# FD/FS by Eric Broser a.k.a gopro



## Tank316 (Jan 29, 2009)

FD/FS: Four Little Letters that Can Mean BIG GAINS!

Warning: For those Iron Man readers who are afraid of stretch marks, cannot afford to purchase a new wardrobe, or simply do not want to take up more space, please stop reading this article now! Just put the magazine down, slowly back away, grab the remote, and watch some Seinfeld reruns. ???No soup for you!???

However, for the rest of you???the one???s that live to grow???sit back with your favorite protein drink, get comfortable, and read my words, because I have a feeling that what follows may be of great interest to you!

The wonderful thing about bodybuilding is, just like life, it is a constant and ongoing learning process. Nobody has all the answers, but if you keep your eyes (and mind) open wide enough, you will slowly but surely pick up more and more pieces of the puzzle.

Several years ago, I introduced a training system to the bodybuilding world called Power, Rep Range, Shock, which I believe contains many of these essential pieces. Most Iron Man readers are intimately familiar with my program, as I have written several articles about it right here in these pages, as well as on many sites all over the Internet. In addition, Steve Holeman and Jonathan Lawson have been utilizing P/RR/S in combination with X-Reps for the last several months, and writing about their experiences in the popular Train, Eat, Grow column.

However, for those of you that might be new to Iron Man, and/or have not had the opportunity to read about my P/RR/S training program (what are you living under a rock?), I think it is important for me to quickly go over the main points, as it is this original program that was the genesis for the material that lies ahead. For those of you that are already P/RR/S users, consider this a quick refresher course!

Basic P/RR/S Training

Power, Rep Range, Shock is a cyclical approach to lifting weights in which you utilize a unique training protocol every week (in 3-week cycles), with the goal of tapping into all of the body???s various growth mechanisms. Each of the three weeks is meant to bring about a specific physiological effect, so that your body cannot adapt to any one form of training, which would eventually result in stagnation. P/RR/S addresses muscle growth from a variety of angles, and allows significant progress to take place on a very consistent, and long-term, basis. 

Week # 1 is POWER training, and it is meant to annihilate the highest threshold fast twitch muscle fibers, increase raw strength, and stimulate a greater amount of natural testosterone to course through your veins. Here is the outline for a basic POWER week, along with a sample workout for back:

Rep Goal: 4-6
Rest Between Sets: 3-5 minutes
Lifting Tempo: 4/0/X
Exercises: Mostly compound

1-Rack Deadlift: 4 x 4-6
2-Weighted WG Pull-ups: 3 x 4-6
3-Underhand Grip BB Bent Row: 3 x 4-6
4-CG Seated Cable Row: 3 x 4-6

Week # 2 is REP RANGE training, the goal of which is tear through all the intermediary muscle fibers that lie along the continuum from Type I to Type II, induce capillarization, and to stimulate growth producing metabolic adaptations within muscle cells. Here is the outline for a basic REP RANGE week, along with a sample workout for triceps:

Rep Goal: 7-9, 10-12, 13-15, 16-20
Rest Between Sets: 2-3 minutes
Lifting Tempo: 2/1/2/1***
Exercises: Compound, Isolation, Machine or Cable

***1-second hold at peak contraction for certain exercises (ex. Leg Extensions).

1-Smith CG Bench Press: 2 x 7-9
2-Lying Triceps Extension: 2 x 10-12
3-Rope Pushdown: 2 x 13-15
4-Dumbbell Kickback: 2 x 16-20

Week # 3 is SHOCK training, and a true test of your ability to withstand searing muscle pain! The burn and lactic acid that SHOCK workouts produce will help flood your system with natural GH, literally bathing your cells in one of the most powerful muscle producing, fat incinerating hormones known to science! Here is the outline for a basic SHOCK week, along with a sample workout for delts: 

Rep Goal: 8-10 (dropset is 8-10, drop, 6-8)
Rest Between Sets: cardiovascular and mental recovery
Lifting Tempo: 1/0/1
Exercises: Compound, Isolation, Machine or Cable

1-Superset: Seated Side Lateral/Behind the Neck Press: 2 x 8-10 each
2-Superset: WG Cable Upright Row/Bent Lateral: 2 x 8-10 each
3-Dropset: Barbell Front Raise: 1 x 8-10, drop, 6-8 

Once you have completed the 3-week P/RR/S cycle, return to the beginning and repeat, with the intention of training more intensely on the following cycle. I suggest you use the same exercises for three straight cycles, and try to lift heavier weight and/or increase your reps at each workout. After three full P/RR/S cycles either take a complete week off from the gym, or at least train at low intensity for one week to allow for repair and recovery of joints, muscles, and the CNS. Upon returning to P/RR/S, feel free to switch some or all of the exercises, and prepare to push even harder through the next three cycles.

The Next Step

Like I mentioned earlier, bodybuilding is a constant learning process, and a pursuit where complacency is not welcome (not under my watch!). Even though I knew I had hit upon something wonderful with P/RR/S training, I still took it upon myself to dig deeper. This led me to an advanced version of my program, which I presented to Iron Man readers in a 2006 article entitled, ???Power, Rep Range, Shock 2. Variations and Advanced Techniques.??? And while the protocols that I presented in that piece once again raised the bar on muscle growth, I have to admit I still remained unsatisfied and hungry for more! I suppose this relentless pursuit of better and more efficient ways to stimulate hypertrophy can be looked upon as somewhat compulsive, but long ago I decided to make it my life???s work to not only explore the outer limits of my own genetic potential, but to help as many others as possible do this as well.

And here we are. So take a big breath, and put on some comfortable shoes, because I now invite you to take the next step!

First Things First

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!

Oh shoot, look what time it is, I gotta go! It???s time for me to go see my psychotherapist. You see, he is a client of mine and I had him try an FD/FS workout. He is now convinced that I am completely out of my mind, and desperately need help! But I don???t think I need a therapist???only a tailor!!

Peace Iron Warriors!


----------



## Tank316 (Jan 29, 2009)

I have had AWESOME results using this system that Eric has created.
4 wks= 7 solid lbs, with no changes in my diet.
If you have tried P/RR/S, youre gonna love this.


----------



## PreMier (Jan 29, 2009)

hey tank, been forever.  good to see you around!


----------



## rayray715 (Jan 30, 2009)

can someone explain lifting tempo..e.g. 4/0/x...2/1/2/1***...
i have been lifting for few years now, but all new to this p/rr/s. as of now, im out of the gym recovering from injury,but looking forward to starting this cycle in a few weeks. if someone can please post a full routine to start with, and incorporate fd/fs too, it would be much appreciated.

i am 175lbs. and 5'4"
15% bodyfat
bench press 315lbs. 2-3 reps before injury(been out 2 mo.)

i workout early morning before work for 45 to 1 hour/ 5 days a week.


----------



## highpockets (Jan 30, 2009)

More info can be found at Welcome! PrrsTraining.com check out Eric's articles. The warming up article is interesting also especially if you are new to the gym scene.

I just finished 9 weeks of P/RR/S with my final bicep/tricep shock workout last night. I've had incredible gains with P/RR/S and am going to incorporate FD/FS after a short break.


----------



## rayray715 (Jan 30, 2009)

i looked at that site but still cant find what tempo is/ means
can someone explain?


----------



## PreMier (Jan 30, 2009)

tempo is the speed in which you do a movement.  so lets look at bench press for example.  if the tempo is 3/2/1 then you go down 3 seconds, touch the chest for 2 seconds(hold), then come up in one.  repeat.


----------



## rayray715 (Jan 30, 2009)

so for power tempo 4/0/x....i would assume four seconds down with no hold at bottom and quick burst up. and for rr tempo 2/1/2/1**..down two/ hold 1 sec contraction/ up 2... in orderly fashion...


----------



## PreMier (Jan 30, 2009)

for power, thats correct. for rr, thats what i would assume.. i havent ever done prrs.  read this, i skimmed it, and it seems you understand it T-Nation.com | Closer Look At Tempo


----------



## Tank316 (Jan 30, 2009)

PreMier said:


> hey tank, been forever.  good to see you around!



I've been well Pre, by the looks of your avi, you have been busy yourself, keep it up.
I'll be hang'n my hat @ IM, just been very busy!


----------



## Arnold (Jan 30, 2009)

no shit, you disappeared!

welcome back.


----------



## Chevrolet (Jan 30, 2009)

very interesting post.. makes me think of what i was doing years ago when i made the greatest gains of my life (naturally). i would consume creatine and glutamine with a protein drink before my workout, and immediatly after the workout, at double or triple the old school 5g recomendation for the supps in each instance. i also would never lift if i had not eaten a meal within 60-90 minutes before my session.  i felt like having these nutrients and things flowing around in my body readily available for use was the way to go, and the workout does things that made my body reach out for the building blocks of muscle. of course i had no idea about any science behind it but i was guessing i was doing something right by the way i started growing.  

i will give the type of training protocol you laid out a try, and get my supp cabinet stocked back up.


----------



## Tank316 (Jan 30, 2009)

Prince said:


> no shit, you disappeared!
> 
> welcome back.



Hey Prince, all is well, how about you?


----------



## Tank316 (Jan 30, 2009)

rayray715 said:


> so for power tempo 4/0/x....i would assume four seconds down with no hold at bottom and quick burst up. and for rr tempo 2/1/2/1**..down two/ hold 1 sec contraction/ up 2... in orderly fashion...



yes!!


----------



## HOOPIE (Feb 2, 2009)

Whats up Tanksers....


----------



## Tank316 (Feb 2, 2009)

HOOPIE said:


> Whats up Tanksers....


Hoopster, hang'n and bang'n bro!!


----------



## highpockets (Feb 3, 2009)

I've been using P/RR/S for some time now and incorporated my first session yesterday using FD/FS. WOW! by the time I was done with my cable rear laterals I could barely get up off the floor of my gym. This is gonna be GREAT!


----------



## Arnold (Feb 3, 2009)

Tank316 said:


> Hey Prince, all is well, how about you?



same ole crap.


----------



## Tank316 (Feb 3, 2009)

Prince said:


> same ole crap.


I hear ya, hows your training?


----------



## Arnold (Feb 4, 2009)

Tank316 said:


> I hear ya, hows your training?



pretty good, just getting semi-serious again, you?


----------



## Tank316 (Feb 4, 2009)

Prince said:


> pretty good, just getting semi-serious again, you?


 Lifting has been great, redirecting more energy towards cardio.


----------



## ALBOB (Feb 5, 2009)

Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah.......................who are these supposed "experts" anyway?  A couple of faceless names on an internet board are gonna school me on how to get big.  Hell, I already know how to get big; a six pack and half gallon of ice cream every night and I'm as big as a house.  Besides, what's up with the names?  Tank?  Yeah, like I'm supposed to believe this guy is really built like an M-1 Abrahms.  And gopro?  Sure, I'll go pro if he wants to sponsor me.

Sheesh, get over yourselves guys. 



























  Welcome back buddy.  You didn't think I was just gonna let you come back here without catch SOME shit, did you?


----------



## Tank316 (Feb 6, 2009)

ALBOB said:


> Yeah, yeah, yeah, blah, blah, blah.......................who are these supposed "experts" anyway?  A couple of faceless names on an internet board are gonna school me on how to get big.  Hell, I already know how to get big; a six pack and half gallon of ice cream every night and I'm as big as a house.  Besides, what's up with the names?  Tank?  Yeah, like I'm supposed to believe this guy is really built like an M-1 Abrahms.  And gopro?  Sure, I'll go pro if he wants to sponsor me.
> 
> Sheesh, get over yourselves guys.
> 
> ...



  Wouldnt be the same without any shit!!!


----------



## Bradicallyman (Feb 8, 2009)

I can't believe how strong I have gotten using this method over the last two weeks. When I started bulking in jan, 185 was my one rep max doing flat bb bench. Today, I was able to do 185 6 times without assistance, 7 with minor help from my spotter. I'm going to try one more week before starting p/rr/s. Tomorrow is going to hurt!


----------



## rmcfar (Apr 1, 2009)

i realize this is a bit of a dead thread. But the information seems pretty reliable, and i had a few questions.

Tank- I hope you dont take offense to this in any way as this is your personal thoughts that created this system, but would you say it is similar in principle to the fst-7 training system by hany rambod? It seems like both employ a 'damage' period followed by a 'flood' period. Just curious as to your thoughts on that system working in conjunction with yours?   Thanks!


----------



## Tank316 (Apr 2, 2009)

rmcfar said:


> i realize this is a bit of a dead thread. But the information seems pretty reliable, and i had a few questions.
> 
> Tank- I hope you dont take offense to this in any way as this is your personal thoughts that created this system, but would you say it is similar in principle to the fst-7 training system by hany rambod? It seems like both employ a 'damage' period followed by a 'flood' period. Just curious as to your thoughts on that system working in conjunction with yours?   Thanks!


No offense taken.....
But the truth is.. I didnt know about fst-7 training system by hany rambod.
As always, i'll be searching it to enrich my knowledge.
My only reason for posting Eric Broser FD/FS program was because i was sorta one of lab rats if you will. FD/FS is also based on his P/RR/S system, so it was more user friendly when I tested it.
The ''damage'' and ''flood'' concept is a great way to train, BUT i did find that my CNS was taken a beating into the 4th wk. With Erics suggestions he said to stick with 2-3 wks at the most, 3 depending on the person. [I'm lucking enough to tolerate higher intensity training]
As any training system that you try, its all by trial/error, likes/dislikes.


----------



## gopro (Apr 3, 2009)

rmcfar said:


> i realize this is a bit of a dead thread. But the information seems pretty reliable, and i had a few questions.
> 
> Tank- I hope you dont take offense to this in any way as this is your personal thoughts that created this system, but would you say it is similar in principle to the fst-7 training system by hany rambod? It seems like both employ a 'damage' period followed by a 'flood' period. Just curious as to your thoughts on that system working in conjunction with yours?   Thanks!



As the creator of FDFS I would have to say that it is nothing like FST-7, which is merely a regular training session with 7 sets of one exercise thrown in at the end with short rests between sets.

FDFS uses specific techniques PROVEN to cause muscle damage and satellite cell proliferation, such as extreme weights moved explosively for low reps, eccentric emphasis training, and stretch under tension. This is what sets the anabolic machinery in motion. Then we use very high rep training at multiple angles with a quick rep pattern (although sometimes supersets are used as well) to induce massive pumping to flush the damaged tissue with nutrients. A specific nutritional protocol is utilized to work hand in hand with the training effect, and without it, the program would not be nearly as successful.


----------



## Built (Apr 4, 2009)

gopro said:


> As the creator of FDFS I would have to say that it is nothing like FST-7, which is merely a regular training session with 7 sets of one exercise thrown in at the end with short rests between sets.
> 
> FDFS uses specific techniques PROVEN to cause muscle damage and satellite cell proliferation, such as extreme weights moved explosively for low reps, eccentric emphasis training, and stretch under tension. This is what sets the anabolic machinery in motion. Then we use very high rep training at multiple angles with a quick rep pattern (although sometimes supersets are used as well) to induce massive pumping to flush the damaged tissue with nutrients. A specific nutritional protocol is utilized to work hand in hand with the training effect, and without it, the program would not be nearly as successful.



I've written about how the truth seems to converge - similar principals are also behind Holman's Positions of Flexion, Marion's "Stretch it out", Thibaudeau's "three ways to get big" and Poliquin's Time Under Tension. 

Got Built? » Baby Got… Biceps!


----------



## gopro (Apr 5, 2009)

Nice abs Built!


----------



## Built (Apr 5, 2009)

Thank you! I credit good genes combined with virtually no direct ab work other than the "away from the refrigerator" push LOL!

Oh, and chins and sprinting. Nothing hits abs like those two activities. 

How did you like my article?


----------

