X-REP.COM

Dedicated to Your Physical Transformation

Fat Loss With NO Cardio?!

Q: I read that you guys got super ripped without doing any cardio. I also saw that Arnold had incredible fat loss with no cardio, relying on weight training only. Is that true?

A: According to John Balik, former Publisher of IRON MAN magazine and Arnold’s friend and one-time training partner, the only thing close to real cardio that Arnold did was occasional walking or running on the beach… [Read more…]

Hormone-Zone Muscle Training

Q: In X-treme Lean you have the “High-Definition Workout” (pages 76-78), and you say to use it five days a week. I don’t think I’ve seen you recommend that many workouts in a row. What’s the reason [for five consecutive days of training]?

A: After training for photo shoots for 10 years off and on, we realized that one of the keys to getting lean is hormone-zone training, which is where you keep testosterone, GH and other anabolic, fat-burning hormones up as high as possible. [Read more…]

Rip Up and Grow With the Flow

Q: In X-treme Lean, you have the “High-Definition Workout” (pages 76-78), and you say to use it five days a week. I don’t think I’ve seen you recommend that many workouts in a row. What’s the reason [for five consecutive days of training]? [Read more…]

Is Spot Reduction a Myth?

Q: I’m now a believer in negative-accentuated sets for fat loss. I started using a version of your Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout and got leaner and more muscular after only one month. I admit that I did a few more NA [negative-accentuated] sets for areas I really needed to reduce fat. I’ve heard that spot reduction isn’t possible, but I could swear I lost more fat in those areas like my midsection and thighs that I hit with more NA work. I’m seeing abs! So do you think spot reduction is a myth? I’m starting to think not.

A: For those unfamiliar with it, an NA set is one second up on the positive and six seconds down on the negative. For example, on a curl, you would curl the weight at normal speed, then lower slowly to a count of six. The slow negative emphasis increases blood flow to the muscle and also triggers more muscle trauma. Both of those factors are critical to fast fat-to-muscle results… [Read more…]

Cheat to Get Ripped

Q: I’m so ready to be ripped. I got your X-treme Lean e-book and am on the diet. Already dropped five pounds of fat in two weeks just by cleaning up and using your tips. My question is about the cheat day every week that you say is mandatory. Can I eat junk food on my cheat day, or do I just increase my calories with good carbs? I crave pancakes, so is that okay? I want to see my abs as quickly as possible.

A: Mmm, pancakes! Before we answer your question about junk food and how to cheat to get ripped, let us explain our reasons for a mandatory cheat day every week… [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…]

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: [Read more…]

Quick Fat-Burning Results

Q: I got The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout e-book and am amazed at the great information. I’ve already started applying it and am seeing quick fat-burning results (I can already see the top two rows of abs). My question is, Why didn’t you include diet information?

A: We wrote The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout as an e-training program. Its purpose is to explain the research on achieving a transformation via muscle microtrauma combined with growth hormone release.

[Read more…]

Fast Fat Loss

Q: Do you think I could lose 15 to 20 pounds in a month? I have a reunion coming up, and I want to be in a somewhat healthy looking condition. I was 250 last night. I want the fat off. It’s killing me to see this gut—you have no idea!

A: Yes, you could technically lose that much weight, but most of it would be water and muscle—and you probably wouldn’t look much better or feel healthy. We all want fast fat loss, and we’re all impatient when it comes to changing our bodies, but the best strategy is slow and steady… [Read more…]