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Small Change, Bigger Gains

Steve's home gym setup and a pic using it for cable curls

One of the most common questions I get about my own training is, “How can you build your physique in only 35 minutes three days a week?”

There are two main reasons my workouts don’t take long—although some are [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: change to gain, home gym, home gym training, home gym workout, short rests, shorter workouts

Faster Workouts, No Cardio for More Mass

My daughter and her firefighter husband were over to celebrate his academy graduation to engineer—he can now drive those big red trucks. He’s getting back to training now and brought up my recent newsletter on how cardio may limit muscle growth… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: cardio, mass building, muscle building, no cardio, short rests, speed sets

Quick Set Mass Effect

Jonathan doing dumbbell curls with Powerblocks

Q: I really blew up when I went to your 20-second rests between sets. Pump was crazy for me. I’m not sure I can reduce it to 10 seconds before my last set. Is that really necessary? I’m not a wuss. I just want 10 extra seconds of rest. LOL [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: fast-twitch, mass effect, short rests, size principle of muscle fiber recruitment, slow-twitch

Hypertrophy Hack for New Mass

Vince Gironda in black and white

Have I mentioned I’m in the “scarecrow” ectomorph category? I know, I know, my story has grown tiresome; however…

There are quite a few skinny dudes out there who could pack more mass on their physiques with some specific workout tweaks, like some sets with high reps…

In case you missed it, [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Chris Beardsley, continuous tension, ectomorph, high-rep sets, hypertrophy, short rests, vince gironda

New View, More Mass

Doug Brignole on stage at the Mr. Universe competition

My muscle-building results in a pathetic home gym—only 50-pound PowerBlock dumbbells, an adjustable bench, and a doorway chinning bar—have people asking me this… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Brad Schoenfeld, European Journal of Applied Physiology, high-rep sets, hypertrophy, low-rep sets, more mass, short rests, short workouts

New Muscle Size With Speed and Progression

Heavy bench press

Q: I am almost 50 and making incredible gains with the 4X method. I was reading that top trainer Charles Glass believes new muscle growth can be created with this style, thickening new fibers as well as expanding the sarcoplasm. However, he says you should still go “heavy” every so often. Every time I do that, my joints ache for days. Should I just put up with it and pile on the poundage every couple of weeks?

A: If you like going mega heavy, do it—but you’ll suffer the consequences. Glass says to train heavy every so often in order to keep the type 2B power fibers growing… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x method, Charles Glass, downward-progression 4x, Dr. Dimitrios Stamou, eat the fat off, freaky ripped, Harvard research, heavy weights, Lou Ferrigno, muscle size, power fibers, progression, pumping iron, ripped muscle, sarcoplasm, short rests, size, speed reps, type 2b

Get High for Major Muscle Size

Lateral raises - Shocking New Muscle Mass: TORQ - DP 4X - Modified Pre-Ex

Q: I like the idea of experimenting with high reps. Your report on Mr. America Doug Brignole’s results has motivated me to get high (LOL). But I’m getting ready to start the Size Surge program. Should I try high reps [30-20-15] on the isolation exercises in both five-week phases?

A: Lots of people have been grabbing copies of Size Surge 2.0 lately because it seems to be get-big season. That’s how we know many trainees have started—or are getting ready to start—this 10-week mass attack. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: anabolic fasting, brad pilon, change to gain, density, Doug Brignole, eat stop eat, get high, get ripped, high-rep, high-reps, mass attack, Mr. America, muscle size, short rests, Size Surge, tension overload

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

Flip Your Growth Switch With This 4X Mass Mix

Q: I’ve been using the Positions of Flexion 4X program [in The 4X Mass Workout 2.0]. I’m blown away at how much muscle I gained in a month. 4 pounds! That’s after a couple of years with zero muscle gains. That workout is all moderate-weight 4X and 3X sequences, and I’m wondering if I should use your downward-progression 4X method every so often, adding weight on each set. How should I work it into that program?

A: There are a couple of excellent options, but we have a simple one that’s our favorite. Before we lay it out, let’s explain the 4X vs. DP 4X since we have a lot of new readers…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, 4x mass workout, belly fat burn, dp 4x, fat burning, gains, growth switch, hormone trick, mass training, metabolism, moderate weight workouts, short rests, standard 4x

Rep-Range Rise for New Muscle Size

Q: In 4X Mass Workout 2.0 you describe the high-rep [TORQ] method, going 30-20-15 in reps with short rests between. Sometimes I can’t get 30. Either I pick a weight that’s a little too heavy or I just fatigue too quickly. What should I do?

A: What you’re trying to do with TORQ—tension overload repetition quantity—is reach the upper area of the optimal hypertrophic tension time—60 to 90 seconds.

Most bodybuilder’s muscles aren’t used to that much fatigue, so they crap out early. (Don’t feel bad; you’ll get better at it as you GROW new muscle.)

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4x mass workout, bodybuilders, fat burning, fat loss, fatigue, GH, growth hormone, high-reps, hormone trick, hormones, hypertrophic, muscle size, muscle-building, new muscle, rep range, short rests, size stimulation, tension time, tension-overload repetition quantity, time under tention, TORQ, tut

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