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Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 111: Freddy Ortiz Freak Physique

This shot of Freddy Ortiz from the early ‘60s shows his incredible genetics. Freddy often trained at the iconic Vince’s Gym in Studio City, California. [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 109: Danny Padilla Onstage Mass

Here’s Danny Padilla once again featured in our weekly Zen. Thickness and mass perfection onstage in the ’70s.

Danny Padilla twisting side chest pose on stage in black and white

We’re fans of his physique as well as his training style that amplified his genetic gifts and preserved his joints…

In fact, our workouts evolved in many good way thanks to info on Danny’s training—and Vince Gironda’s methods as well.

Padilla’s workouts were best described as “progressive muscle-fiber exhaustion” using only moderate weights. That means no hammering joints into submission with crazy poundages…

That moderate-poundage style saved our joints and has us still training and gaining into old age—Steve is in his early 60s.

Our 4X Mass Method that we’ve been using for years now, is based on Danny’s training, which was an off-shoot of Gironda’s Density Training…

It consists of moderate weights for four to five quick sets. The method is designed to gradually exhaust the various muscle fiber types due to short rests between sets.

It’s a thorough, efficient, and safer way to get total muscle growth in almost all fiber types.

The 4X method is excellent for younger trainee looking to preserve their joints as they pack on new mass, as well as for older bodybuilders who are training around aches and pains. Oh, and the pump is unreal…

Now is the perfect time to try 4X for major muscle-growth success. For loads of motivating info and programs…

> The 4X Mass Workout 2.0 is available HERE.

4X Mass Workout 2.0 cover - You're Not a "Hardgainer"

Get the 4X Mass Workout for Muscle-Growth Success

Or for our other favorite density method, check out STX growth-threshold tactic in our latest retooled ebook, that includes many mass-building home-gym workouts…

> Quick-Start Muscle-Building Guide 2.0 is available HERE.

Quick-Start Muscle Building Guide 2.0 cover

Get the Quick-Start Muscle-Building Guide 2.0

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

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

Mass-Building Lessons From the Master Trainer

Vince Gironda - Master Trainer

Vince Gironda was the Iron Guru, a bodybuilding legend ahead of his time. His most famous pupil in the bodybuilding world was the very first Mr. Olympia Larry Scott, and he also trained many Hollywood stars back in the day, like Clint Eastwood, and even Arnold consulted with him and was a fan (even though Vince told Arnold that he was a “fat f**k” when he first arrived in the U.S.).

Many of Vince’s mass-building tricks and methods have been forgotten, buried by information and misinformation overload on the Internet, but now you can find them all, his true methods, in this must-have, 330-page Vince Gironda e-book anthology…

You get everything from “Train 21 Rest 7” to 10-8-6-15 to Vince’s Stone Age Nutrition, the 8×8 method and program and much, much more (remember, it’s 330 pages). And it’s on sale at a discount for a limited time: Simply use the code GIRONDA20 at checkout for an extra 20 percent off.

Vince Gironda: Legend & Myth (300-page anthology + many bonus gifts and programs) HERE

Learn From the Legend!

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 108: Lee Haney Beach Flex

This is a great photo of Lee Haney flexing at the beach. He’s a tad smooth, but what magnificent lines and symmetry—small waist, wide shoulders, flared quads… [Read more…]

Trouble with 10X on Chins

Q: I’ve been hitting it heavy for a few months, so I’m planning to switch to your 10×10 Mass Workout for a few weeks. I’ve done two workouts so far with 10X, and it feels great so far, and the pump is awesome. One problem I have is chins—there’s just no way I can do 10 sets of 10 reps with only 30 seconds of rest between. I know I can do pulldowns instead, but I believe chins are the superior back builder. Any suggestions?

A: You have a few choices. Famous Hollywood trainer, Vince “Iron Guru” Gironda, favored 8×8. You could try that instead of 10×10. Vince called that his “honest” muscle-building workout, and his trainees’ muscles got bigger, fuller shapes with 8×8.

Jonathan Lawson doing chin-ups

One of the most famous proponents of the 10×10 method was our colleague, Olympic coach, and muscle-size-and-strength expert the late Charles Poliquin. Here was his advice to those who couldn’t manage 10×10 on chins…

The law of repeated efforts will enable you to develop the work capacity to perform all 10 sets… Start at 10 sets of 5 reps as your first goal so that you can accumulate volume. Then progress to 10 sets of 6, and so on.

So once you get all 10 sets—or almost all—for 5 reps, add a rep at our next workout so you attempt 10×6. Keep striving to bump up your rep count…

Also, there’s no hard-and-fast rule that 30 seconds is the ideal between-sets rest. You can use 45 seconds or even one minute. For sarcoplasmic-expansion stress—building the energy fluid in the fibers—which is what 10×10 is all about, one minute should be the limit…

As for your comment that chins are better than pulldowns, maybe not better—just different. Pulldowns allow you to angle your torso for a unique lat-fiber hit. There’s really no way to angle your torso on chins to vary the stress on your back…

Lat pulldowns

To get a best-of-both worlds double hit, you could start a 10×10 sequence on chins, and when you can no longer get 10, move to pulldowns. You’ll have to experiment with the poundage so that your first set of pulldowns isn’t too easy but also not close to failure…

Say your chins go something like 10, 10, 10, 9. That’s four sets. Rest 30 seconds, then move to pulldowns. Your reps should go something like 10, 10, 10, 9, 9, 8. And your lats will be thoroughly pumped from hitting two slightly different angles of pull. It’s a great double attack to get your back jacked…

Jonathan Lawson flexing his back and arms outside

Feel the Pump and See Results from 10×10

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

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

Recommended

Mass-Building Lessons From the Master Trainer

Vince Gironda - Master Trainer

Vince Gironda was the Iron Guru, a bodybuilding legend ahead of his time. His most famous pupil in the bodybuilding world was the very first Mr. Olympia Larry Scott, and he also trained many Hollywood stars back in the day, like Clint Eastwood, and even Arnold consulted with him and was a fan (even though Vince told Arnold that he was a “fat f**k” when he first arrived in the U.S.).

Many of Vince’s mass-building tricks and methods have been forgotten, buried by information and misinformation overload on the Internet, but now you can find them all, his true methods, in this must-have, 330-page Vince Gironda e-book anthology…

You get everything from “Train 21 Rest 7” to 10-8-6-15 to Vince’s Stone Age Nutrition, the 8×8 method and program and much, much more (remember, it’s 330 pages). And it’s on sale at a discount for a limited time: Simply use the code GIRONDA20 at checkout for an extra 20 percent off.

Vince Gironda: Legend & Myth (300-page anthology + many bonus gifts and programs) HERE

Learn From the Iron Guru

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 102: Danny Padilla Muscle Rock

We’ve featured Danny Padilla in our Zen installments many times, but this is a shot we don’t remember seeing. It appears to be at the famous Muscle Rock location in Southern California… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 100: Lee Haney Perfect Flex

This is a great photo of Lee Haney at his peak, flexing his peak—the perfect shot and bodybuilder to usher the 100th edition of our Zen series. What a flawless physique—small waist, wide shoulders, every muscle developed perfectly.… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 99: Mohammed Makkawy’s Chiseled Mass

Mohammed Makkawy is one of the greatest short bodybuilders of all time. At only 5’3”, the Egyptian-born physique sculptor defeated men much taller and more massive. How? With his proportioned, no-weak-points physique chiseled to its peak. [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 95: Lee Haney Relaxed Mass Perfection

This is a great photo of Lee Haney at his peak, standing relaxed outside. Absolutely flawless mass. Imagine him holding a leash with a poodle at the end. Like a moving sculpture in a Speedo out walking his dog. LOL… [Read more…]

Moment of Bodybuilding Zen 94: Danny Padilla Mass Twist

We’ve featured Danny Padilla in our Zen installments many times, but he had such a great, well-balanced, and inspiring physique that he’s worth flashing back on again. This is a great twisting-back stage shot that highlights his mass and symmetry, things his training style magnified… [Read more…]