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Pack On More Muscle Q: I’ve read your e-zine with interest, especially the ones concerning the three ways to add more muscle—force, stretch and occlusion. Do you think those should all be done in one workout, or could one interfere with the other? For example, do you think concentrating on force should happen at one workout and occlusion at another to separate the different growth effects? A: That’s an interesting concept, one we’ve explored and tested with excellent results. In fact, it worked so well—some trainees said bodyparts blew up to record size after a few weeks—that we have a number of programs built around that concept, including Heavy/Light and Traumatic/Nontraumatic (both are in the X-traordinary Muscle-Building Workouts e-book). For example, here’s the Heavy/Light lat program from pages 60 and 62 in XMBW: Heavy Light It makes sense that concentrating on force at one workout with heavy poundages on big midrange exercises along with soreness-inducing stretch-position moves would be the best way to damage fast-twitch fibers for a growth response.
Then at the next workout you do higher-rep, subfailure sets on the big midrange exercise followed by a drop set on contracted-position exercises to elicit a big pump, forcing blood into the muscle for better recovery and glycogen replenishment without much, if any, fiber damage.
It’s a simple concept that produces fast-mass results. That’s why we also incorporate heavy/light into the X-Rep Fascia-Expansion Superset Program, that’s on pages 35 to 40 of the new X-Rep Update #1 e-book. On that program you train each bodypart with a heavy/light attack but with a twist—fascia expansion on light day. You follow the contracted-position exercise with a stretch move to loosen muscle encasements to unleash new growth (in the light-day lat routine below it’s stiff-arm pulldowns followed by pullovers). You also train all positions of flexion at each workout, which is a bit more extensive than the above H/L program (the 3D positions are synergistic, but you work them in a different order for unique effects—and less fiber trauma on light day)... Heavy Light Note: StatC and StatS designate the static-hold technique, based on research studies that triggered pounds of muscle after one workout (exciting stuff) and a 300 percent muscle gain after only a few progressive-stretch workouts. Those studies and the StatC and StatS mass tactics are explained in the new X Update #1 e-book. Even if you don’t use 3D POF, you can still adopt a heavy/light rotation with your current program. Simply do heavy, lower reps at one workout, then the next time you train that bodypart, do higher reps with mostly subfailure sets to promote a bigger pump, optimal recovery and glycogen storage (which produces bigger, fuller muscles via better cell hydration). That one change can produce big gains. Keep in mind that heavy/light is very similar to how many of the bodybuilders of the ‘50s and ‘60s trained to build extraordinary mass—without steroids. It works, big time. Till next time, train hard. —Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson NEW: We’ve just released the X-Rep Update #1 e-book. You can get it at a special discount price—plus, for being an e-zine subscriber, you also get the new X-Rep Muscle-Training Method e-book FREE (it alone is a $29.95 value). This discount combo offer will only be available for a limited time, so check it out here.
X Alert: If you’re a beginning bodybuilder, coming back from a layoff or a trainer who trains beginners, our new e-book, Quick-Start Muscle-Building Guide, is for you. Click here for more details.
Note: Visit our new X-Shop for info on all of our e-books and special money-saving combo offers, like our X-treme Lean diet book with X-traordinary Abs FREE. The new X-traordinary Arms e-book is there too. Check it out. Click on the e-books for more information:
The e-books on this site were written to help you get closer to your physical potential with sensible bodybuilding strategies. Weight training is a demanding activity, however, so it is highly recommended that you consult your physician and have a physical examination prior to beginning a weight-training program. Any comments provided are for general information purposes only and do not represent medical advice. Proceed with the suggested diets, exercises and routines at your own risk. Results using the programs and diets in these e-books vary from individual to individual. Testimonial endorsers’ results using it may be considered atypical. Copyright © 2008 by Homebody Productions |
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