X Reps Archives - Page 9 of 10

Forced X Reps: Brutal But Effective

Q: I’m back to a basic Positions-of-Flexion program, and I’m pretty stoked about it. I gained almost 10 pounds with it a year ago, so I figure it’s always good to return so something that works. My question is that I’m thinking about using Forced X Reps after reading X Rep Update #1. Should I add a set with those or do my last set in the pyramid as my forced set?

A: Forced X-Reps are one of the most brutal forms of overload—but incredibly effective in the mass-building department if you do them correctly and safely—with complete control, no jerking or heaving. For the uninitiated, here’s the brutality explained from X-Rep Update #1: [Read more…]

Low-Rep Muscle-Mass Lowdown

Q: What’s your opinion of low-rep sets, like singles, doubles, and triples? Will they help me build more muscle?

A: Low reps are more for developing strength, but indirectly they can help you add size. We say indirectly because low-rep sets help you develop neuromuscular [Read more…]

More Tips for Bigger Arms

Q: I’m following the arm-specialization programs in your X-traordinary Arms e-book (I ordered the Anabolic After-40 package to get it free!). I like starting my biceps workout with cable curls, as you suggest, because I can add X Reps at the end of the last set. Many of the pro bodybuilders say free weights are better for growth, so I’m worried I’m not getting the most size stimulation. Are free-weight barbell or dumbbell curls better?

A: Not necessarily. The only problem with cable curls is weight-stack drag, which makes the negative, or lowering, stroke slightly easier; however, you get much better continuous tension with a cable curl as opposed to barbell or dumbbell curls. That’s very important for max-growth stimulation. There’s also another BIG benefit… [Read more…]

Rapid-Rate Muscular Growth

Q: I have been using [end-of-set] X-Rep partials and making the best gains of my life. I consider it one of the top muscle-building breakthroughs. You guys always seem to be at the cutting edge of mass techniques. Any other secrets you can recommend to boost my gains?

A: Thanks for the kind words regarding X Reps. They’ve done great things for hundreds of trainees—and we made the best gains of our lives that first X-Rep year—in only five weeks with them (no steroids, no trick photography—although the lighting is different and we have tans in the afters)… [Read more…]

X-Reps for X-tra Muscle—Pounds of it

Q: I’m thin and consider myself a hardgainer. I’ve been training with weights for two years and have managed to add only about 10 pounds of muscle. Not very impressive. I recently got your X-traordinary X-Rep Workout [e-book] and started using the X Reps in my workouts. They feel great, and I wanted to report that after using them for only a few weeks, I’ve added five pounds and look much bigger. I’m so thankful I found this technique! Are there any others I should be using? I feel like I’m finally getting the size gains I’ve been looking for.

A: Great progress! As we often say, hardgainers tend to have more of an endurance component to their muscles. You know how calves and forearms tend to respond better to longer tension times? That’s how most of the muscles on a hardgainer’s body are constructed, so they need longer tension times to grow… [Read more…]

Cut Back to Grow Muscle

Q: Before the start of my spring/summer job a month ago, my muscle development was progressing nicely. I was using your Positions of Flexion and X-Rep techniques on my three-days-a-week split: chest/bi’s, legs, and back/tri’s. My strength-and-size gains were steadily increasing. Then I started my summer job, and I was a lot sorer after my workouts, I take longer to recover, and I’m losing the size I had in my arms. The job is 40 hours a week of outdoor physical labor. I thought that by eating frequently with adequate protein and eight hours of sleep each night, I’d be fine, but that’s not working. Do you have any suggestions to help get me back on the muscle-building track, especially in the arm department?

A: A demanding physical-labor job can make it more difficult to grow, but not impossible. Even a high-pressure office job presents a similar problem: too much stress. It’s similar to being a hardgainer with low recovery ability and high cortisol output: You have to find the right balance and workload so you don’t overtrain, which means you sometimes have to cut back to grow. [Read more…]

X Reps on 10×10 Sets?

Q: I have most of your e-books and am really impressed with The Ultimate Mass Workout [the original X-Rep manual]. X Reps make a lot of sense for giving a set more size-building power. My question is, Should I use X Reps on 10×10 sets? And what about forced reps? Do you ever use them?

A: Remember, with 10×10 you are getting a lot of volume, even though the first few sets aren’t that tough. Nevertheless, you are still working the muscles and nervous system, so overtraining is always looming. [Read more…]

Big-Arms Tip

Q: I’m getting new mass and cuts using the Fat-to-Muscle Workout. Just the right amount of soreness to burn fat and add muscle. I can see it happening when I look in the mirror. The only bodypart not getting it is biceps. I do cable curls with the Negative Accentuated technique because you’ve said it’s superior to barbell curls. I do two seconds up and then six seconds down on every rep, but I don’t get that deep ache like my biceps were worked hard enough. Should I move slower on the NA set or what?

A: To clarify, we’ve said cable curls are superior to barbell curls when you want to incorporate X Reps at the end of a set. X Reps are eight-inch partials you add at the semi-stretch point when you can’t do any more full-range reps. [Read more…]

What routine should I do next?

Q: I have a few questions: 1) After the beginner’s guide [Quick-Start Muscle Building] what routine should I do next? 2) Is it unusual to “feel” bigger as you go [through the Quick-Start programs]? It’s like an awareness of my muscles that I’ve never had—strange but nice. 3) I’m unclear on what to do if I’m sore and it’s time to work that muscle again—like my chest is still really sore, it’s chest day again tomorrow, so do I work it or skip?

A: Great questions. We suggest you follow up with the 3D Muscle Building e-book after the beginner’s guide (Quick-Start). There is a 10-week program in it that Jonathan used to add a lot of muscle quickly (see his before and after photos below). You can try it as it’s listed, the exact way he used it, or the retooled version with X Reps. If you just started lifting, however, we recommend his first non-X-Rep version in Chapter 1 until you have about six months of training under your belt… [Read more…]

What Next?

Q: I have a few questions: 1) After the beginner’s guide [Quick-Start Muscle Building] what e-book do I go to next? 2) Is it unusual to “feel” bigger as you go [through the Quick-Start programs]? It’s like an awareness of my muscles that I’ve never had—strange but nice. 3) I’m unclear on what to do if I’m sore and it’s time to work that muscle again—like my chest is still really sore, it’s chest day again, so do I work it or skip?

A: Great questions. We suggest you follow up with the 3D Muscle Building e-book after the beginner’s guide (Quick Start). There is a 10-week program in it that Jonathan used to add a lot of muscle quickly. You can try it as it’s listed, the exact way he used it, or the retooled version with X Reps. If you just started lifting, however, we recommend his first non-X-Rep version in Chapter 1 until you have about six months of training under your belt.

No, it’s not unusual to feel bigger using the Quick Start Guide. The program is designed with that in mind—using force-generation exercises plus the neuromuscular stimulation of slow contracted-position exercises. That provides the perfect growth stimulus for the beginner, as the research studies we discuss in that e-book indicate. Most beginning programs don’t build muscle from the get-go; the Quick Start workouts do, as you’re finding out.

As for soreness, if it’s only mild, you can hit the muscle hard when it’s time. If soreness is more severe, you should train the muscle again, but use lighter poundages and don’t go to exhaustion on your exercises. In other words, make it an easy, pump workout to bathe the muscle in nutrient-rich blood. Keep the reps fairly high (around 12) on each exercise, with the 12th rep being fairly easy. You should strive for full engorgement to facilitate recovery and growth.

NOTE: The Quick-Start Muscle Building Guide is perfect for beginners, obviously, but it’s also ideal if you’ve slacked off and haven’t trained in a while but want to make a serious comeback. It’s a great addition to any muscle-building library, and you can get a copy HERE. The 3D Muscle Building e-book is the POF bible and full of great info that should be mandatory for anyone serious about building muscle. Grab your copy HERE.

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

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

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