This quote from respected hypertrophy researcher Chris Beardsley relates to yesterday’s newsletter on stretch- and contracted-position exercises…
It’s often assumed that the extra hypertrophy that often occurs after using stretched-position exercises is simply more of the same type of hypertrophy as occurs after training with contracted-position exercises. Yet, the additional mechanical tension that stimulates this extra hypertrophy does not arise from more active mechanical tension but from the provision of passive mechanical tension on top of the active mechanical tension. That’s important because many studies have linked passive mechanical tension uniquely with increases in muscle fiber length through sarcomerogenesis, and some research has linked active mechanical tension uniquely with increases in muscle fiber diameter by means of myofibrillar addition.
So it appears that different exercises can produce unique area-specific development, not to mention variation in muscle fiber recruitment…
All of that adds up to more complete mass development faster with a few specifically unique exercises—contracted and/or stretch—rather than just one exercise for each target muscle.
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