subfailure Archives - Page 2 of 2

How Warmup Sets Build Muscle, Plus Pyramid Power

Q: A friend of mine e-mailed me about your 3D Power Pyramid Program. He said he’s making great gains with it in both muscle size and strength. He explained it, but I wanted to come to the source to see if you think it’s right for me. I’ve been training for about 3 years, and I weigh about 160 pounds. My genetics are closer to Steve’s [smaller ectomorph] than Jonathan’s [more of a mesomorph]. Should I go for it?

A: That is an excellent program and one of our most popular because it’s balanced for both size and strength. It’s a simple two-way split that has you train four days a week—with Wednesdays and weekends off. Plus, you cover all of the 3D Positions of Flexion for each target muscle…

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The 4X Get-Bigger Trigger

Q: I gave the 4X method a try, and it feels amazing. Definitely a big pump. I’m just worried that since only the fourth set is to all-out failure that I’m not getting enough intensity to stimulate growth. I’m used to doing two to four sets on each exercise to total exhaustion. Will my muscles regress on 4X?

A: In The 4X Mass Workout e-book we explain the all-or-none principle of fiber activation. What that means is that a muscle fiber fires at 100 percent or not at all. So even on SUBFAILURE sets, you’re getting bundles of fast-twitch fibers to fire completely. [Read more…]