Anytime I see a study, especially a brand-new one, that confirms my mass-training efforts, I’m going to report on it.
A new one involved calf stretching to test for strength and, more importantly, hypertrophy…
The study, which just happened in 2022, was by Warneke, et al.: “Influence of Long-Lasting Static Stretching on Maximal Strength, Muscle Thickness and Flexibility.”
There were 26 subjects in the stretch group, and each individual used the stretching “intervention” on only one calf, not the other, which minimized individual variation.
Calf stretch was every day for up to an hour. Yikes. And the study lasted for six weeks. I hope they were paid.
Results: Strength increased significantly in the stretched calf. But what about muscle size?
Gastrocnemius-muscle size increased significantly in the stretched calf as well: 15.3% compared to no change in the unstretched legs.
That’s a big growth spurt. So stretching alone can increase muscle size. But that’s a lot of static-stretch work.
I wish they would’ve had another group stretch for only 30 minutes and another for 15 minutes. Or at least have some subjects stretch every other day for more recovery. Stretching for an hour every day seems like excess damage, so perhaps less would’ve produced even more growth…
Also keep in mind that this was static stretching—not stretch-position weight-training exercises, which is more severe. I would guess that it takes much less stretching against resistance to elicit the same or better growth. But that’s a guess on my part…
Bottom line: Don’t neglect the stretch—it’s the most important part of the stroke to emphasize if you’re looking for muscle size.
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
Recommended
Get Ripped with Anabolic Fasting
With proper intermittent fasting, you can transform your physique faster than ever…
Brad Pilon’s book Eat Stop Eat is THE book on Intermittent Fasting. Besides the nuts and bolts of what to do and when to burn fat and build muscle simultaneously, Brad covers all the research on IF-related topics…
From how fasting affects blood glucose/insulin/leptin/testosterone to how it jacks the muscle-building process. You’ll see all the latest science.
Grab your copy now because Eat Stop Eat is only $10 till the end of this month (it’s a $49 value!). Check it out here…
> Get THE Book on Intermittent Fasting (only $10 for a few more days)