We put a lot of faith in scientific studies. I’ve tried to base most of my training beliefs on research, but just how reliable is it?
In Iron Man we ran a series of articles from a university lab where a Ph.D. compared exercises via EMG analysis—electromyography.
EMG measures muscle electrical activity in response to a nerve’s stimulation of that muscle.
It was touted as a reliable way to determine the best mass moves. If one exercise produced more activity than another, it was deemed a superior mass builder. But is it really?
Doug Brignole made the point that isometric contraction, like pushing your hands together to contract your pectorals, will show a large EMG response…
Sorry Charles Atlas fans, but we now know that Dynamic Tension isometrics aren’t so great for building muscle mass. (In court, Atlas said he used an extensive weight-training routine to “warm up” for his isometric workouts.)
Similarly, a triceps kickback shows more EMG activity than a lying triceps extension, but we know that the lying extension is superior for building triceps mass—although a set of kickbacks can be a contracted-position add-on for unique mass stimulation, as I explain in the new ebook.
And it’s not just EMG studies that are in question. You really don’t know all the factors in any given experiment. There’s also questions of intensity of effort, proper form, and rep speed to consider.
If a study says 10-rep sets produced better results than 20-rep sets, did the reps last two seconds each? Or maybe four seconds. Or were the reps performed explosively?
Even the diet of each subject may affect the results…
A study I saw recently measured hypertrophy and rests between sets. The researchers concluded that longer rests of about three minutes produced more muscle than rests of one minute. But get this: The subjects were using their 3-rep max on five sets, all sets to failure. I’m surprised they got any growth at all—and how did the one-minute-rest subjects even get any reps after the first and second sets to failure? Sheesh.
You see the problem. I’m not saying that studies are useless. Just be aware that there are hidden variables—or ridiculous protocols—so don’t take any of them as gospel…
That said, in the next few newsletters I will be referencing studies, theories on studies, scientific analysis, and flat-out anecdotal perceptions on recovery and muscle growth. The bottom line, however….
Continue your own experimentation for more mass creation.
New: Get the ideal exercise for each muscle, the best add-on moves for ultimate mass, complete 35-minute workouts, exercise start/finish photos, and details on building muscle fast and efficiently in Old Man, Young Muscle.
And you still get The Muscle-On, Belly-Gone “Diet” ebook FREE for a limited time when you add Old Man, Young Muscle to your mass-building library. Go HERE.
Till next time, train hard—and smart—for BIG results.
Steve Holman
Former Editor in Chief, Iron Man Magazine
www.X-Rep.com
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