x-reps?

**Bigpup101** · 10-05-2005, 11:25 PM

Hey has anyone tried this style of training?? Ironman magazine pushes it pretty hard ( i dont read ironman usually but i was bored in the waiting room)..here is the site for anyone that wants to check it out http://x-rep.com/ anyone tried this here or know what its about?

**Bigpup101** · 10-07-2005, 05:18 PM

bump for any info

**S.P.G** · 10-08-2005, 04:09 AM

I don’t think that link is working dude! well it didn’t for me anyway..

x-reps Isn’t that where you do the static hold for as long as possible at the end of a set of your standard reps, then When you can no longer hold the weight in the contracted position, you lowers it slowly through the negative range of motion. Apparently one set like this is all that you requires for optimal muscle fiber stimulation ect, ect, I think you only use this with exercises in which there is resistance in the contracted position, such as leg extensions, leg curls, or cable crossovers.

This is suppose to stimulate more hypertrophy in the muscle cell,

I think it could prove productive every so often...

***KT*** · 10-08-2005, 06:17 AM

I thought x-reps were at the end of a set or exercise you did a couple of extra reps but at the contracted position. Say after you did a chest set you would go up in weight and do half reps starting at the top then maybe quarter reps. All at the contracted position.

**Bigpup101** · 10-08-2005, 12:52 PM

Originally Posted by S.P.G

I don’t think that link is working dude! well it didn’t for me anyway..

x-reps Isn’t that where you do the static hold for as long as possible at the end of a set of your standard reps, then When you can no longer hold the weight in the contracted position, you lowers it slowly through the negative range of motion. Apparently one set like this is all that you requires for optimal muscle fiber stimulation ect, ect, I think you only use this with exercises in which there is resistance in the contracted position, such as leg extensions, leg curls, or cable crossovers.

This is suppose to stimulate more hypertrophy in the muscle cell,

I think it could prove productive every so often...

sorry about that i fixed the link...i'm not exactly sure what it is i think *KT* might have it right, i was just wondering if anyone has actually purchesed this program..it's kiunda b.s b/c in this months iron man they have included x-reps into almost all of their sample routines, so you would have to spend the extra $$ just6 to find out what they are talking about

**d74mr** · 12-22-2005, 06:20 AM

Many months ago, I bought the book, "Ulimate Mass Workout", from the website. I can't remember how much I paid for it, it certainly wasn't worth it.

Here's the general principles behind x-reps. X-reps, or extended reps, extends the time of tension by doing 4 to 6 small partial reps (pulses), once positive failure is reached at the end of a set, usually the last set for a given exercise. These pulse reps are done around the position of the exercise that generates the most force, usually just below the midpoint of an exercise, e.g. just below halfway on a bench press. That's pretty much it.

I've never experimented much with this myself. I'm still in my first year of lifting and didn't see the point of throwing in something else on top of what I'm doing. It does seem like an easy way to add intensity to a work out.

**Flexor** · 12-22-2005, 06:58 AM

The partial reps are considered to be good for stimulating hyperplasia, but apart from that I think it doesn't offer higher intensity than rest pause or even good ole drop sets.

Good info though d74mr. I hadn't heard of x-reps before, I might give it a go sometime

**ODC0717** · 12-22-2005, 09:46 AM

I read a book once called "Static Conctraction". It's baically saying that you get the most growth from a given rep at it's stongest point in range of motion. Meaning that you have more fibers working during a Bench Press just shy of lockout, or during a barbell curl when you've got the barbell paralell or just below paralell to the floor. Basically it's using compound movements in their strongest range of motion and holding it there statically for no more then 15 seconds. After 15 seconds has lapsed you shouldn't be able to hold the weight up anymore and it should begin to desend by itself from muscle fatigue. Anyway, the book gave some rather impressive numbers that were comming from their research groups they were using this method on. Personally, I think it's got merit when you need to step up the intensity. Perhaps add in some static holds at the end of a set, after you've already done some drop sets, rest pauses, etc. However, I wouldn't go arrange you're workout schedule around them. Use them when you feel you're stagnating in your training progress.

**Flexor** · 12-22-2005, 09:55 AM

If you do static holds at a certain point on the range of motion, you will gain strength at that point because of neuromuscular adaptation.

In the ordinary standing bicep curl, the biceps exerts the maximal force at full extension and this drops off towards the top of the curl. However, biomechanical leverage increases towards the top of the curl, and therefore you get a uniform application of force throughout the rep.

**ODC0717** · 12-22-2005, 10:01 AM

That's fine and dandy bro, but have you read this paticular book "Static Contraction"? They make some rather bold claims. All of their study patients increased both their 1RM and 10RM for all exercises signifigantly. I highly reccomend you reading the book, bro. Very interesting read.

**Flexor** · 12-22-2005, 10:05 AM

Originally Posted by ODC0717

That's fine and dandy bro, but have you read this paticular book "Static Contraction"? They make some rather bold claims. All of their study patients increased both their 1RM and 10RM for all exercises signifigantly. I highly reccomend you reading the book, bro. Very interesting read.

I'll pick it up from the library if I can, or just do some internet research for it...

That is just one book though, I always check with multiple sources and that is what I based my post on. I'll put some thought into it...

**d74mr** · 12-26-2005, 03:53 AM

I believe the folks that developed x-reps started off with static contractions and found that pulsing around that spot of static contraction produced better results. Makes sense to me; moving the weight, even if it's only a little bit, requires more effort than holding it.

**Flexor** · 12-26-2005, 06:23 AM

Originally Posted by d74mr

I believe the folks that developed x-reps started off with static contractions and found that pulsing around that spot of static contraction produced better results. Makes sense to me; moving the weight, even if it's only a little bit, requires more effort than holding it.

I have done this in the past with bicep exercises at the end of failure. Forced partial reps from the top of the curl right down to the bottom, stopping every few inches downwards and pulling back upwards before lowering several inches and doing it again until I had reached the bottom. It kills...

**Warrior** · 12-26-2005, 07:12 AM

Ironman's a good pub... thyey got some good people on their staff with great training articles. Every once in awhile they get on a kick pushing their MuscleLink or some other stuff... but you just read through that for the real info.

Try X-Rep's - can't have too much variety... and their theory's on static contractions were really good...

**Warrior** · 12-26-2005, 07:18 AM

Originally Posted by ODC0717

I read a book once called "Static Conctraction". It's baically saying that you get the most growth from a given rep at it's stongest point in range of motion. Meaning that you have more fibers working during a Bench Press just shy of lockout, or during a barbell curl when you've got the barbell paralell or just below paralell to the floor. Basically it's using compound movements in their strongest range of motion and holding it there statically for no more then 15 seconds. After 15 seconds has lapsed you shouldn't be able to hold the weight up anymore and it should begin to desend by itself from muscle fatigue. Anyway, the book gave some rather impressive numbers that were comming from their research groups they were using this method on. Personally, I think it's got merit when you need to step up the intensity. Perhaps add in some static holds at the end of a set, after you've already done some drop sets, rest pauses, etc. However, I wouldn't go arrange you're workout schedule around them. Use them when you feel you're stagnating in your training progress.

That was a really good book... and I read the chapter about how a muscle reacts to being contracted in a weight training program a few times. One of the best things I took away from trying Static Contraction Training was a new way to get "use" to heavier weights... and I still constantly use static holds for biceps and delts training...