Subject:
IRON MAN E-Zine: Issue #419:
Mass Workouts That Work: Your Serious Size Strategy
TABLE OF CONTENTS:
* Try This at Your Next Workout
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TRY THIS AT YOUR NEXT WORKOUT
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Mass Workouts That Work: Your Serious Size Strategy
Q: I have the new Size Surge e-book, and I also got the 3D Muscle Building e-book. In 3D there’s a different version of the phase 1 Size Surge workouts [SS Mass F/X Program, pages 81-84 in 3D]. It has rest/pause and drop sets. Should I use that as phase 1 or Jonathan’s listed [straight-set version] in the Size Surge e-book?
A: The Mass F/X Program in the 3D e-book is the same 3-days-per-week phase 1 that Jonathan used, but with a few twists: You do a max-Force-generating workout for a bodypart, then at the second workout for that bodypart you do an eXtended-tension-style workout. That gives you the power-density mass-building combination we’re always harping on…
For example, at your first delt workout on Monday you do the following force workout:
Dumbbell presses (X Reps), 2 x 7-9
Dumbbell upright rows (X Reps), 2 x 7-9
When you train delts again on Friday, you do the following extended-tension workout:
Dumbbell presses (multi-rep rest/pause), 1 x 9(6)(4)
Dumbbell upright rows (drop set), 1 x (9)(6)
Multi-rep rest/pause is also known as DoggCrapp training. You take a weight you hit failure with at 9 reps, rest for 15 seconds then rep out with it again, getting around 6; rest 15 seconds and rep out one last time, getting around 4. For a drop set you reduce the weight and rep out with ZERO rest.
Okay back to your question: Should you use the F/X version or Jonathan’s straight-set version for phase 1? Here’s what we suggest:
Weeks 1-5: Use Jonathan’s straight-set phase 1 workouts (3 days per week–pages 21-23 in Size Surge)
Week 6: Continue with it for a downshift week, stopping all sets 2 reps short of failure
Weeks 7-10: Use Jonathan’s full-range POF phase 2 (we prefer the four-days-per-week version–pages 55-57 in Size Surge)
Week 11: Continue with it for a downshift week, stopping all sets 2 reps short of failure
Week 12-15: Use the SS Phase 1 Mass F/X Program (3 days per week–pages 81-84 in 3D Muscle Building)
After week 15 it’s up to you. There’s a great POF version of Eric Broser’s Power/Rep Range/Shock system in the 3D Muscle Building e-book we highly recommend. It’s on pages 103-115 in a printable templates. That program provides unique changes every week which should pack even more mass on your physique!
Q: I’m in the first phase of the Size Surge Workout, and it’s incredible. I’ve already gained 4 pounds in three weeks. That’s more than I’ve gained in the past year. I’m psyched for the next step, so I was looking over the [Positions-of-Flexion] phase 2 and noticed behind-the-neck pulldowns. I’ve read those are dangerous. Can I substitute something else?
A: Behind-the-neck pulldowns should be safe for most trainees in the phase 2 Size Surge program because of 3 reasons:
1) You use a controlled tempo–1.5 seconds down and three seconds up, no jerking.
2) You reverse the movement of the bar when it reaches about halfway behind your head, just a bit lower than what’s pictured above–around the top of your ears.
3) In the 3-way split version (pages 55-57), which is what we recommend for most trainees, you do it as the first midback exercise, but AFTER full-range work for your lats. With your back partially fatigued, the weight you use on behind-the-neck pulldowns will be much less than if you did them first when your back and bi’s are fresh.
Each of those reduces the strain on the rotator cuffs significantly; however, some trainees have a propensity for shoulder pain and/or injury. If that’s your case we suggest you simply SKIP the behind-the-neck pulldowns and do two sets of the midback stretch-position exercise, one-arm dumbbell rows, AND the midback contracted-position exercise, bent-arm bent-over laterals. That will be your complete midback workout after you train lats..
You can delete the behind-the-neck pulldowns because standard pulldowns to the front–midrange-position lat work–also train the midback through its midrange position. In other words, behind-the-neck pulldowns are somewhat redundant after lat work, although they do make a midback squeeze more pronounced…
As you can see, even if you delete behind-the-neck pulldowns, you’ll still be getting full-range work for your midback as well as your lats. And that means when you peel off your shirt that first warm day of spring, your back will be stacked with new mass…
Till next time, train hard–and smart–for BIG results.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
NEW: The X-traordinary SIZE SURGE Workout, Jonathan Lawson’s legendary two-phase mass program that packed 20 pounds of muscle on his frame in only 10 weeks. See all the changes he made to the original workouts, transcribed from his training journal. In printable templates so you can duplicate his incredible gains. You also get his eat-to-grow diet and streamlined no-frills supplement schedule, anabolic acceleration methods and loads of tips and tricks. Plus, an interview with a top-level bodybuilder who trains Size Surge style for incredible growth.
Triple-Shred Discount Fat-Loss Offer: Get our diet-and fat-loss e-book, X-treme Lean, together with The Fat-to-Muscle Workout and X-traordinary Abs e-books at a special limited-time low price. Click the Triple-Shredded Combo Offer and get on the rocketship to ripped today.
Winter-Workout Special: You can get all 3 of our latest best-selling e-books–The X-traordinary X-Rep Workout, The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout and The Ultimate 10×10 Mass Workout–at a limited-time discount price. Those contain all the workouts in our 3-Way Mass Plan, which is 1) Basic X-traordinary X-Rep Workout for two weeks, 2) the Basic Power-Density Mass Workout for two weeks, 3) a downshift week (stopping all work sets before failure), 4) the Heavy/Light 10×10 Mass Workout for 4 weeks. Click the covers below for more info.
Newbies: 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.
To follow the ITRC training program in “Train, Eat, Grow,” get a copy of the latest issue of IRON MAN.
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This Special Report was submitted by Jonathan Lawson and Steve Holman.
The IRON MAN Training & Research Team
www.ironmanmagazine.com
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