Step Six

Step Six: Graduate from a basics-only routine to a multi angular-training approach to recruit more muscle fibers.

While compound, or multi-joint, movements as bench presses, squats, deadlifts and shoulder presses-are best for hitting the majority of fibers in the target muscle due to synergy,if you want to force out of reserve and into action, you must resort to exercises that isolate the target muscle more and that allow you to take advantage of the myotatic reflex and peak contraction. Positions of Flexion lets you stress the maximum number of fibers in any target muscle at any one workout because you train the target muscle with midrange, stretch and contracted positions exercises and thus force maximum fiber recruitment, which enables you to develop each muscle rapidly and completely.

Midrange position. Midrange position exercises, as mentioned earlier, are simply the compound movements, many of which you use in phase 1 because they work the bulk of the fibers. Even after two sets to positive failure of any midrange exercise, however, there are still fresh fibers you can stimulate by training the target muscle in the other two positions-stretch and contracted-because they allow you to use the aforementioned myotatic reflex and peak contraction, respectively.

Stretch Position. Here you put the target muscle in an elongated state so that you can take advantage of the myotatic reflex, or prestretch. For example, on an incline dumbbell curl for your biceps you use a quick twitch at the bottom of every rep so that you can engage more muscle fibers. [For a live-action demonstration of the myotatic reflex see any of IRONMAN'S" Critical Mass" video tapes.] Other stretch position exercises that allow you to take advantage of the myotatic reflex include overhead extensions(triceps), sissy squats (quads), inline one arm laterals (lateral delt head), stiff-legged deadlifts (hamstrings, flyes (chest), one-arm dumbbell rows (midback), and pullovers (lats). Notice that there's a distinct, almost uncomfortable pull on the target muscles at the bottom of each of theses movements.

Contracted positions. You usually finish off the target muscle with a contracted-position exercise, which allows you to maintain resistance through the entire range of motion and,therefore, end each rep with a powerful peak contraction. It's even more powerful after a stretch-position movement because those reserve fibers that you awakened with myotatic reflex remain in action during this exercise as well.

What's more, resistance in the contracted position is mandatory for squeezing out that last bit of fiber stimulation and muscle glycogen. For example, when you do non support concentration curls, one of Arnold's favorite biceps exercises, you have to fight to hold the weight in the top position. That's peak contraction. Other contracted-position movements include kickbacks (triceps), leg extension (quads), lateral raises (lateral delt heads), leg curls (hams), cable crossovers (chest), bent-arm bent-over laterals (midback)and stiff-arm pulldowns (lats). Notice there is resistance at the top, or finish, position of each of theses movements.

Phase 2 of the Size Surge Routine, is a POF every-other-day-split program. With this type of recovery-oriented schedule you get maximum fiber recruitment and then one day of rest between workouts, which facilitates muscle growth. Here's a two week snapshot of how your workout fall on this schedule:

Week 1
Monday: Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves, chest, triceps)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday: Workout 2(back, deltoids, biceps, abdominals)
Thursday: Rest
Friday: Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves, chest, triceps)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Workout 2(back, deltoids, biceps, abdominals)

Week 2
Monday: Rest
Tuesday: Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves, chest, triceps)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Workout 2(back, deltoids, biceps, abdominals)
Friday: Rest
Saturday: Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves, chest, triceps)
Sunday: Rest

Notice that you always train once on weekends,alternating Saturdays and Sundays. If you don't like to train on the weekends or you're an extreme hardgainer, who could use the extra rest, try this weekends off variation of the every-other-day slit:

Week 1
Monday: Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves, chest, triceps)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday:Workout 2(back, deltoids, biceps, abdominals)
Thursday:Rest
Friday: Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves, chest, triceps)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

Week 2
Monday: Workout 2 (back, deltoids, biceps, abdominals)
Tuesday: Rest
Wednesday:Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves, chest, triceps)
Thursday:Rest
Friday: Workout 2 (back, deltoids, biceps, abdominals)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

This schedule is even more recovery0oriented than the basic every-other-day split and can be quite effective for hardgainers. Those who have average or above average recovery ability may find their muscles atrophying due to the extended time between sessions, however-up to five days from Wednesday to Monday.

A third option is the regular four-day split, on which you workout Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday. Because you train two days in a row, this type of routine requires a different bodypart split than those listed above. If you prefer the four-day schedule, use the following split (you'll have to rework the program so that you train the appropriate bodyparts on the designated days):

Monday: Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves,abs)
Tuesday: Workout 2 (chest, back, deltoids, biceps, triceps)
Wednesday: Rest
Thursday: Workout 1 (quads, hams, calves,abs)
Friday: Workout 2 (chest, back, deltoids, biceps, triceps)
Saturday: Rest
Sunday: Rest

Notice that you work your lower body on one day and your upper body on the next. This prevents you from training a bodypart two days in a row. On the other splits described in this bulletin, the overlap isn't a problem, because you get a day of complete rest between sessions, which prevents you from overtraining.

If you don't mind training on the weekends, you should choose the every-other-day split, which is the best of the three for body builders.

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