This is Eric Broser's new program which was discussed in an article written by Eric. That article in part is reproduced below:
Before going forward I want to take a little time to discuss what muscle growth means and what is really happening when it occurs. Most often people relate hypertrophy to an increase in “protein synthesis,” or the production of new cellular proteins from amino acids. However, the process is far more complex than this, requiring an overwhelming cascade of physiological events to occur in a specific order, while dozens of bodily hormones and chemicals rush into action. To discuss all of this in depth would take the space of entire book, and likely bore you tears, so let’s skip to the meat and potatoes of this whole thing because I really don’t want any of you to fall asleep, or even worse, dehydrate (and besides, meat and potatoes are yummy).
In order for muscle hypertrophy to occur, new cells (known as satellite cells) must fuse with existing muscle fibers. Normally these satellite cells are dormant, and sit “minding their own business” adjacent to muscle fiber sarcolemma.
An intense weight-training workout can serve as a trigger for satellite cell activation, leading to the first stage of hypertrophy, known as proliferation. It is at this point that these cells will begin to divide and multiply, forming into myoblasts. The myoblasts then fuse with existing muscle fibers and donate their nuclei in a process called differentiation. Because muscle cells contain many nuclei, increasing their number allows the cell to regulate more cytoplasm, inducing more actin and myosin (the two main contractile proteins in skeletal muscle) to be produced. This increases overall cell size and protein content, leading to a larger muscle mass.
So, in a nutshell, what bodybuilding comes down to is a continuous process of damage and repair, over and over. Hard weight training traumatizes our muscles, causing injury to the fibers, leading the body to respond by not only repairing the damage, but also making the muscle fibers bigger and stronger in the process (however, this is only if the body is given the proper rest and flooded with enough nutrients to do so).
What this means to you is that if you are not training intensely enough to damage your muscle fibers, your body will never turn on the anabolic “machinery” necessary to force hypertrophy to take place. And, even if you do train hard enough, but don’t give your body the building blocks necessary (via food and supplements) to complete the repair and building process, you will continually take one step back, and one step forward…leaving you literally standing still.
Enter FD/FS Training!
FD/FS stands for “Fiber Damage/Fiber Saturation,” and is a training method I have been working with and tweaking over the last 8 months, while looking to add some significant muscle mass to areas that I consider weak points. I should mention that in no way have I abandoned P/RR/S training, but have used FD/FS to greatly augment it.
With FD/FS the workout is basically broken into 2 phases. In the first phase (fiber damage), the goal is to utilize training protocols known to cause significant micro-trauma in the muscle fibers. As I mentioned earlier, this is a necessary step to setting the growth process in motion. The techniques to be used in order to achieve this goal with the utmost precision are: 1) Heavy Weights, 2) Eccentric Emphasis, and 3) Stretch Under Tension. If you have ever performed a workout using any of these methods, you more than likely felt a good degree of soreness in the target muscles over the following days, which is indicative of the type fiber damage we are looking for. However, when all of these techniques are combined properly, you definitely will experience a whole new level of muscle pain, ache (the good kind!) and stiffness. Now that is all well and good, but remember, your body must be able to not only repair all of this damage, but also reinforce the muscle fibers by making them larger and stronger. Digging a whole is fine, as long as you not only refill the hole, but also pile some new dirt on top! Got it?
This is where the second phase of the workout comes in (and where the magic happens)…fiber saturation. Once you have damaged the muscle fibers the goal is to now bathe them with as much nutrient/hormone-rich blood as humanly possible. That’s right, it’s time to chase the pump…big time! In other words, I don’t want you to wait to get home for the recovery process to begin. I want you to facilitate immediate repairs, and take advantage of the fact that during a workout (especially when high repetitions are involved) there is as much as five times the normal amount of blood flowing directly to the muscles than when at rest! In my experimentation with various FS protocols, I have found that what works best are: 1) Very High Repetitions, 2) Continuous Tension, and 3) Post Activation Supersets (compound movement followed by isolation movement). The goal when performing FS sets is to use a “piston-like” tempo, where the weight is almost constantly moving. There is no time for “stretch and squeeze,” as all we wish to do is force so much blood into the target muscle that it feels like it may burst! The muscle has already undergone the trauma necessary during FD, and now it is time to nourish it!
Speaking of Nourishment…
In order for FD/FS training to work to its potential, there is also a nutritional protocol to be used along with the program. The types of training techniques utilized during the FD phase are very brutal on both the muscles and CNS, which is why the FS stage of the workout is a necessary component. Since there will be a tremendous amount of blood traveling to the muscles during FS, we can take further advantage of this by overloading the system with certain nutrients before, during, and right after training. The period starting from right before the workout to immediately after is your greatest opportunity nutritionally to hasten the muscle building process!
A Better Look
Now that I have verbally bombarded you with “what’s” and “why’s” of FD/FS, lets take a look at what a typical day of training might have in store with a sample chest workout for both intermediate and advanced trainees (beginners have no place dabbling in such advanced training methods just yet).
Intermediate FD/FS Workout:
-Bench Press…2 x 3-4 (3/0/X tempo)
-Incline Press…2 x 5-6 (6/1/1 tempo)
-Incline DB Flye…2 x 7-8 (2/4/1 tempo)
-Machine Bench Press…1 x 30-40 (1/0/1 tempo; non-lock-out reps)
-Smith Incline Press…1 x 30-40 (1/0/1 tempo; non-lock-out reps)
-Cable Crossover…1 x 30-40 (1/0/1 tempo)
*Rest between sets on first three movements should be about 2-3 minutes. Rest between sets of last three movements should be no more than 1-2 minutes.
Advanced FD/FS Workout:
-Bench Press…2 x 3-4 + 1-2 forced reps (3/0/X tempo)
-Smith Incline Press…2 x 2-3 +1 + 1 + 1 rest/pause style (6/1/1 tempo) or…Eccentric Only Smith Incline Press**…2 x 5-6 (6 second negatives)
-Incline DB Flye…2 x 7-8 (2/4/1 tempo)
-Machine Bench Press…2 x 30-40 (1/0/1 tempo; non-lock-out reps)
-Superset: Machine Dips (1/0/1 tempo; non-lock-out reps) /Pec Deck (1/0/1 tempo)…1 x 20-25 each
*Rest between sets on first three movements should be about 2-3 minutes. Rest between sets of high rep movement should be no more than 1-2 minutes. Rest between exercises during superset should be no more than 15 seconds.
**When performing an eccentric only set you must have one to two spotters available to lift the weight back into the start position. Remember, most trainees are 30-40% stronger when lifting eccentrically than concentrically.
Feed the Machine
As I discussed, the nutritional aspect of this program is almost as important as the workouts themselves. In fact, I would say that FD/FS training is about 30-40% more effective for muscle hypertrophy when the following protocol is utilized. It was not until I began using this exact approach that my gains began to skyrocket, allowing me to add about 8 lbs over a 3-week period of FD/FS!
45 minutes before training:
-Whey Protein Isolate…50 grams
-Waxy Maize Starch or Maltodextrin…50 grams
-Vitamin C…1000 mg
-Phosphatidylserine…800 mg
Sip starting 15 minutes before workout and then throughout workout:
-Waxy Maize Starch or Maltodextrin…25 grams
-Gatorade or similar drink containing electrolytes and glucose…25 grams
-Essential Amino Acids 5-10 grams
-BCAA’s…15-20 grams
-Glutamine…15-20 grams
-Creatine…5 grams
-Beta Alanine…3 grams
15 minutes post workout:
-Whey Protein Isolate…50 grams
-Waxy Maize Starch or Maltodextrin…50 grams
-Antioxidant Blend (I like Radox by Syntrax)…1 serving
*Other ingredients can be used as well at all three times, such as ATP, citrulline, arginine, ALA, etc, but the above is more than enough to feed your muscles what they need.
Notes
Because of the extremely demanding nature of FD/FS training I highly recommend that it only be utilized during periods of the year when gaining muscle mass is the primary goal. You need to be well fed and well rested to fully reap the rewards of this program. With the exception of the most advanced bodybuilders, and/or those that do not train drug-free, I do not feel that FD/FS should be used during a cutting phase.
Further, FD/FS was not created for continual use, and should be cycled in and out of your regular training regimen, whether it be Power/Rep Range/Shock, DC, HIT, or any other method. It should only be used for 2-3 weeks periods or both physical and/or mental burnout can occur. Consider FD/FS as a “short burst” mega-mass gaining strategy!
