Here is Part 3 of a great series of articles from my friend and top IFBB Pro Ben Pakulski who shares some VALUABLE knowledge that all of us can apply IMMEDIATELY in order to double our gains. Using Ben’s advice I have been able to gain over 10-lbs of solid muscle in the last 6 months (something I thought was impossible for someone at my level). Thus, pay attention to what Ben has to say đ For Part 1 and Part 2 click on the links below:
Solution #1 to Doubling Your Muscle Gains: Tension! Tension! Tension! Not Heavy Weight; Introducing Intentions
Solution #2 to Doubling Your Muscle Gains: Breaking Crappy Lifting Technique, & ReTraining Movement Patterns
Not Understanding Muscle Function & How To Maximally Shorten & Lengthen A Muscle
by Ben Pakulski, IFBB Pro
Creator of the www.mi-40.com program.
IF you want FULLY developed muscles, you must use a FULL Range of Motion and I bet you have NO IDEA what that actually looks like in application!
This may sound a little harsh, but itâs really not.
Let me ask you:
1) Do you know how to FULLY shorten your lat?
2) How about fully lengthen your pecs?
3) Can you fully shorten your triceps on pressdowns?
4) Could you show me what a fully lengthened bicep looks like when performing incline curls?
I bet you THINK you have the answer, and Iâd also be willing to bet that 99% of you would be inaccurate.
If youâre not fully shortening and lengthening your muscles through their complete range of motion, then youâre not leaving the gym having maximally stimulated the muscle and no new growth is initiated.
THIS is one of the major reasons youâre getting less than average results.
I would say, of the last 1000 people Iâve encountered in the gym, ONE has known what a full range actually means for any of the major muscle groups! If you scored less than 1 out of 4 above, itâs okay because this knowledge is not taught in the generic websites and magazines.
Many pros donât even know about most of these things.
So, how are you supposed to train with a full range for optimal muscle growth if you donât actually know what it means?
The next thing many of you might be thinking is: so why do so many guys with great physiques train with poor form or do not use a full ROM?
How did these freaky bodybuilders build their bodies with horrible technique?
The truth of the matter is there are probably about 10 guys in the entire world that train with terrible form and grow immense muscles.
TEN. Thatâs 10. Out of the millions that train regularly.
They are the tiny, tiny EXCEPTION, not the rule.
The rest of these bozos are yanking big weights to appease their buddies and hurting themselves a lot more than theyâre growing. Sure they might have some muscle, but its usually disproportionate and they look like theyâre in pain all the time by the way they walk around. Swollen from head to toe.
Not cool. Not in this day and age anyway. Maybe in the 80s. Parachute pants.
The goal of weight training is to build an aesthetic physique, capable of looking great for years to come. Learn to build a SMART PHYSIQUE and maintain it for life, with less effort.
Iâm sorry if Iâm making you feel like youâve been wasting your time in the gym. The truth is, most people are actually completely wasting their time.
I donât know about you, but inside the gym is NOT where I want to be spending my spare time!
The beach sounds nice and so does being at home with my dream girl and our soon to be baby boy!
Wherever it may be for you, itâs not the gym.
Iâm here to help you spend LESS TIME in the gym, and get WAY MORE RESULTS, FAST!!!
Wooooooooo! âș (See, I get a little excited about this stuff!)
Solution #3 To Doubling Your Muscle Gains: Learning Proper Anatomical Muscle Function
Basically, it boils down to learning the proper anatomical function of each of the muscles and using this to your advantage.
I know it sounds like a lot of work, but donât worry, I donât expect anyone to learn the science. Just follow instructions, make some small changes to the way you train in the gym, and BAM! (Batman again! âș)
Lets put this to use:
Want big triceps? A fully contracted (shortened) tricep can ONLY happen with your elbow extended behind you, arms slightly internally rotated (palm facing behind you), and fully extended elbow.
Try it now!
You can feel it contract without great effort, right?
Time for some sweet hammies:
If you ask me, really well developed hamstrings are a benchmark of a great athlete. If I see someone with great hamstrings, I begin to assume a bunch of things:
1) They know what theyâre doing
2) They are a great athlete.
3) They look awesome
4) Theyâre very fit.
Might just be me, but because so few people have good hamstring development, I use it as one of my indicators of fitness and exercise knowledge.
The reason most people lack hamstrings is because they never get them anywhere near their shortest position. I watch people on a daily basis yank their
butts in the air, not knowingly actually taking the hamstring out of the movement as they do so!
The minute your butt goes in the air at all, less tension is placed on the hamstring. In order for maximum tension and maximum shortening, the hip must
be extended; i.e., your butt needs to stay locked down.
Next time you do a lying leg curl, try to do it with NO/MINIMAL butt movement. It will probably feel impossible at first.
This can be a tough one to get into because a large portion of the population lacks flexibility so this might be a bit tough at first. Give it a try though; the contraction will blow your mind.
Execution:
Lift your chest off the pad as much as is comfortable while leaving your hips pressed against the pad. The goal is to try to align your shoulders, hips and knees in a straight line (or knees slightly extended behind your hips).
Maintain this position without extraneous movement throughout the entire set.
This, in fact, shortens the hamstring muscles from BOTH ends, thereby getting it maximally shortened.
The feeling and contraction is unreal!
In fact, if you want to feel it for yourself right now, stand up, and hold onto something for balance. Keeping your chest up and without leaning forward at all, I want you to simply extend one of your legs behind you until you feel your glute contract. Got it?
Now, curl your leg (bring your heel up toward your bum). Do not change anything else. Itâs important that that knee stay behind your hip and your glute stays contracted. (If you have a hard time contracting your glute in that position, your hip flexors are way too tight and this is too advanced for you right now.)
If you got that right, regardless of your current fitness level, you are going to be saying âWow! Iâve never felt a contraction like that in my hamstrings before.â The crazy part is, it may also appear to be a rather short Range of Motion, right?
âWICKED STUFF, BPak!â
NOW ON TO THE GAMECHANGERS!!!
Until then, set you goals high and reach for the stars!
Go to Part 4 => Solution #4 To Doubling Your Muscle Gains: NEUROLOGICAL OVERLOAD SET-NOS!!
Ben Pakulski, IFBB Pro
Creator of the www.mi-40.com program.
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