Power RepRange ShockWorkout

8/17/2019 Power RepRange ShockWorkout

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X-traordinaryWorkouts.com Presents

by Eric Broser

W R UTWORKOUT


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2 Power / Rep Range / Shock Workout

The Power, Rep Range, Shock 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: Eric Broser

Copyright © 2009 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-traordinaryWorkouts.com

More workout programs in e-book format

PRRSTraining.com

Eric Broser's P/RR/S Web site

http://www.x-traordinaryworkouts.com/x-traordinaryworkouts/?CFID=1173591&CFTOKEN=35085550http://www.prrstraining.com/http://www.prrstraining.com/http://www.x-traordinaryworkouts.com/x-traordinaryworkouts/?CFID=1173591&CFTOKEN=35085550


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Power / Rep Range / Shock Workout 3

Introduction............................................................4

Chapter 1—Grow Without Plateau.......................6

Chapter 2—Power Week

High-Threshold Fiber Activation....10

Chapter 3—Rep Range Week

Mix It Up for More Mass.................12

Chapter 4—Shock Week

Jump-Start New Growth.................14

Chapter 5—The Complete Power/

Rep Range/Shock Program...........16

Chapter 6—Kyle Harris'

P/RR/S Success...............................30

Chapter 7—P/RR/S Q&A.....................................40

CONTENTS


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I developed the Power/Rep Range/Shock mass-building

method after lifting weights for more than a dozen years.In those 12-plus years of training I went from a 125-pound

weakling who could barely bench-press a 45-pound bar to

a 225-pound title-winning bodybuilder who could bench-

press more than 400 pounds—all without the aid of drugs.

Although I had done nicely, adding about 100 pounds to

my frame, I still wanted more, but I wasn’t getting it. I’d hita wall. That forced me to examine everything I was doing in

order to come up with a new plan of attack.

Over the course of several months I developed a program

that had me gaining again, and before I knew it, I was up to

250 pounds and feeling stronger than ever! I called it Power/

Rep Range/Shock.

I discovered that overtraining is the biggest mistake most

bodybuilders make. It’s probably robbing people of more

precious muscle than anything else (I believe I could have

made my 100-pound gain in less than half the time if I'd had

P/RR/S in my early years!).

Our recovery abilities aren’t infinite. Many people still feelthat more is better, and that’s just not the case. You’re in the

gym to stimulate your body’s anabolic machinery, setting

in motion the processes necessary to induce your body to

add more muscle tissue. That takes proper high-intensity

training, not large volume and duration. If you can’t tackle a

large muscle group in eight to 10 sets and a smaller muscle

in six or seven, you’re doing something wrong.

INTRODUCTION


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My favorite way to explain it is this: Every time we work

out, it’s like digging a large hole. That hole represents a loss

in muscle. When we’re not in the gym, we need to recover

through rest and precise nutrition and supplementation.Recovery enables us to fill the hole with dirt. If filling the hole

is all we do, we remain in homeostasis, which means taking

one step back and one step forward—no new muscle. As

bodybuilders, however, our goal is overcompensation, which

is like filling the hole and piling more dirt, or muscle, on top.

If you overtrain and outrun your recovery ability, you will atbest remain the same, or in some cases, regress. If you work

just hard enough to stimulate the growth process so that

you can recover successfully, with some extra physiological

energy left over, your body will then have the ability to

construct new muscle tissue—you grow fast.

Another huge mistake that many trainees make is to do thesame things in the gym for months, even years, on end—the

same exercises, sets, reps, tempos, bodypart splits, training

techniques and so on. That’s an almost certain route to

failure, as the body is too smart for that and will begin to

provide diminishing returns.

P/RR/S fixes those two major

problems so your physique keeps

getting bigger and better. In this e-book

you'll get the latest, greatest version

(see live-action demonstrations on the

P/RR/S DVD ).

So, are you ready to grow? Let’s go!

—Eric Broser

http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-1981196-10273953?url=http://www.home-gym.com/erbrporepras.htmlhttp://www.jdoqocy.com/click-1981196-10273953?url=http://www.home-gym.com/erbrporepras.html


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Let's take a little trip down memory lane. Remember

back when you first started training, when new muscle

and more power came almost every week? When the

main goal at every training session was simply to add

more weight to the bar and get it from point A to B in any

way possible?

When every

night you’d hop

on the scale after

the last meal of the

night—when you’d

be at your heaviestfor the day, of

course—and be

thrilled to see that

you weighed half a

pound more than

the night before?

When all you had todo to gain muscle

was to eat more,

train more, sleep

more? Then—

abracadabra,

alacazam, presto—

there was more ofyou.

CHAPTER 1

Grow Without Plateau


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Ah, those were good times, weren’t they? But as all

intermediate and advanced bodybuilders know, all goodthings come to an end. After about a year of training,

gains begin to slow down, weights don’t climb quite as

easily, and the scale doesn’t budge as it once did. Despite

your best efforts in the gym, pounding away on the same

exercises for the same range of reps on the same days,

nothing seems to be happening anymore. What’s the

deal?

The first thing you must understand is that muscles

are not just lumps of tissue. They’re extremely complex

structures that, like onions, have many layers that you

must peel before you reach the core. So, without turning

this into a class in anatomy and physiology, let’s take a

quick and basic look inside these molehills we all wish toturn into mountains—our muscles.

Muscle is composed of bundles of fibers. In general

there are three distinct fiber types found in skeletal

muscle. These include type 1, also known as slow-twitch,

or red, fibers; types 2A and 2B, also known collectively as

fast-twitch, or white, fibers.

Type 1 fibers are pure slow twitch and have the

highest level of endurance. They’re most active in slow

movements and long-term aerobic activities and take a

long time to fatigue.

Next come the type 2A and the type 2B fibers, which

are the fastest and least endurance oriented in the


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group. They’re most

active in quick-burst, or

power, activities. They’re

powered entirely through

the anaerobic—meaning

without oxygen—system

and contract nearly twice

as fast as slow-twitch

fibers, but they fatigue

much more rapidly. It’s

important to remember thatwithin our muscles there

are also “intermediate”

fiber types that show both high oxidative and fast-twitch

characteristics.

As you contract a muscle, the fiber types are all

recruited, one at a time, in a specific order. The smallest,or lowest-threshold, fibers, the type 1s, are recruited first.

As the speed or force of contraction is increased, you

sequentially recruit the intermediate fibers, then the type

2A and 2B fibers. It may take more than 90 percent of a

maximum contraction to recruit the type 2B fibers.

Most muscles contain almost an even split of thesebasic slow (type 1) and fast (type 2) fibers, although there

are some genetic variations. Some people are born to run

marathons (slow-twitch dominant), while others are born

to run sprints (fast-twitch dominant—and very lucky if they

get into bodybuilding).

Although the type 2 fibers have the greatest potential for

hypertrophy, it’s imperative that we regularly train all of our


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muscle fibers to achieve maximum muscle size. Why limit

ourselves to maximizing the potential of only a portion of

our fibers? Doesn’t it make sense to target every last fiberin each muscle?

Enhanced muscle size also occurs by way of increases

in mitochondrial enzymes, increases in stored ATP and

phosphocreatine, increases in stored glycogen and

triglyceride and the laying down of additional capillary

beds.

So how do you go about successfully working all of your

muscle fibers while stimulating all of the other pathways

associated with maximum muscle hypertrophy? Variation!

After you’ve laid a foundation in your first couple of years

of lifting, you need to vary your training.

Too many misguided trainees use the same exercises,in the same order, with the same rep tempo, rest between

sets, training techniques and rep ranges day after day,

week after week and month after month. The human body

is an incredibly adaptable machine and will quickly cease

to respond to stimuli that it’s exposed to time and again.

Doing the same thing over and over again and expectinga different result is just plain craziness.

How do you achieve optimal variation? The answer lies

in P/RR/S, a method of cycling workouts over three weeks,

with a different protocol each week. Let's start with Power.


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The goal during this week is to make a direct attack on

the type 2A and 2B muscle fibers, with an emphasis on the

2Bs. Those are the higher-threshold fibers, and the way we

get at them is with heavy weights.

You will use weights that allow four to six reps before

you hit failure. How you perform your reps is of great

importance: Use an eccentric, or negative, contraction of

about four seconds followed immediately by an explosive

concentric, or positive, contraction.

CHAPTER 2

Power Week:High-ThresholdFiber Activation


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Even though you’ll be attempting to explode with the

weight during the positive portion of the rep, it won’t move

very quickly at all due to the heavy load you’re lifting.

Rest between sets is also very important. Since you

want to be able to lift as heavy as possible during this

power-building week, you should rest about three to four

minutes between sets in order to fully regenerate ATP and

creatine phosphate stores in the muscle cells.

You will focus on basic or compound exercises, like

bench presses, squats, deadlifts, military presses and

bent-over rows. You won’t get a tremendous pump, but

your muscles will feel as if they’ve been smashed with

a wrecking ball. Here’s an example of a typical power

workout for chest:

Rep goal: 4-6

Rest between sets: 4-5 minutes

Lifting tempo: 4/0/X

Exercises: Mostly compound

Bench presses, 4 x 4-6

Incline dumbbell presses, 3 x 4-6 Weighted dips, 2-3 x 4-6


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The goal here is to show no mercy to the intermediary

fiber types that lie along the continuum between type 1

and type 2 muscle. You accomplish that by using three

distinct rep ranges on three separate exercises for eachbodypart.

You do the first exercise to failure in the seven-to-nine-

rep range, the second to failure in the 10-to-12-rep range

and the final exercise to failure in the 13-to-15-rep range.

You alsochange your

rep tempo.

The eccentric

and concentric

portions of

each rep

should take youtwo seconds

each, and you

should hold the

midpoint, such

as the top of a

leg extension,

for one full

second.

CHAPTER 3

Rep Range Week: Mix ItUp for More Mass


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You will use both compound and isolation exercises,

with free weights, machines and cables all being fairgame. One particularly effective approach is to choose a

free-weight compound movement for seven to nine reps,

a free-weight isolation movement for the 10 to 12 reps

and a machine or cable movement for 13 to 15 reps.

Rest two to three minutes between sets. You can expect

a tremendous pump and some deep muscle soreness inthe days that follow—but we love that kind of pain, don’t

we? Here’s an example of a typical rep-range workout for

shoulders:

Rep goal: 7-9, 10-12, 13-15

Rest between sets: 2-3 minutes

Lifting tempo: 2/1/2/1Exercises: Compound, isolation, machine or cable

Military presses, 4 x 7-9

Seated laterals, 3 x 10-12

Reverse pec deck flyes, 2 x 13-15


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In my opinion, this week is the most intense and

excruciating. It separates the men from the boys, the

freaks from the fakes. The goal is the utter annihilation of

every fiber, from slow-twitch right to the fast-twitch type2As. You’ll force your body to release growth hormone like

water from a collapsed dam.

Each grueling session contains two different types

of supersets and a punishing drop set for each major

bodypart. The first superset is preexhaust style: Do an

isolation movement first, followed immediately by a

compound movement.

The second

superset is

postactivation, which

was made famous

by IRON MAN author

Michael Gündill.

In postactivation

supersets you do

the compound

movement first,

followed by an

isolation movement.

Each superset

CHAPTER 4

Shock Week:Jump-Start New Growth


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provides a unique stimulus for your muscles and your

nervous system. Once you’ve completed your supersets,

you finish with a drop set, two sets back to back with a

weight reduction.

Reps for each exercise will be in the eight-to-10 range,

and the tempo will be rhythmic: one second up and one

second down, no rest (as long as you can handle it) at the

top or bottom. In other words, do your reps in a pistonlike

fashion.

Rest long enough between sets to catch your breath

fully, as well as to prepare your mind for the next

onslaught. Use free weights, cables and machines.

Warning: Be prepared when you enter the gym during

Shock week because every workout will leave you

breathing like a steam engine and with a burn that will

reach your very core. Fun! Here's a triceps shocker:

Rep goal: 8-10 (drop set is 8-10, drop, 6-8)

Rest between sets: cardiovascular and mental recovery

Lifting tempo: 1/0/1

Exercises: Compound, isolation, machine or cable

Superset

Rope pushdowns, 2 x 8-10

Lying extension, 2 x 8-10

Superset

Close-grip

bench presses, 2 x 8-10

Undergrip pushdowns, 2 x 8-10

One-arm overhead dumbbell

extensions (drop), 1 x 8-10(6-8)


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Now that you've got a grasp of the concepts, it's time

to give you the entire program. Remember, after youcomplete the three-week Power/Rep Range/Shock cycle,

return to the beginning, Power week, and repeat.

Do your best to increase the weights you lift and/or

the reps you achieve. After three cycles (nine weeks)

take off one full week from the gym before returning to

the program. After your break you might want to switch

up some or all of the exercises that you used in the

preceding cycle.

Here's the bodypart split I recommend, training each

bodypart once every seven days:

Monday: Chest, Biceps, Forearms, Abdominals

Tuesday: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

Wednesday: Off

Thursday: Lats, Lower Back, Abdominals

Friday: Shoulders, Traps, Triceps, Calves

Saturday: Off

Sunday: Off

CHAPTER 5

The Complete Power/ Rep Range/ShockProgram


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The Power/Rep Range/Shock Workout

Monday, POWER Workout 1: Chest, Biceps, Forearms, Abs

Exercise, cadence, sets x reps Poundage

Bench presses**, 3/0/X, 3 x 4-6

Smith incline presses, 3/0/X, 3 x 4-6

Flat-bench flyes*, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Barbell curls**, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Preacher curls, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Alternate dumbbell

curls, 2/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Barbell wrist curls, 2/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Barbell reverse curls, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Weighted incline situps, 3/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Weighted hanging

straight-leg raises, 2/0/1, 1 x 8-10

Asterisks mean one (*) or two (**) warmup sets. If you do one, use about 70 percent of

your work weight, 8 reps; if two use 50 percent and 80 percent, 12 and 8 reps.

Rest about three to four minutes between and after sets.

Note: Ab work is 8-10 reps, as going too heavy can cause injury.


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Tuesday, POWER Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves


Squats**, 3/0/X, 4 x 4-6

Leg presses, 3/0/X, 3 x 4-6

Smith-machine

lunges, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Lying leg curls, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Stiff-legged deadlifts, 3/0/1, 3 x 4-6

One-leg leg curls, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Leg press calf raises, 2/1/X, 3 x 4-6

Seated calf raises, 2/1/X, 2 x 4-6





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Thursday, POWER Workout 3: Lats, Lower Back, Abs


Wide-grip chins**, 3/0/X, 3 x 4-6

Undergrip bent-over

rows, 2/0/X, 3 x 4-6

Close-grip seated

cable rows, 2/0/X, 2 x 4-6

One-arm dumbbell

rows, 2/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Partial deadlifts, 2/1/X, 4 x 4-6

Weighted crunches on floor, 3/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Weighted hanging bent-knee

leg raises, 2/0/1, 2 x 8-10




Note: Ab work is 8-10 reps, as going too heavy can cause injury.


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Friday, POWER Workout 4: Delts, Traps, Triceps, Calves

Exercise, sets x reps Poundage

Military presses**, 3/0/X, 3 x 4-6

Wide-grip barbell

upright rows, 2/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Bent-over lateral raises, 2/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Barbell shrugs**, 2/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Dumbbell shrugs, 2/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Close-grip bench presses**, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Lying extensions, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Overhead dumbbell

extensions*, 3/0/X, 2 x 4-6

Standing calf raises, 2/1/X, 3 x 4-6

Seated calf raises, 2/1/X, 2 x 4-6





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Monday, REP RANGE Workout 1: Chest, Forearms, Abs


DB incline presses**, 2/1/2, 3 x 7-9

Smith-machine bench press

to neck, 2/1/2, 3 x 10-12

Cable crossovers, 2/1/2/1, 2 x 13-15

Incline DB curls**, 2/1/2, 2 x 7-9

Low-cable curls, 2/1/2/1, 2 x 10-12

Concentration curls, 2/1/2/1, 2 x 13-15

Barbell reverse wrist

curls, 2/0/1/1, 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12

Behind-the-back barbell

wrist curls, 1/0/1/1, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 13-15

Cable crunches, 2/0/2/1, 2 x 7-9

Lying straight-leg raises, 2/1/0, 2 x 10-12

Lying side crunches, 2/0/1/1, 13-15 (each side)

Asterisks mean one (*) or two (**) warmup sets. If you do one, use about 70 percent of your work weight, 8 reps; if two use 50 percent and 80 percent, 12 and 8 reps.

Rest about two to three minutes between and after sets.


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Tuesday, REP RANGE Workout 2: Quads, Hams, Calves


Hack squats**, 2/1/2, 4 x 7-9

Leg extensions, 2/0/2/1, 3 x 10-12

Walking lunges, 2/0/2, 2 x 13-15 (per leg)

Seated leg curls, 2/0/2/1, 2 x 7-9

Sitff-legged deadlifts, 2/1/2, 3 x 10-12

One-leg lying leg curls, 2/1/2/1, 2 x 13-15

Standing calf raises, 2/1/2/1, 1 x 7-9, 2 x 10-12

Seated calf raises, 2/1/2/1, 2 x 13-15





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Thursday, REP RANGE Workout 3: Lats, Lower Back, Abs


Wide-grip T-bar rows, 2/1/2, 4 x 7-9

Undergrip pulldowns, 2/1/2/1, 3 x 10-12

One-arm seated cable

rows, 2/1/2/1, 3 x 13-15 (per side)

Partial deadlifts

(in rack), 2/1/1, 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12

Back extensions, 2/1/2/1, 2 x 13-15

Weighted incline situps, 2/0/2/1, 2 x 7-9

Supported straight-leg raises, 2/1/0, 2 x 10-12

Cable side crunches, 2/0/1/1, 1 x 13-15 (each side)





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Friday, REP RANGE Workout 4: Delts, Traps, Triceps, Calves


Seated DB presses**, 2/1/2, 3 x 7-9

Lateral raises, 2/0/2, 2 x 10-12

One-arm cable bent-over

laterals, 2/0/2/1, 2 x 13-15 (per side)

Dumbbell shrugs, 2/1/2/1, 1 x 7-9, 1 x 10-12

Behind-the-back

shrugs, 2/0/2/1, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 13-15

Weighted dips**, 2/0/2, 2 x 7-9

Rope pushdowns, 2/0/2/1, 2 x 10-12

One-arm overhead

DB extensions, 2/0/2/1, 2 x 13-15

Leg press calf raises, 2/1/2/1, 1 x 7-9, 2 x 10-12

One-leg seated

calf raises, 2/1/2/1, 2 x 13-15 (per side)





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Monday, SHOCK, Workout 1: Chest, Biceps, Forearms, Abs


Superset

Incline flyes*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Bench presses, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Superset

Smith incline presses*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

DB pullovers, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Pec deck flyes (drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

Incline DB curls*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10 Preacher curls, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Superset

Overhead cable curls, 1/0/1, 1 x 8-10

Barbell curls, 1/0/1, 1 x 8-10

Concentration curls

(drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

Wrist curls, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Rope hammer curls, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Barbell reverse wrist curls

(drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

Lying straight-leg raises, 1/0/1, 2 x 10-12

Incline situps, 1/0/1, 2 x 10-12

Twisting cable crunches

(drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 8-10(6-8)



Rest until your cardiovascular system feels rested and ready for another set; no rest

between exercises in a superset, only after the two exercises.

Drop set is two sets back to back with a weight reduction.


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Tuesday, SHOCK, Workout 2: Quads, Hams, Calves


Superset Leg extensions*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Squats, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Superset

Leg presses*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Leg extensions, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Smith lunges (drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

Seated leg curls*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Stiff-legged deadlifts, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Standing one-leg leg curls

(drop set), 1/0/1, 2 x 10-12(4-6)

Superset

Leg press calf raises, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Standing calf raises, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Seated calf raises

(drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)







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Thursday, SHOCK, Workout 3: Lats, Lower Back, Abs


Superset Straight-arm pulldowns*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Wide-grip bent-over rows, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Superset

Close-grip T-bar rows*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Undergrip pulldowns, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Medium parallel-grip seated

cable rows (drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

Back extensions*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Deadlifts**, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Good mornings

(drop set), 1/0/1, 2 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

Supported straight-leg raises, 1/0/1, 2 x 10-12

Swiss ball crunches, 1/0/1, 2 x 10-12

Lying side crunches

(drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)







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Friday, SHOCK, Workout 4: Delts, Traps, Triceps, Calves


Superset Seated bent-over laterals*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Arnold DB presses, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Superset

Wide-grip upright rows*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Lateral raises, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

DB front raises (drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

Seated DB shrugs*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10 Close-grip cable upright rows*, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Barbell shrugs

(drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

V-bar pushdowns, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Bench dips, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Superset

Incline EZ-bar overhead extensions, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Undergrip pushdowns, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Lying DB extensions

(drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8)

Superset

Leg press calf raises, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

Seated calf raises, 1/0/1, 2 x 8-10

One-leg DB calf raises

(drop set), 1/0/1, 1 x 10-12(6-8) (per side)







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Lifting Cadence

Cadence, or the tempo of the lift, is designated as

negative stroke/stretch/positive stroke. Often there is a

/contraction added as well. Here are a few examples:

3/0/X cadence means lower in three seonds, no hold

at stretch, explosive lift.

2/1/2/1 cadence means lower in two seconds, holdat stretch for one second, lift in two seconds, hold at

contraction for one second.

2/0/2/1 cadence means lower in two seconds, no

hold at stretch, lift in two seconds, hold at contraction

for one second.

1/0/1 cadence means lower in one second, no hold

at stretch, lift in one second.


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CHAPTER 6

Kyle Harris’

P/RR/S Success

Back around 2001 when I first created the Power/

Rep Range/Shock training program, I did so without

the thought of anyone using it aside from myself, and

my training partners. However, when I saw just how

well it worked, I slowly began to implement the system

with my personal-training clients as well. Later on, as

bodybuilding/fitness discussion boards became more

popular, I decided to post about my program, hoping that


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perhaps some other people might find it beneficial.

Soon after, P/RR/S was literally “blowing up” all overthe Web and I was receiving dozens of e-mails about it

every day. It was then that I realized that something pretty

special was happening, so I decided to write an article

about the system, and to my surprise it was published just

weeks later.

Today, P/RR/S has grown to worldwide popularity, andone of my greatest P/RR/S success stories is with a man

named Kyle Harris, who started out as just a client, but

has grown into one of my closest friends. His dedication

and passion for my training system has not only made

him a true expert in the protocol, but also brought him

from struggling amateur bodybuilder to one of the hottest

natural pros in the sport.

Recently I chose Kyle to travel with me to California to

shoot the first ever P/RR/S training DVD. Once shooting

was complete, I decided to sit down with Kyle and talk to

him about his P/RR/S journey.

EB: Kyle, tell everyone how old you are, where

you’re from and how you got into bodybuilding.

KH: I’m 28 years old. I was raised in Green Springs,

Ohio, and I now live in Clyde, Ohio. They’re neighboring

towns and are both very rural.

As a child I was awestruck by cartoon characters and

super heroes like He-Man, Superman and Rocky. Then

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I remember seeing Lee Haney’s TV show on ESPN and

reading an article about Flex Wheeler way back in like

1992. I always knew I wanted to look that powerful andathletic.

Then, in high school, I was an athlete and started lifting

weights. I was

actually very

strong for my

size. I didn’t havemuch guidance

at that time, so

I floated around

with no real

goal; however, in

college, where I

played baseball,I realized through

proper training

and nutrition

that I could not

only increase

my performance

on the field, but

also change

my physique.

Dreaming of

becoming a

professional

baseball player,

and also always

being a bit on the


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heavy side,

that really

excited me.

After

college I

continued

to play

baseball for

a coupleof years,

and when

I realized

I would

never fulfill

my dream

of being abig leaguer,

I needed

something

to feed my

competitive

desires.

I had

begun following pro bodybuilding in college when I was

researching training and nutrition and thought it might be

something I’d enjoy because of the discipline involved.

Because of that, I attended a few shows and met some

wonderful people. One of those people is a good friend

of both of ours, Troy Johnson. Troy basically looked me in

the face the first day I met him and said, “You are going


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to compete, and

I’ll help you.”

And the switchfrom baseball to

bodybuilding was

made.

EB: Yeah, Troy

is a great guy

and an NGA probodybuilder

himself who

also has

used P/RR/S

successfully.

What was your

early traininglike? How did

you structure

your program

initially?

KH: When I made the shift to bodybuilding, my training

was typical volume training. I’d train every single day,

doing 16 to 20 sets and sometimes as high as 25 or 30 for

my back. There were times I’d train for a month straight

without taking a day off.

My philosophy was that no one would outwork me. I

look back and realize how much I overtrained, but I also

look back on those times and I’m grateful because I

learned so much about training the body and myself.


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EB: I think all of us train a little too much when

we start out, not only out of ignorance, but alsosheer enthusiasm. I definitely also look back at

my early training years as sort of a “golden age.”

So, when and how did you discover P/RR/S?

KH: After my first bodybuilding show a friend of mine

brought a bodybuilding magazine to the gym I worked at

part time. It had an article on Power/Rep Range/Shock.This friend was my training partner. He was so excited

about the article and urged me to read it. I think that was

in the winter or spring of 2005. Around that same time I

was just discovering the bodybuilding boards and forums.

Little did I know I had been reading and interacting with

the inventor of P/RR/S! Once I put two and two together, I

started to do more research on the program.

EB: So you read the article on P/RR/S and

decided to pursue it further. What drew you to the

program? What was intriguing about it?

KH: I earned my degree in health and physical

education and was working toward a Masters Degree

in kineisiology and exercise physiology. From my

background and knowledge of the body and what I had

learned about training, the program’s principles just made

sense in relation to how the body works and responds to

exercise stimulus.

On top of that, the constant changes and variety keep

workouts fresh and exciting. I really liked the adaptability


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of the program as well. Also, I had been training using

many of the P/RR/S principles already—just using them all

in the same workouts.

For instance, I’d often start training using heavy weights

and low reps, then move onto an exercise or two that

worked on hypertrophy principles in the eight-to-15 rep

range, and finish with a superset or drop set. Later I’d

learn that this was actually an advanced P/RR/S protocol

call the “hybrid week.” But, I’d never thought of breakingthese principles down into distinct weeks in order to

decrease the body’s adaptability processes toward

training.

EB: Did you notice positive changes to your

physique relatively quickly with P/RR/S?

KH: I noticed changes immediately! After my first show

I realized I had no legs. Years of catching and speed

training did not result in muscle for some reason. Knowing

that I wanted to compete within the next six months, I

implemented P/RR/S training right after reading about it

for my leg workouts.

While dieting, I made vast improvements in my leg

development and separation. Granted, I had a long way

to go, but I went from having no legs, to having legs good

enough to place third in the middleweights in the NPC

Michigan State Natural Championships against a very

tough lineup.

Not only did my legs improve, but also my back was


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drastically starting to take on a whole new level of shape,

width and density.

EB: Yes, I remember how quickly you

progressed once I starting designing your

workouts. Now, each week in P/RR/S is quite

different. Do you truly feel each week affects

your muscles in a unique way? Can you describe

the difference?

KH: Yes, without a doubt. During Power week my

muscles feel as if they have been beaten into submission.

You definitely tow that fine line between stimulation and

annihilation. By concentrating on the eccentric phase

of the lift, I can almost feel my muscle fibers tearing in a

positive way. You can rest assured that done right, Power

week will result in some crazy DOMS! It’s great becauseyou can really get aggressive—that animalistic instinct

starts to come out.

Rep Range week is totally different. I get crazy pumps

during Rep Range week and the challenge comes from

really developing that mind-to-muscle connection and

feeling the muscle work through all parts of the movement

from eccentric to concentric and stretch to peak

contraction. After I’m done with a Rep Range workout,

I’m typically completely wiped out—but full, vascular and

pumped to the gills!

Then comes Shock week. There is no better way to

describe it than shocking! I absolutely love shock week. I

think it takes a special type of intensity to really hammer


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the muscles and to stomach the advanced techniques.

The way you feel during and after tells you that your body

can’t help but grow from the stimulus. And again, thepumps, the fullness during a Shock workout—insane!

EB: Wow, I love your descriptions! Well, you’ve

put P/RR/S to the test and know it works for you

and so many others, but you also have a good

understanding of the science. Do you feel that

the principles involved are scientifically sound?

KH: 150 percent yes! The body is such an amazing

piece of machinery. The way we can adapt and grow and

withstand stress and pressure—it’s fascinating. However,

because of this adaptability, and nature’s homeostatic

ways, it can be hard to build muscle. Unless you’re a

genetic freak, you have to unlock all the gates to themuscle-building kingdom. P/RR/S provides the keys to

unlock all of these gates.

There are numerous ways to initiate and stimulate

muscle growth. Your program completely accounts for all

these different muscle-building avenues from hormone

release, fiber-type activation, metabolic stimulation,

satellite cell proliferation—yes, I mean hyperplasia—and

neural overload.

Power week really attacks the central nervous system

and helps to increase strength and power. The different

rep ranges in Rep Range week create a different time

under tension that results in unique fiber-type activation

and hits all type I and II fibers. Furthermore, rep tempo


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is going to affect the body in a whole different manner

all together. Rest intervals and exercise selection have a

major impact on the release of anabolic hormones liketestosterone, GH and IGF-1, so during Shock week we’re

creating a brand new metabolic reaction to create new

muscle.

P/RR/S is the only all-inclusive, science-laden system I

have found. In fact, it’s mind blowing that it’s designed so

well that it addresses each and every scientific method tobuild muscle.


40/49


Q: I've been using a standard two-way split,

training four days a week, but I've stopped

growing. Why? Will Power/Rep Range/Shock get

my muscle size moving forward again?

A: One-dimensional training programs eventually lead to

diminishing returns and finally stagnation. With P/RR/S theidea is to keep the body from ever completely adapting

to your training so that it is instead forced to keep up with

the constantly progressive and novel demands that you

continue to place upon it—and by keep up, I mean that

the body will greatly and consistently increase the size of

its muscles in order to survive.

You must remember that

the muscles become larger

through pathways other than

simple hypertrophy of type 2

muscle fibers. The principle

behind P/RR/S training is

to induce hypertrophy inall muscle fibers along the

continuum, from the fastest

of the fast to the slowest of

the slow. That helps ensure

complete development.

In addition, by using

training techniques such

CHAPTER 7

P/RR/S Q&A


41/49


as superheavy training,

medium- and high-rep

training, stretch overload,supersets, drop sets,

lifting tempo changes,

rest-period changes, stage

reps, 1 1/2 reps, X Reps

and so on, all in controlled

cycles, you successfully

induce myriadphysiological adaptations,

all of which contribute to

your getting bigger.

I’m speaking of things like increases in mitochondrial

enzymes, increases in stored ATP, creatine, glycogen

and triglycerides, as well as the laying down of additional

capillary beds—perhaps even hyperplasia, or fiber

splitting.

Each of the different training weeks in the P/RR/S

program will also affect the release of all of the body’s

various anabolic hormones, like testosterone, GH and IGF-

1, giving you the ability to take advantage of the unique

properties of each. So yes, I think P/RR/S is just what you

need to get growing again.

Q: I'm gaining a lot of strength with P/RR/S,

but not much size so far. From what I've read, I

think it could be from a lack of stimulation to the

endurance components of the muscle fibers, like

mitochondrial and capillary bed development.


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Is there

anything you

recommendfor us

hardgainer

types who

don’t respond

well to low-

rep Power

sets?

A: While I

find that most

trainees respond

extremely well

to the basic

P/RR/S layout,

there are those

who need some

minor variation

of the program

to realize their

full potential. It’s

easiest for me

to troubleshoot

a problem when I’m working one-on-one with a client, but

let me give you some examples of how I might vary the

routine for someone not gaining muscle as fast as I’d like.

One solution is to increase the volume slightly on Power

week so that you have the opportunity to exhaust more

muscle fibers. Normally, I recommend about eight to 10


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sets for large bodyparts and five to seven for smaller ones.

But for hardgainers I sometimes find that 10 to 12 and

eight to 10 sets, respectively, work better.

Another way I’ve found to increase size gains for some

individuals is to increase the frequency of Rep Range and/

or Shock week so that the structure is P/RR/RR/S or P/

RR/S/RR, for example.

I’ve also seen the opposite of your predicament: Sometrainees make more rapid gains in size by using more

Power-week work rather than Rep Range or Shock. They

simply respond best to low-rep training due to a unique

fiber makeup and/or the ability to fire off a tremendous

number of motor units with each rep. Drug-free

bodybuilder and Team Universe champ Skip La Cour falls

into that category. He generally trains in the range of fourto six reps to failure just about every week—and nobody

could argue with his results.

In addition, there are many well-known strength coaches

who feel that the more years one has been consistently

training, the fewer reps per set it takes for him or her to

stimulate hypertrophy.

Q: I'm a big fan of D.C. training, Dante’s multirep

rest/pause [three sets done with the same weight

and a 20-second rest after each.] Does that fall

into Power, Rep Range or Shock?

A: Dante is a friend of mine and someone I have the

highest respect for, both as a training theorist and as a


44/49


person. His D.C. method has helped thousands of people

gain new size and strength, and it’s a program that many

people switch back and forth from, along with my own P/ RR/S training.

As for his specific multirep rest/pause technique, it’s

something that can often fit in quite nicely during the

Shock week of P/RR/S.

Q: Should I use forced reps, and if so, where—Power, Rep Range or Shock?

A: I don't recommend using forced reps at every

workout, but they work well during Power week. I don't

use them often in my own training, but that's because I

often train alone. If I had a training partner, I’d perhaps use


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forced reps a bit more often.

Quite honestly though, I’m at a point now where I’velearned to focus so intensely on every rep that by the time

I reach positive failure, I believe I have fired off just about

every available muscle fiber. After consistent use of P/RR/

S, you'll get to that point as well.

Q: I lift at home with very limited equipment.

I train my whole body three days per week andcycle my exercises every eight to 10 weeks. I’ve

always lifted to failure in the range of about 10

reps, but I’m ready for something different. I

discovered Power/Rep Range/Shock training and

want to give it a try. How can I incorporate P/RR/S

into the following routine: squats, dumbbell bench

presses, lat pulldowns, military presses, hammer

curls and straight-bar

pushdowns?

A: Just so you know,

many trainees have

successfully used P/RR/S

with limited programs

such as yours. If you’re

willing to put the effort,

intensity and dedication

into even a simple

program, you can get

excellent results.

Here’s how you can


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take the exercises you listed and transform them into a P/

RR/S routine:

Week 1: Power

Squats, 4 x 4-6

Dumbbell bench presses, 4 x 4-6

Lat pulldowns, 4 x 4-6

Military presses, 4 x 4-6

Hammer curls, 3 x 4-6

Straight-bar pushdowns, 3 x 4-6

Tempo: 4/0/X

Rest: 3-4 minutes after each set

Week 2: Rep Range

Squats, 1 x 16-20, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9

DB bench presses,

1 x 16-20, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9

Lat pulldowns, 1 x 16-20, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9Military presses, 1 x 16-20, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9

Hammer curls, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9

Straight-bar pushdowns, 1 x 13-15, 1 x 10-12, 1 x 7-9

Tempo: 2/1/2/1

Rest: 2-3 minutes

Week 3: Shock Squats (drop set), 3 x 8-10(4-6)

Dumbbell bench presses (drop set), 3 x 8-10(4-6)

Lat pulldowns (drop set), 3 x 8-10(4-6)

Military presses (drop set), 3 x 8-10(4-6)

Hammer curls (drop set), 2 x 8-10(4-6)

Straight-bar pushdowns, 2 x 8-10(4-6)

Tempo: 1/0/1/0Rest: 1-2 minutes


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Note: More advanced

lifters can use other Shock

techniques in place of or inaddition to drop sets, including

X Reps, 1 1/2 reps, eccentric

pauses, concentric pauses,

stretch/pause, eccentric

emphasis, 5/5/5 reps and more.

Q. I’m extremelyectomorphic. My goal is

to gain as much bulk as

possible, but I don’t want to get too fat. I weigh

about 155 and wish to get to 185 in the next year.

Should I be doing cardio along with my weight

training?

A. I was in a very similar situation when I first started,

although I was even skinnier, if you can believe that. I

weighed a paltry 125 pounds when I first wrapped my

hands around a barbell. In other words, I feel your pain.

I’d have to say no, you shouldn’t do any cardio at this

time. As you’re an ectomorph struggling to add muscle

and bodyweight, the last thing you want to do is burn

more calories and increase your already racing metabolism

through cardio. You want every calorie you eat to be

pointed toward muscle repair and growth, even if you store

a little bodyfat along the way.

The best way to avoid adding too much adipose tissue

while gaining size is to make sure that you eat a relatively

End-of-

set X-Rep

partials

work well

on Shock-

weekworkouts.

http://www.x-rep.com/index.cfmhttp://www.x-rep.com/index.cfm


48/49


clean high-calorie diet. Try to get the bulk of your calories

from steak, eggs, milk, chicken, fatty fish, protein

powders, rice, pasta, potatoes, whole-grain breads, fruits

and vegetables. While the occasional pizza, ice cream

and pancakes won’t hurt you, make foods like that the

exception and not the rule.

Another point about cardio and the ectomorph is that,

in my experience, those with your body type tend to have

more limited recovery ability than most—not so much in

regard to individual muscles as systemic recovery. That

means overtraining is more of a concern than with other

body types. Thus cardio on top of weight training is not

a good idea for us naturally skinny types (at least in the

early bulking stages), as too much exercise will make too

great an inroad into our recovery ability, which will all but

bring muscle gains to a screeching halt.

My advice is to train hard and heavy no more than four

days per week with Power/Rep Range/Shock, eat at least

six clean, high-calorie meals per day

and sleep seven to nine hours every

night. That’s your simple yet reliable

equation for muscle growth.

Note: Eric Broser is available for

online training, individual P/RR/

S training program design and

contest-prep coaching. Please visit

www.prrstraining.com for more

information. Email Eric at

[email protected].

http://www.prrstraining.com/http://www.prrstraining.com/http://www.prrstraining.com/


49/49

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