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1 Workout a Week for a Freak Physique?

Jonathan Lawson's arm measuring over 19"

Q: I saw a study by Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D., that showed training a muscle twice a week produced more mass gains than training a muscle once a week. I like training each muscle once a week and seem to make good gains, but I want to build mass as fast as possible. Should I switch to a different split to hit each muscle twice a week?

A: It was a “meta-analysis,” which means the researchers looked at multiple studies to come to their conclusion. Schoenfeld was one of the authors, and he is a favorite of ours because [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: Brad Schoenfeld, hypertrophy, ideal exercises, one workout, volume

Once-a-Week Workouts and NA Training

Q: I want to thank you for putting together the Freak-Physique e-book. What a blockbuster resource of training information and programs. I’m using the 3D Power Pyramid Program. The quote from the trainee who gained so much muscle and strength in only a few weeks using it got me stoked. My question is, I’m more of a train-each-bodypart-once-a-week guy, so can I use it that way instead of training each bodypart twice a week? If so, how should I adjust it?

A: First, you picked a great program. We get lots of positive feedback on the 3D Power Pyramid because it’s simple Positions-of-Flexion methodology but you add weight over three sets on the big midrange move (pyramid), and do only one set each of the stretch- and contracted-position exercises. It’s basically a POF strength-building workout with a big muscle-size side effect. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d power pyramid, alpha muscle, alpha-3 specialization, anabolic swelling, eccentric, endocrine system, fiber trauma, freak physique, freak-physique workout, hurts but it works, max-force generation, muscle growth, muscle size, muscle trauma, muscle-building, na training, negative-accentuated, nervous system, once-a-week workouts, POF, positions of flexion, power pyramids, recovery, specialization, strength building, systematic recovery, volume

3D HIT Question

Q: In the 3D HIT program [listed in the X-traordinary Arms e-book], you say to end each bodypart with one slow, higher-rep set of an isolation exercise for tension and occlusion. You also mention drop sets for those exercises. Which is better, one higher-rep set or a drop set?

A: Keep in mind that doing a drop set is a volume increase because it’s two sets back to back. For example, on concentration curls for biceps, you do a set of 10 reps to exhaustion, grab a lighter dumbbell, and immediately rep out again, getting about six more reps. Is that better than one set of 12-15 reps? That depends…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 3d hit, 3d hit question, anabolic fasting, arm exercises, arm training, brad pilon, continuous tension, drop sets, eat stop eat, efficiency-of-effort, endurance fibers, explosive reps, fast-twitch, high-threshold fibers, intermittent fasting, muscle growth, rep cadence, size principle of muscle fiber recruitment, slow-twitch, volume, x-traordinary arms

Mass Building Mayhem—Serious Size Strategy

Muscular delt and arm - Quick Hits for Muscle Size

Q: You guys have so many different programs and mass tactics. Should I just pick a routine I like, do it for five weeks, then pick another? For example, I’m thinking about using 4X Mass Workout. Then I could go to Power-Density. Thoughts?

A: That can work very well. As we always say, change to gain. But when we say that, we are primarily talking about tactics, not exercises…

[Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x10, 4X, 4x mass workout, arnold, change to gain, clint eastwood, growth stimulation, heavy/light, iron guru, legend & myth, mass building, mass tactics, master trainer, muscle gains, muscle size, phase 1, positions of flexion, power-density, progressive speed, size, size strategy, Size Surge, subfailure, super-size crash course, supercompensation, TORQ, vince gironda, volume, volume progression

On Your Mark, Add Sets, GROW!

Jonathan Lawson doing uncrossovers - On Your Mark, Add Sets, GROW!

Q: I’m testing your 4X variations [Shock-centric, 4X Pyramid, etc. from one of your recent newsletters]. Great stuff! Isn’t another way to get more mass simply to add sets by increasing the volume to 5X or more on any exercise?

A: Yes, volume increases, as in tacking on sets to 4X so you’re doing 5X or 6X, can boost mass gains—to a point. It’s a lot like tanning: To get darker, you can increase exposure time. The problem is diminishing returns… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 10x10, 2a fibers, 4X, 4x pyramid, 4x training, density, endurance, fiber types, mass gains, negative-accentuated, nervous system, overtraining, Power, power and density, power-density, pure density, shock-centric, stress, testosterone, volume

The Forgotten Muscle-Size Trick

Frank Zane - The Forgotten Muscle-Size Trick

Q: You guys don’t seem to like training each muscle only once a week like a lot of pro bodybuilders. How come?

A: More muscle-training frequency is a BIG size stimulator, especially for drug-free trainees—if you do it correctly. Many pros can get away with training each bodypart with excessive volume only once a week because of genetic superiority and, of course, excessive drug use. In fact, if you look back at the best bodybuilders of yesteryear, when steroid use was minimal, training each bodypart THREE times a week was the norm prior to a contest. It’s a bit of a forgotten muscle-size trick… [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, 4x mass workout, arnold, arnold schwarzenegger, direct/indirect, drug-free, drugs, eccentric, frank zane, frequency, genetics, muscle trauma, muscle-size trick, natural bodybuilders, negative-accentuated, nervous system, neuromuscular efficiency, one-hit-per-week, physique, pro bodybuilders, sergio oliva, size stimulator, steroids, strength, Ultimate Mass Workout, volume, x-centric, x-centric mass workout

Which Way is Best?

Jonathan Lawson barbell squats - Which Way is Best?

Q: I’m ready to try The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout, but you have different workouts in that e-book. The first program is four days a week, but each bodypart is worked only once each week. The second program is three days a week, but again you train each bodypart only once. Then in the Q&A chapter, you suggest using the three-days-per-week routine over four days per week [following the 3-day sequence so each muscle is hit more than once a week]. Which way is best?

A: It’s tough to answer which way is best because we don’t know the extent of your recovery ability, stress levels, experience, etc. Remember, the Fat-to-Muscle workouts have negative-accentuated sets, which do great things for a fat-to-muscle metamorphosis during microtear repair, AND heavy power pyramids, which also are very abrasive to muscle fibers. Those two factors may force the need for more recovery—like seven days. [Read more…]

Filed Under: X Files Tagged With: 4X, avoid overtraining, basic program, direct/indirect, fat-to-muscle workout, microtears, muscle fibers, negative-accentuated, nervous system, overtaining, power pyramids, recovery, recovery ability, stress, testosterone, volume, which way is best, x-centric mass workout

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