Hypertrophy: passive tension

[@billytheweasel]

I always read his emailed articles. Great work!!!

[@ddotloko]

You explain it well, however I feel with diagrams it will be perfect! But thank you 💯

[@juansamudio1171]

So Titin produces force in eccentric muscle contractions but not in passive muscles stretching

[@cschillo89]

I always read your blogs on medium and bought your e book. Your content is awesome! I just don’t understand the difference between mechanical tension and mechanical load. In your Blog you often uses both terms. Can you help me?

[@vikoccult7494]

synonyms.

[@GumowyJoe]

So we can say that lengthening speed doesn't matter when it comes to growth of fibers in length? And even faster eccentric speeds seem to be better?

[@SandCResearch]

Lengthening speed doesn't matter as much for hypertrophy as shortening speed, it is true. However, faster lengthening speeds tend to cause fibers to increase more in length, while slower lengthening speeds tend to cause fibers to increase more in diameter, when force is the same. In practice, it is hard to make force the same when using free weights or many machines, because of the way in which gravity works. Lowering weights more quickly tends to reduce the external force. In general, it is hard to use fast lengthening speeds without specific machines designed to provide mechanized resistance.

[@GumowyJoe]

@@SandCResearch Thanks. Now I know there's a difference between isokinetic dynamometers used in most of the studies and free weights. So what would your practical application be for that? Lowering fast but under control?

[@SandCResearch]

@@GumowyJoe A lot depends on the exercise in question. The practical application for exercises such as Nordics is that for certain adaptations (such as increased fiber length) it may make more sense to progress by adding load in the form of a weighted vest, rather than by increasing the duration of time spent lowering (both can be used to make the exercise more difficult, and to progress). Moreover, each type of progression might be expected to cause slightly different regional hypertrophy, due to the differences in the way in which muscle fiber growth occurs.

[@GumowyJoe]

@@SandCResearch Quite understandable. Okay, I have one more question: is it possible to maximize muscle growth when totally skipping eccentrics? Would we have to do more sets/more concentric reps to equal mechanical tension (when training close or to concentric failure)?

[@GumowyJoe]

@@SandCResearch I mean for example Pendlay rows vs traditional rows with even short accentuating of eccentric phase

[@MatheusSorge]

So, the excentric contractions compared with the concentric contractions will always have more mechanical tension because the passive tendion on lengthening, regardless the force-velocity relashionship?

[@SandCResearch]

The active, working muscle fibers will have more mechanical tension during eccentric contractions than during concentric contractions, yes. However, because each fiber exerts a greater force, the level of motor unit recruitment is usually lower in eccentric contractions, which means that fewer muscle fibers are actually trained. I will be filming another video in a week or two to explain eccentric contractions in more detail.

[@cschillo89]

@@SandCResearch so, if passive tension can lead to Hypertrophie, can stretching lead to muscle grow as well?
Or is the tension during an eccentric contraction a different form of tension?

[@AE_CC_-Tutorials]

@@cschillo89 there are some studies to this topic like the bird study. By addings weights to the wings of the birds the birds get very very big latts. Or a study with untrained,... human by stretching there calves with a special device for a given time frame every day they get calv size increase of 15%. It is not very clear if this is working by trained individuals as well.