supercompensation Archives

Progressive Mass

Q: I’ve read almost everything at your site [X-Rep.com], and I’m ready to get started. I’m 17 years old, 5’11” and 175 pounds. I’ve been training for two years. My question is, Which program should I start with? Should I do Jonathan’s 20-pounds-of-muscle-in-10-weeks program [3D Muscle Building e-book] or go straight to your X-Rep Mass-Detail Workout [in the Ultimate Mass Workout e-book]? Your X-Rep program gave you freaky results fast, so I’m thinking I should go with that one.

A: Either would work well for you at this point. At 17, you are in your prime growing years. And you already have some experience. So if you continue to train hard and sensibly, you should build stellar progressive mass with whichever routine you choose.

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20 to 80 Pounds of Muscle

Q: I did the first [5-week phase] of Jonathan’s 20-pounds-of-muscle-in-10-weeks program [from the 3D Muscle Building e-book] and didn’t get much size from it. I gained about 3 pounds and still feel skinny. Should I go ahead and do the second five weeks of different 3D Positions-of-Flexion workouts? Do you think that by hitting all of the positions [in the Phase 2 workouts] that I will make better gains than with the first part?

A: Full speed ahead—continue with Phase 2 (your gains from Phase 1 are actually darned good; more on that in a moment). By shifting to training each muscle in the midrange, stretch and contracted positions, you should get another more sizeable muscular adaptation (growth jolt).

[Read more…]

Transformation Photos: Girls vs. Guys

Q: I’m a man in my late 30s, but I’m very motivated by Becky Holman’s before and after photos and her story. Is the training program she used okay for men to use?

A: Absolutely. Men and women should both strive to build muscle, and that’s what her program does. Women won’t get bulky muscles no matter how hard they train because they don’t have the hormonal profile for that to happen. It’s a testosterone thing—and as you can see in the transformation photos below, Becky (Steve’s wife, who was in her early 40s below) doesn’t have a lot of testosterone…

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No B.S.: 4X for Mass-Building Success—Even Mentzer Would Confess

Q: I’m a big believer in Mike Mentzer’s Heavy Duty system of one all-out set to failure for each exercise. That’s why I think your 4X method is total B.S. Mentzer cited studies and found from personal experience that intensity is the key to muscle growth. With 4X you’re using lighter weights and not going to failure, which wastes a lot of sets. It can’t work, and I think you should feel ashamed for promoting it as miracle mass-building system.

A: We didn’t say it’s a “miracle” system (although some trainees have said it worked mass miracles for them). We simply said that we GUARANTEE that our 4X programs will build NEW MASS for just about anyone. We’re absolutely positive of that because it’s got ALL the critical components to trigger bigger gains quickly—and that includes intensity (we think Mentzer would agree as you’ll see, and that’s no B.S.)… [Read more…]

Tips for Solo Training and BIG Gaining

Q: I agree with your progressive-overload theory, gradually making workouts more intense. You suggest adding a few forced reps every couple weeks in the first phase of the Size Surge program. But I train alone and can’t do forced reps. How can I make the workouts progressively more intense for solo training?

A: For those who missed it, we suggested this progression for the 3-days-a-week workouts in phase 1 of the Size Surge program:

Weeks 1 and 2: Go to positive failure only
Weeks 3 and 4: Add forced reps to set 2 on pyramids
Week 5: Do one forced rep on set 1 and two on set 2
Week 6: Downshift, stopping all sets two reps short of failure, then move to Phase 2

That progressively builds the intensity so you stimulate new gains every week. And, of course, you should push to add weight on that program as you get stronger as well.

But you can’t do forced reps because you train alone, so static holds and rest/pause will give you the Size Surge progressions you’re after. Here’s a good plan:

Weeks 1 and 2: Go to positive failure only

Weeks 3 and 4: Go to failure on each work set and add a static hold at the sticking point on all sets (on your last rep, drive the weight as high as you can and hold for 3 to 5 seconds)

Week 5: Use the static hold on the last rep of the first set; on the second set go to failure, rest for 20 seconds, then do as many as you can with the same weight, ending with a static hold

Week 6: Downshift—stop all sets two reps short of failure for full muscle supercompensation to prepare for the full-range-muscle-training onslaught of phase 2

A static hold won’t be possible on some exercises like squats and deadlifts due to the danger factor. Simply do as many reps as you can and keep fighting to add more weight to the bar for progressive overload.

Note: Jonathan frequently used static contractions when he had to train alone during the 10-week Size Surge experiment. That’s very important and explained in the Size Surge e-book.

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

Anabolic Reload

Check out our read-me page that has more on slow-twitch exhaustion training, the key hypertrophic triggers, anabolic interference, the 5 Freak Physique Factors, PLUS, you can get Size Surge, X-treme Lean, and The Anabolic Reload Bodyweight Workout FREE when you order the Anabolic Reload ebook for ONLY $15 HERE

NOTE: The special low $15 price ($45 value) will expire, so if you’re interested, grab it now HERE

Instant Muscle Size and Soreness Sensations

Q: I’m using The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout four days per week, and I’m sore after every workout. Is that good? Does it mean I’m growing? My muscles feel and even look bigger, but can it really work that fast?

A: The reason a sore muscle feels bigger is because you’re more aware of it—when you move and you get that sensation of pain—and also because it probably is actually bigger…

When a muscle is damaged, as with the negative-accentuated sets in The Fat-to-Muscle Workout, inflammation occurs in the muscle. That draws fluid to the tissue to accelerate repair. When that inflammation happens, the muscle can look larger than usual—like you’re pumped up for a few days. [Read more…]