testosterone Archives

Should I Do More?

Q: I’ve noticed in a lot of your e-book routines that you often recommend just two work sets for an exercise Why? Should I do more? I’ve read that most bodybuilders do four or five sets per exercise.

A: As Arthur Jones, the creator of Nautilus machines said: “You can train hard or you can train long, but you can’t do both.” Short and hard or long and not so hard both work. Despite what some die-hard high-intensity trainers say, gradually increasing volume is a form of overload that can result in more muscle—if you don’t overdo intensity. It’s a balancing act. Us? Regardless of whether it’s one of our low-set workouts or high tension time workouts, we’re about efficiency of effort in the gym…

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Simple Size Principle for Major Muscle Gains

Q: It’s hard for me to believe that a few partial reps at the end of a set [a.k.a. X Reps] can do anything measurable for muscle gains. Isn’t doing an additional set just as good or better for muscle growth?

A: At first glance, you’d think so; however, once you understand muscle physiology, you see the enormous muscle-building effects that can occur if you extend a set correctly. It all starts with the size principle of muscle fiber recruitment…

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Stairway to Mass

Q: You’ve said that to get the best muscle-size gains, you have to use both power and density to build both sides of the 2A muscle fibers. But in The X-traordinary Size Surge Workout program, it looks like it’s all power with no endurance [density] work. So how could it produce such spectacular results in Jonathan?

A: The Size Surge program does have a dominant power emphasis, especially in phase 1, the anabolic primer segment. But there’s also some density, or endurance, work (and it expands for bigger mass gains, as you’ll see)…

Jonathan Lawson before and after Size Surge - Stairway to Mass

For example, if you use the optimal rep speed, which is about 1.5 seconds up and 3 seconds down, you’ll get about 40 seconds of tension time on the first set of each BIG exercise. That’s because you use a poundage that allows 9 reps on the first set.

If you watch most wannabe-big bodybuilders training, you’ll see sets that last less than 20 seconds—all power, zero density, which is why gains are so slow: they get no density size effects, which the key 2A muscle fibers require…

Also notice that for many muscle groups in the phase 1 Size Surge program, there’s a follow-up continuous-tension isolation exercise included, such as leg extensions for quads, leg curls for hamstrings, pushdowns for triceps, etc…

Jonathan Lawson, triceps push downs - Stairway to Mass

True, it’s usually for only one set, but that’s all it takes to choke off blood flow from the target muscle for a growth response. That 40 to 50 seconds of total tension/occlusion will do sizable things for the endurance side of the 2As! It’s the perfect chaser to the power-oriented big exercise you do first…

And power in and of itself is a key get-bigger trigger, so always strive to get stronger. As Arthur Jones, the creator of Nautilus machines and the father of high-intensity training, said:

When the actual progress of an individual trainee is carefully charted over a period of a few months, several rather surprising results will become immediately apparent; for example, while strength levels will increase in a series of gentle curves, increases in size of the involved bodyparts—and thus apparent increases in muscular mass—will result in a stair-step pattern.

What Jones is saying is that strength increases are usually fairly steady, fluctuating slightly up and down but on a distinctly upward trajectory, while size increases come in sudden spurts or bursts followed by plateaus—a stair-step pattern. Says Jones,

In effect, size increases permit strength increases—and strength increases force size increases.

At one point, Jones was fanatical about measuring his arms and noted that once they grew almost a full inch overnight. Now that’s a growth spurt!

Jonathan remembers his steady strength increases during the very first Size Surge experiment—and by the end, week 10, he’d packed on 20 pounds of muscle, so he obviously got a few significant stair-step size spurts along the way, just as Jones predicted.

The bottom line is that power is important, but density, or endurance, is a key contributing factor to muscle mass as well. And you do get density during phase 1, as explained above, then to stair-step your size gains, you get even more in phase 2 when you move to full-range Positions of Flexion…

With full-on POF mass training, you attack the midrange-, stretch-, and contracted-position of each target muscle. With that you get density size effects via blood-flow blockage during contracted-position exercises, like concentration curls, to finish off each muscle…

Jonathan Lawson, concentration curls - Stairway to Mass

Plus, you also get density size stimulation on stretch-position exercises. Most of those produce occlusion as well as ultimate anabolic stretch overload. Those are exercises like incline curls for biceps and sissy squats for quads…

Jonathan Lawson, sissy squats - Stairway to Mass

Whether you’re on Jonathan’s Size Surge program or something else, always be sure you get some longer tension-time sets to pack on extreme mass fast; don’t settle for sluggish gains produced by all lower-rep, short-set workouts.

NOTE: The X-traordinary SIZE SURGE Workout is Jonathan Lawson’s legendary two-phase mass program that packed 20 pounds of muscle on his frame in only 10 weeks. See all the changes he made to the original workouts, transcribed from his training journal and in printable templates so you can duplicate his incredible gains. You also get his eat-to-grow diet, anabolic acceleration methods, and loads of tips and tricks. Plus, an interview with a top-level bodybuilder who trained Size Surge style for incredible growth.

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

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

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If your testosterone levels aren’t at an optimal level, any time spent in the gym can be a waste because your body won’t be in the right anabolic environment to build muscle and burn body fat…

Go to the link below to discover the best way to fix this problem and build more muscle quickly.

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Muscle-Mass Measurement Mistake

Q: I just got The X-traordinary Size Surge Workout that chronicles Jonathan’s gain of 20 pounds of muscle in 10 weeks. Great info, and I’m psyched to get on the program. One observation, though… In the chapter on the Colorado Experiment, the four-week high-intensity study in which Casey Viator gained 60 pounds of muscle, he lost fat at the same time, so the scale didn’t register a 60-pound gain, only a 40-pound increase. Isn’t that true for Jonathan, too? He obviously gained a lot of muscle, but his waist measurement went down an inch, so he lost fat all over. That being the case, he probably really gained more like 25 or 30 pounds of muscle, didn’t he?

A: Hmm. You’re probably right. We stand corrected; however, we like to err on the conservative side, so we’ll say he gained AROUND 20 pounds of muscle (but probably more, as you suggest). You can sort of see his abs in the after shot, and the caliper measurements were lower, so he did lose fat…

Also keep in mind that, like Viator, he was regaining some muscle, which is easier to do than building it from scratch. Nevertheless, he did move well past his best-ever muscle size, so in our estimation, he gained at least 10 pounds of NEW muscle–or, if we use your observation of fat loss factored in, more like 15 pounds. Still an amazing gain of new mass.

In contrast, Viator actually gained back to his ORIGINAL competition weight, so no new mass was built during that four-week experiment. Nevertheless, still quite a feat of packing on beef. [Viator’s Colorado Experiment program is outlined and analyzed in the Size Surge e-book.]

Casey Viator before and after Colorado Experiment -

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

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

A Testosterone prescription is NOT the answer…

Millions of men are struggling with the problems associated with low-T in today’s world, such as extra belly and chest fat, low energy and stamina, lack of sexual desire, ED problems, and loss of muscle.

Sadly, millions of men also turn to Testosterone Replacement Therapy (TRT) to try to overcome these problems and try to feel like a new man again…BUT there are some VERY concerning problems with TRT that every man NEEDS to know.

After reading the article below, you might want to consider alternate routes of boosting your T levels naturally instead of through something that’s potentially as harmful as TRT…

–> Why Testosterone Replacement Therapy can do more HARM than good (for any ladies reading this, please pass this on to your husband or boyfriend if they are using or have considered using TRT)

Arnold’s X-Rep Mass Connection

Q: In the description of your new e-book [The X-traordinary X-Rep Workout], you mention that Arnold used X Reps. How is that even possible? He was training [at his peak] way back in the 1970s, and X Reps didn’t come around till the 2000s. What’s the deal?

A: We coined the X-Rep term about fifteen years ago, but partial-rep training has been around for ages in various forms. What we did was take the most recent research on semi-stretch-point fiber activation and zero in on the BEST spot on the stroke for end-of-set partials, or X Reps…

That key point on an exercise’s stroke is where the muscle can generate the most force, and you therefore activate the most muscle fibers for incredible growth stimulation…

In other words, at the end of a set, when you can no longer do full-range reps, you move the resistance to that key point and do short-range partials—for example near the bottom of a chinup, from just out of the arms-straight position up to just before the halfway point. Here’s Jonathan demonstrating X Reps on chins…

Jonathan Lawson demonstrating X Reps on chin ups - Arnold's X-Rep Mass Connection

Now, if X Reps are so effective, why not do some all-X-Rep sets, or X-Only, for max-force overload? X-cellent size-building strategy, and that’s one way Arnold used this partial-range mass method and why we credit him with being such an innovator in the gym…

Arnold would often hang weight around his waist, enough so he could do maybe two or three full reps, but instead, he would only do the bottom third of the range, a short-stroke X-Rep move in the range Jonathan is demonstrating above. It was a heavy, shock attack for his lats, getting an inordinate number of muscle fibers to fire against a big load. That did some pretty good things for his V-taper, lat width and sweep…

Arnold double biceps - Arnold's X-Rep Mass Connection

In the X-traordinary X-Rep e-book, we also discuss how he used stretch-position exercises, a key component of Positions-of-Flexion mass training, for most of his bodyparts, and how he also used the X-Only technique on those max-muscle-elongation movements every so often–he used some unique exercises too. Then there’s the Flex-X technique, which Arnold called “burns.”

Luckily, the former publisher of IRON MAN magazine and our good friend, John Balik, lived and trained with Arnold back in his heyday, so we have John’s memory of that incredible time in bodybuilding history to draw from. His recollections are very motivating, not to mention informative from a training standpoint. Here’s another shot John snapped of Arnold on the beach in Santa Monica, California, in the ’70s…

Arnold relaxed on beach, John Balik photo - Arnold's X-Rep Mass Connection

No doubt that Arnold was way ahead of his time in the muscle department, and with John’s help we learned why: Arnold had an incredible instinct for doing the right things in the gym, methods that science is now verifying as precision muscle-size stimulators—like stretch- and semi-stretch-point overload. Follow his lead and you too will grow like never before!

Note: For more details on Arnold’s X-Rep methods, see the X-traordinary X-Rep Workout. This exciting e-guide merges the top X-Rep techniques and info with muscle-building research into two power-packed X-Rep workouts—the basic X program only takes about 35 minutes. For more info, go HERE

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

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

Recommended:

ATTENTION OVER-40 BODYBUILDERS

One of the most interesting read-me pages on Testosterone and other muscle-building hormones we’ve seen is The Truth About Testosterone.

It even talks about a fruit, a specific part, that can up your T naturally. Cranking up your testosterone will not only get you jacked in the gym, but in the bedroom too—not to mention help rip up your midsection as it ignites fat burning. If that interests you, there’s more from our colleague and registered dietician, HERE.

Can a Wimp Build Muscle? + Testo Murder!

Q: I feel like a wimp. There is no way I can hold the weight in the stretch position for 30 seconds after a set as you’ve recommended before. On some exercises, I can get maybe 15 seconds, but on many, I can’t even get 10 seconds. Should I just forget bodybuilding and take up speed walking (kidding)?

A: Everyone’s pain tolerance is different. And, if you notice, most trainees will opt for methods that hurt least. It’s why most prefer heavy, low-rep training. Higher reps hurt like hell—and adding a stretch-hold at the end of even a 10-rep set can be excruciating. But, as you said, the stretch-hold is easier on some exercises, like incline curls where your arms just hang, as opposed to overhead extensions where you have to keep upward pressure on the weight to prevent elbow trauma…

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Look Bigger With NA Workouts

Q: I’ve been using the Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout, and getting fantastic results. My muscles have become more defined, so I look bigger, yet my bodyweight is the same. I’ve read your Power-Density e-program as well, and it makes a lot of sense. My question is, Do you think the negative-accentuated fat-to-muscle method is good for Density? Maybe that’s why it’s working so well after my heavy sets.

A: The bodybuilding truism is, Lose that last 10 pounds of fat and look 20 pounds bigger. That is, a more defined physique creates the illusion of size—and that’s what you’ve done. Here are pics of Jonathan’s back, which looks much bigger in the second more ripped photo, but he actually weighs a little less…

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35-Minute Mass Workouts: Dual Power-Density

Q: I’m using The Basic Power-Density Workout from your Power-Density Mass e-book. So for most bodyparts, I do only one Ultimate Exercise as listed. But for shoulders, you divide it over two exercises—presses for Power and dumbbell upright rows for Density. Can I use that two-exercise approach for all muscles? I think using two exercises instead of only one will hit more fibers.

A: Absolutely. Using one Ultimate Exercise for both the Power and Density sequences streamlines the workout, as you need only one piece of equipment. But if it’s possible at your gym, go to a different exercise for Density—just make sure it’s a big multi-joint move.

Will that increase development? Possibly, if you choose exercises that emphasize different segments of the target muscle…

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10X Fat-to-Muscle Workout

Q: I’m using The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout because I need to get ripped quick. It feels great, I’m seeing more muscularity, and people are commenting on how lean I’m getting. The thing is, I’m really sold on 10×10. I just bought and read The Ultimate 10×10 Mass Workout, and it sounds awesome. I even tried it on arms, and mine just blew up bigger than they’ve ever been. My question is, Can I add 10×10 to the Fat-to-Muscle Workout somehow?

A: We can tell you’re very motivated, and that’s more than half the battle to getting the ripped, eye-popping physique you’re striving for. You just have to be careful not to overtrain. That said, keep in mind that the 10×10 method is very taxing, which is why we usually suggest you use it on one Ultimate Exercise per bodypart, no other work for that muscle.

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4 Intense Fat-Loss Tips

Q: I need to lose fat quickly, and I’ve been reading a lot about interval cardio training. I want to try it, so how would you suggest I work it into my program? I just started using the Heavy/Light 10×10 Workout based on one of your recent newsletters that made it sound great.

A: As we’ve said, high-intensity interval cardio is like doing another leg workout, so you must be cautious. For those who don’t know what HIIT is, a good example is sprinting the straight-aways and walking the curves on a running track.

You’re alternating anaerobic work, all-out sprints, with active rest, walking. Studies show that it’s an exceptional way to burn bodyfat for a number of reasons…

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