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Behind-the-Neck Shoulder Safety

Behind-the-neck presses

Q: I’ve seen you guys recommend behind-the-neck pulldowns before in your newsletter as long as lighter weight and a specific range of motion is used, but you never seem to mention behind-the-neck presses. Is the behind-the-neck press not a good shoulder exercise?

A: First understand that any type of behind-the-neck move—pulldown or press—can overstress the shoulder capsule. It’s not a natural position; however, the behind-the-neck position can provide a unique angle of pull on the target fibers for new development… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: behind-the-neck presses, behind-the-neck pulldowns, bullet-proof shoulders, negative-accentuated, no more shoulder pain, rick kaselj, shoulder capsule, shoulder exercises, shoulder pain, shoulder presses, shoulder size, shoulders, slow negatives, x-centric, x-centric mass workout, x-centric method

Barbell-Only Home Workouts

Jonathan Lawson, wide-grip rack pulls

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…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d muscle building, 3D workout, barbell workout, barbells, barbells vs dumbbells, bullet-proof shoulders, fix your shoulder pain, home workout, home-gym workout, mass-building manual, no more shoulder pain, POF, positions of flexion, shoulder pain

Negative Overload

Q: I’m using the Fat-to-Muscle Workout, and the negative-accentuated technique [one second up/six seconds down] has given me a lot of new muscle, and I’ve noticed that the excess muscle trauma you guys talk about has helped me lose a good amount of fat, too. I’m amazed! Now, however, I feel like my mass gains are slowing down. I think it’s because I’ve adapted to the negative-accentuated sets. How can I intensify them? Or should I switch to a different technique for a while?

A: Don’t drop the NA technique unless your goals have changed for your physique. If you’re still trying to lose fat as you build muscle, a set with one second up and six seconds down on every rep for every large bodypart will help you get there faster… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: bullet-proof shoulders, continuous tension, fat-to-muscle workout, forced reps, goals, negative overload, negative-accentuated, negatives, pain-free, rick kaselj, shoulder pain, tension time, x-centric mass workout, x-centric training

Add Forward-Lean Laterals for Shoulder Size

Jonathan Lawson seated laterals - Don't Want to Feel Like a Weakling

Q: In many of your workouts, you suggest forward-lean laterals. What are those, and why should I use them instead of regular standing lateral raises [for medial-delt-head mass]?

A: The deltoid is a unique muscular structure. It controls the movement around a ball-and-socket joint, so the fibers wrap around the area in bundles, moving in many directions. You can see that in this photo of Jonathan… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d pof, anabolic acceleration, bullet-proof shoulders, delt exercises, delt workout, emg studies, forward-lean laterals, larry scott, mr. olympia, mri studies, no more shoulder pain, rick kaselj, shoulder exercises, shoulder pain, shoulder workout, wide shoulders

Ultimate At-Home Back Exercise

Q: I just read through the updated Quick Start Muscle 2.0. Great info! I’m starting the new at-home workout immediately. One question: What is an incline row, and does it work mid back or lats?

A: Training at home can be a challenge, so we tried to include the best exercises for all muscle groups in the at-home workouts, especially the advanced ones…

And the incline row is in that best-of-the-best category. Why?  [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: at-home workout, back exercises, fix your shoulder pain, home gym workout, incline row, jordon williamson, no more shoulder pain, quick-start muscle building 2.0, rick kaselj, shoulder pain, ultimate back exercise

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 46: Lou Ferrigno

Back in the 1970s, people thought Arnold was big—almost too big. Then came Lou Ferrigno, who was even bigger… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: after-40 muscle building, arnold, big arms, bodybuilding zen, fix your shoulder pain, huge arms, Lou Ferrigno, Michael Neveux, mr. olympia, no more shoulder pain, pumping iron, rick kaselj, shoulder pain, too big, x-traordinary arms

New Muscle-Size Workout (1-set mass finisher)

Q: I just got the your Size Surge 2.0 e-book. Great programs and tons of motivation (Jonathan is a beast). My question is on the M4X workout you have listed with the finisher set added on. Instead of negative accentuated or pure negatives, could I do your 30-20-15 TORQ method instead? I really want to incorporate the upper hypertrophic-tension time [60-plus seconds] for more mass.

A: You could do that; BUT it’s a pretty large increase in total volume. That’s because instead of only one additional “finisher” set, you’re doing three. And instead of 7 extra reps, you’re doing 65! Quite a big difference… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: fix my shoulder pain, hypertrophic tension time, M4X, mass finisher, mass gains, muscle size, no more shoulder pain, rick kaselj, shoulder pain, Size Surge, TORQ, training split

Wicked-Awesome Muscle-Mass Tips

Incline X Reps

Q: X-Reps are giving me some wicked-awesome mass gains. The extra pump and burn I get from [those end-of-set partials] is hot! But I was thinking that since they work so well, how about using only the short X-Rep range for all of my sets, without any full-range reps? Wouldn’t that give me some giant mass gains?

A: We first addressed X-Only sets in the X-Rep Update #1 e-book and even included a chapter on former Mr. Olympia Jay Cutler’s workout, which includes a lot of X-Only sets. Check out his X-Only Hammer Strength machine inclines (photos courtesy of Mitsuru Okabe)… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: end-of-set partials, fiber activation, fix your shoulder pain, forced-x overload, gains, growth fiber activation, hammer strength, Jay Cutler, mass building, mitsuru okabe, mr. olympia, no more shoulder pain, rick kaselj, shoulder pain, wicked-awesome, X Reps, x-only, x-rep update

The Truth About Getting Stronger to Grow Bigger?

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

Upper-Body Mass From the Back

Mike Mentzer's back mass - 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…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d muscle building, back attack, back specialization, back workout, behind-the-neck pulldowns, fiber activation, fix my shoulder pain, fix your shoulder pain, midback, midback work, mike mentzer, POF, positions of flexion, pre-ex 3x, rick kaselj, shoulder injury, shoulder pain, shoulder safety, upper-body mass

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