle size). As you said, the Power-Density Mass Workout is a mix of straight power sets, 4X sequences and drop sets. For example, here’s the biceps routine from the full-range Positions-of-Flexion workout in that e-book: [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…]

Get Bigger, Fuller Muscles with Wow-Factor Workouts

Q: I’ve been using the Full-Range 4X Mass Workout [on pages 46-48 of that e-book] for a month, and I’ve noticed that my muscles appear to be not only bigger, but rounder. I’m looking more like a bodybuilder! I’m not imagining this, as people have told me that at my gym. It’s fantastic, but I’m wondering why. Is it because of the extra sets with 4X on 3 exercises for each bodypart? I was only doing one or two exercises for each muscle before, so it must be the added volume.

A: That’s part of it. The extra volume with short rests during a 4X sequence helps deplete more glycogen from the muscles, and therefore they supercompensate and store more. That extra glycogen gives the muscles a fuller, rounder look, like Bob Paris’, who is pictured below (but there’s more to it than that, as you’ll see)… [Read more…]

Max Force for Major Muscle

Q: In your early e-books, like The Ultimate Mass Workout, you say that generating maximum force is the key to muscle mass. To me, it doesn’t seem like you ever exert max force with 4X training because you are using moderate weights. Do you still think creating maximum force is the way to build the most mass?

A: Yes, we believe force is one of the big keys to packing on muscle mass—but there’s more than one way to get enough… [Read more…]