What Is FST-7?




Created by world-renowned trainer Hany Rambod, FST-7 is one of the most successful physique transformation systems ever created. It’s proven on the world’s best physiques, from amateurs to the professional elite, who have repeatedly won the Mr. Olympia and Arnold Classic bodybuilding contests. Without question, it creates dramatic results.

FST stands for Fascial Stretch Training and the 7 refers to the seven sets performed usually as the final exercise for a target body part. However, “sevens” are more than just pump sets. They are one detail of a full system designed to elicit maximum hormonal response and muscle hypertrophy from varying training stimuli.

When skeletal muscle experiences significant tension that damages the integrity of muscle fibers, that tension can cause an increase in contractile proteins, such as actin and myosin. The increases in contractile proteins increase the cross-sectional area of the muscle, leading to strength and mass gains. Furthermore, the increased metabolic demands and metabolites, such as lactate, from FST-7 training may result in an increased production of anabolic hormones. This is what separates FST-7 from many other training systems.

In essence, a bigger muscle leads to greater strength potential, which allows for greater loads to be moved. This can further cause hypertrophy once the muscle has been stimulated, or damaged enough. This is especially true when proper diet, supplementation, and recovery are allowed for, and that is what FST-7 programming is all about.

If you are new to FST-7, you should refrain from using compound lifts as your “seven set” because they require balance and the use of ancillary muscles. This can take the focus off the target muscle. They may also limit your ability to control the eccentric portion of the motion. This eccentric phase of exercise is essential to optimizing muscle hypertrophy. Controlled, eccentric movements have been shown to recruit fast-twitch muscle fibers over slow-twitch muscle fibers, and that is a key element of FST-7’s success.

This key factor forces muscle motor units to manage larger amounts of tension, and that creates an increased capacity for hypertrophy. Machines and cables are a good idea, and free-weight exercises, such as barbell curls and skull crushers, also work well for this seven set. Perform your seven set at the end of the workout for that muscle group. The stimulation and pumps are insane, but FST-7 doesn’t stop there.

The goal is to bring as many vitamins, minerals, and amino acids and as much blood, oxygen, and so on, into the muscle and stretch the fascia surrounding it to help encourage maximum muscle growth. This is where nutrition and supplementation become critical factors for physique acceleration. In turn, the fascia is the limiting factor for achieving muscle growth because the muscle will grow only as much as there is room for it to do so. This training system is targeted at stretching the fascia to allow more room for muscle growth.

Restricting the seven sets to your last exercise is recommended for new users of this training principle. This allows you to lift heavy for the first few exercises before taking the muscle to failure. There are many other variations for advanced users, including front-loading the seven sets, which can be discussed to allow creativity in your workouts in order to shock and further stretch the fascia and enhance muscle growth.