Become muscular through time under tension
Here's what you need to know...
- Your body doesn't really want to build a lot of muscle. You need to force it to adapt to the right kind of training.
- One of the most important factors is mechanical tension. Tension is generated when you move heavy weights and contract your muscles against resistance.
- The more mTOR is stimulated, the more protein synthesis is stimulated and there is a direct relationship between mTOR and mechanical tension. The more tension you expose a muscle to, the more mTOR is stimulated.
- Load and time under tension are the key factors that need to be balanced. Use a sufficiently heavy weight and maintain tension for close to one minute.
- Descending sets and unilateral assistance exercises are excellent hypertrophy tools and different machine variations have their merits when it comes to building muscle.
The best way to get more muscular?
Ask a hundred trainers or bodybuilders about the best way to increase your muscle mass and you'll get a hundred different answers.
Unfortunately, much of it will border on the ridiculous. The volume in typical bodybuilding programs is often so high that the only way to recover from this is to use chemical assistance.
However, if you're looking for a more natural approach to getting more muscular, then you need to understand the science behind hypertrophy and how to use it to your advantage.
The science of hypertrophy
Hypertrophy is the end result of increased protein synthesis that occurs in our muscles as a result of training and proper nutrition. Our body adds protein to muscle fibers, making them thicker. Ideally, this "thickening" continues, making our muscles bigger and stronger.
But this doesn't just happen. Our body does not want to change. We have to force our bodies to adapt and the way we train is very important.
A literature review on hypertrophy shows that the most important factor in training is mechanical tension. Tension is generated when we move heavy things and contract our muscles against this load. The actin and myosin strands working against tension in our muscle fibers trigger a series of reactions in our bodies.
Brad Schoenfeld, one of the leading experts in the scientific study of hypertrophy, wrote "Mechanical tension is believed to disrupt the integrity of skeletal muscle, causing mechanochemically mediated molecular and cellular responses in myofibers and saddle cells."
This means that the tension in our muscles increases protein synthesis in the muscle fibers. If you are trying to get muscular, this is a good thing.
Recently, Dr. Keith Baar investigated the p70S6K relationship to hypertrophy. He discovered that the key regulator of muscle protein synthesis is something called the mTOR pathway.
He also found that the more mTOR is stimulated, the more protein synthesis occurs and that there is a direct relationship between mTOR and mechanical tension. The more tension a muscle is subjected to, the stronger the mTOR stimulation.
Tension
There are two parts of tension that are important for stimulating mTOR:
- Load
- Time under tension
As the load increases, so does the tension, which stimulates mTOR and thereby increases protein synthesis, which will make our muscles bigger.
So all we need to do is move really heavy weights, right? Not quite.
We must not forget the time under tension. Time under tension also stimulates mTOR, which means that the longer our muscles are under tension, the more we ultimately increase protein synthesis.
Okay, so all we need to do is perform more repetitions, right? Again, not really.
After about 60 seconds under tension, inhibition of mTOR starts to take place and if the weight is too light, we reduce the tension. So the trick is to find the right balance of load and time under tension.
Doing a really heavy repetition will generate a lot of tension, but the time under tension will be very short. So we need to find the heaviest weight we can move for a little less than 60 seconds.
If a repetition lasts 4 to 5 seconds (1 second up, 1 second hold, 2 to 3 seconds down), then you should aim for 6 to 12 repetitions to maximize both load and time under tension.
It's debatable whether 6 or 12 reps is better, but that's for everyone to decide for themselves. In fact, it may not really matter as the two factors (load and time under tension) add up equally at both ends of the range.
Metabolic requirements
Dr. Baar has also found that mTOR is deactivated by too much work or too high metabolic demands.
We know that testosterone levels drop significantly with workouts lasting longer than an hour, which is not good for muscle growth. It appears that mTOR acts in the same way.
It has also been discovered that workouts that use a lot of ATP also lower mTOR levels, which means that we should use as little energy as possible during maximal tension workouts if hypertrophy is the goal.
In short, we need to fully recover between sets to prevent too high metabolic demands during the training session, otherwise mTOR activity will start to decrease, which would reduce the hypertrophy effect of the training session.
This is the reason why training programs like P90X or CrossFit make people lean and defined, but not particularly muscular. They are so metabolically demanding that mTOR is deactivated, limiting protein synthesis.
This is great if you want to lose weight and look lean, but bad if you want to wear bigger shirts.
If you are using a hypertrophy training program, then scientific research suggests that there should be full recovery between sets so that:
- You can give it your all on each set.
- Your heart rate can drop back to normal to reduce the metabolic demands.
If all this rest almost sounds like you're wasting your time dawdling around, take a look at how many top bodybuilders train. They take a lot of time between sets, during which they talk, pose, crack jokes and prepare for the next set.
Does Ronnie Coleman seem to be in a hurry when he shouts "Yeah buddy" around the gym? And he definitely seemed to be on to something when he said "Everybody wants to be a bodybuilder, but nobody wants to move those heavy weights."
No matter how genetically blessed and doped up Big Ronnie may be, he understood the principle of mechanical tension.
Negative reps: Another aspect of hypertrophy
Performing sets of 6 to 12 reps is a good start and limiting the metabolic demands is even better, but let's use all the available science to our advantage.
Numerous studies have clearly shown that eccentric contractions (negative repetitions) are very important for hypertrophy. This has been demonstrated by MRI studies that show how much a muscle is stimulated during negative repetitions compared to purely concentric training.
Eccentric repetitions have been shown to generate greater motor unit fatigue and increase both protein synthesis and p70S6K more than concentric repetitions or isometric contractions. We can also move heavier weights (about 120% of what we can move concentrically) during eccentric repetitions, which means that heavier loads can be used, generating greater tension.
Heavy eccentric repetitions also cause localized muscle trauma, which has been shown to activate more extensive tissue repair and protein synthesis. They also place greater demands on type II muscle fibers, and these rapidly contracting fibers exhibit greater hypertrophy potential than type I muscle fibers.
Eccentric repetitions are demanding, which means that you cannot perform too many negative repetitions or too frequent negative repetitions without risking injury or overtraining. Make sure you fully recover between workouts.
There are a few more problems with heavy eccentric repetitions. One is that you often need a training partner to perform them. Another problem is that the eccentric repetitions, which generate the most tension, must be performed at high speed.
Fast eccentric repetitions generate enormous trauma to the tendons - which we definitely don't want - and can be dangerous. Repairing tendon trauma takes a lot more time than repairing muscle trauma, which means you need to rest longer between workouts.
Machines for muscle growth?
To safely reap the benefits of eccentric repetitions, set aside a day or two each week for eccentric training and get ready to use some machines.
Machines are obviously not as "functional" as free machines, but they are a great way to incorporate eccentric training into your exercise program. Remember that our muscles don't care where the tension comes from - they simply respond to the tension. Go ahead and continue to use free weights and other functional methods most of the time, but use machines for this one specific purpose to your advantage.
Two great ways to combine science and machines for hypertrophy are descending sets and unilateral assistance.
Descending sets
Machines - and especially machines with a weight stack - are perfect for descending sets as you don't need a training partner - you can change the weights easily and very quickly, and machines are safer than free weights as you can't drop anything on yourself as your fatigue builds.
We want to generate maximum tension and keep the time under tension below 60 seconds. This makes it necessary to start quite heavy for more tension and only do 1 to 2 weight reductions. Furthermore, you should reduce the weight as quickly as possible so that your muscles are not left without tension for long.
Descending sets work because you always use the heaviest weight possible at the moment. You generate maximum tension with each repetition, which is especially true at the beginning of the set when you are fresh and rested.
Start with a weight that you can perform 2 to 4 repetitions with (which allows a huge amount of tension) and reduce the weight as you tire to increase the time under tension.
You are also stimulating a maximum number of motor units. While some motor units will fatigue during the first set, other more fatigue-resistant motor units will continue to be fresh. When you reduce the weight, you force these fresh motor units to continue working without the help of the already exhausted motor units that have already given up.
This means that we can stimulate muscle fibers that would otherwise not be engaged in a standard set, generating a stronger effect on the muscle.
Unilateral support
The basic idea is to focus on one limb/side at a time and use maximum weight for that side. Use both limbs to move the weight up, but only lower it with one. Use the "supporting side" only as much as is necessary to move the weight up.
Let's use a bicep curl machine as an example. Let's say you can move 50 kilos upwards with your right arm for one repetition. This would generate maximum mechanical tension, but the time under tension would be very short.
Here's what you do: load the machine with 50 kilos and move the weight up with both arms, but only use the left arm to the minimum extent necessary to move the weight up. Hold the weight at the highest point for one second and release the bar with your left arm. Then lower the weight slowly and evenly (over 2 to 3 seconds) using only your right arm. At the lowest point of the movement, use your left arm again to move the weight upwards and repeat the movement.
You will eventually reach a point where you can no longer control the weight during the negative phase of the movement - usually within the critical 6 to 12 repetition range. Don't exceed 60 seconds and don't let it get out of control - use your support arm if necessary to prevent the weight from moving down dangerously fast. The support arm will provide a little more support with each repetition as fatigue sets in.
Excellent machines for this type of training include:
- Leg curl variations
- Bicep curl machines
- Tricep machines
- Machines for seated dips
- Bench press machines
- Rowing with supported chest
- One-sided lat pulldown
- Leg extensions
- Calf raises
- Leg presses with a limiter that stops the weight carriage at the lowest point
Unilateral assistance works best on machines where both sides are connected (meaning that both sides move even if you only press on one side), but with a little creativity you can use this principle on almost any exercise.
With unilateral machines such as Hammer Strength chest press machines or lat pulldown machines, you can place the supporting hand on the same side as your working hand during the concentric phase of the movement and then release it before performing the eccentric phase so that you only use one side.
One of the best applications is a leg press with a range of motion limiter. This is one of the few ways to use high eccentric loads in a lower body multi-joint exercise in a safe manner. It is not safe to load a barbell with a heavy weight and perform heavy eccentric squats or heavy eccentric deadlifts and this is a safer alternative.
Amino acids
Without going too much into the nutritional side of hypertrophy, it's important to note that Dr. Baar's research on mTOR has also shown that elevated levels of amino acids in the blood immediately after exercise also stimulate mTOR production.
This means that your training nutrition can make a big difference in your ability to grow. If you skimp on muscle-building protein during the training window, then you risk sabotaging the whole muscle-building process.
What you can do
If you're looking for a viable and natural way to maximize your gains, science has the answer. Use the research on mTOR and hypertrophy to your advantage by doing the following:
- Focus on a repetition range of 6 to 12 reps.
- Use the heaviest weights possible to increase tension.
- Maintain maximum tension on the muscles for up to 60 seconds.
- Use eccentric repetitions and weight reductions to your advantage.
- Reduce the metabolic demands of your hypertrophy workouts by fully recovering between sets.
- Make sure you have enough amino acids flowing through your veins in the form of sensible training nutrition to maximize the effects of mTOR.
If you're used to following training plans from bodybuilding magazines, then this type of training will feel a lot different. You won't necessarily achieve the same pump as with other training programs and you'll feel fresher and more rested due to the long rest intervals between sets.
Don't be fooled. Eccentric training will leave you with extremely sore muscles the next day, so make sure you get plenty of rest before training those muscles again.
Training for mass deserves a scientific approach, just like training for strength. Apply these principles and grow.
By Jim Kielbaso | 07/18/12
Source: https://www.t-nation.com/training/getting-big-through-tut
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