Eric Broser's Fiber Damage Fiber Saturation Training Method | Muscle & Strength
FD/FS stands for “Fiber Damage/Fiber Saturation,” and is a training method Eric Broser have been working with .........
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.
Eric Broser's Fiber Damage Fiber Saturation Training Method | Muscle & Strength
FD/FS stands for “Fiber Damage/Fiber Saturation,” and is a training method Eric Broser have been working with .........
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.
Eric Broser's Fiber Damage Fiber Saturation Training Method | Muscle & Strength
