Phase Two: Tips and Reminders

1)Fight the urge to add sets. Two sets is plenty when you're going to positive failure. Remeber the all-or-none principle and how fiber recruitment is believed to occur. Notice you do only one set for the stretch-position exercises, however. This is due to the fact it usually takes only one set to activate the myotatic reflex, or prestretch, properly, which is the primary function of stretch-position movements in this routine. In other words, one set is all it takes to set the stage for maximum reserve-fiber recruitment during the contracted-position exercise.
2) The ideal rep speed is wo seconds up and two seconds down for most exercises; always keep your form strict.
3)Rest 1 1/2 minutes between sets.
4)When you can get nine reps-or 18 in the case calf workand some ab exercises-up your weight enough to bring down your reps to the bottom of the range-seven on most exercises.
5)This is an every-other-day split routine. Do workout 1 ontthe first day, rest the second day, do workout 2 on the third day,rest the fourth day, do workout 1 on the fifth day, and so on, alternating workouts with a day of rest between sessions. If you feel that this too much work and you're not recovering, try the every-other-day-split-=with-weekends-off schedule.
6)If your lower chest is weaker than your upper chest, you can reverse the order in which you work those two sections in workout 1. The same goes for midback and lats in workout 2. If your lats are lagging behind in the development compared to your midback, train lats first and then go to midback work.
7)Never do more than 24 to 30 high-intensity sets in any one workout or you risk overtraining.
8)After four weeks on this phase 2 routine you may want to take a week completely off to completely replensih your recovery system or at least go into medium-intensity phase, during whichy you stop all work sets two reps short of positive failure. Then you can repeat the two phases, continue with the phase 2 routine for another four-to-five week high-intensity phase or, if you want to really up your intensity, try the Supercompensation Routine outlined in Compound Aftershock. On that program you increase your totals for all the bodyparts, but you train them each only once a week with direct work. It's a three-days-per-week routine-Monday, Wednesday and Friday-and you work different bodyparts on each day.
9)Because you are doing more work during Phase 2, your need for more energy goes up and you should therefore increase your calories. THe easiest way to do this is add to one or more of your Power Shakes. Simply up the ingrediants by 50 percent.

[Note: For more information on Positions of Flexion, including routine variations and position explanations for each bodypart, see IRONMAN'S Critical Mass as well as the "Critical Mass" video tape series.]

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