In a previous Q & A post I briefly discussed what Hany Rambod’s FST-7 training is about. In this post I want to go over how to implement FST-7 and when doing so might be beneficial.
The Basics of FST-7
For starters, FST-7 should be used with weaker, smaller body parts that you want to bring up in size. So let’s say, for example, that your back needs to be wider…
Select an exercise that targets the muscle you wish to bring up. In our example, this would be the lats
Reverse-grip Lat Pulldown Finish
(latissimus dorsi). Choose an isolation exercise or at least one that focuses the brunt of the work on the target muscle – this is not the time for compound movements that hit various muscles, like deadlifts. Instead, we should opt for something like reverse-grip (underhand) pulldowns to focus on the lats.
Conclude your back workout with 7 sets of your chosen exercise - again, reverse-grip pulldowns in our example. Do roughly 8-12 reps each set, with each set being close, but not quite to concentric failure.
Rest only 30-45 seconds between each of these 7 sets. This, according to Hany, is the optimal rest interval to maximize the volume of blood entering the muscle (aka the pump).
Other FST-7 Tips
Hany recommends only using the FST-7 technique with one muscle (or muscle group) at a time in order to avoid overtraining. But I have found that by appropriately adjusting other facets of the workout, the technique can be successfully used on more than one body part at a time. But it’s always better to err on the side of under-training as opposed to over-training! So I’d agree that his rule-of-thumb is good advice.
Keep in mind that Hany developed and utilizes FST-7 with a body-part split routine in which each body part is (typically) trained just once per week. In other words, don’t even bother attempting to do FST-7 with a whole-body training routine or even an upper/lower split… it WON’T work!
In general, I would stick with performing FST-7 for a body part for about 6-8 weeks before giving it a rest. You could then try the technique with another body part of simply wait a while to re-implement FST-7. Just remember, too much of a good thing is not good!
Dr Clay
