Ultimate 10 x 10 Mass Work Out

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X-traordinaryWorkouts.com Presents

The Ultimate

1 0x x 10

M SSMASSW R UTWORKOUT

by Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson



2 The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout

The Ultimate 10x10 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 © 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-Rep.com

Homepage

www.X-traordinaryWorkouts.com

Workout-programs in e-book format

All other e-books are available at

www.X-Rep.com/xshop.htm



The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout 3

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

Chapter 1—8x8—Fast Blast

for More Mass...................................6

Chapter 2—10x10—Hitting

Hypertrophic Heights......................14

Chapter 3—The Ultimate 10x10

Mass Workout..................................16

Chapter 4—Heavy/Light

10x10 Mass Workout.......................24

Chapter 5—10x10 Q&A........................................34

Contents




If there's one thing we've learned over our 50 years of

cumulative in-the-trenches weight-training experience, it's

that things cannot stay the same if you want big gains. In

other words, to pack on loads of raw muscle, you must

make changes to your workout on a regular basis.

The change-to-gain method is especially effective once

a trainee has been working out for a few years. After all,

you can't keep adding weight or repetitions to exercises

forever. That's not how the body works. To continuetriggering adaptations like muscle-fiber enlargement and

capillary-bed expansion for size increases, you need new

training tactics—and sometimes a completely new mass

methodology.

Which brings us to the 10x10 method—10 sets of 10

repetitions for each exercise. “Whoa! 10 sets per exercise?That sounds like a ticket to the overtraining merry-go-

round.” As you'll see, that's not the case. The first half of

those sets act as a warmup, but we're getting ahead of

ourselves. Let's rewind...

The 10x10 method came from German Olympic lifting and

was adapted to bodybuilding by the late Vince Gironda.

In case you're not familiar with the Iron Guru, he owned

Vince's Gym in Hollywood, California, in the ’50s through

the ’90s, and he was renowned as one of the smartest

trainers around—and quite an off-the-wall character.

We remember when he used to visit the IRON MAN offices

with IM scribe Gene Mozée, and he always had something

Introduction




to teach us. He would jump down onto the floor to show

us the proper way to do crunches or go on a rant about

how steroids have ruined bodybuilding. By the way, he was

known as a straight-shooter, always seeking the truth, and

he didn't care who he offended, even Arnold...

When Arnold first came to America, he visited Vince's

Gym, walked up to Gironda and announced, in a heavy

Austrian accent, “I am Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr.

Universe.” Vince looked up from the counter, checked him

out from head to toe and said, "Oh? You look like a fat

f@#k to me.” Arnold, being the smart man he is, didn't take

offense, but embraced that brash comment, eventually

ripping up his mass to dominate bodybuilding.

Vince was all about results—fast results, which is what

his 8x8 program produced: “I call it the ‘honest workout’because of the pure muscle fiber that can be attained. Keep

to 8x8 and your muscle fibers will plump out, giving you a

solid mass of muscle density as a result.”

And the workouts are

quick too—usually around

45 minutes. It's fast,efficient muscle building

that can transform your

physique. Interested? We

thought so. Let's go!

—Steve Holman and

Jonathan Lawson

www.X-Rep.comHolman and Lawson.




No doubt about it: The Iron Guru Vince Gironda was

always well ahead of the curve when it came to building

muscles. He trained the very first Mr. Olympia, Larry Scott,

helping him overcome his genetic shortcomings, and he

was the go-to guy for movie stars in Hollywood when they

needed to transform their bodies quickly for a film role.

Often he prescribed his 8x8 routine.

“I come

back to this

high-intensity

‘honest

workout’more often

than any

other for

maximizing

muscle-fiber

growth in

the quickestpossible

time.... But

working

within the 8x8

guidelines is

not suficient

to guaranteegains....

Vince Gironda.

CHAPTER 18x8—Fast Blast for

More Mass




“You must exhaust each muscle with the right tempo

and weight resistance. I recommend that you reduce therest time between sets to 15 to 20 seconds.”

Now you may be shaking your head and thinking, “How

can you possibly do eight sets of eight reps with such

short rests?” The key is weight selection...

For each exercise you pick a weight that you couldinitially do for around 18 reps, and you stick with that

weight for all eight sets.

in other words, the first three sets will be fairly easy.

In fact, those initial sets act as an excellent warmup, as

the muscular stress is minimal. They primarily force more

blood through the target muscle to prime it for the lattersets, which get brutally hard.

In fact, around set five, if you picked the right weight,

you will start struggling to get eight reps. At set seven,

you will have to grind to eke out an eighth repetition. And

on set eight, you should get only six or seven. If you get

eight, increase the poundage at your next workout.

While Vince often prescribed two or three exercises in

8x8 style for each muscle, we've found, as have many

other trainees, that big gains occur as fast or faster with

only one exercise, especially if you use the Ultimate

Exercise for each bodypart, as identified in our first

e-book, The Ultimate Mass Workout . Here are those

exercises:

http://www.x-rep.com/xshop.htm#anchor_umw







Squat (quads, or front

thighs). This is the most

ergonomically correct move

for engaging the front-thigh

muscles for most people. If

you have trouble squatting

with a free bar, try it on a

Smith machine. If those

aren't possible, leg presses

can work in a pinch. Also,while Gironda suggested

20-second rests between

sets, we feel that about

one minute is best on big-

muscle exercises so that

cardiovascular fatigue doesn't stop you short of working

enough muscle fibers to trigger growth.

Feet-forward Smith-

machine squats

(hamstrings, or back of

thighs). The upright torso

position in combination with

the feet in front of the hipsactivates the hamstrings with

teamwork from surrounding

muscles. While MRI studies

show that the front-squat

version (pictured) is best,

bar in front of the neck, the

back squat version is more

comfortable and hammers

the hamstrings just as well.




Knee-extension leg press calf raises

(gastrocnemius). In the UMW e-book we discussed leg-

based cardio, like treadmill work, as the only compoundexercise for calves. Since then we've found that leg press

calf raises, with some knee flexion and extension, provides

excellent midrange calf work. Here's a quick description:

Position yourself on a leg press with only the balls of

your feet on the foot plate, your knees locked. Lower the

weight by allowing your feet to come toward you as you

simultaneously unlock your knees somewhat. From that

slight bent-knee position, about a quarter of the way down,

and your feet back in the stretch position, simultaneously

push your knees to lockout and your feet to the top calf-

raise position (toes pointed, calves flexed). Then lower

your feet and bend your knees at the same time again to

power out another rep. It takes some practice, but once

you get a good rhythm, you'll feel your calves getting the

brunt of the work.

Decline bench presses (chest). The decline

position helps put more stress on your pecs and less on

your front deltoids. Your grip

should be just slightly wider

than shoulder width and you

should lower the bar to yourlow-pec line before reversing

the bar movement. Doesn't

this primarily stress the lower

pecs? MRI studies show that

the exercise hits the lower

chest as well as the upper.

You can see that in the photoof Jonathan performing this

ultimate chest exercise.




Dumbbell upright rows

(delts). Overhead presses

tend to stress the front-deltheads rather than the sides,

so we've found dumbbell

upright rows the best choice

for compound shoulder work

with medial-head emphasis.

Many of our programs include

an overhead pressing exerciseafter; however, we consider

dumbbell upright rows as the

ultimate medial-head move. A

variation is the seated lateral

raise, which you do in a semi-

upright row form, a favorite of Mr. Olympia Jay Culter.

Chest-supported

dumbbell rows

(midback). These allow

you to get significant

stretch in the traps at

the bottom of the stroke

when the dumbbells aretogether, and as you

row them up, you can

guide them out so you

squeeze your scapulae

together at the top for

full midback contraction.

Being facedown on a

chest support negates

cheating.




V-handle chins (lats).

These put your biceps in an

advantageous position for poweroutput, but no so much that

the lats become a secondary

mover. You will be able to feel

your lats getting some stretch

at the bottom and then a full

contraction at the top as your

upper arms move to your sidesand slightly back. That's the

fully contracted position for the

lats. Most trainees will need to

substitute V-handle pulldowns to

get 10x10.

Dips (triceps). MRI

studies show that this

exercise brings in all three

triceps heads equally. The

reason is that your arms are

down at your sides, which is

the fully contracted positionfor the triceps. Secondary

muscles like the pecs and

delts help force the triceps to

fire against heavy resistance,

making dips the ultimate

triceps exercise. A close

second is decline close-grip

bench presses.




Undergrip chins (biceps).

We mentioned above that a

parallel grip on V-handle chinsallows biceps leverage, but not

so much that the lats become

secondary movers. By shifting to

an undergrip, you make the biceps

the prime mover, and undergrip

chins becomes the ultimate

exercise for biceps. A closesecond is undergrip pulldowns—if

you can keep from rocking your

torso back. Most trainees will need

to use undergrip pulldowns for

10x10. One caveat: In programs

that include biceps work after back

training, a standing curl may be abetter choice.

Incline kneeups (abdominals). With these you

get resistance all the way through the movement and

your abs get help from your hip flexors. Note that on a

hanging kneeup, there

is zero resistance at the

bottom of the stroke,

which makes the incline

version better. As you

increase strength, you

will have to secure

weight to your feet or

hook them to a low-

cable setup for added

resistance.




To review, the Ultimate Exercises are...

Squats for quads

Feet-forward Smith-machine squats for hamstrings

Knee-extension leg press calf raises for calves

Decline bench presses for chest

Dumbbell upright rows for deltoids

Chest-supported dumbbell rows for midback

V-bar chins or pulldowns for lats

Dips for triceps

Undergrip chins or pulldowns for biceps

Incline kneeups for abdominals

We'll work all of those into an efficient mass-building

10x10 workout in Chapter 3. First, let's discuss 8x8 vs.

10x10. Is one better than the other?

Eight sets of eight is so effective that, as a

20-year-old novice competitive bodybuilder, I

was able to gain 17 pounds of muscle drug-free—contest weight from one show to the

next—in less than nine months using the

system. To this day I still use it whenever I need

a shock program to bring up a lagging bodypart.

—Tom Venuto

Drug-free bodybuilder

Author of The Body Fat Solution




One reason Vince Gironda's 8x8 method is so effective

is that it condenses a lot of volume into a small time

frame. More work in less time is one of the keys to muscle

growth, but it's best if each and every set reaches the

hypertrophic time zone.

Researchers have found that about 30 to 40 seconds of

tension time is best for optimal muscle-growth stimulation.

That equates to about five seconds per rep. Most trainees

don't like moving that slow—so edging up the rep total

can increase gains via more time under tension.

CHAPTER 210x10—Hitting

Hypertrophic Heights




If you do 10 reps, each one must last three to four

seconds—which is closer to the norm, if you're not

throwing the weight.

Also keep in mind that Vince usually suggested more

than one exercise per muscle group. In our Ultimate

Exercise 10x10 program you only do one exercise for

each target muscle, so a slight increase in volume will

increase gains for most trainees—the 10x10 system is the

perfect solution.

Does it work? Here's what Olympic coach Charles

Poliquin has to say about it...

“The program works because it targets a group of motor

units, exposing them to an extensive volume of repeated

efforts, specifically, 10 sets of a single exercise. The bodyadapts to the extraordinary stress by hypertrophying the

targeted fibers. To say this program adds muscle fast is an

understatement. Gains of 10 pounds or more in six weeks

are not uncommon, even in experienced lifters!”

Impressive—and very exciting. Poliquin says that you

should begin with a weight that you can lift for 20 repsto failure, or about 60 percent of your one-rep max. For

example, if you can bench press 300 pounds for one rep,

you would use 180 on the 10x10 program.

Okay, now that you're motivated, have all the exercises

and paramaters, let's get to the 10x10 program with the

Ultimate Exercise for each muscle group. It hurts, but itworks!




We are conditioned to think that lifting heavy weights is

the only way to build muscle. Because the poundage you

use on an 8x8 or 10x10 set grouping is relatively light, it

seems counterintuitive that it could add mass fast—but itdoes.

If a strength coach like Charles Poliquin has such high

praise for it, you know it works; however, keep in mind

that Poliquin recommends one to two minutes between

sets as opposed to Gironda's 15 to 20 seconds. We

prefer something

in between—the

amount of time it

takes your partner

to complete his or

her reps, which is

30 to 40 seconds.

The 10x10

method targets

the motor units

that innervate the

high-growth fibers

despite the lighter

poundage. In our

previous e-books

CHAPTER 3

The Ultimate10x10 Mass Workout




we've discussed the size

principle of fiber recruitment.

That states that on the firstlighter reps of a set the low-

threshold motor units fire,

toward the middle of the set

the mediums fire, and toward

the end of the set the high-

threshold motor units fire as

you reach failure.

That important hypertrophic progression still occurs

during the 10 sets; however, it doesn't happen on each

set—at least not on the first few—but rather builds over

the course of all 10.

In other words, the low-threshold motor units arefatigued on the first few sets; the mediums are attacked

during the middle sets, and you pull in a high number of

high-threshold motor units during the last reps of each of

the last two or three sets.

In addition to optimal fiber recruitment, you also get

a wicked growth-hormone-producing burn and a skin-

stretching pump, which will build the capillary beds and

stretch the fascia, the muscle-fiber encasements. That

fascia expansion can allow more muscle size to happen,

as it relieves constriction and provides more room for fiber

growth—much like stretching a balloon before you blow it

up. The prestretching allows you to blow it up bigger with

less effort—and you want that to happen to your muscles

too. They will blow up big with the 10x10 method.




Okay, we've established that you will use the 10x10

method on each of the Ultimate Exercises, but what kind

of bodypart split is best? Because the method is quitetaxing, a full-body program is out—you would be a limp

dishrag halfway through every workout.

In fact, legs should be on their own day because 10

sets of squats and 10 sets of hamstring work will be very

draining—a day of rest after that workout is a good idea

too so that your overall system can recover.

Here's the ideal split for most trainees:

Week 1

Monday: Chest, Delts, Triceps, Abs

Tuesday: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

Wednesday: RestThursday: Lats, Midback, Biceps

Friday: Chest, Delts, Triceps, Abs

Week 2

Monday: Lats, Midback, Biceps

Tuesday: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: Chest, Delts, Triceps, Abs

Friday: Lats, Midback, Biceps

Repeat Week 1, etc.

Notice that legs get one workout per week, on Tuesday;

the upper-body workouts rotate over three days, Monday,

Thursday and Friday. Here are the workouts...




The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 1: Chest, Delts, Triceps, Abs

Exercise, 10 sets x 10 reps Poundage

Decline presses

or Wide-grip dips


or Seated bent-arm

lateral raises

Parallel-bar dips

or Decline extensions

Incline kneeups

Rest about 30 to 45 seconds between and after sets of most exercises.

Rep speed should be about 1.5 seconds up and 1.5 seconds down.

Weight stays the same for all 10 sets of 10 reps; 10th set you shouldget only 8 to 9 reps...

Increase the poundage slightly on all sets for an exercise if you

get 10 reps on the 10th set.




The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 2: Quads, Hamstrings, Calves

Exercise, 10 sets x 10 reps Poundage

Squats or Smith squats

Stiff-legged deadlifts

OR

Leg presses

Feet-forward Smith squats

Knee-extension leg press

calf raises

or Donkey calf raises 8 x 20




Increase the poundage slightly on all sets for an exercise if you

get 10 reps on the 10th set.




The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 3: Lats, Midback, Biceps

Exercise, 10 sets x 10 reps Poundage V-handle pulldowns

Chest-supported

dumbbell rows

or Bent-over rows

Undergrip pulldowns

or Cable curls



Weight stays the same for all 10 sets of 10 reps; 10th set you should

get only 8 to 9 reps...

Increase the poundage slightly on all sets for an exercise if youget 10 reps on the 10th set.




Ultimate 10x10 Workout Reminders

1) No warmup sets are necessary; the first few sets

of the 10x10 regimen act as a warmup.

2) The ideal rep speed is 1 1/2 seconds up and

1 1/2 seconds down; always keep your form strict—no

heaving or jerking the weights.

3) Rest 30 to 45 seconds between sets—or as long

as it takes your partner to finish his or her set.

4) Note that you do 8x20 on calf work. Calves require

higher reps due to their endurance capacity and fiber

density. If you add forearm work, the same is true

of that muscle group. You may want to try 8x15 for

forearms. You could add wrist curls and reverse wrist

curls on back-and-biceps day.

5) After six weeks on the Ultimate 10x10 Mass

Workout, back off the intensity—use the same

workouts with the same weights but do 8x10 instead

of 10x10. Eliminating the last two sets means you will

have no all-out reps. After that lower-intensity week

7, you can go back to the intense version or moveto the Heavy/Light version later in this book or move

to another program (remember, change triggers new

gains).

6) If you try the complete 10x10 workout and feel a

craving for heavy-weight sets, you may be more suited

to the heavy/light version in the next chapter.




10x10 Strength-Progression Variation

Olympic strength coach Charles Poliquin has a

power-oriented take on the 10x10 method based on his

German Volume Training model. Since you're focusingon strength, you use a lower rep range, 4-5, and you

rest 90 seconds between sets.

Those aren't the only changes. Poliquin increases the

load by five percent every workout for two workouts

in a row, but reduces the target rep by one for every

weight increase. Here's an example using the benchpress for a trainee who can bench 300 pounds for 10

reps with strict form:

Workout 1: 10 sets of 5 with 300



Workout 4: 10 sets of 5 with 315Workout 5: 10 sets of 4 with 330


Poliquin says that at this point you will be able to

bench 330 for 10 strict reps, a 30-pound increase.

Realize that because your rest is two to three timesas long, the 10 sets will take longer than the standard

10x10 protocol, which requires 30 to 40 seconds of

rest between sets.

If you're a bench press fanatic, you could substitute

the flat bench for declines in Workout 1 and use the

above progression. It will take longer to complete, but

you'll build your bench press poundage quickly.




You probably consider yourself a bodybuilder. That

means you should be concerned with building muscle.

Strength should be a secondary concern; however, using

relatively light poundages at every workout in the 10x10

program—even if it feels incredibly heavy on the last few

sets—doesn't satisfy that craving most of us have to

move some heavy iron every so often.

That doesn't mean you should abandon it—just that you

could include both a 10x10 workout for each bodypart

alternated with a more standard “heavy” protocol.

One of our most popular programs is the 3D Power

Pyramid routine from

The X-traordinary

Muscle-Building

Workouts e-book.

Trainees like it

because it producesfast results in both

size and strength.

One of the keys

to that program is

the pyramid system

on the big midrangeexercises....

CHAPTER 4Heavy/Light

10x10 Mass Workout

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To pyramid, you

first do two to three

progressively heavierwarmup sets. Then

for your first work set

you pick a weight that

allows nine reps. For

work set 2 you add

weight, enough to

bring your reps downto 6-7. For work set 3

you add weight again

and finish with 3-4 all-

out reps.

That will satisfy your craving for moving some big

weights and also help you generate max force, which is a

key component of muscle hypertrophy.

After you pyramid on the big midrange exercise,

you follow with one set of a stretch- and one set of a

contracted-position exercise. Here's an example for

quads:

Midrange: Squats, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Stretch: Sissy squats, 1 x 8-12

Contracted: Leg extensions, 1 x 8-12

That Positions-of-Flexion routine provides full-range

work, which trains the key components of muscle growth:

max force (midrange), stretch overload (stretch) and

tension/occlusion (contracted).




In the Heavy/Light 10x10 Workout, you will train every

bodypart with that full-range protocol on Heavy day.

Light day will be reserved for the one-exercise 10x10

approach. It's a great combination that can stimulate

big gains via a number of different pathways. Use the

same split, but with heavy (H) POF and 10x10 as your

so-called light (L) workouts:

Week 1

Monday: W1—Chest (H), Delts (L), Triceps (L), Abs (H)

Tuesday: W2—Quads (H), Hamstrings (L), Calves (L)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: W3—Lats (L), Midback (H), Biceps (L)

Friday: W4—Chest (L), Delts (H), Triceps (H), Abs (L)

Week 2

Monday: W6—Lats (H), Midback (L), Biceps (H)

Tuesday: W5—Quads (L), Hamstrings (H), Calves (H)

Wednesday: Rest

Thursday: W1—Chest (H), Delts (L), Triceps (L), Abs (H)

Friday: W3—Lats (L), Midback (H), Biceps (L)




Week 3

Monday: W4—Chest (L), Delts (H), Triceps (H), Abs (L)

Tuesday: W2—Quads (H), Hamstrings (L), Calves (L)

Wednesday: RestThursday: W6—Lats (H), Midback (L), Biceps (H)

Friday: W1—Chest (H), Delts (L), Triceps (L), Abs (H)

Week 4

Monday: W3—Lats (L), Midback (H), Biceps (L)

Tuesday: W5—Quads (L), Hamstrings (H), Calves (H)

Wednesday: RestThursday: W4—Chest (L), Delts (H), Triceps (H), Abs (L)

Friday: W6—Lats (H), Midback (L), Biceps (H)

Repeat Week 1

Simply print out the six workouts on the next few pages

and follow them as listed above—the numbers, suchas W1, W2, etc., are the individual workouts (Monday is

Workout 1; Tuesday is Workout 2, and so on).

“The results were well worth the hard work

[using 10x10 on squats]. I took measurements

of my legs before and after starting the 10-sets

program to accurately record the results. I wasoverjoyed to find out that, at the end of the

seven-week program, my legs had grown almost

two inches. That’s an amazing gain [for an

advanced bodybuilder], especially in less than

two months.”

—John Hansen

Mr. Natural Olympia Author of Natural Bodybuilding




Heavy/Light Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 1: Chest (H), Delts (L), Triceps (L), Abs (H)

Exercise Poundage

Decline presses**

or Wide-grip dips**, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Flat-bench flyes*, 1 x 8-10

Cable flyes

or Cable crossovers, 1 x 8-10


or Seated bent-arm

laterals, 10x10

Parallel-bar dips

or Decline extensions, 10x10

Incline kneeups, 2 x 10-15

Full-range crunches, 2 x 10-15

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

Rest 30 to 45 seconds between and after sets of 10x10 exercises; rest 2to 2 1/2 minutes between and after all other sets.



Increase the poundage slightly on all sets for a 10x10 exercise if you get 10 reps on the 10th set.




Heavy/Light Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 2: Quads (H), Hamstrings (L), Calves (L)

Exercise Poundage

Squats**, Smith squats**

or Leg presses**, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Sissy squats*, 1 x 8-10

Leg extensions, 1 x 8-10

Stiff-legged

deadlifts, 10x10


calf raises

or Donkey calf raises, 8 x 20









Heavy/Light Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 3: Lats (L), Midback (H), Biceps (L)

Exercise Poundage

V-handle

pulldowns, 10x10

Chest-supported

dumbbell rows**

or Bent-over

rows**, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Bent-arm bent-over

laterals, 2 x 8-10

Undergrip pulldowns

or Barbell curls, 10x10









Heavy/Light Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 4: Chest (L), Delts (H), Triceps (H), Abs (L)

Exercise Poundage

Decline presses

or Wide-grip dips, 10x10

Dumbbell upright rows**

or Seated bent-arm

laterals**, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Incline one-arm laterals, 1 x 8-10

Standing laterals, 1 x 8-10

Parallel-bar dips**

or Decline extensions**, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Ovehead extensions*, 1 x 8-10

Pushdowns, 1 x 8-10

Incline kneeups, 10x10





Increase the poundage slightly on all sets for a 10x10 exercise if

you get 10 reps on the 10th set.




Heavy/Light Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 5: Quads (L), Hamstrings (H), Calves (H)

Exercise PoundageSquats, Smith squats

or Leg presses, 10x10

Stiff-legged

deadlifts**, 3 x 6-10

Leg curls, 2 x 8-10


calf raises**

or Donkey calf raises**, 3 x 12-15

Standing calf raises, 2 x 12-15

Seated calf raises*, 2 x 15-20









Heavy/Light Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout Workout 6: Lats (H), Midback (L), Biceps (H)

Exercise Poundage

V-handle chins**

or V-handle

pulldowns**, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Dumbbell pullovers*, 1 x 8-10

Stiff-arm pulldown, 1 x 8-10

Chest-supported

dumbbell rows

or Bent-over rows, 10x10

Undergrip pulldowns*

or Barbell curls*, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Incline curls*, 1 x 8-10

Concentration curls, 1 x 8-10





Increase the poundage slightly on all sets for a 10x10 exercise if

you get 10 reps on the 10th set.




Q: I'm using The Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout,

but I feel like I need to specialize on my

shoulders. Should I add another exercise and do it

in the 10x10 style?

A: That's one pretty good way to specialize for more

size. Remember, in Vince Gironda's 8x8 system he usuallyhad trainees do two or three exercises in that style for

each bodypart. You could do the Ultimate Exercise in

10x10 fashion, then add another move for 8x8.

Another route you can take is to follow up the 10x10

Ultimate Exercise with the other two Positions-of-Flexion

moves for one or two sets each.

CHAPTER 510x10 Q&A

Incline one-arm lateral raises, the stretch-

position exercise for the medial-delt head.




For instance, for shoulders you do dumbbell upright

rows for 10x10, and then follow with one or two sets of

incline one-arm laterals (stretch, pictured on the previous

page) and one or two sets of standing or seated laterals

(contracted, pictured above).

We really like the POF-exercise-add-on approach

because with that method you’re training the target

muscle through its full range as well as getting at all of the

key facets of growth stimulation—max force (midrange),stretch overload (stretch) and tension/occlusion

(contracted).

So what about 8x8 on all three POF exercises for the

bodypart you want to specialize on? Vince would no

doubt approve. If you can handle the pain, it can produce

extraordinary gains.

Notice that there is space below each exercise in The

Ultimate 10x10 Mass Workout on pages 19-21 so you can

write in additional exercises for all bodyparts or only the

ones you want to specialize on.

Q: In Workout 2 (legs) of The Ultimate 10x10Mass Workout you have leg presses followed by

Seated lateral raises.




feet-forward Smith-

machine squats OR

squats followed bystiff-legged deadlifts.

Why those two

different choices for

quads?

A: If you do squats for

quads, it may be difficultto do feet-forward Smith-

machine squats for

hamstrings—that's just too

much squatting—20 sets,

200 reps. It's better to do

the stretch move for hams,

stiff-legged deadlifts.

To put it another way, if you decide to do feet-forward

Smith-machine squats for hamstrings, you don't want

to do squats beforehand or fatigue may prevent optimal

hamstring activation when you get to feet-foward Smith

squats. In that case leg presses are the best choice to use

before feet-forward Smith-machine squats. So it's...

Leg presses, 10x10

Feet-forward Smith-machine squats, 10x10

OR

Squats, 10x10

Stiff-legged deadlifts, 10x10

Smith-machine squats.




Q: In The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout , you

emphasize muscle damage as important because

the repair process after the workout raises themetabolism and burns fat. You provide that

damage with negative-accentuated sets. Will I be

getting enough muscle damage with the 10x10

program to continue the fat-to-muscle process,

or should I add an NA set for each bodypart?

A: In that e-book we talk about Arnold Schwarzeneggernot doing much, if any, cardio work to get ripped for

competition. He got his share of fat-burning muscle

damage via volume—lots of sets—not negative-

accentuated work.

Arnold achieved cut contest

condition with almost zerocardio work. (Balik photo)

http://www.x-rep.com/xshop.htm





Volume is exactly what you get with the 10x10 method.

You will get sore, which is an indication that you have

triggered muscle microtrauma that raises your metabolismduring the repair process (fat burning increases).

If you use the Heavy/Light 10x10 Workout on pages 28-

33, you may want to substitute a negative-accentuated

set for the last low-rep set on the big midrange exercises

on Heavy workouts. That will insure that you're getting

sufficient metabolism-raising microtrauma at everyworkout. For example, the Heavy biceps workout is...

Barbell curls, 3 x 9, 6, 3-4

Incline curls, 1 x 8-10


Change it to...

Barbell curls, 3 x 9, 6, 7(NA)

Incline curls, 1 x 8-10


For an NA set, you reduce the poundage so you can

raise it in 1.5 seconds and lower each rep in six seconds.

The eccentric, or negative-stroke, emphasis has been

shown to increase muscle damage.

Make that one simple change—an NA set on the first

exercise—to every Heavy workout in that program, and

you'll get almost the same muscle-packing, fat-hacking

effects as The Ultimate Fat-to-Muscle Workout .








Q: I find that X Reps [or end-of-set partials]

work well for me at increasing mass. You don't

have them listed in the programs. Should I not dothem on 10x10 exercises?

A: For the uninitiated, X Reps are partial reps that

you perform in the semistretch position after full-range

exhaustion. For example, when you stick at the end

of a set of cable curls, move the bar to just above the

arms-extended position and drive up about eight inches.Continue to pulse out as many of those low-end X-Rep

partials as possible, then terminate the set.

We

mentioned the

size principle

of fiberrecruitment

earlier—in

any set to

exhaustion you

bring in the

low-threshold

motor units

first, during

the easier

reps, then the

mediums and

finally the high-

threshold motor

units on the last

difficult reps.

End-of-set X-

Rep partials

can increase your mass gains

exponentially.




The problem is that the nervous system falters before the

muscle, so many of the key growth fibers are left dormant.

That means less growth stimulation.

If you continue with three to five X-Rep partials after

exhaustion, the target muscle is forced to call in its

reserves, which includes more key growth fibers. That's

the reason we say X Reps make any set three to five

times more effective—those end-of-set partials make a

tremendous inroad into the fast-twitch fiber reserve.

We call them X Reps because they ex tend the set—

although after trying them you may think the X stands for

ex cruciating!

On any 10x10 exercise, you can do X Reps on the very

last set, number 10, if you can. You will have to fightthrough fatigue and pain to make it happen, but it can

be done—and X Reps should increase your mass gains

exponentially. [Note: X Reps are impossible on some

exercises, like the bottom of a squat or barbell curl. That's

explained in The Ultimate Mass Workout , the original X-

Rep manual that chronicles the development of and our

transformation with X Reps.]

Q: Are there any supplements that can help me

make better gains with the 10x10 method?

A: The most difficult thing to cope with using more

volume with short rest periods is fatigue and burn caused

by lactic acid and ammonia pooling in the target muscle.







That fatigue-product accumulation is one reason the

nervous system short-circuits your sets before all of the

fast-twitch fibers are taxed. One supplement that has

been shown to increase muscle energetics is creatine. Wesuggest about four grams before and after every workout.

Beta-alanine is a relatively new supplement that converts

to carnosine in muscle. That has been shown to buffer

lactic acid so you can grind out more growth reps (more

size stimulation with every set).

Muscle research shows that the biggest bodybuilders

have more than twice the carnosine levels of nontraining

individuals due to an adaptation to intense training.

Scientists surmise that because they do so many pain-

zone sets, the biggest bodybuilders stockpile carnosine—

to help them get bigger and stronger.

Beta-alanine converts to carnosine, so by taking it you

load your muscle tissue with carnosine and can power

further into the growth zone on any

work set. Take two capsules of a

product like Red Dragon upon

awakening in the morning and two

before training. [Note: Many people

get a skin-tingling effect from beta-

alanine, but that’s a normal reaction.]

The most potent instant-strength

supplement we've every used is

Gakic by MuscleTech. It's somewhat

pricey, but it works. It's an ammonia

buffer that allows you to power out

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http://www.jdoqocy.com/click-1981196-10409943?url=http://www.bodybuilding.com/store/mt/gakichardcore.html








more reps similar to beta-alaine, but

via a different pathway (remember,

BA buffers lactic acid).

Everyone we've talked to who has

tried Gakic, even the most skeptical,

have found it to be effective at

increasing strength from the very first

use. It eventually stops working after

a few weeks, but when that happens,you simply stop using it for a few

weeks. Then re-introduce it down the

road for another strength surge.

Using creatine before and after your workouts and beta-

alanine and Gakic before will provide a lot of anabolic

ammunition for extraordinary 10x10 muscle-mass gains.

Q: I've gotten the fullest muscle growth and

development with [three-exercise] Positions-

of-Flexion workouts. Only one exercise per

bodypart, even if it's 10 sets of 10, can't give me

total growth stimulation. How would you suggest

I work in 10x10 if I want to do full POF routines

for each bodypart every time I train?

A: We hear you. Once you understand the many

layers of muscle growth—max force (midrange), stretch

overload (stretch) and tension/occlusion (contracted)—it's

counterintuitive to think one exercise can do it all. The

Ultimate Exercise can do a lot, but it can't cover all of the

various hypertrophic facets.





10x10 will work for a number of weeks or even months,

but then you have to change to continue to gain. It's the

nature of adaptation. For example, if you use the one-exercise 10x10 program for six weeks, you may continue

to get gains if you use it again for another phase; however,

a better route is to use a different program for a while,

then go back to 10x10 later.

To answer your question, a great variation on the

Heavy/Light 10x10 program on pages 28-33 is to do fullPOF programs for each bodypart, but at one workout

do 10x10 on the big midrange exercise, then one set

of a stretch move and one set of a contracted move. At

your next workout do two to three heavy work sets on

the midrange- and stretch-position exercises, but end

with 10x10 on the contracted-position move. Here's an

example using triceps...

Workout 1

Decline close-grip bench presses, 10 x 10

Overhead extensions, 1 x 8-10

Pushdowns, 1 x 8-10




Workout 2

Decline close-grip bench presses, 2-3 x 8-10

Overhead extensions, 2 x 8-10Pushdowns, 10 x 10

That gives you muscle-building variation as well as extra

volume plus intensity—and you train all bodyparts with full

POF for complete development.

Up to this point we haven't discussed much about usingthe 10x10 method on contracted-position exercises, but it

can add a lot to your mass. There are even entire training

systems based on ending bodyparts with volume and/or

high reps on an isolation exercise—for example Hany

Rambod's FST-7 and Eric Broser's FD/FS method (fiber

damage, fiber saturation).

In the 3D Muscle Building e-book we discuss and

outline our version of Broser's Power/Rep Range/Shock

workout, and we found that altering the Power-week

workouts from all low-rep work to ending with isolation

moves done in drop-set fashion did great things for

our mass. Ending with 10x10 on the finishing isolation

exercises may be even better as the pump will be

immense—similar to Workout 2 above.

One thing we have noticed is that on many isolation

exercises you may want to increase the reps for optimal

muscle stimulation. For example, we often use 8x12 on

pushdowns and concentration curls for arms.

http://www.x-rep.com/xshop.htm#anchor_3dmb





Q: Thank you for introducing me to the 10x10

mass method. I’m getting the best muscle-

size gains I’ve ever achieved. I plan to use this workout to reach my ultimate size potential.

A: We appreciate the compliment, however, as we said

in the Introduction, you need change to continue to make

gains. No workout will work forever. It's the nature of the

human body and muscular adaptation.

In other words, the gains you’re making with the 10x10

workout, while spectacular at the moment, will eventually

slow down; then it's time to move to another workout,

either something completely different or a variation of

10x10. There are a few suggestions in this e-book and

more complete programs at X-traordinaryWorkouts.com.

For now, however, keep blasting away with 10x10 and

pack on as much mass as you can with it. It can take

your muscle mass to the next level, transforming your

physique!

http://www.x-traordinaryworkouts.com/

http://www.x-traordinaryworkouts.com/

Ultimate 10 x 10 Mass Work Out

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