Tag: speed

This article is a follow-up to my last article called “3 Keys to Building Muscle”. If you haven’t read that yet, read it first here then come back to read this one.

Bodybuilders who only bodybuild generally move like, well bodybuilders.

Their choice of exercises, reps, sets and frequency create their physiques but also leave them slower and less athletic than if they weren’t so focused on hypertrophy all the time.

But for the athlete who wants to increase their muscle mass, this approach won’t work.

One thing I must mention is that the strategies I talked about in my previous article aren’t necessary for the young college athlete whose gonads are pumping testosterone through their veins like gas stations pump fuel into SUVs on long weekends.

If you’re one of these guys, focus on lifting heavy things with big compound movements and you’ll grow. You probably don’t even need to eat very well, as thousands of college football players provide evidence for.

But if you’re 30+ and you’ve got a job, maybe a family, your T levels aren’t what they used to be, not to mention your recovery ability (which affects but is not completely explained by testosterone) AND you’re training martial arts or some other sport, you need a more refined approach to building mass than just lifting hard and heavy, because do that and sooner or later something will break.

I explained the approach to building mass in the 3 Keys to Building Muscle article which outlined the strategy behind the eXplosive Muscle Building Blueprint (xMB).

Now, I’m going to reveal the other side of the equation – the ‘x’ in xMB.

Add the strategies I talk about here to the 3 Keys and you’ll be able to at the very least, maintain your current level of absolute speed/power, which is actually a relative increase, since you’ll be gaining weight at the same time.

However, most of you who follow this blueprint will probably also increase absolute speed/power because all of the muscle you do add will be trained for explosiveness right from the get go.

It’s all actually quite simple, really, here’s how to do it:

After your warmup but before you get into your hypertrophy training, you start your workout with functional movements focused specifically on maximal speed/power.

Functional refers to whatever is functional for your sport, not single leg jumps off a Bosu ball, unless you’re a surfer practising bailing off your board.

For MMA, the movements most important would be explosive lower body movements such as Squat or Lunge Jumps (and their variations) for things like takedowns, Olympic lifts, and rotational movements that will help with striking. Many of you already know my fave rotational movements and they involve whipping a medicine ball around.

Doing this before you stimulate your muscles for growth is important because both your nervous system and your muscles are fresh and thus capable of maximal activation, training your now bigger muscles for max speed and power.

The other point that must be made is about general speed/power training – you need multiple short sets and full rest to ensure this system is being maximized and the neural integration occurs.

Sets that last more than 12-15 seconds start to tap into the lactic system, which we want for hypertrophy, but don’t want for speed/power.

Sufficient rest (more rest is needed for exercises closer to the strength side of the speed-strength continuum) is usually a bare minimum of 60 seconds, but I tend to take more just to make sure I’m putting 100% into each set.

In terms of how I periodize this approach in xMB, I start with concentric dominant exercises that won’t result in much if any muscle soreness so your MMA training (or other sport) can continue with minimal impact.

After 4 weeks of this type of training, you’ll transition to exercises that train the stretch-shortening cycle and since you’ve progressed intelligently to them, soreness again will be minimized.

You see, that’s one of the main goals I had when creating xMB and I believe at least for the guys who I mentioned would best be served by this approach, it’s the best approach available.

So get started today and add 7-9 lbs of functional muscle to your frame in just 8 weeks:

It’s difficult to see in the image above, but you’re also getting the xMB Nutrition Guide, which will give you everything you need to know to support your training efforts with proper muscle building nutrition. No fluff, just what works.

And as with all of my programs, you’re backed by my industry-leading LIFETIME PERFORMANCE GUARANTEE.

Ever have an issue with the program, even if you don’t get started until the year 2020?

If you can find me (I’m pretty easy to find online) just send me an email and I’ll hook you up. No hassles. I just want you to be happy with the products and services I offer.

And of course, when it comes to support, I’m there to help, as well as my lovely assistant Thea who is now back from her wedding.