Researched
and Composed by
Jacob Wilson, BSc. (Hons), MSc. CSCS
Introduction
The
title
sounds
crazy
doesn't
it?
Let
me
guarantee
you
this,
its
no
where
near
as
crazy
as
the
gains
you
will
receive
by
implementing
the
following
workout
principle!!!
I
will
break
down
in
the
paragraphs
to
come,
the
very
core
of
mass
building!
Its
raw
essence,
if
you
will.
What
Do
You
Mean
By
Raw
Essence?
I
am
sure
that
many
of
you
are
asking
this
very
question
right
now.
So
I
will
gladly
answer
it.
The
raw
essence
of
gaining
mass,
as
far
as
training
goes
is
the
exact
time
that
your
muscles
are
forced
to
work
"
under
intense
loads.
"
In
other
words,
optimal
mass
gains
are
directly
proportionate
to
exactly
how
long
your
sets
last!
Optimal
Amount
of
Time
To
Expose
Your
muscles
To
Tension
And
Why!
With
that
being
said
I'm
sure
your
next
question
is
what
is
the
optimal
time
to
force
your
muscles
to
work
during
a
set
for
mass
gains.
Through
countless
studies
and
journals,
great
trainers
and
bodybuilders
have
found
that
for
size
gains,
a
set
should
last
between
30-70
seconds.
The
simple
reason
for
this
is
that
our
larger
muscle
fibers,
which
have
the
highest
potential
for
growth
are
fast
twitch
type
IIa
and
type
IIb
white
fibers.
It
has
been
noted
that
if
you
vary
your
time
range
between
30-70
seconds
throughout
your
workout,
you
will
end
up
stimulating
and
optimal
amount
of
hypertrophy
(
muscle
growth
)
in
both
of
these
fibers.
note:
We
have
type
I,
slow
twitch
muscle
fibers
as
well.
These
are
red
and
have
less
potential
for
growth
as
compared
to
fast
twitch
muscle
fibers.
Type
I
fibers
are
targeted
in
activities,
such
as
long
distance
running.
They
have
high
endurance
properties
and
exert
much
less
force
than
the
fast
twitch
white
fibers.
But
again,
they
last
much
longer. You
can
also
stimulate
hypertrophy
in
these
but
that
is
another
article
in
itself.
For
example
tests
have
compared
fiber
recruition
in
athletes
when
they
lifted
in
the
5-15
second
range,
to
the
30-70
second
range
and
found
that
the
latter
incorporated
much
more
muscle
fibers
than
the
former.
The
reason
why
this
is
true
is
because
at
a
lower
second
range
your
muscles
would
fail
due
to
a
rapid
atp(
our
bodies
main
energy
source
)
shortage,
and
this
rapid
shortage
of
energy,
just
doesn't
allow
enough
time
for
your
muscles
to
be
stimulated
enough
to
grow.
Essentially,
the
total
time
that
the
muscle
fibers
are
required
to
produce
force
is
shorter
in
low-rep
sets
than
in
higher-rep
sets.
Simply
put,
a
hard
set
that
lasts
30-70
seconds
delivers
more
growth
stimulus
to
the
muscle
cells
than
a
hard
set
that
lasts
below
this
because
in
a
shorter
set,
failure
may
occur
due
to
reasons
other
than
muscle
fiber
fatigue
and
before
a
significant
growth
stimulus
has
been
achieved.
This
should
give
you
a
clearer
understanding
of
why
bodybuilders
tend
to
lift
in
a
higher
rep
range
than
power
lifters.
note:
When
I
say
30
seconds,
I
of
course
mean
a
weight
that
causes
you
to
fail
in
that
time
range.
For
example,
say
that
you
can
barbell
curl
135
pounds
for
a
total
of
6
repetitions.
If
this
takes
you
30
seconds,
then
this
is
the
rep
range
you
would
use
to
fail
within
this
time
frame.
If
this
is
the
case,
then
12
reps
would
most
likely
cause
you
to
fail
in
the
60
second
range.
Vary
The
Time
Range
To
Incorporate
A
Maximum
Amount
Of
Muscle
Fibers!
As
stated
above
you
have
both
type
IIB
and
type
IIA
muscle
fibers.
The
type
IIB
fibers
have
less
endurance,
and
are
stronger
than
the
IIA
fibers.
These
also
take
longer
to
recover,
i.e.
3-5
minutes.
So
when
you
are
working
on
the
lower
end,
say
around
30
seconds
you
will
be
incorporating
more
IIB
fibers,
than
IIA.
Type
IIA
fibers
will
be
incorporated
to
a
greater
degree
in
the
35-70
second
range.
In
edition
type
IIA
fibers
recover
faster
than
type
IIB.
So
you
can
rest
shorter,
i.e.
30-60
seconds.
Therefore,
vary
time
range,
because
you
need
to
stimulate
growth
in
both
of
these.
You
might
start
out
by
going
heavier,
and
resting
longer,
follow
this
up
with
higher
rep/second
sets
and
rest
less.
An
example
of
this
would
be:
Exercise
#
1
Heavy
Barbell
Curls:
3
sets
of
a
total
of
30
seconds
each.
Rest
3
minutes
between
sets. Due
to
the
strain
the
heavy
weight
places
on
your
neural
system
you
will
need
longer
to
recover.
Exercise
#
2
Incline
Dumbbell
Curls:
3
sets.
60
seconds
the
first
set,
50
seconds
the
second
set
and
40
the
next
set.
Rest
60-90
seconds.
Again
fast
twitch
IIA
recover
quickly
compared
to
IIB
fibers.
Now
this
is
just
a
basic
program,
but
you
can
see
how
I
hit
the
biceps
throughout
in
a
variety
of
ranges,
thereby
stimulating
a
maximum
amount
of
hypertrophy
in
both
IIA
and
B
fibers.
How
To
Apply
This
To
Your
Current
Routine
Out
of
all
the
concepts
presented,
I
see
none
more
exciting
then
literally
having
an
actual
key
to
the
mass
zone!
You
see,
by
staying
within
this
range,
you
literally
ensure
optimal
growth!
This
concept
has
become
so
popular
with
trainers,
that
many
lift
to
the
clock,
rather
than
by
repetitions.
However,
if
you
look
at
repetitions,
you
will
find
that
the
6-12
rep
range
usually
falls
within
the
optimal
length
of
time
a
set
should
be
carried
out.
Which
is
why
you
will
see
me
vary
the
range
of
reps
during
my
programs.
You
also
should
notice
that
I
discuss
tempo
frequently.
This
is
to
ensure
that
you
fall
within
the
optimal
mass
zone.
And
in
fact,
by
using
a
correct
tempo
I
can
almost
ensure
that
I
fall
within
this
range.
For
example,
my
tempo
on
squats
is
usually
4
seconds
for
the
eccentric
portion
of
the
rep,
and
2
seconds
for
the
concentric.
If
I
perform
a
six
repetition
set,
then
it
will
take
me
approximately
36-40
seconds.
So
you
can
see
how
we
can
pre-plan
the
time
of
our
set. If
you
do
a
higher
repetition
set,
you
will
need
to
speed
the
tempo
up
in
order
to
still
fall
within
the
30-70
second
time
frame.
A
different
Approach
With
tempo
being
one
way
to
measure
progress
in
a
set,
I
have
also
utilized
another.
This
approach
is
a
bit
unorthodox,
but
I
have
found
that
it
produces
tremendous
gains!
What
you
literally
do
is
count
seconds
rather
repetitions.
You
will
find
that
you
end
out
pushing
yourself
way
beyond
what
you
normally
would
have
done!
For
example,
one
of
the
most
asked
questions
in
bodybuilding
is:
"
how
do
I
make
my
calves
grow
"
This
method
of
training
can
do
wonders
for
any
muscle.
Take
a
normal
calf
set.
I
have
observed
a
pattern
in
people
I
have
trained
on
countless
occasions
when
working
this
muscle.
Lets
say
that
the
bodybuilder
performing
the
set
does
the
following
workout
routine:
standing
calf
raises:
12,
10,
8
donkey
calf
raises:
12,
10,
8
Now
if
you
examine
the
typical
rep
used
on
a
calf
machine,
it
takes
about
1.5
seconds
for
each
rep
to
be
completed
and
2
at
the
max.
If
you
analysize
this
you
will
find
that
the
typical
set
of
12
reps
lasts
a
grand
total
of
24
seconds.
Anything
less
than
that,
is
even
shorter.
I
believe
that
90
percent
of
the
people
who
have
lagging
calves
do
not
force
their
muscles
to
be
exposed
to
tension
for
a
long
enough
period.
Furthermore,
I
believe
that
most
people
reach
"
mental
failure
"
while
training
calves
before
reaching
true
failure.
This
area
is
so
difficult
to
concentrate
on
and
with
the
build
up
of
lactic
acid,
its
easy
to
presume
failure
before
it's
actually
reached.
This
of
course
holds
true
to
body parts
across
the
board!
My
Solution
In
this
case,
I
would
solve
the
problem
by
eliminating
the
counting
of
repetitions.
I
would
set
up
the
amount
of
weight
that
the
athlete
normally
fails
at
12
reps
with.
Then
I
would
set
my
stop
watch
for
60
seconds
and
have
him
no
matter
what,
continue
to
perform
repetitions
until
the
60
seconds
have
ended.
Every time
I
do
this,
without
fail,
I
find
that
the
athlete
gets
way
more
repetitions
than
he
normally
would
have
because
his
focus
is
on
doing
optimal
damage
to
the
area,
rather
than
just
reaching
failure.
This
method
usually
causes
a
person
to
fail,
as
far
as
being
able
to
get
a
full
repetition
at
around
40-45
seconds.
At
this
point
I
would
recommend
continuing
the
set
with
partial
repetitions
until
the
time
is
up.
With
this
training
method,
you
will
literally
double
the
amount
of
muscle
fibers
stimulated
than
you
would
have,
had
you
simply
went
to
failure.
I
have
tested
this
theory
on
several
occasions.
Here
are
the
results
from
the
last
test
I
took.
1.
Athlete
Uses
failure
and
repetitions
to
Gauge
The
Effectiveness
of
his
set:
Standing
Calf
Raises:
12,
10,
8
reps
set
one:
27
seconds
set
two:
24
seconds
set
three:
21
seconds.
2.
Athlete
Uses
Seconds
To
Gauge
The
Effectiveness
of
his
set:
Standing
Calf
Raises:
60
s.,
45
s.
,
30
s.
set
one:
60
seconds
set
two:
45
seconds
set
three:
30
seconds
When
the
athlete
used
seconds
to
measure
his
set,
he
was
able
to
expose
his
muscle
fibers
to
more
than
double
the
stress
they
had
been
accustomed
to!
He
was
able
to
break
through
mental
and
physical
barriers,
which
equals
big
time
growth!
Note
On
Lagging
Body
Parts,
etc.
Biceps
I
want
you
to
take
whatever
body part
that
is
lagging
and
use
this
training
method
to
boost
yourself
into
new
growth!
The
most
asked
question
is,
"
how
can
I
get
my
biceps
to
grow?
"
This
is
without
a
doubt
one
of
the
most
painful
areas
to
work
in
our
entire
bodies.
It
houses
an
unbelievable
amount
of
nerves.
In
fact
in
martial
arts,
you
are
taught
to
strike
the
biceps
on
numerous
occasions
for
this
particular
reason.
I
constantly
notice,
no
matter
how
advanced
the
athlete
is,
a
state
of
mental
failure
reached,
before
actual
failure
when
training
this
muscle
group.
To
ensure
that
you
get
the
most
out
of
your
set,
simply
go
by
the
clock
for
several
workouts
and
I
guarantee
you
will
get
unbelievable
results!
The
reason
for
this,
is
because
you
will
have
optimally
stressed
your
biceps,
each
and
every
set!
What
better
way
to
produce
results
than
this?
Overview
Of
Gains
Received
From
This
Method
1.
You
know
that
you
are
in
the
optimal
range
for
gaining
mass.
Or
the
range
that
stimulates
growth
in
the
highest
percentage
of
fast
twitch
IIA
and
IIB
muscle
fibers
2.
It
forces
you
to
concentrate
on
working
the
muscle
completely,
rather
than
just
go
to
failure
or
a
certain
amount
of
reps.
I
have
noted,
that
most
people
end
out
working
their
muscles
in
a
fuller
range
of
motion
when
using
this
method,
rather
than
seeing
how
many
reps
they
can
get
pump
out.
This
tends
to
more
completely
develop
the
target
area.
3.
You
will
end
out
pushing
yourself
further
than
you
are
used
to,
as
displayed
in
the
calf
example
above.
In
this
way
you
will
stimulate
more
muscle
fibers,
which
equals
more
growth.
Overview
of
Use
1.
Use
this
Method
on
any
lagging
body part
to
ensure
that
it
is
being
worked
in
the
optimal
mass
zone.
Remember,
the
area
that
is
lacking,
may
be
stagnant
for
this
very
reason!
2.
One
way
to
measure
time
can
be
tempo.
On
a
barbell
curl,
2
seconds
on
the
eccentric
portion,
one
to
raise
the
weight
and
a
one
second
peak
contraction
at
the
top
range
of
motion
equals
4
seconds
a
rep.
Multiply
this
by
the
number
of
repetitions
and
you
will
know
what
your
duration
is.
3.
When
not
counting
reps
concentrate
fully
on
the
muscle
group!
Forget
about
reps.
Get
a
complete
peak
contraction
and
a
full
stretch
at
the
bottom
of
the
movement.
If
you
reach
failure
before
the
time
is
up,
simply
complete
the
set
with
beyond
failure
training
techniques.
I.E.
partial
reps,
forced
reps,
negative
reps,
etc.
etc.
4.
Vary
your
time
under
tension
to
incorporate
both
IIA
and
IIB
fibers.
Conclusion
Every time
I
train,
I
see
a
gym
moron
performing
the
worst
cheat
curls
possible!
They
grab
a
barbell
that
is
way
to
heavy
for
them
and
do
cheat
quarter
reps.
Usually
a
set
of
10
reps
lasts
a
grand
total
of
5
seconds and
they
wonder
why
they
are
not
getting
gains!
They
are
simply
not
exposing
their
biceps
to
tension,
long
enough
to
stimulate
growth
in
their
muscle
fibers.
Take
care
that
you
are
not
doing
this
and
your
gains
will
stay
consistent
for
the
rest
of
your
lifting
career!
Enjoy
the
growth,
and
go
kick
your
lagging
body
parts
in
the
ass!
Sincerely
Jacob
Wilson
jwilson@abcbodybuilding.com
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