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FST-7 (Fascia Stretch Training 7) Workout Routine &Nutrition Guide | SimplyShredded.com

FST-7 is a training principle created by Hany Rambod, the ProCreator. He has been using this training principle for manyyears exclusively with his clients to create physiques that win.

FST-7 is a training system I devised after years of research and a greatdeal of trial and error with many clients. FST stands for Fascia StretchTraining, and the seven refers to the seven sets performed for the finalexercise of a target bodypart. I have had many clients use this systemfor overall growth and especially to improve stubborn bodyparts thatwere seemingly resistant to just about anything else the person hadtried.

FST-7 encompasses several factors both inside and outsidethe gym.

Is fascia limiting your muscle growth?

There are three types of fascia in the human body, but the type bodybuilders should be concernedabout is deep fascia. This is dense fibrous connective tissue that interpenetrates and surrounds themuscles, bones, nerves, and blood vessels of the body. The high density of collagen fibers is whatgives the deep fascia its strength and integrity. The amount of elastin fibers determines how muchextensibility and resiliency it will have. In other words, some of us have fascia that is thicker and tougherthan others. The most genetically blessed bodybuilders have thinner fascia, which is why their musclebellies appear to be larger and fuller, with that round ‘bubbly’ look that all bodybuilders covet. RonnieColeman and Phil Heath would be two prime examples of individuals blessed with thin fascia. Theirmuscles expand easier. Think of it in terms of it being easier to blow up a balloon as opposed to one ofthose water bottles that strongmen like Franco Columbu used to.

FST-7 Training DVD feat Hany Rambod & Jay Cutler

Jay Cutler and Nasser El-Sonbatty are two men that clearly have thicker fascia.

This didn’t prevent them from building substantial muscle mass, obviously, but neither man ever hadthat round ‘Marvel Comics’ appearance to their muscles. Yet the average bodybuilder has thickerfascia than either of those two champions. In an effort to expand their fascia and allow growth to occur,some have turned to Synthol and other items that are injected deep into the muscle belly. There have

even been some advisors, mainly online, that make it seem as if this is the only solution and must bedone. They will also try and insist that all the pro’s use Synthol and site inject, which I can assure you isnot true. Synthol and related products are foreign substances, and you can never be certain how theywill metabolize in the body. We are starting to see various health issues with bodybuilders that aremore than likely related to site injecting. Yes, you do need to stretch the muscle fascia to experienceoptimal growth, but that is not the way to do it.

All stretching is not the same

I am not the first person to recognize the importance of stretching the muscle fascia. First John Parrillo,then more recently Dante Trudel of DC Training fame, incorporate aggressive stretching duringworkouts as part of their training programs. They had the right idea, but stretching the fascia byelongating the muscle is not the best method. FST-7 is based on stretching the muscle from the insideout by volumizing it. This is accomplished by getting the greatest pump possible while training.

Do I still train heavy, or can I just pump up with light weights?

One thing I don’t want anyone misconstruing is that FST-7 is all about pumping. That’s just onecomponent. I also believe that a bigger muscle is a stronger muscle, and you absolutely must train withheavier weights in the 8-12 rep range. I have tried many variations of heavier and lighter training withclients over the years, and discovered that both types are needed. Heavy weights will build thicknessand density, but they will not give you that round, full look. Similarly, getting incredible pumps all the timecan impart some of that roundness, but you won’t ever get extreme muscle size without training withheavy straight sets. So you need to focus equally on maximizing both your strength and your pump inthe same workouts to see optimal results. Here’s an example of a biceps workout, FST-7 style, thatshows you how to incorporate both:

Bicep Workout Example

Alternate dumbbell curls 3-4 x 8-12

Machine preacher curl 3 x 8-12

EZ-bar curl 7 x 8-12 (rest 30-45 seconds between sets while sipping water )

I don’t typically like to use very high reps, because too often you will experience general fatigue and getshort of breath before you have built the maximum pump in the muscle. I also don’t like the weight to betoo heavy and limit the reps any lower than eight, because this is when you see form breaking downand ancillary muscles kicking in and robbing the target muscle of the proper stimulation. You can thinkof the ‘7′ set as blowing up a balloon. We keep the rest periods fairly short, because as you pump upthe muscle, a little blood escapes in that time. You can think of it as blowing up a balloon with a slightleak in it – even though the balloon is being inflated, some air is escaping. The key is to build on thepump sets by set, exponentially, so that it reaches its maximum state by the final set. If the rest periodswere too short, you wouldn’t have enough energy to do justice to the seven sets. Another question Ioften get is, should the weight be constant as the seven sets go on? It can be, but it’s perfectly fine toreduce the weight one or two times as needed to stay in the proper rep range. There may also be timeswhen you need to increase the weight, but this happens less often.

How often can I train bodyparts this way?

Generally speaking, this type of training is too traumatic on the larger muscle groupsto use more than once a week. Due to the sheer volume of muscle cells, sorenesstends to linger too long to allow for more frequent workouts.

For instance, Phil Heath recently completed a back workout andwas sore for four days. Since he is supposed to be training backand chest twice a week in preparation for the Arnold Classic, thisthrew him off his schedule somewhat. The higher than normalamount of microscopic tears in the muscle caused by FST-7training necessitates a bit more recovery time than standardtraining protocols. However, smaller bodyparts like arms and

calves certainly can and should be trained twice a week. This givesyou twice as many opportunities to stretch the fascia in what areoften exceedingly stubborn bodyparts. Here’s a sample split thatdisplays how you could arrange this:

Day one: Biceps and triceps, calves

Day two: Legs

Day three: OFF

Day four: Chest and triceps

Day five: Back and calves

Day six: Shoulders and biceps

Day seven: OFF

This is a split geared toward someone with the goal of improving stubborn arms.There are many other variations depending on what the individual’s goals might be.

Which exercises are best suited to the ‘7′ sets?

Certain exercises are more appropriate than others for the ‘7′ sets. The big compound free weightmovements like squats and deadlifts usually are poor choices, for two reasons. For one thing, theyinvolve several other muscle groups and don’t do a good job of isolating a target muscle. Also, theyrequire technique and balancing, which tends to break down if one attempts to perform multiple sets insuch a short time span. Machines are a good choice in many instances because they keep you in afixed plane of movement and thus make it easier to isolate a given muscle. Those with selectorizedstacks also make it very fast and convenient to increase or decrease the resistance as needed. Hereare some suggested movements that I have found work very well:

Back width: Machine pullovers (Hammer Strength, Nautilus) or cable pullovers

Back thickness: Seated row machines with chest support

Chest: Pec deck or peck flye machine*, cable crossovers

I find that the pec decks with the pads for the elbows usually work very well for shortertrainers, while the pec flye machines with handles seem to be better for tall guys. Tryboth – you will know by the pump and range of motion you achieve which one is abetter choice for you.

Shoulders: Machine lateral raises with pads – my favorite is made by Bodymasters. HammerStrength, LifeFitness, and Cybex also produce similar models.

Quads: Leg extensions, leg presses

Hamstrings: Seated or lying leg curls

Biceps: EZ-bar curls, machine curls, cable ‘front double biceps curls’

Triceps: Cable pushdowns using rope attachment, Overhead cable extensions, Skull crushers(for advanced trainers)

Calves: Standing and seated raises, calf raises using leg press (alternate between thesethree)

When should I do my ‘7′?

The best time to do your ‘7′ is as the final exercise for a muscle group. You don’t want to do it first, asthis would take away from your performance on the heavy straight sets that are also a critical factor inbuilding muscle mass. Finishing off a bodypart with a great pump is something many top bodybuildershave been doing instinctively for years, not knowing that they were expanding their fascia andmaximizing growth. It may be tempting to do your pumping sets earlier on if you can’t seem to get anykind of pump going, but I would urge you instead to do something like a set or two of 21′s to get theblood flowing and then proceed with your heavy sets before capping it all off with your ‘7′ set for thatbodypart. Remember, ‘7′s’ are done at the conclusion of each bodypart, so if you are working multiplebodyparts in a given workout, you will be doing two or more of these extended pumping sets.

Sample FST-7 (Fascia Stretch Training 7) Routine

Triceps

Close-grip bench press 3-4 x 8-12

Weighted or machine dip 3 x 8-12

Overhead cable extension 7 x 8-12

Skull crushers 7 x 8-12

Biceps

Alternate dumbbell curls 3-4 x 8-12

Machine preacher curl 3 x 8-12

EZ-bar curl 7 x 8-12 (rest 30-45 seconds between sets while sipping water)

Quads

Leg extensions 3-4 x 8-15

Squats 4 x 8-12

Hack squat or leg press 3 x 8-15

Leg extension or leg press 7 x 8-15

Chest

Incline dumbbell press 3-4 x 8-12

Incline dumbbell flye 3 x 8-12

Flat Hammer or dumbbell press 3 x 8-12

Pec deck or cable crossover 7 x 8-12

Shoulders

Seated dumbbell press 4 x 8-12

Barbell or dumbbell front raise 3 x 8-12

Dumbbell lateral raise 3 x 8-12

Lateral raise machine 7 x 8-12

Back

Warm-up:

Neutral-grip chin-ups 3 x failure

Wide-grip pulldowns 3 x 8-12

Barbell row 3 x 8-12

Hammer Strength row 3 x 8-12

Machine or cable pullover 7 x 8-15

Hamstrings

Lying leg curls 3-4 x 10-15

Stiff-leg deadlift 3-4 x 10-12

Single leg curl 3-4 x 10-15 each leg

Seated leg curls 7 x 10-15

Traps

Dumbbell shrugs* 3-4 x 8-12

Machine shrugs 7 x 8-12

Proper form consists of leaning head and torso slightly forward and shrugging up toan imaginary point behind your ears – do not roll shoulders. Reps should be doneslowly with an emphasis on squeezing the contraction point for a full one-secondcount.

Rear delts

Dumbbell rear lateral raise 3-4 x 12-15

Reverse pec flye or cable 7 x 12-15

Rear laterals

Calves

Standing calf raise 4 x 10-12

Seated calf raise 4 x 15-20

Leg press or calf sled raise 7 x 10-12

IFBB Pro Jay Cutler

Nutrition

Now we will be explaining how to structure your nutritional intake around your workouts to ensure thatyour muscles will have all the necessary nutrients to fuel a superior pump, thus stretching out your fasciatissue and permitting growth to occur. Bodypart routines for the rest of your muscle groups will also beprovided so that you can get started immediately on your own FST-7 growth experience.

Pre-workout nutrition: Priming the pump

Hopefully most of you grasp the importance of solid pre-workout nutrition. This provides the body withall the raw materials it will need to fuel an intense and productive weight training session. I like to seemy clients get in a minimum of two solid-food meals containing both lean proteins and complexcarbohydrates prior to training. The protein source can be chicken or turkey breast, white fish, or evenleaner cuts of red meat such as filet or top sirloin if one is training later in the day. Good carbohydratesources would be oatmeal, sweet potatoes, or brown rice. These are all slow-burning carbs that willdeliver time-released energy, as opposed to fruits and other simple sugars that digest too quickly and

can leave you with an insulin crash while training. Equally important to the food intake is adequatehydration. This is particularly applicable to anyone using thermogenic products. Most of these have adiuretic effect, which means you need to take care to drink a bit more water to compensate for the fluidloss. Notice that I said water and not diet soda. Carbonated drinks tend to be too filling and hence youdon’t drink enough. A common question I get is, how soon before the workout should my last meal be?Generally speaking, you want your last meal to end about one hour before your workout begins. Theexception would be legs. Since heavy leg training is so metabolically demanding, the last meal shouldbe a bit earlier – say ninety minutes. These are just guidelines. If you are the type of person that isstarving an hour and a half after a clean meal, you probably don’t ever want to let more than an hour goby from the end of the pre-workout meal to the workout.

If you seem to digest your food more slowly and get nauseous when you eat too closeto the workout, adjust your meal timing accordingly. Staying away from high-fat foodsor sugary items should help stave off feelings of nausea while training.

During the workout

While training, most people will only need plenty of water – roughly a liter. This also depends on yoursize, how much you tend to sweat while training, and the season. Obviously you need more water in thesummer, particularly if you train at a place like MetroFlex Gym that doesn’t believe in air conditioning, orif you work outdoors. You can sip a carb drink or a thermogenic drink if you tend to ‘run out of gas’ whiletraining, but neither takes the place of water. If you choose to have one of these beverages during yourworkout, you should also have a water bottle and alternate between the two to ensure proper hydration.I can’t emphasize this strongly enough – there is simply no way you can achieve a great pump if youaren’t drinking enough water before and during the workout. As you know, the human body andespecially our blood supply is comprised of over seventy percent water, so you need to have a steady

supply to stay hydrated.

Post-workout nutrition

Within 15-20 minutes of the end of your workout if not immediately, it’s important to drink a shake tostart the re-compensation and recovery process that ultimately leads to muscle growth. There areseveral different recovery powders I am currently testing with my clients, and I will have the results soon.But in the meantime, you can’t go wrong with a highly bio-available protein source such as whey proteinisolate along with a rapidly-assimilated carbohydrate source like dextrose, waxy maize, or maltodextrin.If you are a hardgainer ectomorph type, don’t be afraid to mix two or more carb sources together. Youcan even add in something like fruit juice for flavor and additional simple carbs. If you are trying to leanout or you are simply a person that gains fat very easily, you will want to take it easy on the amount ofcarbs in this shake. You still want to always include at least some carbs in this shake, except in thecase of the final stages of a pre-contest diet for those that are striving to lose the last vestiges ofbodyfat.

1-2 hours later

Roughly an hour or two later, you want to have another solid-food meal that should be similar incomposition to the pre-workout meal. For the purpose of better absorption, you want to keep the fatcontent low, particularly saturated fats. The timing of this meal will depend on the size of your shake aswell as your appetite. Obviously you can’t eat until you are hungry again. If you are drinking a largeshake that is very filling for you, it might take two hours for your appetite to return substantially enough toallow you to eat a solid meal. Conversely, a lighter shake should digest faster and you shouldtheoretically be ready to eat just an hour later. Also note that there tends to be more bloating and gasassociated with lower-quality grades of protein powder. They tend to taste good, but contain largeamounts of lactose. Do yourself and your loved ones a favor and spring for the good stuff.

A note on sodium

Many bodybuilders have it in their heads that sodium is bad for them and should be avoided. Theyintentionally remain on very low-sodium diets year-round when the fact of the matter is, you only need tobe concerned about sodium intake in the final few days before a contest when you are attempting toshed subcutaneous water. Without proper amounts of dietary sodium, you simply won’t be able to get apump. Some of you may have experienced this when competing. If you are trying to pump up andhaven’t had more than trace amounts of sodium for a couple days, your muscles will be totally flat andunresponsive, even if you are eating carbs and drinking some water. Then, if you go out and have aburger and fries after the judging, your muscles seem to magically inflate, and you are able to generatean excellent pump for the night show! Sodium helps transport carbs into the muscles, so by all meansdon’t be afraid to put a bit of salt on your food.

I actually encourage my clients to get their sodium from condiments like ketchup,mustard, and barbecue sauce in the off-season. It should be noted that for any of youwith medical conditions such as hypertension or diabetes that require you to adhereto strict low-sodium diets, always observe the guidelines set forth by your physician oryour dietician.

Additional research

If it seems odd that this discussion of nutrition as it applies to the FST-7 training system isn’t discussingsupplements, that’s because I am currently in the process of experimenting with various types ofproducts to see which ones enhance the pump, reduce soreness, speed up recovery, and other effectsthat would be beneficial. One of the major side effects of this type of training is extreme musclesoreness, so this in particular needs to be addressed. All I can say at this point is that even though allthe results aren’t in and there is still more research to be done; we have already witnessed someintriguing and exciting effects.

Success stories – in progress!

Although I have been developing the FST-7 system for several years and have been recommending itto my clients, only recently have I insisted that they consistently incorporate it into their own training. Inthe near future, I will have some impressive success stories to report.

In the meantime, you will be seeing some of the results of FST-7 on the pro stagesthis year.

Author: Hany RambodWebsite: http://www.fst-7.com

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