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Do you use this muscle-gaining technique?

July 20, 2017

I often see people at the gym working out excessively, but they work out without much of a plan and don’t use the right technique at all. They think the way they train is the best and expect to see results this way. Sometimes we just need to change ONE little thing in the way we do things, and bam, the results start to show. Hypertrophy is a fairly popular training method, hence the importance of knowing THE right technique to apply it properly. PAFF

First of all, I will explain what muscle hypertrophy is. An enlarged muscle is often called MASS. To explain this very briefly, it’s simply the increase in the volume of your muscle fibers. When a person is working in hypertrophy, they must combine VOLUME and INTENSITY to get good results. It’s actually kind of a mix of strength and endurance. Rest time between sets should be of medium duration (partial recovery) and muscle fatigue should be maximized (70-80% of intensity). Once you understand these basic principles, you can now apply THE technique to promote hypertrophy, which is none other than an ECCENTRIC contraction. More precisely, this is the phase of lowering the load, or when the muscles lengthen. Let’s see more precisely why this form of contraction is better than any other…

During this contraction, you have to slow the descent of the load to counter gravity, a force that pulls the load down. If the movement is too fast, it is a sign that your muscles are not contracting enough. An interesting aspect of eccentric muscle contractions is that they develop a GREATER STRENGTH than during concentric contractions (when the contracted muscles shorten). The load you during eccentric contraction training can be much heavier than during concentric contractions.

Heavier load = MORE micro-lesions = Increases muscle growth = MORE volume gains

Indeed, eccentric contractions cause more micro-lesions. These are the cause of the famous muscle pain after a workout. Even though being having sore muscles may seem uncomfortable, it is this process that stimulates your muscle growth. It is also AFTER a workout (and not during) that your muscles are in a phase of anabolism (muscle synthesis and development). The more intense your training, the more your body will have to recover over a long period afterward, and the more you will see progress in your gains. Also, this type of contraction involves much more TYPE II FIBERS (fast-twitch fibers). These are the most difficult to use during training. This is another advantage of promoting eccentric contractions to increase the size of your muscles.

When you do any exercise that emphasizes this type of contraction, you gain the most muscle mass. Opting for the slow eccentric method, that is, with a descent of the load from 3 to 8 seconds, will allow you to achieve your goal, if it is related to the hypertrophy. Of course, the number of repetitions and sets must also be adequate. By performing 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions each, I guarantee that now you have the right tools and soon won’t even be able to fit through the doorframe! However, eccentrically working out is a method that takes a lot of energy from your muscles and puts more stress on your muscle fibers. It must therefore be carried out safely and occasionally. In short, slowing down the speed of your load during your training sessions is an excellent solution to maximize the gain in the volume of your muscle fibers. 8 à 12 répétitions When you do any exercise that emphasizes this type of contraction, you gain the most muscle mass. Opting for the slow eccentric method, that is, with a descent of the load from 3 to 8 seconds, will allow you to achieve your goal, if it is related to the hypertrophy. Of course, the number of repetitions and sets must also be adequate. By performing 3 to 5 sets of 8 to 12 repetitions each, I guarantee that now you have the right tools and soon won’t even be able to fit through the doorframe! However, eccentrically working out is a method that takes a lot of energy from your muscles and puts more stress on your muscle fibers. It must therefore be carried out safely and occasionally. In short, slowing down the speed of your load during your training sessions is an excellent solution to maximize the gain in the volume of your muscle fibers.

A little extra trick to promote hypertrophy is to achieve muscle FAILURE, otherwise, it will NOT be possible to increase your fiber volume and gain muscle mass. What I mean by failure is pushing yourself past the point when you can’t do another repetition, which is to work until exhaustion. Continually giving your 110% at the gym is therefore essential to achieve good results. It’s when you feel like you’re no longer capable that you have to give it your all and keep going!

DREAM it, BELIEVE it, and you will ACHIEVE it ! 

Léonie,

Tech. dt.
Étud. Kin.

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