Train, Eat, Grow 99

You often hear two schools of thought when it comes to getting bigger:

1) You have to get stronger—blast up heavy weights.
2) You have to feel the muscle working—on every rep of every set.

Most people have trouble doing both because the two approaches require two different mind-sets. That’s where heavy/light training comes in. It incorporates both growth-promoting tactics but at different workouts. Here’s a snapshot of our version of the heavy/light mass-building concept:

• Heavy workout: a lower-rep reverse pyramid—reps of 5, 7, 9 + X-Rep partials—all sets to exhaustion.
• Light workout: higher-rep sets—10 to 15 reps for super saturation and pump, all sets to subfailure with slow, five-second reps.

Like bodybuilders in the presteroid era, we’re making great gains alternating heavy and light workouts for each bodypart, training only four days a week for about an hour a session. We’ve gotten a lot of e-mail from trainees who are using this system to take their muscle size to new heights. It’s a very effective mass-building method, although, like any “training system,” it will eventually stop working, and you’ll have to move to something new. That’s the nature of adaptation.

Nevertheless, we want to stress that while the light workout is for pump, don’t forget about feel—you really need to “connect” with the muscle on each rep. Too many trainees take a weight that they can handle for about 12 reps and then “throw” the weight on the first 10. The weight feels light, so they want to move it fast—but that’s inefficient. Instead, think of each and every rep of your light sets as growth stimulators—slow down the cadence and make the mind/muscle connection. We can’t stress that enough!

Heavy day is when you want to “explode”—but with control. After all, when you take a weight that you can only get five reps with, the first rep will feel relatively heavy. You’re going to have to get in touch with your inner powerlifter—but as we said, stay in control on heavy sets, using a cadence of about three seconds per rep (one up, two down). On light day, however, you should go for about five seconds per rep—2.5 up, 2.5 down. That will help you feel the muscle working, extend tension time and saturate the muscle with growth-promoting nutrients.

Split Review

With that reminder out of the way, let’s review our training split. We can’t train on the weekends, and we need one day during the week for meetings, outside assignments and the like. So here’s how we cope with life’s little obstacles and still build plenty of muscle on four days of training per week (H = heavy; L = light):

Week 1
Monday: Chest (H), lats (L), triceps (H), abs (L)
Tuesday: Quads (H), hamstrings (L), lower back (H)
Wednesday: Delts (L), midback (H), biceps (L), forearms (H)
Thursday: Off
Friday: Chest (L), lats (H), triceps (L), abs (H)
Weekend: Off (with cardio)

Week 2
Monday: Delts (H), midback (L), biceps (H), forearms (L)
Tuesday: Quads (L), hamstrings (H), lower back (L)
Wednesday: Chest (H), lats (L), triceps (H), abs (L)
Thursday: Off
Friday: Delts (L), midback (H), biceps (L), forearms (H)
Weekend: Off (with cardio)

Week 3
Repeat week 1

We’re still working legs only once a week, every Tuesday. The two upper-body workouts alternate over Monday, Wednesday and Friday, picking up with the next workout in the sequence on the following Monday, then legs on Tuesday and so on. It’s the same split we’ve been on for a while, but as we explained last month and as you can see above, there’s one new twist: We alternate heavy and light workouts for every bodypart.

Split-Positions Training and Specialization

Heavy/light sounds simple enough, but we always throw a curve in there in an attempt to make it even more effective: We’re adding the missing position to lagging bodyparts, like delts, for an extra hypertrophic kick. In case you missed our discussion last month, the split-positions approach calls for a midrange- and stretch-position exercise on heavy day and a midrange- and contracted-position exercise on light day. So we train the three positions of flexion over two workouts. Here’s how our medial-head workouts look before the addition:

Heavy
Dumbbell upright
rows* 3 x 5, 7, 9
Superset (stretch exercises)
One-arm cable laterals 1 x 8
Incline one-arm laterals 1 x 8
Light
Dumbbell upright
rows 2 x 10-15
Superset (contracted exercises)
Forward-lean laterals 1 x 8
Standing laterals 1 x 8
*Decrease the poundage on each successive set so the reps increase.

So to specialize on delts—damned lagging medial heads!—we add forward-lean laterals, a con­tracted-position move, to heavy day—after the stretch-exercise superset. Notice that contracted is the missing position on heavy day.

Heavy
Dumbbell upright
rows* 3 x 5, 7, 9
Superset (stretch exercises)
One-arm cable laterals 1 x 8
Incline one-arm laterals 1 x 8
Add contracted exercise:
Forward-lean laterals 1 x 8

On light day we add a stretch-position exercise—one-arm cable laterals—after the contracted-position-exercise superset. So the light-day delt-specialization program looks like this:

Light
Dumbbell upright
rows 2 x 10-15
Superset
Forward-lean laterals 1 x 8
Standing laterals 1 x 8
Add stretch exercise:
One-arm cable laterals 1 x 10

*Decrease the poundage on each successive set so the reps increase.
If you look at our entire program on pages 66 and 68, you can see that we’re also using the specialization approach on biceps and triceps. After using full 3D POF for delts and arms for a few weeks, we’ll go back to the split-positions approach for those bodyparts and give the specialization treatment to a couple of other bodyparts that need work, like chest and lats.

D.C. and H/L

We included a few complete heavy/light programs and H/L-hybrid routines—Volume/Intensity Fusion and Traumatic/Nontraumatic—in our e-book X-traordinary Muscle Building Workouts, so questions are coming in. Here’s a good one that involves a popular intensity technique.

Q: I’ve been reading a lot about DoggCrapp training on the Internet. It sounds like a killer way to attack the muscle quickly for max growth. How can I incorporate it into the heavy/light program?

A: Multirep rest/pause, a.k.a. Dante’s D.C. training, is a great way to shock a muscle into growth. For those who aren’t familiar with it, here’s how it works: You do a set with a weight that has you hit exhaustion at about nine reps, rest 20 seconds. Take the same weight and go to failure again, getting about five or six reps, rest 20 seconds, and then do a third and final set with the same weight, getting two to four reps. That’s three sets to failure, 20 seconds between them. Brutal!

MRR/P is a great method that combines max force with endurance-component work; however, we believe that because of the short rests, it leans more toward pump and endurance. In other words, we believe it fits best on light day—with a slight adjustment in the rep ranges.

On light day use MRR/P on the big, midrange exercise that you do first, such as decline presses for chest. Take a weight for your first work set that lets you get about 14 reps, but do 12—remember, light workouts are subfailure. Slow the cadence so that you feel the muscle working. At rep 12 your pecs should be on fire, but you’ll have one or two more reps in you when you stop. Rest 20 seconds, then hit it again, stopping one or two reps short of exhaustion, at rep nine or so. Rest 20 seconds again; then do a third and final set, pushing to near exhaustion, but not quite—five to seven reps.

You should have a pair of pumped pecs after that, with a flushed ache that signifies super saturation without much fiber trauma (you get plenty of that on heavy day). The short rests fused with the higher-rep ranges will push glycogen and aminos into the muscle to enhance recovery and growth, repairing the muscle from the heavy-day assault.

Follow that MRR/P attack with one drop set of a contracted-position exercise like cable crossovers, and you’ve got a very fast, efficient middle- and lower-pec pumping program, perfect for light day. (We’ll list the program in a moment.)
Remember, heavy day is for max force and fiber trauma, so do your sets of declines as a reverse pyramid—reps should go five, seven, nine, reducing the poundage on each successive set. All sets should be to exhaustion, and you should rest for 2 1/2 to three minutes between sets so you can generate maximum force on each set. That’s what heavy day is all about—max force, which is the big key to anabolic stimulation via fast-twitch-fiber trauma. Include X-Rep partials at the end of your last set for more max-force generation and fiber recruitment.

Follow your heavy, midrange exercise with a drop set on a stretch-position move, like flat-bench flyes. Stretch overload is excellent for heavy day, as it contributes more max-force recruitment and traumatizes the target muscle. It’s been linked to hyperplasia, or fiber splitting, as well as anabolic receptor proliferation in muscle.

So, to put all of the above in a concise lower/middle-pec heavy/light program with multirep rest/pause on light day…

Heavy
Decline
presses 3 x 5, 7, 9 + X Reps
Dumbbell flyes
(drop set) 1 x 8 (6 + X Reps)

Light
Decline presses
(MRR/P;
subfailure sets) 1 x 12(9)(6)
Cable crossovers
(drop set) 1 x 8(6)

The split-positions heavy/light program is very flexible, with lots of variation—intensity, rep ranges, rep cadence and exercise order. All of that change can stimulate big gains (you keep the muscles adapting for a longer time by using different workouts). To check out how our program is evolving, visit our training blog at X-Rep.com. We post after every workout, complete with comments on what we’ve changed and how it’s working.

Note: For two abbreviated, time-sensitive versions of the heavy/light workouts included here, see the new e-book X-traordinary Muscle-Building Workouts, available at X-Workouts.com. It also includes Volume/Intensity Fusion, Traumatic/Nontraumatic, 20-Rep Squat and X-Rep Reload—10 complete programs—all discussed in detail and presented in printable-template form.

Editor’s note: For the latest information on X Reps, X e-books and the X-Blog training and supplement journals, visit www.X-Rep.com. IM

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 99

Workout 1A: Chest (H), Lats (L), Triceps (H), Abs (L)
Smith-machine incline presses (X Reps) 3 x 5, 7, 9
Incline flyes (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8-10(8)
Bench presses (X Reps) 2 x 5, 9
Superset
Wide-grip dips (X Reps) 1 x 7-9
Pushups (X Reps) 1 x 7-9
Flyes (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8-10(8)
Chins 1 x 10-15
Parallel-grip chins 1 x 10-15
Pulldowns 1 x 10-15
Superset
Machine pullovers 1 x 9-12
Rope rows 1 x 8-10
Decline extensions (X Reps) 3 x 5, 7, 9
Overhead dumbbell extensions
(drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(8)
Kickbacks (X Reps) 1 x 8
Incline kneeups 2 x 12-15
Tri-set
Ab Bench crunches 1 x 10-12
Twisting crunches 1 x 10-15
End-of-bench kneeups 1 x 9-12

Workout 1B: Chest (L), Lats (H), Triceps (L), Abs (H)
Smith-machine incline presses 2 x 10-15
Incline flyes (drop) 1 x 8-10(8)
Bench presses 2 x 10-15
Wide-grip dips 2 x 10-15
Flyes (drop) 1 x 8-10(8)
Chins (X Reps) 2 x 5, 7
Parallel-grip chins (X Reps) 1 x 9
Pulldowns (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Superset
Machine pullovers (X Reps) 1 x 8
Dumbbell pullovers (X Reps) 1 x 8
Decline extensions 2 x 10-15
Superset
Pushdowns 1 x 8
Bench dips 1 x 8
Pushdowns 1 x 10-15
Cable Pushouts 1 x 10-15
Incline kneeups (X Reps) 2 x 8-10
Tri-set
Ab Bench crunches (X Reps) 1 x 8
Twisting crunches (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
End-of-bench kneeups (X Reps) 1 x 8-10

Workout 2A: Delts (H), Midback (L), Biceps (H), Forearms (L)
Seated laterals/upright rows (X Reps) 3 x 5, 7, 9
Superset
One-arm cable laterals (X Reps) 1 x 8
Incline one-arm laterals (X Reps) 1 x 8
Forward-lean laterals (X Reps) 1 x 8
Smith-machine presses (X Reps) 2 x 5, 7
Seated dumbbell presses (X Reps) 1 x 9
Bent-over laterals (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(8)
Horizontal chins 2 x 10-15
Bent-arm bent-over laterals (drop) 1 x 8(8)
Superset
High rows (drop) 1 x 8-10(8)
Dumbbell shrugs 1 x 8
Preacher curls 2 x 5, 7
Cable curls (X Reps) 1 x 9
Incline curls (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(8)
Concentration curls (X Reps) 1 x 8
Incline hammer curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Tri-set
Dumbbell reverse wrist curls 1 x 10-12
Forearm Bar reverse wrist curls 1 x 8-10
Dumbbell reverse wrist curls 1 x 8-10
Tri-set
Behind-the-back wrist curls 1 x 10-12
Forearm Bar wrist curls 1 x 8-10
Dumbbell wrist curls 1 x 8-10
Rockers 1 x 20-30

Workout 2B: Delts (L), Midback (H), Biceps (L), Forearms (H)
Seated laterals/upright rows 2 x 10-15
Superset
Forward-lean laterals 1 x 8
Standing laterals 1 x 8
One-arm cable laterals 1 x 10-15
Smith-machine presses 1 x 10-15
Seated dumbbell presses 1 x 10-15
Bent-over laterals (drop) 1 x 10-15
Bent-over rows 2 x 5, 7
Horizontal chins (X Reps) 1 x 9
Cable rows (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(8)
Superset
High rows (X Reps) 1 x 8
Dumbbell shrugs (X Reps) 1 x 10
Preacher curls 1 x 10-15
Cable curls 1 x 10-15
Superset
Concentration curls 1 x 8
One-arm spider curls 1 x 8
Rope hammer curls 1 x 10-15
Superset
Dumbbell reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Forearm Bar reverse wrist curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Superset
Dumbbell wrist curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Forearm Bar wrist curls (X Reps) 1 x 8-10
Rockers 1 x 10-15
Add to Friday Workout: Soleus
Seated calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 9-12

Note: Where X Reps are designated, only one set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid technique from the e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building. See the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for more details.

IRON MAN Training & Research Center Muscle-Training Program 99: Legs

Workout 3A: Quads (H), Hamstrings (L), Calves (H), Lower Back (L)
Leg extensions (X Reps) 2 x 8, 10
Squats 2 x 7-9
Hack squats 2 x 7-9
Leg extensions (X Reps) 1 x 10
Sissy squats (X Reps) 1 x 7-9
Feet-forward Smith-machine front squats 1 x 10-15
Walking lunges 1 x 10-15
Leg curls (drop) 1 x 8(6)
Stiff-legged deadlifts 1 x 7-9
Knee-extension leg press calf raises
(X Reps) 3 x 10, 12, 14
Superset
Standing calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10
Hack-machine calf raises (X Reps) 2 x 10
Donkey calf raises (X Reps) 1 x 10-15
Hyperextensions (X Reps) 1 x 10-15
Workout 3B: Quads (L), Hamstrings (H), Calves (L), Lower Back (H)
Leg extensions 2 x 10-15
Squats 2 x 10-15
Hack squats 2 x 10-15
Leg extensions 1 x 15-20
Feet-forward Smith-machine front squats 1 x 7-9
Walking lunges 1 x 7-9
Leg curls (drop; X Reps) 1 x 8(6)
Stiff-legged deadlifts 2 x 7-9
Knee-extension leg press calf raises 2 x 20
Superset
Standing calf raises 2 x 15
Hack-machine calf raises 2 x 10
One-leg calf raises 1 x 15
Lower-back machine (X Reps) 1 x 10-12

Note: The leg workout is always performed on Tuesday; that is, legs are worked only once a week every week—seven full days of recovery—with workouts 3A and 3B alternating.

Note: Where X-Reps are designated, usually only one set or phase of a drop set is performed with X Reps or an X-Rep hybrid technique from the e-book Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building. See the X-Blog at www.X-Rep.com for more workout details.