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Positions of Flexion Training

Steve Holman's POF Training

Multi-angular training is where you would use a few different exercises per body part. A lot of people do this wrong. They will do bench press and then dumbbell bench press. That's essentially the same thing, you're still hitting the muscles from the exact same angle.

The best way I've seen, the most sensible way I've seen is POF or Positions of Flexion training. Steve Holman is the one who originated this. He writes for IronMan magazine. His books (like Critical Mass and 10 Week Size Surge) are sold in IronMan. I'll give you an example. He says you should hit the muscles from three different angles in the same workout:

"1.First you hit the bulk of the fibers in any muscle with a compound, or midrange, movement--such as squats for the quads or bench presses for the pecs.

2.Next you use an exercise that works the target muscle at the point where it's completely stretched. Sissy squats for the quads and flyes for the pecs are good examples of stretch-position moves. When you use a quick twitch at the point of stretch, you activate the myotatic reflex, which sends a shock to the nervous system and forces reserve muscle fibers to come into play.

3.Finally you use a contracted-position exercise, such as leg extensions for the quads, which allows you to flex and squeeze the muscle against resistance. The peak-contraction effect finishes off the muscle and helps further stimulate those reserve fibers you recruited with the stretch in the previous exercise."

As you can see he talks about the mid range exercises, stretch exercises and the contracted position exercises. For example, a barbell curl is hardest in the mid range. A good exercise. Dumbbell curls while you're laying back on an incline bench put a good stretch on the biceps and are harder in that position. Then concentration curls can get a good peak contraction. So you've got the three positions and you are hitting it at different angles. Keep your sets down, I would say no more than two sets each exercise. So you might do three to six sets per body part. You can use it full body or you can use it to bring up a lagging body part. But, if you're going to try the multi angle of training, I really think that POF is the most sensible approach to do it, rather than just the shotgun approach of dumbbell bench presses, bench presses, and a few other exercises thrown together.

Sample POF Training Routine

Here is a sample routine, you will do workout A. , rest 1 day then do workout B., rest 1 day then do workout A. etc..

Workout A:
Quads:
Squats or Leg Press 2 x 8-12
Sissy Squats 1 x 8-12
Leg Extensions 2 x 8-12

Hamstrings:
Stiff legged deads 2 x 8-12
Leg curls: 2 x 8-12

Calves: Standing calf raise 2 x 12-20
Seated calf raise 2 x 12-20

Chest:
Bench Press 2 x 8-12
Incline Dumbell Press 2 x 8-12
Flyes 1 x 8-12
Dips 1 x 8-12

Biceps:
Barbell curls 2 x 8-12
Incline Dumbbell Curls 2 x 8-12
Concentration Curls 2 x 8-12

Workout B:
Back:
Chins or Lat Pulldowns 2 x 8-12
Pullover 2 x 8-12
Bent over rows or Cable row: 2 x 8-12

Delts:
Standing barbell Press 2 x 8-12
One Arm Cable lateral 2 x 8-12
Seated dumbbell lateral 2 x 8-12

Traps:
Barbell or Dumbell Shrugs 2 x 8-12

Triceps:
Close Grip Bench Press 2 x 8-12
Overhead Extensions 2 x 8-12
Dumbell Kickbacks 2 x 8-12

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