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Your Get-Big Checklist

Q: I’ve seen Jonathan’s before and after photos and read all the info [at SizeSurgeWorkout.com]. Can you give me more details on why the program works? What makes it different? I think I just need to be convinced that it’s going to work for me.

A: We don’t blame you. If you’re going to invest a full 10 weeks in a program, you want to know the mechanics of how and why it works. The Size Surge program does! It can build loads of muscle if you train hard with it, and there are a number of reasons for that. The primary one is that both phases are dominated by big compound exercises, and the workouts are designed and organized to maximize their size effects. [Read more…]

New Angle for More Mass and a Beastly Back

Q: I’m on the Size Surge 2.0. I’m loving it! Feeling bigger already, but I have a question about shrugs. I started with dumbbell shrugs, 4X style. Then I went to barbell shrugs and got a whole new soreness in my upper back. The exercises don’t feel that different. Why did I get so sore?

A: Amazing how one little tweak to an exercise can trigger new soreness. It’s all about angle of pull and restriction vs. non-restriction. [Read more…]

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…]

Fast or Slow to Grow? Here’s 2 Get-Big Tactics

Q: I had your original 10-Week Size Surge book from many years ago and just picked up the Size Surge 2.0 e-book. Thanks for revising it to include 4X training! I’m 45 now with a lot of joint damage from heavy “lifting,” if you want to call it that. So your [moderate-weight] 4X method is perfect and has me making new muscle gains. Thank you! My question concerns the “finisher” set you recommend in one of the workouts. Do you think pure-negative or negative-accentuated sets are better?

A: For the uninitiated, the Size Surge 2.0 e-book has a few new workouts compared to the original, including an alternate Phase 2 routine that’s Positions of Flexion with a few heavy sets, 4X work, AND a one-exercise mass finisher using an intensity method… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 31: Casey Viator’s Colorado Experiment

Back in 1973, Arthur Jones, the creator of Nautilus machines and considered the “father of high-intensity training,” decided to prove to the world that his short, intense muscle-building methods worked… [Read more…]

Get High for Major Muscle Size

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…]

Big-and-Ripped Tips: Size Surge, Fat Purge

Q: I’m really stoked about using the Size Surge program. A friend at my gym said he used it last winter and put on 12 pounds of muscle after only 8 weeks. My question is about burning fat while on the program. I don’t want to get fat, but I know I have to eat big to get big. You’ve said that X-centric [or negative-accentuated] sets can help burn more fat. Can I work those in somehow to Size Surge?

A: Absolutely! We try to use X-centric sets throughout the winter to help keep the lean machine revved so abs don’t completely disappear.

In fact, if you’re going to use the original heavy-training version of Size Surge—as opposed to the moderate-weight 4X version we’ve talked about—the X-centric sets will help you burn more fat AND expand the muscle sarcoplasm for extra mass. That’s important because heavy training tends to neglect that important anabolic “layer.” [Read more…]

New-Muscle Uptick Trick: Power Down, Pump Up

Q: I’m using the Size Surge program for the second time. I tried it last winter and saw great gains…about 10 pounds! I’m on Phase 1, week 4 and have already seen new gains…about 3 pounds of muscle. I’ve been reading about your 4X mass training. Could I do that on Phase 2? 

A: Yes, you can use the 4X mass-training method in Phase 2 of the Size Surge program. That’s a great choice. During Phase 1 you’ll have been training three days a week with a few HEAVY sets per exercise on a basic program. After five weeks of that myofibrillar-dominant training, you’ll be ready for a more balanced attack and a surge in sarcoplasmic expansion to pack on even more MASS. [Read more…]

Anabolic Blood Bath: Get Your Size on the Rise

Q: I’m getting excellent results with 4X mass training. Sometimes my workouts go over an hour, which concerns me. I’ve heard that the hour mark is when testosterone becomes depleted. Many trainers say not to be in the gym over an hour or your T is shot. Should I cut back? What are your thoughts/solutions?

A: The one-hour testosterone-depletion scenario completely depends on your level of T (older trainees generally have less) and the workout you’re doing—the bodyparts you’re working, how much intensity you’re using and how many heavy all-out sets you’re including… [Read more…]