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Mr. O’s Stretch Overload for Shocking Mass

Ronnie Coleman and his incredible traps

Yesterday, in my discussion on incline presses, I mentioned that recent studies are indicating that stretch overload is a big key to more hypertrophy.

It’s one reason powerlifters have such massive traps—heavy deadlifts, an exercise that puts those muscle in a max-stretch struggle from start to finish… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: bodybuilders, Mr. O, mr. olympia, powerlifters, ronnie coleman, traps

Are Deadlifts Worthless?

Picture from an old SNL steroid skit

There’s no question that heavy deadlifts can be dangerous…

I remember seeing a guy try to pull a heavy weight off the floor, and his arms tore off at his shoulders and blood started shooting out of the sockets… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Brad Schoenfeld, deadlifts, glutes, jose antonio, powerlifters, quads, range of motion, stretch overload, T-bar rows

Solving the Big-Muscle Puzzle

Jonathan Lawson doing dumbell shrugs

Q: Thank you for clearing up the muscle-growth mystery for me. I always believed in going heavier and heavier to get bigger. Now I know that’s only a small part of the puzzle. Working in the 4X method, X Reps, drop sets, and even some of your high-rep TORQ sets has already gotten me bigger in just a few weeks. My question is, Do you think some people get a better size response from power training and others get more size from density [endurance] work?

A: Absolutely. As we mentioned in a previous newsletter, the BIGGEST powerlifters don’t train for sarcoplasmic (endurance fluid) expansion yet have good muscle size. That’s because they were big dudes in the first place, which may signify more myofibril-building capacity. That would explain their extraordinary strength. The myofibrils are the actin-myosin strands inside the muscle fiber that generate force, but for most trainees that’s not the key to ULTIMATE SIZE… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x10, 4x method, actin, bad gas, biotrust probiotic, drop sets, ectomorphs, fat burning, force generation, free probiotics, free supplements, glycogen, hardgainers, heavy sets, mass building, mitochondria, muscle building, muscle fullness, muscle growth, myofibrillar growth, myosin, powerlifters, pro-x10, sarcoplasmic expansion, tension overload, tension time, TORQ, X Reps, x-centric, x-hybrid techniques

The Forgotten Size Concept for Ultimate Mass

Mentzer side triceps - Arnold vs. Mentzer—No-Cardio Fat-to-Muscle Training

Q: I’ve read a lot of Mike Mentzer’s high-intensity info, and he said that the pump didn’t matter as far as muscle growth is concerned. He said a lot of the biggest powerlifters never get a pump yet carry a lot of mass. So shouldn’t heavy sets be the core of a mass-building routine?

A: Mentzer was partially right—but leaning more toward being mostly wrong. You don’t need a pump IF you’re only after primarily myofibrillar growth (strength). The myofibrils are the strands of actin and myosin inside the muscle fiber. Those grab onto each other to generate force. Training heavy increases their size and your strength—but science is finding that they are more about producing strength with less-than-stellar effects on muscle size… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: actin, biotrust protein, force generation, forgotten size concept, free protein, free supplements, heavy duty, hypertrophy, Joe Luther, mass building, mass-building routine, mike mentzer, mr. olympia, mr. universe, muscle building, muscle pump, muscle size, myofibrillar growth, myosin, powerlifters, sarcoplasm, sarcoplasmic expansion, strength, ultimate mass

Double-X Overload Warmups?

Vascular forearm - 2 Easy Ways for BIG Muscle Gains

Q: I’m making some incredible progress using your Double-X Overload technique, but I wanted to let you know that I don’t just use it on my work sets. DXO works for warmup sets, too. I usually use it on at least one of my two warmup sets for the big [midrange] exercises, and I feel much stronger on my work sets. Great technique!

A: That’s a good tip. We love feedback from fellow weight trainers who think instead of just following the pack. One reason Double-X Overload (DXO) works so well on warmup sets is because of the enhanced occlusion and nervous system activation.

For those unfamiliar with DXO, it’s an X-Rep partial in the semi-stretch position between each full rep. That provides a slightly more explosive action, which has been shown to heighten nerve force (many top-level powerlifters do light, explosive sets for that very reason—it helps them lift more weight). [Read more…]

Filed Under: Uncategorized Tagged With: 3d muscle building, alpha muscle, alpha-3 specialization, beyond x-rep, blood flow blockage, bodybuilders, Double-X Overload, dxo, explosive reps, growth hormone, iso x, journal of strength conditioning research, nervous system, occlusion, powerlifters, progress, stage sets, warmup sets, warmups, x-hybrid tactics, x-rep partials

Low Reps Plus Short Rests for Mass-Building Success?

Q: I’ve always gotten pretty good size and strength gains from heavy weights and using the six-to-eight-rep range. Could I be more myofibrillar dominant? And, if so, do you think I would benefit more by doing 4X mass training with lower reps, say 4×6, but still with short rests so that my sarcoplasm gets growth benefits as well?

A: Great question! For new readers, the myofibrils are the force-generating actin and myosin strands in the muscle fibers. If you have more of those than usual, you would be considered myofibrillar dominant. A good example of that is Mike Mentzer, who was squatting over 500 pounds at age 16…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x mass training, 4x mass workout, actin, bodybuilders, Charles Poliquin, gains, hardgainers, home protection, hypertrophy, low reps, mass building, mike mentzer, mike westerdal, myofibrillar expansion, myofibrils, myosin, powerlifters, pre-exhaustion, pre-fatigue, protect your family, sarcoplasm, sarcoplasmic expansion, self-defense, short rests, size gains, strength gains

Max-Muscle-Size Study: Rest Between Sets—is short or long best?

Q: Your 4X mass method has 35 to 45 seconds rest between sets. I’ve seen research that longer rests between sets can be better for strength and muscle growth. What’s your take on that?

A: Legendary trainer Vince Gironda, the Iron Guru who trained Mr. Olympias as well as Hollywood stars to build muscle fast, first got us into reducing rest between sets for muscle growth—he called it Density Training…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, 4x mass method, 4x mass workout, arnold schwarzenegger, bodybuilders, Brad Schoenfeld, clint eastwood, density training, hypertrophic response, hypertrophy, hypoxic effect, iron guru, just a fat f#@k, lactic acid, larry scott, long rest, master trainer, mitochondria, mr. olympia, muscle fatigue, muscle growth, powerlifters, rep range, rep tempo, research study, rest between sets, size and strength, strength, study, vince gironda

The Truth About Getting Stronger to Grow Bigger?

Jonathan squatting, dark room

We get the stronger = bigger question a lot—and there’s no question that getting stronger will build some size—note that we said “some.” To clarify, here’s an excerpt from our best-selling e-book The Super-Size Crash Course…

“One of the biggest reasons muscle growth is so slow in most cases is the simplistic myth that strength equals superior size. There’s more to it than that. Trying to move big weights for a few reps does very little for ultimate muscle size. Are you shaking your head? Check this out…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: bodybuilders, bodybuilding, density, fatigue, fix my shoulder pain, fix your shoulder pain, getting stronger, grow bigger, heavy/light, ifbb pro, iron man magazine, johnnie jackson, low reps, muscle growth, muscle size, muscle strength, no more shoulder pain, peary rader, physique, Power, powerlifters, powerlifting, pro bodybuilder, rick kaselj, shoulder pain, size, steroids, strength, super-size crash course, tension time

Low-Rep Muscle-Mass Lowdown

Jonathan Lawson lean and big - Low-Rep Muscle-Mass Lowdown

Q: What’s your opinion of low-rep sets, like singles, doubles, and triples? Will they help me build more muscle?

A: Low reps are more for developing strength, but indirectly they can help you add size. We say indirectly because low-rep sets help you develop neuromuscular [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: build more muscle, chest exercises, doubles, injury-free, low reps, low-rep, muscle gains, muscle mass, nerve force, neuromuscular efficiency, powerlifters, singles, size, static holds, StatX, strength, triples, X Reps

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