Q: A lot of bodybuilders go all power in the off-season. They push for more strength so size will follow. I'm thinking about using the Phase 1 program in Size Surge for that purpose—mostly big exercises with heavy weights training three days a week so I get plenty of recover-and-grow time. Would that program be okay to use for the entire 10 weeks instead of moving to Phase 2?

A: You're right, even Arnold used to do a two-to-three-month power phase in the winter—but it wasn't heavy low reps on every exercise, as we'll explain. That's the problem with the way most trainees do it: They go heavy on ALL exercises all the time for too long and neglect critical sarcoplasmic size, which can be a big muscle-building mistake...

For example, the Phase 1 Size Surge chest routine is this:

Bench presses, 2 x 7-9
Flat-bench flyes, 1 x 7-9
Incline dumbbell presses, 2 x 7-9

That will give you a lot of strength with mostly a myofibrillar size increase. The myofibrils are the force-generating actin and myosin strands in the muscle fiber. Research has found that myofibrillar growth is NOT the main contributor to muscle size...

So myofibrillar-dominant training is fine for a five-week power-bodybuilding phase, as in the Size Surge program, but after that, you should alter it so you blow up the sarcoplasm, the energy fluid that fills the muscle fibers. The sarcoplasm contains mitochondria, glycogen (carbs), ATP (creatine), noncontractile proteins, etc., and responds to higher reps and/or shorter rests between sets...

Of course, if all you're interested in is mostly strength, 10 weeks of all-power sets is fine. However, keep in mind that you could actually shrink if you've triggered sarcoplasmic growth in your previous training. Many bodybuilders tend to often train all power throughout the winter and compensate by eating more and getting fat. They get big, but not with new muscle—the sarcoplasm deflates as fat cells inflate. We don't think that's what you're looking for—it's a classic "bulking" muscle-building mistake you can't afford to make…

If you're looking for MAXIMUM MUSCLE SIZE, don't ignore the sarcoplasmic layer of growth for too long. After five weeks of all power, we suggest you give the above chest routine a sarcoplasmic-size blast. There are a number of ways. Arnold used to do his isolation moves with higher reps—12 to 15—like on flyes in the above routine...

Now the Phase 1 SS program doesn't have you do iso-type moves for every bodypart. That means you'll have to improvise and do a compound move with higher reps for some groups. For example, instead of two sets of each exercise with 7 to 9 reps for back, you'd do this...

Chins or pulldowns, 2 x 7-9
Bent-over rows, 2 x 12-15

On Friday, when you hit it again, you could flip-flop: Do bent-over rows first for 2 x 7-9, then do pulldowns second for 2 x 12-15. The same goes for presses and upright rows for delts in the Phase 1 SS program.

Of course, we prefer you use the 4X mass method on those higher-rep exercises to really give your sarcoplasm a mega-expansion boost. Arnold used to do about four high-rep sets on his iso moves in his power-bodybuilding routine, so you're in good company...

Instead of high reps, do 4X on one exercise per bodypart: Pick a weight with which you can get about 15 reps, but only do 12. Rest 40 seconds, then do 12 more—and so on until you complete four sets. On the fourth, go all out. If you get 12, add a bit of weight at your next workout OR try to get 4x13.

Bench presses, 2 x 7-9
Flat-bench flyes (4X style), 4 x 12
Incline dumbbell presses, 2 x 7-9

You say you're not going to use it, but just for clarification, the Phase 2 Size Surge program is five weeks of full-range Positions of Flexion for each bodypart. The finishing contracted-position exercise—like pushdowns for triceps, crossovers for chest, etc.—produce occlusion, or blood-flow blockage, a sarcoplasmic-growth trigger. But for even better mass-building results, we now encourage 4X on those contracted moves.

Many experts, including Mr. America Doug Brignole (pictured below), believe that the sarcoplasm accounts for half to two-thirds of a muscle's size potential. He's made BIG gains previously with 4X-style training. So work in some 4X for better mass-building success.

Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.

—Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson
www.X-Rep.com

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