Subject:
IRON MAN E-Zine: Issue #365:
Jaw-Dropping Growth With the Austrian Oak
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TRY THIS AT YOUR NEXT WORKOUT
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Jaw-Dropping Growth With the Austrian Oak
Q: I saw someone mention that Arnold used Positions of Flexion. Is that true? I’m thinking about trying it, but I’m not sure if it will work.
A: Arnold used a lot of exercises, so he definitely favored a multi-angular approach in his training. If you look at the workouts he used during his bodybuilding dominance, you’ll see shades of POF, such as bench presses (midrange), flyes (stretch) and crossovers (contracted) for his massive chest.
One bodypart on which he did make a conscious effort to train those three particular angles was biceps. His favorite routine was barbell or dumbbell curls (midrange), incline curls (stretch) and concentration curls (contracted).
Perhaps that’s why Arnold’s biceps are still considered some of the all-time best—that and good genetics.
Does POF work? Well, it provides you with structured exercise choices that train each bodypart through their full range of motion, which is a big piece of the mass-building puzzle. The three positions–midrange, stretch and contracted–do more than complete the full-range chain, however. They also provide growth stimulation from three specific pathways: max force, stretch overload and tension/occlusion.
Each of those contributes to growth in its own unique way. For example, an animal study that used only stretch overload for one month produced a 300 percent increase in muscle mass. That’s the largest muscle mass increase ever created in a lab setting–and that’s with just one of those “positions” or pathways.
We want to get you excited about trying POF because believing in what you’re doing is very important to success. With that in mind, here’s one of the many e-mails we’ve received on the power of Positions of Flexion…
“I’ve been using the 3D POF routine [from 3D Muscle Building] for over 4 months and have gotten the best results I’ve ever had. I’m 18 and have seriously added to my measurements while losing bodyfat at the same time. My arms are now at 17’’ while my waist has gone down to 29’’! The X Reps have changed my life forever also, and they will always be in my workouts. I plan on staying drug free and competing soon, as I feel like I’ve stumbled upon the Holy Grail of muscle building! Thank you!” —Sage Natvig, via Internet
Arnold also used end-of-set X-Rep partials in various forms. We’ll have more on that in a future e-zine.
Note: 3D Muscle Building is the official Positions-of-Flexion e-workout guide. Most of our mass programs are built around POF, including the majority in X-traordinary Muscle-Building Workouts—10 Complete Print-and-Go Size and Strength Programs; however, the XMBW e-book may soon be discontinued, as each of those 10 complete workout, such as the POF Power Pyramid, will become a stand-alone e-program sold individually. If you want all 10 in a complete, inexpensive package, it’s still available for a limited time. See the XMBW e-book for more info.
Q: You never discuss X Reps much anymore. Have you moved on to other techniques? Do you still believe in the X-Rep method?
A: Absolutely–to both questions. We have incorporated more mass-building methods into our workouts; however, end-of-set X-Rep partials have become part of our standard workout protocol–at every session. They are that effective! They extend a set at the semistretch point where optimal fiber recruitment occurs, so they increase a set’s anabolic drive exponentially–and in conjunction with POF, they took our physiques to a new level of muscularity.
For the uninitiated, X-Reps are eight-inch partials at the point on the stroke where the target muscle is semi-stretched, such as near the bottom of an incline press–a few inches off the chest to just below the halfway point…
Extending a set at that point with short bursts forces the target muscle to keep firing more fast-twitch growth fibers. As we explain in our X e-books, that’s the key spot where the key fast-twitch fibers can effectively contract. We usually like to do X Reps on only one set, usually the last set of a big compound exercise, as they ratchet up the intensity of any set to extreme levels. If you abuse them, they can cause overtraining.
As for the “other methods” we use, X Reps have morphed into a number of size-building X-hybrid techniques, such as Double-X Overload and X Fade.
DXO is perfect for stretch-position exercises, like dumbbell flyes. On every rep you lower to the stretch point, pull up about eight to 10 inches, move back into the stretch, then pull the dumbbells all the way up through the full stroke. You’re doing an X-Rep between each full rep, which triggers more stretch overload (remember the animal study that got a 300 percent increase in muscle mass in one month with stretch overload as the only stimulus–powerful stuff!).
X Fade is tailor made for contracted-position exercises, like pushdowns, where there is resistance at both ends of the stroke. At full-range exhaustion you get the bar down into the contracted, or flexed, position for X-Rep pulses, squeezing the target muscle. Then you allow the bar to rise to the semi-stretch point and do X Reps at that key fiber-activation spot. If you can’t manage X Reps, use a static hold at the X Spot.
When we added those and a few other X-hybrid techniques to our X-Rep POF workouts, our mass took another leap. Exciting stuff! (You can see the before and after photos in the Beyond X e-book info.)
X Reps and X-hybrid techniques can quickly transform your physique–if you don’t abuse them. Give the above a try, and watch as you pack on more size.
Till next time, train hard–and smart–for BIG results.
Note: The Ultimate Mass Workout is the original X-Rep manual that includes our first X-Rep transformation program. For more on the evolution of X Reps as well as X-hybrid techniques, see Beyond X-Rep Muscle Building.
—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com
Latest e-book release:
•The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout includes the latest eye-opening data on the key muscle fibers that have the most potential for growth (it’s rewriting physiology textbooks) and the best mass-building rep tempo. See how one legendary Austrian bodybuilder used Power-Density to build dominant, dramatic muscle mass, his combo-to-grow methods included. You also get four complete, printable workouts–one that takes only about 30 minutes per session–plus X Reps, POF and more. More details.
•Eric Broser’s Power/Rep Range/Shock Workout gives you everything you need to apply his max-mass system for incredible new gains–including all 12 printable workouts and a big Q&A section. More details.
•The Ultimate 10×10 Mass Workout contains a four-days-per-week, one-ultimate-exercise-per-bodypart program and also a heavy/light version, with heavy POF alternated with a one-exercise 10×10 routine. More details.
•The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout is based on the latest metabolic research so you can get bigger and leaner fast without long, mind-numbing cardio–you’ll burn fat and build muscle 24/7 with customized mass-building weight workouts. More details.
Click on the e-books for more information:
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.
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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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