Ezine #168

Your Guide to Freaky Muscle Size

Q: It’s very cool that your 3 Positions of Flexion for each muscle align with Brad Schoenfeld, Ph.D.’s 3 hypertrophy triggers. Do you think it’s best to use all three for each muscle at every workout or to split up the positions over multiple workouts, as in the Anabolic Reload programs?

A: For the uninitiated, the 3 key hypertrophy triggers you must attack for optimal mass stimulation, according to Schoenfeld, are:

1) Mechanical tension (with heavier training) = POF midrange moves: squats, bench presses, etc.

2) Metabolic stress (by blocking blood flow [during sufficient tension time] for cell swelling) = POF contracted moves: leg extensions, machine flyes, etc.

3) Muscle damage (via microtears in the fibers) = POF stretch moves: sissy squats, DB flyes, etc.

You can use a split routine and attack all three for each target muscle. That can have synergistic mass-building effects…