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Ivan's Newsletter
October 01, 2006 -- Issue 015
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Hi,

This issue includes...

"Questions and Answers" Series:
"What Is X-Rep Training?"

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This newsletter is going to be short. Basically
I'll answer a question I was asked recently.
I won't have time for more... I finally started
working on an idea for the future "members zone"
in my web site.

I'm going to tell you more... in the future issues.
For now just know that what I plan is really unique,
and I mean "really unique" for the fact that
it will be exclusively designed for athletes
who have adopted the bodybuilding lifestyle...

Let's get on with the question and the answer.

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1) What Is X-Rep Training?
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Q. Hi Ivan,

I came across this training "method" called X-rep
training. Are you aware of anything related to it,
what the training entails, and whether it is in
itself a hyped up form of any particularly
circulating means of training such as negative
training or static contraction? Your input is
definitely very helpful in this.

A. X-rep training was originally invented by
Steve Holman and Jonathan Lawson, although in
itself it is a way to do partial reps.

As you know well partial reps have been around
for a while. The idea behind the X-rep is to
go to failure in a particular set and then perform
very short movements in the X-spot - what Holman
and Lawson call the max-force point.

That is the spot where the greatest number of
muscle fibers are recruited in the lifting phase,
for any particular exercise. Holman and Lawson
say that training in this spot after nervous
failure might cause fiber splitting, also known
as hyperplasia.

According to the authors a set should last
about 30 seconds or 10 reps. At the end of this
set you do static hold or short movements near t
he turnaround point in most exercises.

For example on bench press this will be the
mid point between your chest and the half range
of motion. For pull-ups (chin-ups as some of you
know them) it is right before you stretch your
arms completely.

In an interview Holman and Lawson note that
classic partial reps (a partial rep is a limited
motion after the point of complete exhaustion)
tax the nervous system a lot more compared to
x-reps, with less muscle mass stimulation.

What is my opinion on that: I personally have
used partial reps throughout my career. I know
they work. However, I haven't experimented with
the X-rep technique myself.

There is logic behind the X-rep theory which
makes me believe that this technique, if used
as described for each exercise, might help in
the gains (but don't expect anything like say
10LB for four weeks...not realistic).

However, my fear is that even in a well-trained
athlete X-reps can lead to nervous system
over-taxation and consequent overtraining in some
form IF the athlete doesn't conform to the practice
of 6 weeks intense training, followed by at least
1 week of complete rest (or what Bryan Haycock
calls "strategic deconditioning").

In conclusion, if you have at least one year of
serious training behind your back, you might give
the X-reps a try. But again don't expect
"uncontrolled muscle gains". This is not happening
in the real world unless you use steroids
(and lots of them) :-|

If you want to read more, do a search on
"X-rep training" and see what results will come up.
Also if you want to buy Holman and Lawson's book
on X-rep training, go to their web site x-rep.com.

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Copyright 2006 by IvanNikolov.com.
All rights reserved.
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