X-traordinaryWorkouts.com Presents
THE
X-traordinary
4X MASS W O R KOUT
Fast Simplified Supersaturation Training for X-treme Muscle Size by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
The 4X Mass Workout 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.
Photography by Michael Neveux Cover model: Jonathan Lawson Copyright © 2010 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
The 4X Mass Workout
CONTENTS Introduction............................................................4 Chapter 1—Power-Density Fusion:
10X, 8X, 4X, 3X...................................6
Chapter 2—Anabolic Re-ignition: Stress
and the Growth Threshold..............10
Chapter 3—The Big, Basic 4X
Mass Workout..................................16
Chapter 4—The Positions-of-Flexion
4X Mass Workout.............................22
Chapter 5—The Direct-Indirect
4X Mass Workout.............................28
Chapter 6—4X Mass Workout Q&A...................36
The 4X Mass Workout
Introduction We're all about training hard—all-out sets that force the most growth fibers into action. But sometimes you have to ease up to keep growing. Physiology tells us that pushing to the limit for long periods can cause systemic rebellion and muscle regression. It's a case of diminishing returns—drive your body too hard for too long and muscle tissue begins to waste away due to excess stress. Your job, if you want every one of your muscle groups to be as big, full and impressive as possible, is to mediate stress so hypertrophy stays on an upward trajectory. Our mantra has always been one small change can trigger bigger gains, and total-4X training is definitely a big switch from what you're used to. It also eases up on the stress accelerator, balancing it with more volume. Whoa! Don't let that last statement scare you. This isn't about adopting the marathon workouts of the over-drugged present-day pro bodybuilders. It's about doing more work in less time, but with slightly less intensity. But isn't intensity the key to muscle gains? Yes, up to a point; however, it's a proven fact that less-intense sets can also trigger muscle-size increases. The reason is the all-ornone principle... All or none simply means that a muscle fiber fires
The 4X Mass Workout
completely or not at all. So even when you perform a medium-weight, subfailure set, you still tax a number of muscle fibers to their maximum. No, not the majority of fibers, but that's where more volume comes in. Doing, say, four sets per exercise with the same medium weight so that only the last set is all out, can do incredible things for muscle growth. That's especially true if you use that style of training as a follow-up to an extensive highintensity training phase—six to 10 all-out sets per bodypart, as many of our other programs suggest. A total-4X program is also ideal when you're in the midst of a low-calorie diet and muscle-eating stress hormones are running rampant. To make the less-intense style of four-sets-per-exercise training even more effective, you shorten the rest time between sets to 30 seconds. As you'll see in the first chapter, that merges power and density for maximum hypertrophy of the fast-twitch 2A fibers, the dominant type in the biggest, freakiest bodybuilders—and allows more work in less time. Make no mistake: While we use the term “ease up,” this type of training is not easy. It's challenging to both the muscles and the cardiovascular system, especially on the big exercises like squats; however, the gradual buildup in intensity over four sets makes it less stressful on the joints, nervous system and adrenal glands, which produce the dreaded stress hormone cortisol. As you'll find out for yourself, 4X mass training is one of the big keys to extreme muscle size. Prepare to grow! —Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson www.X-Rep.com The 4X Mass Workout
CHAPTER 1
Power-Density Fusion 10X, 8X, 4X, 3X We've discussed the importance of power and density in many of our most recent e-books, like The Ultimate Power-Density Mass Workout. Power is basically heavier lower-rep work with longer rests, while density is longer tension times, or doing more work in less time (short rests between sets to compress the workload, as in 10x10— more on that in a moment). Both power and density are important if you're after maximum muscle mass. That's because recent research has discovered that the dominant fiber type in the biggest bodybuilders is fast-twitch type 2A. Those are dual-capacity fibers with both a power and endurance, or density, component. Unfortunately, bodybuilders have been brainwashed into thinking that they must use heavy-weight, lower-rep sets (power) for growth all the time. That's a fallacy and one of the big reasons muscle gains are very slow for the majority. It's also the reason that when they add something like the 10-sets-of-10-reps method (10x10), they get a massive growth spurt. Why?
The 4X Mass Workout
Because they had been neglecting the density factor almost completely at every workout. What is 10x10? It's fully explained in The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout, but here's a synopsis: It's a puredensity method that takes only about 10 minutes: You take a weight that you can get about 20 reps with—a light weight—but you only do 10. Rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more, and so on until you complete 10 sets of 10 reps. Actually, you shouldn’t get 10 on the last few sets due to the excruciating pain and full-blown pump. If you do get 10 on the last set, you need to add weight at your next workout. In only 10 minutes the target muscle is spent; however, as we said, it's pure density primarily because of the light poundage you're forced to use. As we keep saying, for total growth you also need power activation. That's the reason there's a Heavy/Light program in the above-mentioned 10x10 e-book. For each bodypart you do heavy full-range Positions-of-Flexion training at one workout—straight sets with fairly low reps on all exercises. That's your power component. Then on light day for that bodypart you only do the big midrange move, but in 10x10 style for an incredible, fast density blast. You essentially separate power from density at two different workouts. That's specificity of training, or specifically focusing on one aspect of the 2A fibers at each workout. Some experts argue that separation of power and density at different workouts is better because there may be factors that mitigate power when you train density and vice versa. While we’ve experienced excellent results, as have many of our X-Rep trainees, with The 4X Mass Workout
separate-specificity methods like heavy/light, combining power and density at the same workout can work just as well—and the 4X method is one of the best methods for doing that quickly and efficiently. As we mentioned, 10x10 is almost pure density; however, if you reduce the sets and/or reps, you use heavier poundages, and the power factor goes up. For example, Vince Gironda, famed Hollywood gym owner who was known as the Iron Guru, often prescribed 8x8 training to get actors in shape fast. While 8x8 is still predominantly density oriented, it does begin to acquire a power edge due to fewer sets and lower reps. And that brings us to the 4X method. When your set total for each exercise is low, like 3 or 4 sets, power takes a more prominent role—more so than on either 10x10 or 8x8 (see the graph below). With the 4x10 method set 3 is close to all out and set 4 is to exhaustion—plus the poundage is heavier than with either 8x8 or 10x10. The Power/Density Continuum
Density 100%
50/50
Power 100% 0
4
x1
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8
x8
0
10
x1
So while 10x10 is almost 100% density, 4x10 is more balanced as far as power and density are concerned—and that's what makes it such a potent, efficient get-bigger trigger!
The 4X method: To use 4x10 on an exercise, pick a weight with which you can get about 15 reps, but only do 10. Rest 30 to 40 seconds—or as long as it takes your partner to complete his 10 reps—then do another 10. Rest 30 to 40 seconds and so on until you complete four sets of 10 reps. Just like the 10x10 method, if you get 10 reps on your last set, the fourth in this case, you need to add weight at your next workout—and that means you’re adding weight to all four sets because you use the same weight throughout the 4X sequence. Simple—and effective! We’ve recently discovered that some of the most successful bodybuilders of the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s used this method precontest, including one of the most impressive short men of all time, Danny Padilla (he said he learned about it from Arnold). Check out Danny’s contestready, giant-killer physique. The 4x10 method works! That’s because it’s high density—more work in less time—with a power edge. So compared to most of our other programs, 4X training has you do more sets, but with less stress, at a fairly fast clip. Sometimes power plus density with a bit less intensity is just what you need for maximum muscle immensity.
Danny Padilla.
The 4X Mass Workout
CHAPTER 2
Anabolic Re-ignition Stress and the Growth Threshold As we mentioned in the introduction, the best time to use 4X mass training is after a month or so of extensive high-intensity workouts—such as a program with six to 10 all-out sets per bodypart—or during a ripping phase, when low-calorie dieting is cranking up your stress level. It's the reason champs of the past, like Danny Padilla and Arnold, often implemented 4X-style training during precontest phases. The 4X method reduces stress levels, which helps control cortisol release. What's so bad about cortisol? It forces your body to hold onto fat and burn muscle tissue for energy. Say what? You read that right. That nasty stress hormone can cause you to shrink no matter how hard you're training. In fact, all-out hard training causes cortisol to skyrocket, one more reason it's so difficult to build extreme muscle size. The solution is to lower the intensity of most of your sets, while increasing the volume. That reduces cortisol, derails muscle catabolism and encourages anabolic drive. 10
The 4X Mass Workout
When you're dieting, your cortisol is higher, which can cause muscle loss. Too many high-intensity sets can compound that catabolic state. The 4X method is less intense, with a bit more volume, which helps minimize cortisol release and boost muscle growth.
Cortisol reduction also improves one of your key muscle-building hormones, testosterone. Cortisol is a testosterone antagonist. In other words, when cortisol is high, testosterone is lowered; if your cortisol is low, your free, or active, testosterone is higher. So keeping cortisol at bay means you're automatically in the muscle-building money big time—you've hit the getjacked jackpot! (Note: One big reason anabolic steroids work so well is that they tie up cortisol receptors.) Cortisol is also the reason your diet is an important anabolic or catabolic factor: When you're dieting, your cortisol is spiking often; the starvation mechanism is a cortisol trigger, and that makes it hard to hold onto muscle tissue, much less build it. On the other hand, when you're eating loads of nutritious muscle-building calories, you can afford to train with more all-out sets. A higher-carb intake helps reduce cortisol output, which is why you can train longer and harder in the winter. You've got a calorie surplus with plenty of carbohydrates to beat back the cortisol cannibals. The 4X Mass Workout
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After three to five weeks of all-out training your body needs a backoff phase to avoid exhaustion.
Even so, your body can only stand so much all-out training before it begins to regress. It's a physiological law governing how the body copes with excess stress.
Dr. Hans Selye called this stress-coping mechanism the General Adaptation Syndrome, stating that when your body encounters a repeated stress, like high-intensity weight training, it goes through three levels of response: 1) Alarm. During the first one to two weeks of training, your body begins adjusting its defenses as it prepares to compensate for the new stress. 2) Resistance. During weeks three to five your body actually adapts to the stress by getting bigger. 3) Exhaustion. At about week six your body hits a wall, or plateau, and your gains stall; a state of overtraining sets in, and regression can occur.
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The 4X Mass Workout
By shifting into a reducedintensity phase, like 4X training, after four to five weeks of extensive highintensity workouts, you avoid exhaustion. In other words, you go from alarm to resistance, back to alarm and then to resistance again—avoiding the dreaded exhaustion phase for as long as possible. Without the 4X backoff phase, or some other type of lower-intensity training, you keep on driving with allout intensity without a break and dig yourself into an overtraining rut that could become a catabolic canyon— the exhaustion stage. That's when your muscle growth stops completely and can reverse. Ever see a bodybuilder dieting for a contest turn into the incredible shrinking man? It's very common thanks to cortisol. (It's happened to us on numerous occassions when our intensity was over the top during a ripping phase. Motivation can be a double-edged sword.) Muscle regression is one of the most traumatic experiences a serious bodybuilder can face, and the culprit is the exhaustion stage—due to overtraining and cumulative cortisol spikes. You often hear bodybuilders say to keep training hard and heavy right up to a contest—but that only works if you're on drugs, which deactivates cortisol receptors. Drug-free bodybuilders The 4X Mass Workout
13
must reduce intensity somehow but keep muscle stimulation high as calories and carbs become scarce to reduce bodyfat. The 4X method is an excellent solution and why pro bodybuilders like Danny Padilla would use it exclusively on every exercise for an entire 12-week precontest phase. One of the big reasons the 4X method works is something called the growth threshold. The 4X method allows you to reach it without overtaxing your nervous system and adrenal glands—and without superheavy weights that traumatize joints and connective tissue, another cortisol catalyst. Here's how pro bodybuilder Lee Labrada describes the growth threshold:
Lee Labrada. 14
The 4X Mass Workout
“The growth threshold is the point at which the level of fatigue in the muscle is high enough that a growth response is elicited. Your goal during a workout should be to fatigue the target muscles you are training more and more with each succeeding set. In other words, you want the muscles to
progressively get more and more tired out, until you reach a point where the muscles are functionally ‘worn out.’ Signals are sent to the brain that set up the compensation, or growth, process during the postworkout period, so that in future workouts, you can handle it.” Because you use the same weight on Labrada every set of a 4X intensity. sequence, and the first two sets are fairly easy, you gradually approach the growth threshold. The short 30-to-40-second rests between sets insure that fatigue accumulates to a size-triggering climax at set 4. As Labrada says, “I do not let my muscles regain all of their strength before starting the next set. After all, my goal is to fatigue my muscles more and more with each succeeding set until they hit the growth threshold.” And that's what 4X sequences are all about—reaching the critical growth threshold without overtaxing the body's recovery systems so you continue to ignite new, dramatic muscle growth at every workout. The 4X Mass Workout
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CHAPTER 3
The Big, Basic 4X Mass Workout To review, the basic 4X sequence has you pick a weight you can get 15 rep with, but you only do 10. Rest 30 to 40 seconds, then do 10 more; rest 30 to 40 seconds, then do 10 more; rest 30 to 40 seconds one last time and attempt to grind out 10 reps on that fourth and final set for that exercise. We say "attempt" because ideally you should NOT be able to get 10 on that last set—it's the set on which you want to reach the growth threshold for that exercise and why the fourth photo below is red zone. If you do get 10 reps on that last set, you need to add weight at your next workout.
1
16
2
The 4X Mass Workout
3
4
A variation on 4X training is a 3X sequence, which you will also see in the upcoming programs. It's the same protocol, only Crossups you do three sets for chest. instead of four. You'll start with a weight that you can get around 12 or 13 reps with, but only do 10. Often, if we reach 10 reps on the last set fairly easily, we will do another set after a 30-to-40-second rest. You can keep adding sets until you fail at less than 10 reps. So you could conceivably do 5x10 or even 6x10 on some exercises; however, keep in mind that your last set will have you fail at under 10 reps. That's the signal that you've reached the growth threshold and it's time to move to another exercise. So if you want to be absolutely sure you've flipped the anabolic switch, continue doing sets until you can no longer get 10 reps with good form. What about warmup sets? Because the first and second set are fairly easy, they act as warmups; however, on some of the more dangerous exercises we like to do one lighter warmup set prior to launching into the 4X sequence. Some exercises like squats, some types of presses and many stretch-position exercises, like incline curls for The 4X Mass Workout
17
biceps—are more dangerous and/or take extra coordination and nervous system synchronization. On those we recommend one light warmup set before attacking the 4x10 sequence. One lighter set is all you need.
Biceps stretch: incline curls.
For that warmup set take a weight that you could get about 20 reps with—50 to 70 percent of your work weight—but only do 10 slow, controlled reps. That gets your nervous system primed and coordination up to speed. It also seeds the tendons and ligaments for optimal power— but it should not be taxing in the least. Not all exercises will require the one lighter warmup set. We recommend it for most big midrange exercises in the basic program and most stretch-position exercises in the Positions-of-Flexion program in the next chapter. Let's look at the Big, Basic 4X Mass Workout so you can get growing with this amazing mass-building method. Note: With the Basic 4X Workout we suggest you train Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday, following the sequence of three workouts. That means Monday's workout will repeat on Friday, then you continue with the next workout in the sequence on the following Monday. 18
The 4X Mass Workout
The Big, Basic 4X Mass Workout Workout 1: Chest, Delts, Triceps Exercise
Poundage
Bench presses*, 4 x 10 Cable crossovers, 3 x 12 Incline presses*, 4 x 10 Dumbbell upright rows* or Rack pulls, 4 x 10 Dumbbell presses*, 3 x 10 Lateral raises, 3 x 12 Lying extensions*, 4 x 10 Pushdowns, 3 x 12 * Do one light warmup set with 50 to 70 percent of the weight you will use for your 4X or 3X sequence. 4 x 10, 3 x 10 and 3 x 12 means to do the exercise in 10x10 style—use a weight that you can get 15 reps with, but only do 10; rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more. Continue until you complete the designated number of sets (3 or 4). If you get 10 reps (or 12 in a 3x12 sequence) on the last set, add weight at your next workout.
The 4X Mass Workout
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The Big, Basic 4X Mass Workout Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves Exercise
Poundage
Leg presses* or Squats*, 4 x 10 Leg extensions, 3 x 12 Hyperextensions (flat back), 4 x 10 Leg curls, 3 x 10 Knee-extension leg press calf raises*, 4 x 15 Standing calf raises, 3 x 12 * Do one light warmup set with 50 to 70 percent of the weight you will use for your 4X or 3X sequence. 4 x 10, 3 x 10 and 3 x 12 means to do the exercise in 10x10 style—use a weight that you can get 15 reps with, but only do 10; rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more. Continue until you complete the designated number of sets (3 or 4). If you get 10 reps (or 12 in a 3x12 sequence) on your last set, add weight at your next workout.
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The 4X Mass Workout
The Big, Basic 4X Mass Workout Workout 3: Back, Biceps, Abs Exercise
Poundage
Pulldowns* or Chins*, 4 x 10 Stiff-arm pulldowns, 3 x 12 Bent-over rows*, 4 x 10 Bent-arm bent-over laterals, 3 x 12 Barbell or dumbbell curls*, 4 x 10 Concentration curls or Spider curls, 3 x 12 Incline kneeups, 4 x 12 Full-range crunches, 4 x 15 * Do one light warmup set with 50 to 70 percent of the weight you will use for your 4X or 3X sequence. 4 x 10, 3 x 10 and 3 x 12 means to do the exercise in 10x10 style—use a weight that you can get 15 reps with, but only do 10; rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more. Continue until you complete the designated number of sets (3 or 4). If you get 10 reps (or 12 in a 3x12 sequence) on your last set, add weight at your next workout.
The 4X Mass Workout
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CHAPTER 4
The Positions-of-Flexion 4X Mass Workout The following explanation of Positions of Flexion may be a review for you, as we've been staunch proponents of POF for more than 20 years and include it in all of our e-books. POF is simply using specific exercises that together train each muscle through a complete range of motion—midrange, stretch and contracted. A good example is triceps. The midrange exercise is close-grip bench presses, the stretch-position exercise is overhead extensions and the contracted-position move is pushdowns, as pictured below. Here's a POF overview: Synergy. This is muscle teamwork, and it’s the reason the big multi-joint exercises like squats are so effective at packing on mass. A number of muscle structures work together so you can drive up heavy poundages. For example, during bench presses, the pectorals, triceps and deltoids work as a team—they combine to generate Midrange
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The 4X Mass Workout
Stretch
Contracted
the most force possible. The human body is designed to function in that manner, which means that multi-joint, or compound, exercises are the best mass-building movements. Fiber recruitment. By incorporating an exercise that puts the target bodypart in an overextended, or stretched, state, like flyes for chest or pullovers for lats, you can better activate what is known as the myotatic reflex. When the muscle is stretched, the nervous system sends an emergency response signal to the brain and a maximum number of muscle fibers are recruited. Using this prestretch reflex can help Sissy squats, the stretch-position you get to fibers you couldn’t recruit with other exercises. For exercise for quads. example, after you do squats or leg presses, you move to sissy squats (pictured at right), a stretch-position exercise for your quads, to jolt reserve fibers into action. [Note: Stretch overload has also been linked to hyperplasia, or fiber splitting, and anabolic hormone release in muscle tissue.] Peak contraction. Now that you have the majority of the fibers’ attention, you use an exercise that puts the target bodypart in a position to contract against resistance, with resistance occurring through the entire stroke. That produces tension and occlusion, or blood-
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23
POF for lats: pulldowns, pullovers and stiff-arm pulldowns.
flow blockage, and puts an exclamation point on your size-building routine with a tremendous cramping contraction and no relief during the set (occlusion). Once the set is finished, a tidal wave of blood rushes in for a tremendous skin-stretching pump. For example, after pulldowns and pullovers, you end your lat routine with stiff-arm pulldowns (as pictured above)— continuous muscle tension throughout the stroke. By training the three positions—midrange (synergy), stretch (myotatic reflex) and contracted (tension/ occlusion)—you work the target muscle through its full range of motion and every key angle, which leads to better overall size and strength gains with fully developed muscle structures. The POF 4X program on the next few pages adds stretch-overload exercises (S) to the Big, Basic 4X Mass Workout in Chapter 3. Stretch overload provides another layer of mass stimulation—and a big one at that. An animal study produced a 300 percent increase in muscle mass after only one month of progressive-stretch overload "workouts." (Med Sci Sports Exerc. 25:1333-45; 1993) Now that's anabolic power! However, stretch overload is also very traumatic, so you don't want to abuse it. 24
The 4X Mass Workout
The Positions-of-Flexion 4X Mass Workout Workout 1: Monday and Thursday Quads, Hamstrings, Calves, Chest, Triceps Exercise
Poundage
M: Leg presses* or Squats*, 4 x 10 S: Sissy squats, 3 x 10 C: Leg extensions, 3 x 12 M&S: Hypers (flat back), 4 x 10 C: Leg curls, 3 x 12 M: Knee-extension leg press calf raises*, 4 x 15 S: Donkey calf raises, 3 x 12 C: Standing calf raises, 3 x 12 M: Bench presses*, 4 x 10 S: Flat-bench flyes*, 3 x 10 M: Incline presses*, 3 x 10 S: Incline flyes*, 3 x 10 C: Cable crossovers, 3 x 12 M: Lying extensions*, 4 x 10 S: Overhead extensions*, 3 x 10 C: Pushdowns, 3 x 12 * Do one light warmup set with 50 to 70 percent of the weight you will use for your 4X or 3X sequence. 4 x 10, 3 x 10 and 3 x 12 means to do the exercise in 10x10 style—use a weight that you can get 15 reps with, but only do 10; rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more. Continue until you complete the designated number of sets (3 or 4). If you get 10 reps (or 12 in a 3x12 sequence) on the last set, add weight at your next workout.
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The Positions-of-Flexion 4X Mass Workout Workout 2: Tuesday and Friday Back, Delts, Biceps, Abs Exercise
Poundage
M: Pulldowns*, 4 x 10 S: DB pullovers*, 3 x 10 C: Stiff-arm pulldowns, 3 x 12 M&S: Bent-over DB rows*, 4 x 10 C: Bent-arm bent-over laterals, 3 x 12 M: Dumbbell upright rows*, 4 x 10 M: Dumbbell presses*, 3 x 10 S: Incline one-arm laterals, 3 x 10 C: Lateral raises, 3 x 12 M: Barbell curls*, 4 x 10 S: Incline curls*, 3 x 10 C: Concentration curls, 3 x 12 M: Incline kneeups, 4 x 12 S&C: Full-range crunches, 4 x 15 * Do one light warmup set with 50 to 70 percent of the weight you will use for your 4X or 3X sequence. 4 x 10, 3 x 10 and 3 x 12 means to do the exercise in 10x10 style—use a weight that you can get 15 reps with, but only do 10; rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more. Continue until you complete the designated number of sets (3 or 4). If you get 10 reps (or 12 in a 3x12 sequence) on the last set, add weight at your next workout.
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The 4X Mass Workout
This Positions-ofFlexion 4X Mass Workout is listed as a two-way split, and you train Bent-arm bent-over on Monday, laterals for Tuesday, midback. Thursday and Friday— Workout 1 on Monday and Thursday, Workout 2 on Tuesday and Friday. The two-way-split design is just a template, one we have been successful with, as have many of our trainees; however, Workout 1 can take 1 1/2 to two hours. Keep in mind that the POF bodypart routines can easily be extracted so that you can create your own split. Or you could use the Basic 4X Mass Workout design in the previous chapter and do full-range POF for each bodypart. Workout 1: Chest, delts, triceps Workout 2: Quads, hamstrings, calves Workout 3: Back, biceps, abs There's a full-range mass program with those paramters outlined in the Q&A chapter on pages 46-48. Note: In the listed program, M = Midrange, S = Stretch and C = Contracted. For example, bent-arm bent-over laterals pictured above is a C (contracted-position) exercise for the midback. The 4X Mass Workout
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CHAPTER 5
The Direct/Indirect 4X Mass Workout Now it's time for a completely different take on splitting up your 4X workout, a variation we've found extremely productive because of the frequency of bodypart hits (remember, the bodybuilders of yesteryear, like Arnold and Frank Zane, trained each bodypart three times a week). With this innovative routine, however, you don't realize you’re indirectly training a bodypart. What the heck are we babbling about? It's direct/ indirect work, which is why the bodypart split in the program coming up is different from the one in the previous chapters. You get ancillary bodypart blood flow and stimulation during exercises for other muscles—for example, your triceps get stimulated for hypertrophy during pressing exercises on chest day.
Bench presses hit chest but also provided indirect work for triceps. 28
The 4X Mass Workout
We've found that our muscles grow best when they get trained directly, say with a POF biceps routine of undergrip chins, incline curls and concentration curls. But then a few days later, when we train back, the biceps get hit again
indirectly with all the pulling, rows, etc. Note that by using undergrip chins as one of the biceps moves, the lats get indirect work on biceps day. So it's biceps with minor back work and back with minor biceps work. That muscle-training overlap is good for more mass in this case—as long as you don't work a bodypart two days in a row. That's the tricky part, but a problem we've solved with our split. The direct/indirect connections include: Delts: Indirect trap hit with rack pulls, overhead presses Chest: Indirect triceps hit with pressing Back: Indirect biceps hit with pulldowns, rows Biceps: Indirect lat hit with undergrip pulldowns Triceps: Indirect chest hit with close-grip bench presses We also get indirect leg work when we do deadlifts with back—but only when our back workout falls on Friday. You'll see that in the split layout on page 33, coming up after the listed program. And like we said, the trick is to space the indirect work a few days apart from the direct workout for a bodypart so that the muscle has time to recover. Our split does that, so it's a rather ingenious way to increase bodypart-training frequency without overwork. Let's look at the workouts. [Note: You can see our current program and how it's evolving by visiting our X-Rep Training Blog at: http:// www.x-rep.com/xblog.htm.] The 4X Mass Workout
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Direct/Indirect 4X Mass Workout Workout 1: Chest, Back, Abs Exercise
Poundage
Bench presses, 4 x 10 Wide-grip dips, 3 x 10 Crossovers, 3 x 12 Incline DB presses, 3 x 10 Incline cable flyes, 3 x 12 Pulldowns, 3 x 10 DB pullovers, 3 x 10 Undergrip cable rows or Rope rows, 3 x 12 Machine rows, 3 x 10 Bent-arm bent-over laterals, 3 x 12 Cable upright rows, 4 x 10 Incline kneeups, 4 x 12 Ab Bench crunches or full-range crunches, 4 x 15 * We take only 30 to 40 seconds of rest between sets whether we're using a 4X or 3X sequence.
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The 4X Mass Workout
Direct/Indirect 4X Mass Workout TUES.—Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves Exercise
Poundage
Machine hack squats, 4 x 10 Deadlifts, 3 x 10 Sissy squats, 3 x 12 Leg extensions, 3 x 12 Hyperextensions (flat back), 4 x 10 Leg curls, 3 x 10 Knee-extension leg press calf raises, 4 x 12 Machine donkey, 3 x 12 Machine calf raises, 3 x 12 * We take only 30 to 40 seconds of rest between sets whether we're using a 4X or 3X sequence.
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Direct/Indirect 4X Mass Workout Workout 3: Delts, Triceps, Biceps, Forearms Exercise
Poundage
Rack pulls, 4 x 10 Dumbbell presses, 3 x 10 Seated forward-lean laterals, 4 x 12 Bent-over laterals, 3 x 12 Decline close-grip bench presses, 4 x 10 Cable pushouts, 3 x 10 Bench dips, 3 x 12 Undergrip pulldowns, 3 x 10 Incline curls, 3 x 10 Spider curls, 3 x 12 Incline hammer curls, 3 x 10 DB wrist curls or Rockers, 3 x 12 Reverse wrist curls 3 x 12 * We take only 30 to 40 seconds of rest between sets whether we're using a 4X or 3X sequence.
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Our split. We still train four days a week, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday. You may have noticed the “TUES.” designation on leg day (Workout 2, page 31). That means we always do that workout on Tuesdays, while the other two upper-body workouts follow in order over the other three days, like this: Week 1 Monday: W1 (chest, back, abs) Tuesday: W2 (legs) Wednesday: W3 (delts, arms) Friday: W1 (chest, back, abs—include deadlifts) Week 2 Monday: W3 (delts, arms) Tuesday: W2 (legs) Wednesday: W1 (chest, back, abs) Friday: W3 (delts, arms) Simple. Just alternate Week 1 and Week 2. Note that you don't train on Thursday or the weekend. Rep tempo: Most of our work sets have a one-up/threedown cadence; that is, a slight emphasis on the negative stroke. Warmup sets. As for warmup sets, we usually do one light one, 50 to 70 percent of our work weight, for the big midrange exercises and stretch-position exercises. That helps better seed the tendons for those more dangerous and/or demanding exercises. Speaking of exercises, here are some of the more exotic ones in the routine you may not be familiar with... The 4X Mass Workout
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Ab Bench crunches
Rope rows
Sissy squats 34
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Pushouts
Rockers
Spider curls
You do spider curls on the vertical side of a preacher bench. You can train one arm at a time or both simultaneously (barbell or dumbbells).
For rockers you curl your hands in and up, then lower and curl them out and up. This trains the forearm flexors (underside) and extensors (top), respectively. The 4X Mass Workout
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CHAPTER 5
4X Mass Workout Q&A Q: You say a lot of the pros in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s used the 4X method, especially before a contest. Did they use it exactly as you describe? A: Some used 4x10, others preferred 4x12 or 5x12. For example, a colleague of ours trained with many pro bodybuilders, including Danny Padilla. Here is what he had to say about Danny's program, which Danny said he learned from Arnold and Sergio Oliva (pictured below): “Danny would not pyramid the weight he used on his exercises. He would use the same weight on all his sets and do 5 sets of 12 reps. That meant the first two sets were not-to-failure sets, but by set three he was close,
The 4x10 method is similar to how many of the champs in the ’60s, ’70s and ’80s trained, including Sergio Oliva, Mr. Olympia. 36
The 4X Mass Workout
and sets four and five were a fight to get the 12 reps if at all. Once he could get 12 reps on all five sets, he would increase the weight at the next workout. “This was a method written about in the magazines back in the ’50s. Danny thrived on it and told me he got it from Arnold and Sergio. He often equated the sets to knocking off the soldiers [fast-twitch fibers] one by one with each rep of each set.” Q: Do you think a 4x10 routine is a good place to start for a beginner? A: We recommend pulling back to 3x10 on every exercise for beginners. You could start with the Basic 4X Mass Workout on pages 19-21, which is a split routine. If you prefer full-body workouts, use one exercise for each major muscle and train them in this order: Quads, hamstrings, calves, chest, lats, midback, delts (no direct arm moves because bi's and tri's will get plenty of work from presses, rows, etc.). Here's an example, the Break-In Program from our Quick-Start Muscle-Building Guide: Squats Leg curls Machine standing calf raises Bench presses Pulldowns Undergrip pulldowns Machine rows Overhead presses Dumbbell upright rows The 4X Mass Workout
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Pick a weight you can get about 15 reps with, then do three sets of 10, with 30 to 40 seconds between sets— time it; don't just guess. Use a weight that allows 10 on all three sets for the first two weeks. The third week add weight so you don't get 10 on your third set. If you get 10 on the third set of any exercise, add weight at your next workout. Move to four sets per exercise after six weeks. Q: You mentioned in your e-zine that you sometimes superset two opposing muscles for 4x10. Like for forearms it's wrist curls supersetted with reverse wrist curls, no rest. Could you do that with other opposing bodyparts? A: Absolutely, as long as the exercises don't force you to stop your sets from cardiovascular failure as opposed to muscular failure. For example, supersetting squats and leg curls would wind most people, as you don't rest at all after any of the sets—it's just back and forth from squats to leg curls for 10 reps each. That's eight consecutive sets—and more of a cardio workout. Opposing supersets would work on biceps and triceps, however. Those are two smaller opposing muscles that don't require a lot of oxygen to train. Barbell curls supersetted with lying extensions, both midrange moves, would be a good pairing. Chest and back may work too, depending on the exercises.
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X-Rep chinup, bottom third of the stroke.
Q: What about intensity methods like forced reps and end-of-set X-Rep partials? Should I use them on the last few sets of a 4X sequence? A: Taking sets beyond failure often can send you into an overtraining tailspin—especially if you're using a 4X Mass Workout as a followup to a high-intensity training phase. The 4X method is designed to help you fully recover by minimizing nervous system and adrenal stress and cortisol output with subfailure volume rather than beyond-failure sets—only the last set of a 4X sequence is to exhaustion. But pushing your fourth set into the pain zone with X Reps isn't totally taboo, especially the last few weeks of a 4X training phase. That will boost intensity for new growth. We prefer partials to full-range forced reps because X Reps are less destructive to the nervous system. For X Reps you push a set to positive exhaustion, then you lower the weight to the semi-stretch point and do 10-inch partials. For example, on chins, when another full rep is impossible, you lower to near the arm's-extended position (left photo above), then drive up to just below halfway (right photo), doing as many of those pulsing lowend partials as possible to activate more growth fibers. The 4X Mass Workout
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Q: You say a lot of pros have used the 4X or similar methods, but weren't they on drugs? Will this type of training work for me if I'm drug free? A: Back to our colleague who trained with many of the top pros back in the day; here's what he had to say: “I’ve followed the same routines off drugs and with a few adjustments I still made good gains. Not like when I was on drugs of course, but still measurable. And I am not genetically gifted. Let’s face it, you can make good progress drug-free and build a very good physique, but someone using drugs is going to progress faster, further better. Drugs work, and they are part of the game, BUT I also believe that the routines followed by the pros are the same routines that drug-free bodybuilders need to follow with some adjustments.” Jay Cutler.
Those adjustments have been made in the programs in this e-book, including fewer training days a week and fewer sets per bodypart. The question then becomes volume vs. intensity. How long should you use a total4X routine and how long should you use
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programs with more allout sets, such as our original X-Rep program (outlined in our first e-book, The Ultimate Mass Workout)? Back to our esteemed colleague: “Now the argument becomes volume or intensity. Many will argue either way. I say use both. I go three weeks on volume [like the total-4X programs in this e-book—POF or Direct/Indirect] and then three weeks on HIT-style workouts [like the original X-Rep program]. They each provide a benefit. The guys I’ve seen make progress on HIT had been on volume then switched and made progress, gained for a while, and then stopped making progress. I’ve been using that three-week alternating approach for quite some time and found that it works really well.” Q: I train in a home gym, so I don't have cable machines and the like. Is there a 4X mass workout you can give me for a basic-gym setup? A: Absolutely—and don't fret about not having a lot of fancy equipment. You can make great gains with the basics; you just have to be creative. The 4X Mass Workout
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Home Gym 4X Mass Workout Workout 1: Chest, Delts, Triceps Bench presses, 4 x 10 Decline flyes, 3 x 12 Incline DB presses, 4 x 10 Incline flyes, 3 x 12 Dumbbell upright rows or Rack pulls, 4 x 10 Dumbbell presses, 3 x 10 Seated lateral raises, 3 x 12 Lying extensions, 4 x 10 Kickbacks, 3 x 12 Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves Leg extensions (warmup), 1 x 20 Squats, 4 x 10 Sissy squats, 3 x 12 Leg extensions or Old-style hack squats, 3 x 12 Hyperextensions, 4 x 12 Leg curls, 3 x 10 Donkey calf raises, 4 x 12 One-leg calf raises, 3 x 12 Seated calf raises, 4 x 12 Workout 3: Back, Biceps, Abs Chins, 3 x 10 Undergrip chins or Undergrip rows, 3 x 10 Bent-over barbell or Dumbbell rows, 3 x10 Bent-arm bent-over laterals or Dumbbell upright rows, 3 x 12 Dumbbell curls, 4 x 10 Concentration curls, 3 x 12 Incline kneeups, 4 x 12 Full-range crunches, 4 x 12 42
The 4X Mass Workout
Note: If you don’t have a leg extension machine, do old-style hacks, nonlock style, instead. To do those you elevate your heels on a 2x4, squat down and grab a barbell, holding it behind your glutes. With the bar secure, drive up to just before a knees-locked standing position. If you don't have a leg extension, you probably don't have a leg curl either. In that case you can use partner resistance, towel around the ankles. Or you can purchase elastic bands and hook them to a sturdy upright; at the other end rig a cuff to go around your ankles, put a flat bench in position, and you're ready to do leg curls. If you don't have a way to do hyperextensions, do barbell or dumbbell stiff-legged deadlifts instead. Q: In The X-centric Mass Workout e-book you list heavy straight sets on the midrange exercise, heavy straight sets on the stretch exercise and then finish with 4x10 on the contracted-position exercise. You say that 4x10 is a “density finisher,” but now you say it's a balance of power and density. Which is it—mostly density or a balance of power and density? A: It depends on where it falls in your routine. For example, in this e-book you use 4x10 on the first big midrange exercise. That's when it's a balance of power and density. The weight is fairly heavy and the target muscle is fresh. As the target muscle gets more and more fatigued, the density quotient goes up as the power factor goes The 4X Mass Workout
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Arnold's favorite full-range POF biceps program.
down. So the second and third exercises in a total-4X program are more density than power. And due to fatigue accumulation, the last exercise is much more density oriented than power because you're forced to use lighter weight due to major target-muscle fatigue. Even Arnold had to use relatively lighter dumbbells when he got to concentration curls at the end of one of his favorite biceps routines: barbell curls, incline curls and concentration curls, as pictured above. The fatigue accumulation from five sets of barbell curls and five sets of incline curls made the last exercise predominantly density—but it worked! It's the same with the programs in The X-centric Mass Workout. The power sets at the beginning fatigue the target muscle to the max and also the nervous system. That makes the last exercise, the contracted-position move, in 4X style with a fairly light weight, predominantly density. So in a total-4X program it's really only the first exercise on which you get a balance of power and density. After that density gradually gets more of the emphasis. 44
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Q: I'm an intermediate bodybuilder, but I like the setup of the Basic 4X Mass Workout—midrange and contracted exercise only for each muscle. Can I use it but add sets, like 4x10 on every exercise or even 5x10? A: Everyone's recovery ability is different, so by all means experiment with different volume levels. As we mentioned, many of the pro bodybuilders of the past used 5x12, and they did that on three to four exercises per bodypart. They also used rests between sets of anywhere from 30 seconds to one minute. True, many of them were on steroids; however, they also trained each bodypart two or three times a week—usually on a three-way split—and with only one day off per week. The Basic 4X Mass Workout provides more recovery days, so if you’re a drug-free bodybuilder with excellent recovery ability, it's conceivable that you could handle up to 15 sets per bodypart on the Basic program. That said, why not add the stretchposition exercise for each bodypart to complete the full-range POF chain? You could do 4X—or 3X or 5X—on every exercise. As we said, stretch overload is very anabolic on a number of levels, so incorporating stretchposition exercises should get you some exceptional new growth. Here's how that program would look with 4X throughout (S: designates the added stretch-position exercises):
Lat stretch: Dumbbell pullovers
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Full-Range 4X Mass Workout Workout 1: Chest, Delts, Triceps Exercise
Poundage
Bench presses*, 4 x 10 S: Flat-bench flyes, 4 x 10 Cable crossovers, 4 x 12 Incline presses*, 4 x 10 Dumbbell upright rows* or Rack pulls, 4 x 10 Dumbbell presses*, 4 x 10 S: One-arm cable laterals, 4 x 10 Lateral raises, 4 x 12 Lying extensions*, 4 x 10 S: Overhead extensions, 4 x 10 Pushdowns, 4 x 12 * Do one light warmup set with 50 to 70 percent of the weight you will use for your 4X or 3X sequence. 4 x 10 and 4 x 12 means to do the exercise in 10x10 style—use a weight that you can get 15 reps with, but only do 10 (or 12); rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more. Continue until you complete the designated number of sets. If you get 10 reps (or 12 in a 4x12 sequence) on the last set, add weight at your next workout.
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Full-Range 4X Mass Workout Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves Exercise
Poundage
Leg presses* or Squats*, 4 x 10 S: Sissy squats, 4 x 12 Leg extensions, 4 x 12 Hyperextensions (flat back), 4 x 10 Leg curls, 4 x 10 Knee-extension leg press calf raises*, 4 x 15 S: Donkey calf raises, 4 x 12 Standing calf raises, 4 x 12 * Do one light warmup set with 50 to 70 percent of the weight you will use for your 4X or 3X sequence. 4 x 10 and 4 x 12 means to do the exercise in 10x10 style—use a weight that you can get 15 reps with, but only do 10 (or 12); rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more. Continue until you complete the designated number of sets. If you get 10 reps (or 12 in a 4x12 sequence) on the last set, add weight at your next workout.
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Full-Range 4X Mass Workout Workout 3: Back, Biceps, Abs Exercise
Poundage
Pulldowns*, 4 x 10 S: Pullovers*, 4 x 10 Stiff-arm pulldowns, 4 x 12 Bent-over rows*, 4 x 10 Bent-arm bent-over laterals, 4 x 12 Barbell or dumbbell curls*, 4 x 10 S: Incline curls, 4 x 10 Concentration curls or Spider curls, 4 x 12 Incline kneeups, 4 x 12 Full-range crunches, 4 x 15 * Do one light warmup set with 50 to 70 percent of the weight you will use for your 4X or 3X sequence. 4 x 10 and 4 x 12 means to do the exercise in 10x10 style—use a weight that you can get 15 reps with, but only do 10 (or 12); rest 30 seconds, then do 10 more. Continue until you complete the designated number of sets. If you get 10 reps (or 12 in a 4x12 sequence) on the last set, add weight at your next workout.
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Q: I need some heavy lower-rep work or I don't feel like I'm building muscle. Can I work heavy sets into the 4X Mass Workout somehow? A: One way is to do the first exercise, the big midrange move, as a heavy pyramid, adding weight to every set with two to three minutes between sets—for example 3 x 8, 6, 4. Then do the stretch- and contracted-position exercises as 4x10 or 4x12. Or you can do heavy training at every other workout. For example, the POF 4X triceps workout on page 46 is: Lying extensions, 4 x 10 Overhead extensions, 4 x 10 Pushdowns, 4 x 12 The next time you train triceps, make it a heavy power day instead ("pyramid" means add weight on each set): Lying extensions, 3 x 8, 6, 4 (pyramid) Overhead extensions, 2 x 7-9 Pushdowns, 2 x 7-9 With 4X you rest 30 to 40 seconds between sets. On the power workout you rest about two minutes between sets. Also, on power day you need a few lighter warmup sets before your work sets. Power and density at separate workouts, as in the 10x10 e-book's heavy/light program or power/density fusion with 4X training, as shown in this e-book. No matter The 4X Mass Workout
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how you slice it, using both power and density will build your muscle immensity so you fill out your T-shirts with vascularity-streaked mass fast.
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The 4X Mass Workout
MORE MASS-BUILDING E-BOOKS X-SHOP: Find our original X-Rep e-book, as well as X Updates and Positions-of-Flexion mass-training guides...
X-WORKOUTS: Find specialized e-workout programs, including Power-Density, 10x10 and Eric Broser’s Power/Rep Range/Shock....
The X-traordinary SIZE SURGE Workout, Jonathan Lawson’s legendary twophase 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 4X Mass Workout
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