Super SizeCrashCourse

X-Workouts.
com Presents
Power POF DP 4X
PS 4X TORQ Training
PLUS: The Two-On, Muscle-Up, Fat-Gone Diet
The Ultimate
SUPER
-
SIZE
CRASH COURSE
by Steve Holman
190 to 208
in 12 Weeks
Drug Free!
2
The Ultimate Super-Size Crash Course
The Ultimate Super-Size Crash Course was written to help
you achieve a muscular physique with sensible bodybuilding
strategies. Weight training and dieting can be demanding
activities, however, so it is highly recommended that you
consult your physician and have a physical examination prior to
beginning. Proceed with the suggested exercises and routines
at your own risk.
Studio photography by Michael Neveux
Other photography by Steve Holman, Lindsey Holman
Cover model: Jonathan Lawson (photo by Michael Neveux)
inset model: Jordon Williamson (photos by Lindsey Holman)
Copyright 2013 by Homebody Productions
All rights reserved.
The material in this document may not be reproduced in whole
or in part in any manner or form without prior written consent
from the publisher.
Homebody Productions, P.O. Box 2800, Ventura, CA 93002
www.X-Rep.com
Homepage
www.X-traordinaryWorkouts.com
Workout programs in printable PDF format
Other e-books are available at
www.X-Rep.com/xshop.htm
3
Introduction............................................................4
Chapter 1The 3D Mass Attack..........................6
Chapter 2How to Build Extreme Muscle
Size: Fact vs. Fiction......................10
Chapter 3Phase 1: Super-Size
Crash Course Workouts.................16
Chapter 4Phase 2 Super-Size
Crash Course Workouts..................28
Chapter 5Progressive-Speed 4X:
Mass Acceleration With
Tempo Variation...............................34
Chapter 6Alternate Phase 1: Quick-Hit
Super-Size Mass Workout..............40
Chapter 7How to Eat for
Super Size........................................50
Chapter 8The 2-Days-On, Muscle-Up,
Fat-Gone Diet..................................52
Contents
4
This mass-building crash course was born thanks to my
daughter, Lindseywell, actually her boyfriend, Jordon
Williamson, who had just finished his senior year in high
school and decided he wanted to get "big and awesome"
before he went away to college.
Jordon had been a varsity
football player in the fall,
offensive line, with a good
strength basebut not
a lot of muscle size. He
only weighed about 200
pounds at 58 in very
"glazed" shape (as in glazed
doughnut). He wanted to
shift to a more size-centric
workout regimenmore muscle to look big. So I decided to
design one for him.
Sure, I could've just given him one of my other programs,
like Size Surge; but I'd learned a lot about how muscles
grow since then and wanted to test alternating heavier
training and 4X + TORQ (tension-overload repetition
quantity) a variation of the high-rep method Mr. America
Doug Brignole is using to gain even more muscle in his 50s.
Going back and forth between power training and
workload density produced excellent size for legendary
bodybuilders of the past. Versions of it are usually referred
to as heavy/lightbut Jordon's program is different.
On so-called heavy day he used full-range Positions of
Flexion, a classic pyramid on the first midrange exercise.
That is, he added weight on each set so his repetitions fell.
Jordon at the start, 190 pounds,
and after, 208, 12 weeks later.
Introduction
5
He followed that big, compound exercise with a couple
of standard sets on the stretch- and contracted-position
moves. So his heavy day was good ole Power POF.
On so-called light, or density, day he used moderate-
weight 4X and high-rep TORQ on every exercisewith short
rests between sets. I also switched the order of the exercises
so he did the isolated contracted-position exercise first. That
provided a modified pre-exhaustion effect. Very effective!
So effective, in fact, that I frequently had Jordon texting
me with "selfies" of his progress. He was very excited all the
way through the summer, and got even more stoked when I
switched his program to Phase 2, a mix of moderately heavy
power training and density overload at every workout.
All of his workouts were fused into a three-way split that
had him training four to five days a week on a rotation-for-
recuperation mass scheme. It was summer, so I allowed him
to be flexible with how many days a week he trained. And it
worked18 pounds of muscle in 12 weeks!
The training is designed to build the myofibrils, the actin
and myosin strands in muscle fibers; the sarcoplasm, the
energy fluid that pumps up muscle fullness; and it provides
a variety of rep ranges, including high-end hypertrophy,
a tension time of 60 to 90 seconds with TORQ, which is
something most bodybuilders never get.
More on all of that info to grow in the
upcoming chapters. Plus, there's the
new Progressive-Speed and Downward-
Progression 4X methods to help you GROW
like never before! Let's go.
<-- Steve Holman, www.X-Rep.com
6
Let's start with the core mass-building protocol,
Positions of Flexion. POF is a very versatile method, one
I developed decades ago that has produced fast muscle
gains for thousands of trainees.
POF is based on full-range muscle stimulation, with the
get-bigger trigger of maximum force up front, followed by
key moves that light the anabolic fuse...
Max-force production via muscle team work with
the midrange-position exercise (heavy compound
movements, such as pulldowns, pictured below left).
Stretch overload, which has a significant max-force
componentplus, stretch overload has been linked to
anabolic hormone release (example: pullovers).
Tension/occlusion, or blood-flow blockage, which
has been shown to significantly increase size and
strength via endurance-component expansion, like
capillary beds (example: stiff-arm pulldowns).
CHAPTER 1
The 3D Mass Attack
7
All of those are critical components for developing any
muscle quickly and completely; however, multi-joint moves
are most important. Therefore the midrange exercises,
which activate the majority of muscle fibers, usually get first
hit. But stretch is something very special as well. In fact,
an animal study increased muscle mass by 300 percent
thats tripling a muscles sizein one month of only stretch
overload as the hypertrophic stimulus. Obviously, stretch
overload can accelerate mass gains quickly.
So for maximum size effects, you should use all of
the above. And if you train intensely in each of those
positions, you ramp up key anabolic hormones...
Midrange exercises, like squats, presses, etc.,
trigger free testosterone release into the bloodstream.
Stretch exercises have been shown as one of the
only ways to produce anabolic hormone release within
muscle tissue.
Contracted exercises block blood flow for muscle
burn, which stimulates growth hormone release.
POF works! In fact, it
packed 20 pounds of
muscle onto Jonathan
Lawsons frame in
only 10 weeks when
he first tried it early in
his training career. [For
that complete program,
see The Size Surge
Workout 2.0.]
8
How about another example? Here's a 3-way POF
program for triceps...
Decline close-grip bench presses for midrange work.
Overhead extensions for stretch overload.
Pushdowns for tension/occlusion.
POF is efficient and effective. Jonathan's quick
20-pound gain, as well as the fast results of countless
others who have used POF, show you the anabolic power
of max-force combined with full-range stimulation
stretch and occlusion; however, muscles adapt quickly
to that size stimulus with standard sets. That's why you
have to incorporate other methodslike modified pre-
exhaustion, 4X and TORQto trigger extreme mass
gains. More on those when we get to the first workouts.
Before we dive into Phase 1, let's look at how muscles
grow. And just so you fully grasp Positions-of-Flexion
mass training, here are a few more standard-order
bodypart routines....
Midrange.
Stretch.
Contracted.
9
Quads
Midrange: Squats
Stretch: Sissy squats --->
Contracted: Leg extensions
Hamstrings
Midrange: Feet-forward
Smith machine squats
Stretch: Semi-stiff-legged deadlifts
Contracted: Leg curls
Lats
Midrange: Wide-grip pulldowns
Stretch: Pullovers
Contracted: Stiff-arm pulldowns
or rope rows --->
Delts
Midrange: DB upright rows
or DB presses
Stretch: One-arm cable laterals
or incline one-arm laterals
Contracted: Lateral raises
Midback
Midrange: Wide-grip pulldowns
Stretch: One-arm DB rows
or close parallel-grip cable rows
Contracted: Bent-arm bent-over lateral raises
Calves
Midrange: Loose-form leg press calf raises
Stretch: Leg press calf raises or donkey calf raises
Contracted: Standing calf raises
Sissy
squat,
thighs
and torso
stay on
the same
plane to
stretch
quads.
Rope
rows.
10
CHAPTER 2
How to Build Extreme
Muscle Size:
Fact vs. Fiction
The biggest myth is that there's a direct correlation
between muscle strength and its size. While getting
stronger can get you bigger to a degree, if you want to
achieve extreme muscle growth and reach your ultimate
size potential, you have to do more than just lift heavier
weights. You must build every hypertrophic constituent to
where your physique is a seam-splitting mass of shredded,
eye-popping muscleand it shouldn't take years.
In fact, the biggest reason muscle growth is so slow
in most cases is the simplistic myth that strength equals
superior size. There's more to it than that. Trying to move
big weights for a few reps does very little for ultimate
muscle size. Are you shaking your head? Check this out...
Did you know that some of
the strongest pound-for-pound
powerlifters in the world are
the smallest? For example, Joe
Luther bench presses more than
400 pounds at a bodyweight
of 165no bulbous muscles
anywhere on his physique. Even
women weighing 130 pounds
have benched close to 300, no
bodybuilder-style muscle in sight.
Getting your muscles
fibers to swell to extreme
proportions takes more than
just heavy weights.
11
Research conducted more than 40 years ago drives
home the point. Heres a quote from Peary Rader, the
founder of IRON MAN magazine, from the 1960s:
Experiments we have
carried out show that we can
put an inch on the arms in a
short period by pumping [with
lighter-density] methods.... On
the other hand, we can, by
training on an entirely different
system [heavy weights/power]
develop 10 or 20 percent
more strength without one bit
of increase in the size of the
arms. This ruins the popular
theory that muscle strength is
in direct relation to its size.
Could that be the reason so many of the biggest
bodybuilders of yesteryearbefore steroidsused heavy/
light routines? Even many of today's mass monsters use
similar tactics because heavy/light works to build muscle
like crazy, much better than heavy-only training. IFBB
pro bodybuilder Johnnie Jackson, who also competes in
powerlifting, has said that when he trains ultra-heavy with
low reps exclusively, he gets smaller, not bigger.
So getting to be your strongest is not the key to being
your jaw-dropping biggestalthough strength can
contribute. Building extreme mass is a combination of
things including extended muscle tension time, or sets
that last 40 seconds or more, and muscular fatigueas in
reducing rest between sets.
12
Researchers used to believe that a bodybuilder's muscles
were dominated by fast-twitch type 2B fibers. Those are pure
anaerobic, or power, structures that respond to heavy training
for few reps. But recent research proved otherwise....
A study reported on by Jerry Brainum compared high-level
bodybuilders with average college students, which resulted in
a startling discovery:
The study examined single muscle fibers. Since the type
2B fibers are the muscle fibers most likely to grow, it stands
to reason that the bodybuilders in the study would have an
abundance of such fibers, or at least more of them than the
other kinds of muscle fibers. The reality was that they showed
a higher portion of types 1 and 2A fibers, with a complete
absence of type 2Bs. [Eur J Appl Physiol. 103(5):579-83.
2008.]
Whoa! So the bodybuilders had almost no 2B power fibers!
Therefore, optimal training for bodybuilders interested in
ultimate size should emphasize the dual-component 2A power
+ endurance fibers. Those key 2A growth fibers have two
primary constituents: myofibrils and sarcoplasm.
The myofibrils: internal strands of actin and myosin
that grip onto one another to shorten the fiber and produce
muscular contraction, or force. They grow and possibly
multiply as a result of heavy-weight sets.
The sarcoplasm: fluid surrounding the myofibrils. This
"energy juice contains mostly mitochondria, glycogen and
ATP. It expands with extended tension times on the muscle,
like sets lasting 40-plus seconds and/or short rests between
13
sets30-second breaks. Energy
constituents in the sarcoplasm
increase, enlarging the muscle fiber.
It's obvious that to get your muscles
to their absolute largest possible size,
you must train both the power and
fast-twitch endurance, or density,
"sides" of the 2As...
Popular dogma suggests that a
rep range of eight to 10 reps is the
key to muscle growth. That's only
partially true; you see, most trainees
do each repetition of a set in about
two seconds. If they do 10 reps, the
target muscle is only under tension
for 20 seconds. That's still a power-
oriented tension time and affects
primarily the myofibrils. (Fig. 2) Lots
of sarcoplasmic endurance growth
potential is left on the table.
You want both for extreme growth,
as in Fig. 3.
Here is what strength and muscle-
building expert Jim Stoppani, Ph.D.
(from his book Encyclopedia of Muscle
and Strength) says about all of this:
The best TUT range for strength is
about four to 20 seconds per set and
about 40 to 60 seconds per set for
muscle growth.
Fig. 1: Untrained muscle fiber.
Fig. 2: Mostly myofibrillar
growth, slightly larger fiber
the result of training with
lower reps and/or short
tension times, which does
not significantly expand the
sarcoplasm.
Fig. 3: Growth in both the
myofibrils (power) and
sarcoplasm (endurance) for
maximum fiber expansion.
Myofibril
Sarcoplasm
14
And many experts take it further and say the best TUT for
muscle size is 40 to 90 seconds. That's over a minute of time
for a set.
The bottom line is that you want both myofibril and
sarcoplasm expansion for total muscle size. (Fig. 3) To get
the sarcoplasm to increase significantly, you need a tension
time of 40-plus seconds and/or short rests between sets to
work the muscle close to its fast-twitch endurance-growth
threshold.
Here is the scientific definition of both sarcoplasmic and
myofibrillar hypertrophy from Vladimir Zatsiorsky, Ph.D., and
William Kraemer, Ph.D., from their book Science and Practice
of Strength Training:
Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy of muscle fibers is characterized
by the growth of sarcoplasm (semifluid interfibrillar substance)
and noncontractile proteins that do not directly contribute to
the production of muscle force [or strength].
Myofibrillar hypertrophy is an enlargement of the muscle
fiber as it gains more myofibrils and correspondingly, more
actin and myosin filaments.... This type of fiber hypertrophy
leads to increased muscle force production [or muscle
strength].
Mostly myofibrillar hypertrophy is found in elite
weightlifters, whereas sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is typically
seen in bodybuilders.
That is to say that sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is dominant
15
in bodybuilders; however,
they do have myofibrillar
hypertrophy as well because,
according to Zatsiorsky and
Kraemer, "pure sarcoplasmic
or myofibrillar hypertrophy
never occurs."
If you're thinking that you
may need two type of training
to get the most muscle-size
development possibleextreme, jaw-dropping development
as depicted in Fig. 3, bottom illustration on page 13you're
on the right mass-attack track. And that's what you will do in
both Phase 1 and Phase 2 of the
Ultimate Super-Size program.
In Phase 1 you will split the two
types of training. At one workout
you will train with standard heavy
sets. Then at the second workout
for that muscle you'll use more
of a density style, incorporating
modified pre-exhaustion, 4X and
TORQ.
In Phase 2 you will combine
the two types of training for each
muscle at every workout.
Prepare to GROW like never
before!
Steve (right) training Jonathan.
Jordon's back improvement over
12 weeks was impressive. Also, his
arms got bigger and waist smaller.
He was very excited.
16
All right, you're up on POF and how muscles grow. Now
you're ready for Phase 1. Prepare to shock some new size
and strength with power training on one day and density
trainingmodified pre-ex, 4X and TORQon the other. I'll
explain those after we cover the power workouts.
POWER Days
Your power, or heavy, days will have you adding weight
to each set on the first exercise, the big midrange move.
After your warm-up sets, your work-set reps should go 7,
6, 3-4. You will rest 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes between sets,
depending on the size of the muscle group you're working
CHAPTER 3
Phase 1 Super-Size
Crash Course Workouts
On Power days you lead off with a big multi-joint exercise for
each muscle group, like squats for quads. You add weight to
each set so your reps decrease on each. Rest 1 1/2 to 2 1/2
minutes between sets. And keep your form strict.
17
(larger muscles like quads will require a longer rest time
compared to, say, biceps).
After the pyramid on the midrange exercise, you go to
the stretch-position move. Here you do three heavy sets to
failure, same weight on each. Your reps may go something
like 8, 7, 6. Like sissy squats for quads (pic on page 9).
Do the same with the contracted-position exercisefor
quads that's leg extensions. Use the same weight on each
set, going to failure or very close on each. Be sure you can
get nine reps on the first set; for example, 9, 8, 6-7.
Again, your rests between sets on Power days will be 1
1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes. Use your breathing to determine when
to start the next set. When your huffing and puffing gets
fairly close to normal, hit it again. If you're still sucking air,
like after squats, wait. You don't want your rapid breathing
to hamper your sets on Power days. It's about generating
force (myofibrillar thickening). Period.
One other key tip: Your rep cadence, or tempo, should
be one second to lift and three seconds to lower. So on
squats, you go down to a count of three, then explode up
to a count of oneno bouncing or jerking EVER.
Let's look at the first half of the Phase 1 program, the
Power workouts, then we'll check out and discuss the 4X
+ TORQ density-training workouts.
Note: M = Midrange, S = Stretch, C = Contracted
For pictures of exotic exercises, go here:
http://x-rep.com/xecution.htm
18
Phase 1: Super-Size Crash Course
Workout 1 (Power): Chest, Delts, Triceps
Exercise Poundage
M: Bench presses*, 3 x 7, 6, 3-4
S: Low-incline flyes*, 3 x 8-6
C: Machine flyes, 3 x 9-7
M: DB upright rows*
or DB presses*, 3 x 7, 6, 3-4
S: Incline one-arm laterals
or one-arm cable laterals, 3 x 8-6
C: Lateral raises, 3 x 9-7
M: Close-grip bench presses
or Dips, 3 x 7, 6, 3-4
S: Overhead extensions, 3 x 8-6
C: V-bar pushdowns, 3 x 9-7
* Do two to three progressively heavier warmup sets, 50 and 80
percent of your first work set for 12 and 8 reps. Then continue to
pyramid the weight on the listed work sets (add weight to lower reps).
Rest 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes between sets.
Rep speed should be one second to lift and three seconds to lower
every repetition.
19
Workout 2 (Power): Legs, Abs
Exercise Poundage
M: Squats*, 3 x 7, 6, 3-4
S: Feet-forward Smith
machine squats*, 3 x 8-6
C: Leg extensions, 3 x 9-7
M&S: Semi-stiff-legged
deadlifts*, 3 x 8-6
C: Leg curls, 3 x 9-7
S: Leg press calf raises*,
4 x 12, 10, 9, 6-8
C: Standing calf raises, 4 x 12-9
M: Incline kneeups, 3 x 10-8
S&C: Full-range crunches, 3 x 10-8
every repetition.
20
Workout 3 (Power): Back, Biceps
Exercise Poundage
M&S: One-arm
DB rows*, 3 x 7, 6, 3-4
C: Bent-arm bent-over
laterals, 3 x 8-6
M: Pulldowns*, 3 x 7, 6, 3-4
S&C: Undergrip pulldowns, 3 x 8-6
S&C: DB shrugs, 3 x 10-8
M: Barbell or DB curls*, 3 x 7, 6, 3-4
S: Incline DB curls, 3 x 8-6
C: Concentration curls, 3 x 9-7
M: Alternate hammer curls, 3 x 8-6
every repetition.
21
Super-Size Crash Course
POWER DAY
Tips and Reminders
1) Warmup sets are not listed in the set totals
but are very important; they are part of the pyramid
progression on the big midrange exercises and add to
the cumulative max-force size-building effect. Focus on
feeling the muscle and use the same 1/3 rep cadence.
Two progressively heavier warmup sets should be
sufficient for most compound exercises, 50 and 80
percent of your first work-set weight; however, on some
exercises, like squats, you may feel more comfortable
with three warmup sets50, 70 and 85 percent of your
first work-set weight.
2) Semi-explosive turnarounds, where you
reverse the direction of the resistance from negative
stroke to positive, like at the bottom of a bench press,
are somewhat more dangerous for stretch-position
exercisesdesignated with an S in the routines.
So for those stretcth exercises, try to adhere to a 2/2
cadence; that's two seconds down (negative) and two
seconds up (positive), a slightly slower lift.
3) Rest 1 1/2 to 2 1/2 minutes between all work sets
on Power days.
4) Adding sets and/or exercises. Try to resist
adding work to the workout, unless you have excellent
recovery ability. Some trainees may benefit from a
second set with the last heaviest weight on the big
midrange exercise7, 6, 3-4, 2-3. If you do add sets,
maintain strict form at all times.
22
4X + TORQ Density Days
The second half of the workouts in Phase 1 will be
moderate-weight growth-threshold training. That means
short rests between sets and/or longer tension times
more than 40 seconds. Also, modified pre-exhaustion...
Modified pre-exhaustion.
Instead of a big midrange exercise
first for each muscle group, you
shift the more isolated contracted-
position exercise to the number-one
spot. So in a POF chest routine, you
would do cable flyes first. That will
zero in on the pecs with no other
muscles affected. After three
to four sets of that, in 4X style
(explained below), you move
to the big midrange exercise,
bench presses. That allows you
to bring in your fresh triceps
and shoulders to further drive
your pectorals past the growth
threshold. You end with the
stretch-position move using
tension-overload repetition
quantity (TORQ), as you'll see.
4X. Remember, 4X is doing more work in less time.
To review, you pick a weight with which you could get
15 reps, but you only do 10. Rest 35 seconds, then do it
againand so on for four sets. On the fourth set you go
all out, to muscular failure, and if you get 10 reps, you add
weight to that exercise at your next 4X workout (I advise
that you write down your weights).
On Density days you lead off with
an isolated contracted-position
exercise using 4X. Then it's the
big midrange move, 4X, to take
advantage of the pre-ex effect.
23
TORQ. This is a high-rep density approach for high-
end tension time, 60 to 90 seconds of work per set.
Pick a weight with which you can get 25 to 30 reps, and
go for 30. Hit failure. Rest for 45 seconds, then use the
same weight again for 20 reps. Again, to failure. Rest 45
seconds one last time and go to failure10 to 15 reps.
So here's how your 4X "light-day chest routine looks:
Contracted: Cable flyes or machine flyes (4X), 4 x 10
Midrange: DB bench presses (4X), 4 x 10
Stretch: Flat or decline flyes (TORQ), 3 x 30, 20, 15
Here's another example, this one for shoulders...
Contracted: Machine or DB laterals (4X), 4 x 10
Midrange: DB presses (4X), 4 x 10
Stretch: One-arm cable laterals or
Incline one-arm laterals (TORQ), 3 x 30, 20, 15
Incline one-arm laterals, medial-
delt-head stretch-position exercise.
24
Workout 4 (4X + TORQ): Chest, Delts, Triceps
Exercise Poundage
C: Machine flyes*, 4 x 10
M: DB bench presses*, 4 x 10
S: Decline flyes, 3 x 30, 20, 15
C: Machine lateral raises*, 4 x 10
M: DB presses*, 4 x 10
or One-arm cable laterals, 4 x 10
C: Rope pushdowns, 4 x 10
M: Machine dips, 4 x 10
S: Cable pushouts, 3 x 30, 20, 15
* Do one warmup set with 75 percent of your first work set for 8 reps.
Then begin your 4X sequence.
4X means to take a weight with which you can get 15, but only do 10;
rest 35-40 seconds, then do 10 moreand so on until you complete
the designated number of sets. On your last set, do as many reps
as possible. If you get 10, add weight on the exercise at your next
workout.
TORQ means take your 30-rep-max weight and go to failure. Rest 45
seconds, then go to failure again, shooting for 20. Rest 45 seconds
again and go to failure one last time for 10 to 15 reps.
every repetition.
25
Workout 5 (4X + TORQ): Legs, Abs
Exercise Poundage
C: Leg extensions*, 4 x 10
M&S: Feet-forward Smith
machine squats*, 4 x 10
M: Leg presses, 3 x 30, 20, 15
C: Leg curls, 4 x 10
M&S: DB semi-stiff-legged
deadlifts, 4 x 8
S: Flat-back
hyperextensions, 3 x 30, 20, 10
C: Standing calf raises, 4 x 10
S: Leg press calf raises, 3 x 30, 20, 15
M: Incline kneeups, 4 x 8
S&C: Full-range crunches, 3 x 30, 20, 15
workout.
every repetition.
26
Workout 6 (4X + TORQ): Back, Biceps
Exercise Poundage
C&S: Undergrip
pulldowns*, 4 x 10
laterals, 4 x 10
M&S: V-handle
cable rows, 3 x 30, 20, 15
S: DB pullovers, 4 x 10
S&C: DB shrugs, 4 x 12
C: Concentration curls or
close-grip spider curls, 4 x 10
M: Barbell or DB curls, 4 x 10
S: Incline DB curls, 3 x 30, 20, 15
workout.
every repetition.
27
4X + TORQ DAY
Tips and Reminders
1) Warmup sets are not as important on 4X days. That's
because the first two sets of a 4X sequence are not to failure
and act as moderate-weight warmups. You may choose to
do the warmup set listed, or not. Either way is fine.
2) Semi-explosive turnarounds, where you reverse the
direction of the resistance from the negative stroke to the
positive, are somewhat more dangerous for stretch-position
exercisesdesignated with an S in the routines. For those
try to adhere to a 2/2 cadence; that's two seconds down
(negative) and two seconds up (positive).
3) Rest 35 seconds between all work sets on 4X
sequences. Rest 45 seconds between TORQ sets.
Super-Size Crash Course Phase 1
Workout Sequence and Program Duration
Jordon followed the workout order as listed over four, five
or six days in a row, then picked up with the next workout in
the sequence after a rest day or two. Sometimes he would
take a rest day after the three Power workouts, depending on
his energy and schedule, then hit his three Density workouts.
That's idealthree on, one off. He was motivated, and he's
young, so he tolerated multiple workouts in a row well.
As for duration, Phase 1 is six weeks, then you can move
on to Phase 2. But before moving on, use a medium-intensity
weekno sets to exhaustion. Or take a complete layoff.
Jordon went on a cruise to the Bahamas. Now that's the way
to totally recuperate in style.
28
You've had your low-intensity week, no hard set. Or better
yet, you stayed out of the gym and went on a vacation to
recharge and supersaturate your muscles so they are full and
completely recovered. Now it's time to hit Phase 2.
In this phase you will merge many of the methods from
Phase 1 into every workoutno dividing heavy and light;
however, there will be no super-heavy sets. What does that
mean?
You will be doing a pyramid on the first exercise, the big
midrange move, however, it will be within a 4X sequence. It's
called Downward-Progression 4X.
You pick a weight with which you can do 15 reps, but you
do 12 (instead of 10 as in standard
4X). Rest 45 seconds as you add
weight, then do 10. Rest 45 seconds
as you add weight again, and do 8.
Rest 45 seconds and add weight one
last time and go to failure, shooting
for 6 reps.
You use DP 4X on the first
exercise only. On the second, the
stretch move, you do a standard 3X
sequence, 35 seconds between each
set, same reps on each.
CHAPTER 4
Phase 2 Super-Size
Crash Course Workouts
Jordon
on the
growth
track.
29
Same for the contracted-position exercisea 3X
sequence, 35 seconds between sets, going all out on your
third. Now you've completed the POF full-range chain, but
you're not done....
To finish, you use a
completely different
exercise for one to
two high-rep sets. For
example, for triceps
it's bench dips.
The high-rep
finishers push more
blood into the target
muscle for a final skin-
stretch pump, perfect for expanding the sarcoplasm
similar to TORQ; let's call it mini-TORQ.
The following Phase 2 workouts cover all the mass-
building bases and will get your growth to a new level.
Train hard and consistently, and you will be shocked at
your mass-building progress.
(Practice this response: "No, I'm
not on steroids, but thanks for
asking!)
Note to older trainees: In Phase
1 you can use DP 4X on your
Power days instead of the heavy
pyramids listed. DP 4X is much
easier on the joints.
Bench dips, the
finisher move for
full-blown triceps.
Mr. America Doug Brignole, TORQ user
and innovator. High reps pack on mass.
30
Workout 1: Chest, Back, Abs
Exercise Poundage
M: Bench presses*, 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
S: Flat flyes**, 3 x 10
M: Machine incline presses*, 3 x 10, 8, 6
S&C: High machine flyes**, 3 x 10
FIN: Machine dips or Machine
bench presses***, 1-2 x 15-20
M: Pulldowns*, 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
S: DB pullovers**, 3 x 10
S&C: Close parallel-grip cable rows**, 3 x 10
FIN: Undergrip pulldowns***, 1-2 x 15-20
M: Incline kneeups**, 3 x 10
S&C: Full-range crunches**, 3 x 12
FIN: Planks***, 2 x 30-60 seconds
* DP 4X: Pick a weight with which you can get 15 reps. Set 1, do 12
reps, rest 45 seconds, add weight; Set 2, do 10 reps, rest 45 seconds,
add weight; Set 3, do 8 reps, rest 45 seconds, add weight; Set 4, max
out. If you get more than six reps, start at a higher weight at your next
workout. (For 3-set sequences, start with your 12RM.)
**4X: Pick a weight with which you can get 15 reps, but only do 10.
Rest 35 seconds, then do 10 more; rest 35 seconds, do 10 more; rest 35
seconds and do as many reps as possible. If you get 10, use a higher
weight at your next workout. (For 3X start with your 12RM.)
***FIN: High-rep finisher15 to 20. Rest one minute.
every repetition.
31
Workout 2: Legs
Exercise Poundage
M: Squats*, 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
S: Sissy squats**, 3 x 10
C: Leg extensions**, 4 x 10
FIN: Leg presses***, 1-2 x 15-20
deadlifts*, 3 x 10, 8, 6
C: Leg curls***, 4 x 10
FIN: Feet-forward Smith
machine squats***, 1-2 x 15-20
S: Leg press calf raises*,
4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
C: Standing calf raises**, 3 x 12
FIN: Seated calf raises***, 2 x 15-20
every repetition.
32
Workout 3: Delts, Triceps, Biceps
Exercise Poundage
M: DB upright rows*, 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
or One-arm cable laterals**, 3 x 10
C: Lateral raises**, 3 x 10
FIN: Machine presses***, 1-2 x 15-20
M: Lying extensions***, 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
S: Overhead extensions**, 3 x 10
C: V-bar pushdowns**, 3 x 10
FIN: Bench dips***, 1-2 x 15-20
M: Barbell or DB curls*, 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
S: Incline DB curls**, 3 x 10
C: Concentration curls**, 3 x 10
FIN: Machine curls***, 1-2 x 15-20
M: Rope hammer curls**, 3 x 10
every repetition.
33
PHASE 2
Tips and Reminders
1) Warmup sets are not necessary because the first two
sets of a 3X or 4X sequence are not to failure and act as
moderate-weight warm ups. You may want to do one warm-
up set if you feel it's necessary on some big exercises.
2) Semi-explosive turnarounds, where you reverse the
direction of the resistance from the negative stroke to the
positive, are somewhat more dangerous for stretch-position
exercisesdesignated with an S in the routines. For those
try to adhere to a 2/2 cadence; that's two seconds down
(negative) and two seconds up (positive).
3) Rest 45 seconds between DP 4X sets. Rest 35 seconds
between standard 3X and 4X sets.
Super-Size Crash Course Phase 2
Workout Sequence and Program Duration
Jordon followed the workout order as listed just as he did
for Phase 1over five or six days, picking up with the next
workout in the sequence after a rest day or two. Sometimes
he would take a rest day during the week, depending on his
energy and schedule. It was summer, so I told him to be very
flexible (but this is an excellent routine for winter mass building
as well). If you want specific training days, see page 47.
Just as for Phase 1, his duration for Phase 2 was six
weeks. Then he left for collegeat a much bigger and more
muscular 208 pounds! He was excited, especially after
seeing his after photos compared to his befores. Major gains,
to say the leastbigger and fullerand he's hungry for
more. He's continuing his Super-Size journey at school.
34
Youve seen how Jordon used Positions of Flexion,
applying mass methods like pyramids, 4X and TORQ to
accelerate his mass gains. To refresh your memory...
TORQ is going to failure on three high-rep sets with
short 45-second rests between. Your range on each is 25
to 30, 15 to 20 and 10 to 15. If you've tried the routines
in this e-book that include TORQ, you've seen first-hand
that it's a phenomenal way to finish off a bodypart with a
contracted-position exercise like pushdowns for triceps or
machine flyes for pecs. Or with an extra compound-move
finisher, like machine
bench presses. Either
way you blow up the
muscle with high-
end hypertrophic
tension time60-plus
secondssomething
most bodybuilders
never get.
Then theres 4X.
Here you take your
15-rep max but
only do 10. Rest 35
CHAPTER 5
Progressive-Speed 4X:
Mass Acceleration With
Tempo Variation
Speed
killslack
of results!
35
seconds, then do 10 more and so on for four sets. You go to
failure on your last one, and if you get 10 or more, you add
weight to that exercise at your next workout.
Whether you're doing standard sets or one of the above
density methods, you use a rep tempo of lifting in one second
and lowering in three. Studies show that the 1/3 cadence is
optimal for triggering mass gains. But...
Olympic coach and muscle-building expert Charles
Poliquin says one of the least-used hypertrophic stimulators
is changing rep tempo. He's right. While you should use the
1/3 cadence most of the time, other tempos can spur new
anabolic reactions. Enter Progressive-Speed 4X in which you
use a different rep tempo on each set. Here's the drill:
Set 1: Take your 15RM and do an X-centric set to
failurelift in one second and lower in six on every rep
until you can no longer lower slowly (9 reps or so).
Rest 45 seconds
Set 2: Take the same weight and do a standard straight
set to failurelift in one second and lower in three; you
should get around 10.
Rest 45 seconds
Set 3 (optional): Take the same weight and again do
a standard straight set to failurelift in one second and
lower in three; you should get around 8.
Rest 45 seconds
Set 4: Take the same weight again and do a speed,
or X-celeration, seteach rep should take about 1.5
seconds. You should be able to fire out more than 10
reps, maybe as high as 15but your tension time will
only be around 20 seconds.
36
PS 4X is excellent on the big midrange exercise, like
bench presses, pulldowns, etc. You get multiple tempos
and times under tension60 seconds down to 20. And
it's one more way, in addition to downward-progression
4X (moderate-weight pyramid), for older trainees to use in
place of heavy power pyramids in Phase 1.
As for using
progressive
speed on
more isolated
stretch- and
contracted-
position
exercises,
take
precautions.
The last
speed set can
be somewhat
dangerous
on certain
stretch-
position moves like incline curls or overhead triceps
extensions. If you try it, you may want to slow down on
the X-celeration setsay, 2.5 seconds per rep.
And absolutely no bouncing or heaving no matter what
exercise youre using. Again, semi-explosive reps are
dangerous, so be very careful. Luckily, the cumulative
fatigue from the first sets should make the last speed set
safer due to pre-fatigue.
Lets analyze each set of PS 4X.
Caution: 1.5-second speed reps can be dangerous
on stretch-position moves. If you use it on these
exercises, slow down to 2.5 seconds per rep.
Incline
curls.
37
Your first set is X-centric, or negative accentuated. Its
a slow six-second negative on each rep. Why does that
work so well up front? First, you get excellent myofibrillar
microtraumafibers will thicken as the microtears from
the slower eccentric movements heal.
Plus, the X-centric set lasts almost a full minute.
That means you also get sarcoplasmic, or energy fluid,
expansion. Its a result of keeping the muscle working
past the 40-second mark.
You also get a very warm target muscle. That enhances
fiber activation on the sets that follow....
Sets 2 and 3, the standard-tempo sets, use the best
cadence for mass stimulation, according to studiesa
semi-explosive one-second lift and three seconds
to lower. If you do the math youll see thats 30 to 40
seconds of tension time.
The last speed, or X-celeration, set has you blasting
out 1.5-second repsfast, semi-explosive but controlled
piston-like shots. Studies show that the quick shift at the
turnaround helps activate extra growth fibers and even
dormant ones, so this is a real growth getter. (Again, do
not throw or heave the weight on any of these repsstay
in control at all times.)
As you can see, you get an array of muscle-building
tension timesfrom a minute to 40 seconds to 20
seconds. Plus, you change the rep cadence. Those
hypertrophic high points make PS 4X a perfect method to
use in place of standard 4X or DP 4X.
38
And, as I said, it's perfect for older guys to use in
place of standard heavy pyramids in the Phase 1 Power
workouts. (I'll outline a perfect routine for this in the next
chapter that combines PS 4X and DP 4X; it's a great one.)
PS 4X had not been developed when Jordon was using
the workouts in this e-book, so I did not include it in his
program. But feel free to experiment with it in place of
4X or 3X sequences. Its a research-based variation to
skyrocket your mass creation. Give PS 4X a try to pack on
more size.
Progressive-Speed 4X or 3X
Set 1 (X-centric): Take your 15RM and do an
X-centric, or negatie-accentuated, set to failurelift in
one second and lower in six on every rep until you
can no longer lower slowly.
Rest 45 seconds
Sets 2 and 3* (standard): Take the same weight
and do a standard straight set to failurelift in one
second and lower in three; you should get 8-10
reps.
Rest 45 seconds
Set 4 (X-celeration): Take the same weight again
and do a speed, or X-celeration, seteach rep
should take about 1.5 seconds. You should hit
more than 10 reps at failure, maybe as high as 15but
your tension time will only be around 20 seconds.
* You can eliminate Set 3 to make it a 3X progressive-
speed sequenceX-centric, standard tempo,
X-celeration.
39
Grow Like the Pros
You've probably seen many pro bodybuilders moving fast
during setsusing X-centric, or speed, to grow. But don't all of
them, like Mr. Olympia Ronnie Coleman train with ultra-heavy
weights all the time for low reps like on many of his DVDs?
Here's what Coleman said about his training recently: "I know I
was doing singles and doubles in those lifts you saw me do, but
that was mainly for the DVD to make it more exciting. Usually I
always did my sets in the 10-12-rep range, because that's what
made me grow best."
And he would often do sets of 15 to 20 reps. Bill Dobbins,
co-author of Arnold's Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding,
wrote this in a recent IRON MAN feature: "I once saw Ronnie
Coleman doing dumbbell curls with massive weights, using
pretty good technique and performing sets of 16 reps. I asked
him how he was able to do that. His reply was that he'd started
with light weight, strict technique and 16 reps and simply worked
his way up to the heavier poundage."
Consider IFBB pro Johnnie Jackson, who is also a competitive
powerlifter. He says that when he trains ultra-heavy with low
reps exclusively, he gets smaller, not bigger. Why? Lack of
tension timehe's emphasizing only myofibrillar growth (actin
and myosin strands) and getting almost ZERO sarcoplasmic
stimulation (muscle-energy fluid) with all-heavy workouts
Jackson says he has to switch to using more reps and/or short
rests between sets to look like a bodybuilder for physique
competition. There you have it...
If you want extreme muscle SIZE, you need more emphasis
on extending tension time and doing more work in less timeor
density intensity. That's how to build muscle immensity.
40
CHAPTER 6
Alternate Phase 1:
Quick-Hit Super-Size
Mass Workout
After experimenting with PS 4X, it's obvious that it's a
highly effective size builder; however, it also appears to
require more recovery time, no doubt due to so many fibers
firing.
That may be fine for trainees with greater recovery
capacity, but for those who need less to grow more, like
me at age 54, including PS 4X in a program with fewer
exercises will work best. Enter split-positions POF.
At one workout for a muscle group you will do the big
midrange move with PS 4Xdifferent rep speed on each
set then a contracted-position
exercise. So quads would be squats,
using rep speeds of 1/6, 1/3, 1/3 and
1.5. Then you do standard sets of
leg extensions.
At your next workout for that
muscle group you do DP 4X, adding
weight to each set, with a twist
on the last set. Then you follow
with a stretch-position exercise
using standard sets. So your quad
workout at this session would be
squats (DP 4X+) and sissy squats
(standard sets).
Rep-speed
variation for
more mass
creation.
41
So what is DP 4X+? The "+" means that after the last heaviest
set in the pyramid, you immediately cut the weight in half and
do a speed set. That's 1.5 seconds per rep. You should get
about 10 of those semi-explosive X-celeration reps....
Squats (DP 4X+), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10 X-cel)
The twist came from talking to a good friend who was taking
a kinesiology course from a renowned professor in the field. The
prof mentioned that, yes, speed sets do activate more growth
fibers; however, you can get to even more of the muscle by
doing the speed set immediately after a heavier set.
So on the last set above, after five to six reps with your
heaviest weight, you drop the poundage by half and hit a set
with semi-explosive 1.5-second reps.
So you'll be doing two different workouts for each muscle.
Here are the two quad routines:
Quad Workout 1
Squats (DP 4X + X-cel), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10 X-cel*)
Sissy squats, 3 x 8-10
Quad Workout 2
Squats (PS 4X), 4 x 9 (X-cen), 10, 9, 12 (X-cel)
Leg extensions, 3 x 8-10
*On the last set of a DP 4X exercise, when you do a drop set
to X-celeration reps, having lighter dumbbells ready may be
better than reducing the poundage on the bar. That works for all
barbell exercises, like squats, curls, etc. More on page 49.
Okay, let's look at the program...
42
Quick-Hit Super-Size Mass Workout
Workout 1 (PS 4X): Chest, Back, Abs
Exercise Poundage
M: Bench presses
(PS*), 4 x 9, 10, 9, 12
M: Machine incline
presses (PS*), 3 x 9, 10, 12
C: Machine flyes**, 3 x 8-10
M: Pulldowns (PS*), 4 x 9, 10, 9, 12
C: Undergrip rows**, 3 x 8-10
laterals**, 3 x 8-10
M: Incline kneeups (PS*), 3 x 9, 10, 12
C: Crunches**, 3 x 10-12
Static: Planks, 2 x 30-60 seconds
* Progressive-Speed 4X: Pick a weight with which you can get 15
reps. Set 1 do an X-centric set, lift in one second lower in six on every
rep; Set 2 do a standard set, lift in one second, lower in three; Set 3
(optional), do another standard set; Set 4 do an X-celeration set, 1.5
seconds per rep. Rest 45 seconds between sets.
** Standard sets: Lift in one second, lower in three; rest 1 1/2 to 2
1/2 minutes between sets. All sets to failure.
43
Workout 2 (PS 4X): Legs
Exercise Poundage
M: Feet-forward Smith-machine
squats (PS*), 4 x 9, 10, 9, 12
C: Leg extensions**, 3 x 8-10
C: Leg curls**, 3 x 8-10
M: Loose-form leg press
calf raises*, (PS*), 4 x 9, 10, 9, 12
C: Standing calf raises**, 3 x 12-15
S&C: Seated calf raises**, 2 x 20-30
44
Workout 3 (PS 4X): Delts, Triceps, Biceps
Exercise Poundage
M: DB upright rows or
Presses (PS*), 4 x 9, 10, 9, 12
C: Seated laterals**, 3 x 8-10
M: Lying extensions
(PS*), 4 x 9, 10, 9, 12
C: Pushdowns**, 3 x 8-10
M: Barbell or DB curls
(PS*), 4 x 9, 10, 9, 12
C: Concentration curls**, 3 x 8-10
Brachialis: Rope or DB
hammer curls**, 2 x 8-10
45
Workout 4 (DP 4X+): Chest, Back, Abs
Exercise Poundage
M: Bench presses
(DP*), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10)
M: Machine incline
presses (DP*), 3 x 12, 9, 6(10)
S: Flat flyes**, 3 x 8-10
M: Pulldowns (DP*), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10)
S: DB pullovers**, 3 x 8-10
S: One-arm DB rows**, 3 x 8-10
M: Incline kneeups**, 3 x 8-10
S: Full-range crunches**, 2 x 10-12
Static: Planks, 2 x 30-60 seconds
* Downward-Progression 4X+: Pick a weight with which you
can get 15 reps. Set 1, do 12 reps, add weight; Set 2, do 10 reps, add
weight; Set 3, do 8 reps, add weight; Set 4, max out, then cut the
weight in half and immediately do a speed set, 1.5 seconds per rep.
Rest 45 seconds between sets.
46
Workout 5 (DP 4X+): Legs
Exercise Poundage
M: Squats or
Front squats
(DP*), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10)
S: Sissy squats**, 3 x 8-10
deadlifts (DP*), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10)
M: Loose-form leg press
calf raises*, (DP*), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10)
S: Donkey calf raises** or
Strict leg press calf raises, 3 x 12-15
S&C: Seated calf raises**, 2 x 20-30
47
Workout 6 (DP 4X+): Delts, Triceps, Biceps
Exercise Poundage
M: DB upright rows or
Presses (DP*), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10)
or One-arm cable
laterals**, 3 x 8-10
M: Lying extensions
(DP*), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10)
S: Incline or Overhead
extensions**, 3 x 8-10
M: Barbell or DB curls
(DP*), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6(10)
S: Incline DB curls**, 3 x 8-10
Brachialis: Incline
hammer curls**, 2 x 8-10
48
Sequence and Variations
It's hard to prescribe number of days you should train
because of age differences, recovery capacity and unique life
situations. Here are a few choices:
4 days a weekM-W-Th-Fwith the Monday bodyparts
repeating on Friday. Then you pick up with the next in the
sequence on the following Monday.
5 days in a row, with weekends off. Pick up with the
next workout in the sequence the following Monday and
continue for five days, etc.
3 on/1 off, which will have you training on weekends, but
that succinctly divides the two styles into groups of 3 sessions
followed by an off day.
3 days a week, hitting each muscle group only once every
seven daysmuch more recovery time. (This might be best for
older trainees or extreme hardgainers.)
4 days a week, legs only once. This is how I train at
the moment: Monday: Chest, back, abs; Tuesday: Legs;
Wednesday: Delts, arms; Friday: Chest, back (a repeat of
Monday). That week would be DP 4X+; the following week
would be PS 4X using the same sequence, the Monday
workout repeats on Friday.
TORQ. For the stretch- and contracted position exercises
you can stick with standard heavier sets as listed. Or you can
do TORQ30, 20, 15. TORQ or even 4X will work well for older
trainees who may experience joint pain from stretch-position
exercises like overhead triceps extensions. Either TORQ or
moderate-weight 4X will prevent that.
49
DP 4X Drop Setto a Different Exercise
Adding an X-celeration set immediately after the last heavy set
hits deep fibers. But sometimes it takes too long to unload the
barbell after your heaviest set to launch into a speed set. The
solution is to move to a different exercise.
Say youre doing bench presses. Your last set is five to six fairly
heavy reps, then you take weight off the bar so it's about half of
what you were using and blast out speed reps at 1.5 seconds
each. Ten to 12 of those will blow up our pecs and stimulate new
growth guaranteed. But a faster, more efficient way is to use a
different exercise for the speed setlike this:
Bench presses (DP 4X), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
Immediately after last set do
Pushups (X-cel), 1 x 10-12
Here are a few more examples...
Bent-over rows (DP 4X), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
Machine rows or DB rows (X-cel), 1 x 10-12
Squats (DP 4X), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
Leg presses or DB squats (X-cel), 1 x 10-12
Wide-grip upright rows (DP 4X), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
DB upright rows or cable upright rows (X-cel), 1 x 10-12
Close-grip bench presses (DP 4X), 4 x 12, 10, 8, 6
Bench dips (X-cel), 1 x 10-12
50
Jordon's diet was fairly loose. His basic
goal was to get at least 20 to 30 grams of
protein with some carbs six times a day.
And he accomplished that most of the time.
However, he's a teenager, so he often had
burgers, sometimes pizza, and he even
allowed himself ice cream and frozen yogurt every so often.
And that was fine. In fact, at the beginning, when he
graduated high school and was just going into the summer, I
had trouble convincing him to eat enough carbs. He wanted abs
as well as giant arms. Don't most teenage boys?
I had to explaina couple of timesthat his goal was to build
as much muscle as possible over the summer, and that requires
eating big. A calorie deficit would not help his gains (although
you'll see in the next chapter
how strategic calorie deficits
can boost anabolic drive via
my "roller-coaster size-and-
shreds" diet). So he relented
and started eating big.
The basic diet I gave him
was the following, one very
similar to Lawson's Size Surge
diet that helped him gain
20 pounds of muscle in 10
weeks:
CHAPTER 7
How to Eat for
Super Size
More excitement. Despite gaining 18
pounds, Jordon could see a hint of abs.
51
He used a few different protein powders, with his staple
being Muscle-Link's Pro-Fusion, a whey-micellar casein-egg
array. Other supplements he used included creatine, usually
postworkout, and beta-alanine, Muscle-Link's Red Dragon,
which is a lactic acid buffer that helps you grind out more
growth reps on every set.
Once again, his diet was fairly loose. I did not want this to
be tortureplus, the calorie zig-zags no doubt stoked his
metabolism. It's a simple, flexible plan.
Speaking of calorie zigs and zags, let's look at a new
controversial diet approach I adapted from a doctor, one that
builds muscle and burns fat faster than anything I've tried.
Breakfast
Oatmeal (1 bowl)
mixed with (stirred in)
1/2 cup 2% milk
1 scoop protein
powder (20 grams)
2 boiled eggs
Midmorning
Protein drink (20 grams)
or Greek yogurt
Raisins
Lunch
2 tuna sandwiches
on whole wheat bread
OR
Turkey and cheese
submarine sandwich
OR
Turkey burger
Apple
Midafternoon (one
hour preworkout)
Protein drink
(20 grams)
Banana
Postworkout
Protein (30 grams) in
2 cups of 2%
chocolate milk
Dinner
Chicken or tuna
Mixed vegetables
Salad
Bedtime snack
1/2 cup lowfat
cottage cheese
OR
Casein/whey
protein drink
(20 grams)
Super-Size Crash Course Meal Schedule
52
CHAPTER 8
The 2-Days-On,
Muscle-Up, Fat-Gone
Diet
Let me say up front that
the eating regimen you are
about to see is not my idea.
It's adapted from the book
The FastDiet by Dr. Michael
Mosley and Mimi Spencer.
I did a short review on it
for IRON MAN magazine
and found the concept
intriguing. But I was very
skeptical because it flies in
the face of how I learned
to eat to build muscle and
burn fatthat is six protein-
charged meals every day.
Let's soften the delivery
by saying that this diet is
a more "extreme" version
of a method I've used and
many bodybuilders use to
drop fatcarb/calorie zig-
zagging. You don't eat the same way each day but rather move
calories and carbs up and down. However, the diet I'm about to
present is much more extreme in the fat-loss and even health
results because of thewait for itfasting element.
Getting
leaner
makes
you look
bigger.
53
Now don't shudder at the word "fast" and picture your
muscle melting away so you look like Ghandi. You won't be
going days or even one day, without foodjust extended
periods, as in hours. You could call it "intermittent fasting," but
I'm not sure it even qualifies as a fast because you only avoid
food for 12 hours, or in some cases, only six.
One problem with most "intermittent fasting" methods is
that they don't address the muscle-loss issue. That's a big
problem, especially if you do it every day, as most intermittent
fasters do. Using it continuously can burn muscle...
But by using these "fasts" on only two nonconsecutive days
a week, you prevent your metabolism from nose-diving to a
snail's pace. Andthis is importantwhile you may burn an
ounce or two of muscle, you burn much more bodyfat and
actually create a supercharged anabolic environment. In other
words, you build much more muscle when you re-engage on
the days you don't fast. How great is that?
According to Dr. Mosley, this type of fasting can result
in better metabolic adaptations, improved muscle-protein
synthesis and a higher anabolic response to post-exercise
feedings. [J App Phys, Jan. 2011: 236-45]
So you may take a baby step back as far as your muscle
goes on fasting days, but you will more than make up for it
on nonfasting days as your body builds muscle much quicker
from accelerated anabolic drive for even bigger gains.
But won't fasting slow down your metabolism? No, only if
you do it multiple days in a row. This plan has you do it on only
two nonconsecutive days a week. And short-term fasting like
that has been shown to increase muscle gain as well as loss of
bodyfat. [Webber, J., et al. (1994). Br J Nutr.]
54
One more time: Your muscle will not melt away during
these short fasts only two days a week; in fact, it will increase
exponentially. I know because, being the skeptic that I am,
I tested it. And believe me, it took some courage because I
brainwashed into believing that I would burn off muscle for sure.
Nope. I gained muscle and lost fat, as you'll see in the photos
on the next page. First, here's how I looked when I began.
PHOTO 1 (start): I had been using
a standard low-calorie, high-protein,
medium-carbs-and-fat diet, eating six to
seven meals a day. My calorie count was
down to around 1700 a day, and I could
tell I was starting to look flat and stringy,
and my fat-loss had stalled. That had
never happened to me before, but I am
54. My older metabolism just didn't want
to shed any more fat.
That's why I took the plunge with the
2-Days-On, Muscle-Up, Fat-Gone DietI
figured if I started looking worse, I could just stop and go back
to eating normally. But I had to know if it would work, so I had to
try it to satisfy my curiosity.
I kept my activity the same throughout this experiment. My
training and cardio were just as I had been doing it, no variation.
I lifted weights using primarily the methods in this e-book4X
and its hybrids as well as TORQ, modified pre-ex and POF. My
workouts averaged 50 minutes four days a weekMonday,
Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. Thursday and Sunday I did
a moderate three-mile jog. That was it. And no hormone-
replacement therapyI do not use testosterone.
Start.
55
PHOTO 2 (five weeks in): This is at the
IRON MAN offices after five weeks using the
two-day-fast diet. I did not weigh myself, but
it's obvious that I gained muscle and lost
more fat. My abs are sharper here and my
arms are bigger. Remember, my training did
not change.
PHOTO 3 (eight weeks in): This is at
about the eight-week markabs are a bit
sharper and arms are a fuller and larger yet
again. I was stunnedleaner and bigger.
I wasn't photo-shoot shredded, but much
closer than I was eight weeks earlier.
(Apologies for the crummy photos; I still have
an iPhone 3G; that explains no smile here.)
Why did it work? As I mentioned, studies
show that short-term fasts improve the
anabolic environment, with increases in growth hormone and
testosterone. That may be a survival mechanism to make you
stronger and more aggressive to hunt down food so you don't
starve to death. And you get more mobileby reducing bodyfat.
Another thing: To tap into bodyfat stores completely, your
bloodstream must be totally empty of any energy substrates, like
sugar. So going six to 12 hours with nothing but water or coffee
forces your body to shovel bodyfat into the energy furnace. And,
yes, perhaps an ounce or two of musclemaybebut you more
than make up for that with heightened anabolism later.
In contrast, fat burning on the typical six-meals-a-day diet is
much slower because there's always energy available from food.
56
Think about it; you have to burn off whatever you ate from
each meal first before you tap bodyfat. Perhaps that's why
bodybuilders have to resort to so much cardio to get lean
they must burn off what they eat before bodyfat burning kicks
in at the very end of their cardio sessions.
Okay, so how exacly did I eat? Here's how I did it the first
five weeks. I ate my normal six-meals-a-day diet on five days
out of each week, while doing the new diet on Monday, a
weight-training day, and Thursday, a cardio day. On Monday I
used six-hour fasts like this:
On Thursday I went for a full-on 12-hour fast, drinking
coffee, chewing gum and chugging water to curb hunger. That
diet looked like this:
6 a.m.
Oatmeal: 1/2 cup
150c 27C 5P 3F
4 oz. 2% organic milk
60c 7C 5P 2F
Half scoop Pro-Fusion
55c 1.5C 12P 1F
Boiled egg
75c 0.5C 6P 5F
12 p.m.
Postworkout
Cottage Cheese: 1 cup
180c 8C 24P 4F
Apple
95c 25C 0.5P 0F
6 p.m.
Chicken breast: 1
250c 0C 30P 13F
Broccoli
50c 10C 4.2P 0.5F
10 p.m.
BioTrust LowCarb,
1 scoop
75c 4C 12P 1.5F
Totals:
990c 83C 99P 30F
33% 40% 27%
2-Days-On, Muscle-Up, Fat-Gone Diet
MONDAY (Weight training, 6-hour fasts)
c = calories, C = Carbs, P = Protein, F = Fat
57
Remember, this Monday and Thursday sequence went on
for five weeks. Let's call it Phase 1.
Dr. Mosley's FastDiet is only two meals, with around
600 calories for men and 500 for women. That's on two
nonconsecutive days a week as well. But he includes a
lot less proteinand none before bed as I did. But I'm a
bodybuilder, so I tried to keep my protein around the same as
my low-glycemic carb intake in order to hold onto as much
muscle on these fasting days as possible.
I also deviated from Dr. Mosely's plan by having three
meals six hours apart on Monday, a weight-training day.
Once again, that's because I was paranoid about losing
muscle. But I quickly figured out an alternative plan....
6 a.m.
Oatmeal: 1/2 cup
150c 27C 5P 3F
4 oz. 2% organic milk
60c 7C 5P 2F
Half scoop Pro-Fusion
55c 1.5C 12P 1F
2 boiled eggs
150c 1C 12P 10F
6 p.m.
Tuna in water:
1 4-oz. can
160c 0C 28P 1.5F
Broccoli
50c 10C 4.2P 0.5F
Apple
95c 25C 0.5P 0F
10 p.m.
BioTrust LowCarb,
1 scoop
75c 4C 12P 1.5F
Totals:
795c 75.5C 79P 19.5F
37% 45% 18%
THURSDAY (Cardio, 12-hour fast)
c = calories, C = Carbs, P = Protein, F = Fat
*BioTrust LowCarb
is a whey-casein protein
from grass-fed cowsno
hormonesand sweetened
with natural stevia. For
more info go HERE.
58
After that first five weeks I saw that muscle loss wasn't
happening. In fact, I was building muscle faster and had kick-
started my fat burning. That's when I decided to make an
adjustment.
Phase 2: For the last three weeks, I made my fasting days
on Sunday and Thursday. I moved my free-eating, or cheat,
day from Sunday to Saturday. Now I was able to do two
12-hour fasting days a week....
I now used the 12-hour-fast diet on page 55 on Sunday
and Thursday. That allowed me six meals on all of my weight-
training days. The two 12-hour fasts were on days I did not
work out with weightsand that worked great.
I've been off of the "diet" for a few weeks now, and abs are
starting to glaze over a bit. I will try moving to just one 12-hour
fast day a week, Thursday. How will my physique looks toward
the end of winter doing that? I'll report on that in our e-zine.
I think the bottom line is that The Two-Days-On, Muscle-
Up, Fat-Gone Diet works. The results speak for themselves
(photos below). Will it work for you? I believe it will, but it will
take some courage and will power. By the way, Jordan saw
my results and is anxious to give it a go to grow this spring.
2-Days-On, Muscle-Up, Fat-Gone Diet: 8-week progression.
Bigger
and
leaner!
59
Monday: 6-hour fasts
(3 meals)
Tuesday: Six meals
Wednesday: Six meals
Thursday: 12-hour fast
(2 meals)
Friday: Six meals
Saturday: Six meals
Sunday: Free-eating day
Phase 1: Five Weeks
Monday: Six meals
Tuesday: Six meals
Wednesday: Six meals
Thursday: 12-hour fast
(2 meals)
Friday: Six meals
Saturday: Free-eating day
Sunday: 12-hour fast
(2 meals)
Phase 2: Three Weeks
Start.
A few weeks
before the
finishtaken at a
different time of
day, but results
are visible.
60
I must express my gratitude
to Jordon Williamson for being
such a motivated, willing subject
for this experiment. He followed
directions to the letter, asked
questions, and I can't over-
emphasize what a good person
he isand smart to boot.
He has been at college for
a few weeks now, and one of
the first papers he wrote was
on me, what I do at IRON MAN
magazine, how I got started
and my dedication to and
innovations in bodybuilding
training. I was touched,
especially by his concluding
paragraph....
Every sweat bead that drops, every pain and ache that I feel,
and every time I want to quitthanks to Steve, I can now see a
light at the end. I envy Steves drive, his focus, and his success.
To me, without a doubt, Steve is the perfect role model and a man
that I aspire to be.
That makes it all worth it right there! As does setting Jordon on
the right bodybuilding course with a number of effective mass-
training weapons in his arsenal.
He is training hard while at college, and I hear from him often.
He says he is so proud to be part of the lifting community. We're
proud to have you, Jordon! Stay built for life!
EPILOGUE
61
MORE MASS-BUILDING E-BOOKS
X-SHOP: Find our original X-Rep e-book, as well as X Updates,
ab specialization and Positions-of-Flexion mass-training guides...
X-WORKOUTS: Find specialized e-workout programs,
including 4X, 10x10 and Eric Brosers Power/Rep Range/Shock....
The X-traordinary SIZE SURGE Workout
2.0, Jonathan Lawsons legendary two-phase
mass program that packed 20 pounds of muscle
on his frame in only 10 weeks. His original diet,
supplement schedule and workouts, transcribed
from his training journal reproduced in printable
templates so you can duplicate his incredible
gains. The new 2.0 version includes alternate
Phase 2 workouts with the M4X growth-
threshold training method.
2.0 Updated
2.0 Updated

Super SizeCrashCourse

Cargado por

Información del documento

Descripción original:

Derechos de autor

Formatos disponibles

Compartir este documento

Compartir o incrustar documentos

Opciones para compartir

¿Le pareció útil este documento?

¿Este contenido es inapropiado?

Copyright:

Formatos disponibles

Super SizeCrashCourse

Cargado por

Copyright:

Formatos disponibles

X-Workouts.

También podría gustarte