study Archives - X-REP.COM

Pre-Exhaustion Better for Muscle Mass? (study)

Q: First I want to thank you for Old Man Young Muscle. I’ve made spectacular gains in my meager home gym similar to what you did. My problem now is that I’m getting 25 reps on my first set of dumbbell decline presses with my 50s, and I have no more weight to increase resistance. Should I just keep going till I get 30? Then what?

A: The late Doug Brignole, friend, biomechanics genius, and Mr. America winner, did 30 reps on his first set. So, yes, you could just keep trying to add reps to your decline presses until you get there… [Read more…]

New Study on Mass-Training Frequency

One of the more popular “advanced” methods is to train each muscle only once a week. That’s a more recent idea, as… [Read more…]

Can I Train Each Muscle Once a Week for Mass?

Q: I have two questions. First, the photo from your 2005 using X-Reps and [Double-X Overload] is impressive for an ecto. How much did you weigh? Second question: Many bodybuilders in the gym train each muscle only once a week. Do you think that’s a good way to train if I increase my sets?

A: If I remember correctly, I weighed right around 190 in 2004, Jonathan was just under 200. The following year, adding DXO to our X-Rep workouts, I clocked in at 195, and Jonathan was 205. [Read more…]

Crazy, New Mass-Building Study

A few weeks ago I discussed area-specific muscle growth and if it is real. More and more researchers are saying yes, and a recent study suggests why and that exercise variation can affect it (Costa, et al. Int J Sports Med, 2021)…

The study looked at using a single exercise vs. multiple exercises… [Read more…]

Muscle-Mass Study: Partials vs. Full-Range Reps

All this discussion on stretch and ideal exercises had me remembering a study from my Iron Man magazine days that has significant correlation to efficient mass building… [Read more…]

Mr. America on Mass-Stretch Studies

A couple of issues back I discussed two recent studies showing that exercises with a significant beginning stretch component built more mass than those that had less. [Read more…]

Best Triceps Mass Move—Or Is It? (New Study)

Lots of posts on social media about the new 2022 study comparing the muscle-growth results of two triceps exercises… [Read more…]

Mind-Blowing Mass Research

In yesterday’s newsletter, I explained researcher Chris Beardsley’s observations on how different parts of a muscle can grow. That’s controversial to say the least. It sounds like muscle shaping, a so-called impossibility. But here’s what he said… [Read more…]

New Study: Stretch Emphasis for More Mass

A new study looked at hypertrophy while training a muscle in its lengthened, or stretched, state. (Med Sci Sports Exerc, 2021)

This one looked at seated leg curls vs. lying leg curls, the seated version producing more elongation in the hamstrings during full-range performance due to the [Read more…]

How to Coax Muscle Gains

In the past few newsletters you’ve seen real-world examples and interpretation of scientific data indicating how too much volume or intensity can derail your muscle gains. Muscle damage appears to be hypertrophy homicide for many. [Read more…]