FST-7: The Complete Fascial Stretch Training Guide
Master the training system behind multiple Mr. Olympia champions. Learn why 7 sets with 30-45 seconds rest creates the ultimate muscle-building pump.
When Hany Rambod introduced FST-7 to Phil Heath, the young bodybuilder went from promising amateur to 7-time Mr. Olympia. The same system helped Jay Cutler win 4 Olympia titles and Chris Bumstead dominate Classic Physique. What makes FST-7 so effective?
FST-7 isn't about lifting the heaviest weights or doing the most sets. It's about creating the most extreme pump possible—so intense that it physically stretches the fascia surrounding your muscles, potentially creating more room for growth.
Champions Who Used FST-7
7x
Phil Heath
Mr. Olympia
4x
Jay Cutler
Mr. Olympia
5x
Chris Bumstead
Classic Physique
What is FST-7?
FST-7 stands for Fascial Stretch Training - Seven. Created by legendary coach Hany Rambod, it's a training system designed to maximize muscle hypertrophy through extreme pumping and fascia stretching.
The signature: 7 sets on the FINAL exercise for each muscle group.
Short rest keeps blood trapped in the muscle, amplifying the pump.
Sip water between EVERY set. Blood is 90% water—dehydration kills the pump.
FST-7 applied to machines and cables—never heavy compounds.
The workout structure combines traditional heavy compound work (for strength and density) with the FST-7 finisher (for pump and fullness). It's not one or the other—it's both.
The Fascia Theory: Why Pump Matters
Fascia is the connective tissue that surrounds your muscles like a tight shirt. Rambod's theory: some people have naturally thick, rigid fascia that limits muscle expansion—like trying to inflate a balloon inside a box.
"Look at Ronnie Coleman or Phil Heath—their muscles are round and full because they have thin fascia. Other guys train just as hard but look flat because their thick fascia restricts the muscle. FST-7 stretches that fascia from the inside out."
— Hany Rambod
The extreme intramuscular pressure from FST-7 creates:
- Internal stretching: Blood volume expands the muscle against the fascia
- Microtears in fascia: Potential remodeling that allows more space
- Cell swelling: Water and nutrients flooding in triggers growth signals
- Metabolic stress: Lactate and metabolite accumulation drives hypertrophy
While direct scientific evidence for fascia stretching is limited, the anecdotal results from dozens of elite bodybuilders—and the metabolic stress mechanisms—are well-documented.
The 7-Set Protocol
Here's exactly how to execute FST-7:
FST-7 Execution
Choose an isolation/machine exercise
Pec deck, cable flyes, leg extensions, etc. NEVER heavy compounds.
Select weight for 10-12 reps
If you can only do 8 reps on set 1, it's too heavy. If you can do 15+, too light.
Perform 7 sets with 30-45 seconds rest
Use a timer. No phone browsing, no conversations. Stay at the station.
Sip water + pose between sets
2-3 sips of water, then contract the muscle for 5-10 seconds.
Push to failure on every set
Reps may drop (12→11→10→9→9→8→8). That's normal. Maintain form.
Expected Rep Progression
| Set | Target Reps | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 1-2 | 10-12 | Establishing weight, should feel challenging but achievable |
| 3-4 | 10-11 | Fatigue building, pump starting to accumulate |
| 5-6 | 8-10 | Pump becomes intense, form critical |
| 7 | 8-10 | Final set—absolute failure. Pump should be almost painful. |
If Reps Drop Below 8 Before Set 7
Immediately reduce weight by 10-20%. Completing all 7 sets with proper pump is more important than maintaining heavy weight.
Hydration & Inter-Set Posing
These two elements are non-negotiable in FST-7:
Hydration Protocol
Why Hydration is CRITICAL
- • Blood plasma is 90% water—dehydration reduces blood volume
- • Less blood volume = weaker pump = less fascia stretch
- • Sip 2-3 sips of water or electrolyte drink between EVERY set
- • Have your water bottle at the station—don't walk away
- • Start hydrating before your workout, not just during FST-7
Inter-Set Posing
During your 30-45 second rest, contract the target muscle in a bodybuilding pose for 5-10 seconds:
Chest FST-7
Most muscular or pec squeeze pose—contract pecs as hard as possible
Back FST-7
Lat spread (front or rear)—squeeze lats while holding position
Shoulders FST-7
Side delt pose—arms at shoulder height, flex delts
Biceps FST-7
Double biceps front—squeeze peak contraction
Why pose? It forces additional blood into an already congested muscle, amplifying the pump. Yes, it's uncomfortable. That's the point.
Exercise Selection
FST-7 is applied only to isolation or machine exercises. The reasons:
- Safety: Form must remain perfect through extreme fatigue; machines guide the movement
- Isolation: Target muscle reaches failure, not synergists or stabilizers
- No spotter needed: You can safely fail on machines
- Constant tension: Cables and machines maintain tension throughout ROM
FST-7 Exercise Options by Muscle
chest
back
shoulders
quads
hamstrings
biceps
triceps
calves
Workout Structure
A typical FST-7 workout follows this pattern:
- Heavy compound — 3-4 sets of 6-8 reps (strength foundation)
- Secondary compound — 3 sets of 8-12 reps (volume)
- Isolation exercise — 2-3 sets of 10-12 reps (pre-fatigue)
- FST-7 finisher — 7 sets of 8-12 reps, 30-45s rest (maximum pump)
Total: approximately 15-20 sets per muscle group, including the 7-set finisher.
AI-Selected FST-7 Exercises
Arvo selects the optimal FST-7 finisher based on your equipment, exercise history, and muscle connection. If pec deck isn't available, the AI suggests cable flyes or dumbbell flyes—always maintaining the isolation requirement.
- ✓Equipment-aware exercise selection
- ✓Mind-muscle connection tracking
- ✓Automatic substitution when equipment unavailable
- ✓Pump quality feedback after each workout
Training Split
FST-7 works with multiple split structures. The key rule: each muscle gets FST-7 once per week (large muscles) or twice (small muscles).
Classic 5-Day FST-7 Split (Phil Heath's Approach)
Mon
Chest
Tue
Back
Wed
OFF
Thu
Shoulders
Fri
Arms
Sat
Legs
Sun
OFF
Each muscle gets full attention with one FST-7 finisher. Maximum recovery (7 days between same muscle).
Push/Pull/Legs with FST-7
Higher frequency (2x/week per muscle), but FST-7 applied only once per muscle.
Push 1: Chest focus — Pec deck FST-7
Push 2: Shoulder focus — Cable lateral raises FST-7
Pull 1: Back width — Straight-arm pulldowns FST-7
Pull 2: Back thickness + arms — Cable curls FST-7
Legs 1: Quad focus — Leg extensions FST-7
Legs 2: Ham/glute focus — Leg curls FST-7
Recovery Warning
Phil Heath reported 4 days of soreness after FST-7 back workouts. Large muscles (chest, back, quads) need 5-7 days recovery after FST-7. Don't train the same muscle twice in a week with FST-7.
Advanced Techniques
These techniques can be added to FST-7 for experienced lifters:
Drop Set on Set 7
After reaching failure on the 7th set, immediately reduce weight by 20-30% and continue to failure again.
When: Every 2-3 weeks for plateau-busting. Not every workout.
Rest-Pause on Sets 5-7
If reps drop too low (6-7), rest 10-15 seconds while maintaining position, then push out 2-4 more reps.
When: When weight selection was slightly too heavy but you want to complete all 7 sets.
Lengthened Partials
After full ROM failure, continue with partial reps in the stretched/bottom position for 5-10 reps.
When: Final 1-2 FST-7 sets. Very advanced—use sparingly.
Periodization
FST-7 is inherently demanding. Periodization prevents burnout:
Weeks 1-4: Capacity Building
- • Start with 5-6 sets instead of 7 (build up)
- • Use rest periods on higher end (45-50 seconds)
- • Focus on form and pump quality over weight
- • Week 1: 5 sets → Week 2: 6 sets → Week 3-4: 7 sets
Weeks 5-7: Peak Pump Phase
- • Full 7 sets on all FST-7 finishers
- • Rest periods at minimum (30-35 seconds)
- • Push weight progressions aggressively
- • Introduce advanced techniques (drop sets, rest-pause)
Week 8: Deload
- • ELIMINATE FST-7 entirely for the week
- • Reduce all exercises to 3-4 sets maximum
- • Use 70% of working weights, stop at 3-4 RIR
- • Focus on recovery and movement quality
How Arvo Implements FST-7
Arvo has 1,200+ lines of FST-7 configuration—the most comprehensive implementation of any training app:
FST-7 Protocol Enforcement
Ensures exactly 7 sets with 30-45 second rest timers. Audio cues for rest periods. Alerts if you're resting too long.
Hydration Reminders
Prompts to drink water between every FST-7 set. Tracks hydration compliance. Warns if you skip water breaks.
Exercise Selection
Only suggests isolation/machine exercises for FST-7. Knows pec deck, cable flyes, leg extensions—never suggests heavy compounds.
Pump Quality Tracking
Logs pump rating after each FST-7 session. Correlates pump quality with exercise selection, hydration, and rest periods.
Experience FST-7 with AI Precision
Select 'FST-7' during onboarding and Arvo generates complete FST-7 workouts: heavy compounds for strength, FST-7 finisher for pump, hydration reminders, and perfect 30-45 second rest timers.
- ✓1,200+ lines of FST-7 configuration
- ✓Automatic 30-45s rest timer with audio cues
- ✓Hydration reminders between every set
- ✓Pump quality tracking and optimization
- ✓Phase-aware periodization (capacity → peak → deload)
Sample Chest Workout (FST-7)
| Exercise | Sets | Reps | Rest | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barbell Bench Press | 4 | 6-8 | 2-3 min | Heavy—strength foundation |
| Incline Dumbbell Press | 3 | 8-10 | 90-120s | Upper chest emphasis |
| Dumbbell Flyes | 3 | 10-12 | 60-90s | Pre-fatigue for FST-7 |
| Pec Deck (FST-7) | 7 | 8-12 | 30-45s | FST-7 finisher. Sip water + pose between sets. |
Total sets: 17 | Estimated time: 50-60 minutes | FST-7 portion: ~12-15 minutes
Frequently Asked Questions
Frequently Asked Questions
What is FST-7 training?
FST-7 (Fascial Stretch Training - Seven) is a training system created by Hany Rambod. It involves 7 consecutive sets with 30-45 seconds rest on the final exercise for each muscle group, creating an extreme pump that stretches the fascia from within.
Why 7 sets in FST-7?
Seven sets is the optimal number to create maximal pump without excessive systemic fatigue. Fewer sets don't create enough metabolic stress; more sets lead to form breakdown. Seven sets with short rest creates perfect blood accumulation.
What exercises work best for FST-7?
FST-7 should only be applied to isolation or machine exercises: pec deck, cable flyes, leg extensions, leg curls, cable lateral raises, cable curls/pushdowns. Never use heavy compounds for FST-7.
Who has used FST-7 successfully?
Multiple Mr. Olympia champions including Phil Heath (7x), Jay Cutler (4x), and Chris Bumstead (5x Classic Physique). Hany Rambod has coached over 20 Olympia winners with FST-7.
How often should I do FST-7 per muscle?
Large muscles (chest, back, quads) receive FST-7 once per week. Small muscles (biceps, triceps, calves) can handle FST-7 up to twice per week. Phil Heath reported 4 days of soreness after FST-7 back workouts.
Conclusion
FST-7 is a proven system with results at the highest levels of bodybuilding. It combines traditional heavy training with metabolic stress techniques to create complete muscle development—strength, density, and fullness.
Key takeaways:
- 7 sets with 30-45 seconds rest on the FINAL exercise
- Only isolation/machine exercises for FST-7
- Hydration is CRITICAL—sip water between every set
- Pose/contract the muscle during rest periods
- Heavy compounds first, FST-7 finisher last
- Each muscle gets FST-7 once per week (large) or twice (small)
- Deload every 6-8 weeks—eliminate FST-7 entirely during deload
Ready for the Champion's Pump?
Arvo implements every FST-7 principle automatically. Select it during onboarding and get AI-generated workouts with perfect timing, hydration reminders, and pump tracking.
Start FST-7 Training