4X Supersets

Q: Your 4X workout method has opened my eyes to a new way of building mass. I notice at your training blog that you often superset opposing muscles, like forearm extensors and flexors, with 4X, going back and forth. Can I do that with other opposing muscle groups, like biceps and triceps, to save time?

A: We addressed that question in the Q&A section of the e-book 4X Mass Workout. Opposing-muscle-group supersets work great with the 4X method—as long as the exercises don’t force you to stop your sets due to cardiovascular failure as opposed to muscular exhaustion.

For example, supersetting squats for quads and stiff-legged deadlifts for hamstrings would wind most people, as you go back and forth with no rest for all four sets. Sure, with 4X the first few sets are not to failure, but they will still cause fatigue to build—and training a big body-part like quads will produce an oxygen debt quickly.

Recall that on 4X you take a weight with which you can get 15 reps but only do 10. If you do four cycles of 10 reps of squats and stiff-legged deadlifts, back and forth with no rest, by the third round you’ll be breathing like a locomotive, which will probably stop your sets prematurely—not what you want for building mass.

On the other hand, opposing-muscle supersets would work well for most biceps and triceps exercises. Those are two smaller muscles that don’t require a lot of oxygen. For example, barbell curls alternated with lying extensions, both midrange moves, would be a good pairing for 4X supersets. The incredible upper-arm pump will get you motivated big time.

Pairing chest and back may work too, but not with big exercises like presses and rows. We suggest 4X supersets on the contracted-position moves, such as cable flyes for chest and bent-arm bent-over laterals for midback.

Remember, when it comes to a 4X sequence, you can’t get gassed if you want to build mass.

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