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Muscular Tension & Load - THREAD
Anyone out there lookin for gains knows you need to create tension in your muscles to elicit growth.
We all understand that concept, but many of you aren’t optimizing for your body
If you’re struggling for those extra gainz, this is for you
Anyone out there lookin for gains knows you need to create tension in your muscles to elicit growth.
We all understand that concept, but many of you aren’t optimizing for your body
If you’re struggling for those extra gainz, this is for you
The principles for muscle growth are easy in theory:
- load up a muscle/create tension & put it through a range of motion
- incrementally increase the load over time to elicit adaptive growth
Obviously there’s more to it, but at its base, that’s how you grow
- load up a muscle/create tension & put it through a range of motion
- incrementally increase the load over time to elicit adaptive growth
Obviously there’s more to it, but at its base, that’s how you grow
The thing many of you struggle with in your quest to get jacked is how to optimally load your muscles & create maximum tension thruout your movements
Every single one of us has different joints & limbs
So our bodies move at different angles & have different movement patterns
Every single one of us has different joints & limbs
So our bodies move at different angles & have different movement patterns
One exercise for me could have great results, while you get nothing out of it.
It all depends on how you’re targeting specific muscles and the angle your joints move.
With a movement, the muscle you’re lookin to train could get minimal work, while mine gets the maximum load
It all depends on how you’re targeting specific muscles and the angle your joints move.
With a movement, the muscle you’re lookin to train could get minimal work, while mine gets the maximum load
Genetics are a big factor in muscle growth, but if you have the capacity to grow one muscle, you can grow them all.
If you have clear dominant body parts, you have natural mind-muscle connection there. And lagging body parts = poor mind-muscle connection
If you have clear dominant body parts, you have natural mind-muscle connection there. And lagging body parts = poor mind-muscle connection
Take a guy who gets a huge chest from benching
Or the guy that gets huge arms with barbell curls
If those exercises worked for YOU, you’d already know it. Don’t suffer, repetitively doing exercises that don’t work for you.
This concept was a game changer for me
Or the guy that gets huge arms with barbell curls
If those exercises worked for YOU, you’d already know it. Don’t suffer, repetitively doing exercises that don’t work for you.
This concept was a game changer for me
I’m gonna go over some vital principles that will allow you to tweak all your lifts for optimal Load & Tension thruout your lifts.
Most of you will have to reassess a lot of movements, but thats what it’ll take if you aren’t seeing results
Most of you will have to reassess a lot of movements, but thats what it’ll take if you aren’t seeing results
Here’s 3 principles to think about during EVERY lift:
1) the muscle that initiates movement will take the brunt of the load
2) your muscles should be moving completely against gravity
3) isolate specific muscles & keep everything else stationary
1) the muscle that initiates movement will take the brunt of the load
2) your muscles should be moving completely against gravity
3) isolate specific muscles & keep everything else stationary
1 - The muscle that initiates movement will take the brunt of the load.
Pay close attention to the very initial part of a movement. Right when the weight goes from stationary to being lifted
100% of your focus should be on the target muscle.
Pay close attention to the very initial part of a movement. Right when the weight goes from stationary to being lifted
100% of your focus should be on the target muscle.
Lateral raises are a prime example of this. Watch most guys do raises, even yourself.
That first movement should be completely your delts, but too many initiate w/ the traps. A small shrug to help get the weight moving
Your nerves fire & load is put into the trap, not 100% delt
That first movement should be completely your delts, but too many initiate w/ the traps. A small shrug to help get the weight moving
Your nerves fire & load is put into the trap, not 100% delt
You can focus much better on that initial movement while seated. Lighten up the weight, & put ALL your focus into the delts as you start lifting the weight.
It will be harder than before, that’s good, it means it’s working
Our bodies naturally take the path of least resistance
It will be harder than before, that’s good, it means it’s working
Our bodies naturally take the path of least resistance
Fight against that natural response. You want the moments to be HARDER. Put away your pride.
Lighter weight, but actually loading up the targeted muscle will result in real gains, rather than you loading up weight w/o any mind-muscle connection
Lighter weight, but actually loading up the targeted muscle will result in real gains, rather than you loading up weight w/o any mind-muscle connection
Then apply this to all your lifts. Chest exercises, make sure the chest is the muscle initiating movement. Same for shoulders, back, quads, etc
The nerves firing for the non-targeted muscle can happen in any exercise. You need to focus until it becomes habit
The nerves firing for the non-targeted muscle can happen in any exercise. You need to focus until it becomes habit
2 - Your muscles should be moving completely against gravity.
Your body’s specific joints come into play here. Watch as you do a movement & see how your muscles contract
It ur not moving completely perpendicular against gravity/resistance, you’re leaving tension on the table
Your body’s specific joints come into play here. Watch as you do a movement & see how your muscles contract
It ur not moving completely perpendicular against gravity/resistance, you’re leaving tension on the table
You can change this with the set-up within a given exercise.
Two main culprits here are bench and bicep curls.
If you have a lagging chest, it likely means the angle of your sternum is straight down. Compared to the barreled chest guys whose sternum angels outward.
Two main culprits here are bench and bicep curls.
If you have a lagging chest, it likely means the angle of your sternum is straight down. Compared to the barreled chest guys whose sternum angels outward.
While some guys pec is more perpendicular w/ the ground when they’re flat benching, yours could be almost parallel.
Which means you’re not getting much tension in the pec. Less tension = less muscle growth
Which means you’re not getting much tension in the pec. Less tension = less muscle growth
If you have a flat sternum, decline bench or dips will change that angle, & your pec will move directly against gravity now.
Some guys get great chest growth on flat bench, but they’re likely “built different” than you.
Adapt to your own body.
Some guys get great chest growth on flat bench, but they’re likely “built different” than you.
Adapt to your own body.
Bicep curls are a common one here too. Your shoulder joint will alter this angle.
Curl your arm w/ no weight & see if the bicep is pointed directly down, perpendicular to the ground. If you have small arms, chances are it’s not.
Its an easy fix. Just tilt your body 2 the side
Curl your arm w/ no weight & see if the bicep is pointed directly down, perpendicular to the ground. If you have small arms, chances are it’s not.
Its an easy fix. Just tilt your body 2 the side
Obviously it applies to all the other lifts. Pay attention to where your quads are pointed on the leg extension machine, or triceps w/ pushdowns.
You’ll be surprised at how many minor tweaks you’ll need to make.
Fully fighting against gravity/resistance maximizes the tension
You’ll be surprised at how many minor tweaks you’ll need to make.
Fully fighting against gravity/resistance maximizes the tension
3 - Isolate specific muscles & keep everything else stationary.
Only the targeted muscles should be working.
Your body wants to naturally make the exercise easier, so it recruits other muscles to assist in the lifts & disperses the load amongst them.
Fight that urge & focus
Only the targeted muscles should be working.
Your body wants to naturally make the exercise easier, so it recruits other muscles to assist in the lifts & disperses the load amongst them.
Fight that urge & focus
Focus on your set up, & keeping all the surrounding muscles locked in place.
An example here is tricep pushdowns.
You’ll naturally want to recruit some shoulders into this movement. Retract your scapula before, and only allow the bottom half of your arm to move like a pendulum
An example here is tricep pushdowns.
You’ll naturally want to recruit some shoulders into this movement. Retract your scapula before, and only allow the bottom half of your arm to move like a pendulum
Keeping your scapulas set is a huge factor with this principle.
Retract them prior to movement and keep them locked into place all throughout the exercises.
Not only will this maximize tension oh your target muscles, it’ll also keep you from getting injured.
Retract them prior to movement and keep them locked into place all throughout the exercises.
Not only will this maximize tension oh your target muscles, it’ll also keep you from getting injured.
And there you have it folks. If you made it this far in this marathon of a thread, I appreciate you.
Most of these principles can be applied flexibly thru all your workouts.
Train SMART and you’ll be shocked at how much muscle you’ll be able to gain
Most of these principles can be applied flexibly thru all your workouts.
Train SMART and you’ll be shocked at how much muscle you’ll be able to gain
A lot of you don’t have WORSE genetics, just DIFFERENT genetics. So doing the same exercises that traditional guys use is a waste of time.
Thor brah is here to help. DMs are always open for questions. I’m working on something big for y’all coming up relatively soon.
Thor brah is here to help. DMs are always open for questions. I’m working on something big for y’all coming up relatively soon.
Lastly, yes, I know video demonstration would be the best medium for this info. That’s part of what I’m working on.
Plz try a quick YT search or working thru the exercises on ur own before asking me.
I’ll always try to help if you’re still confused after that.
Plz try a quick YT search or working thru the exercises on ur own before asking me.
I’ll always try to help if you’re still confused after that.
If you truly understand what I’m getting at here, this is probably my most important thread to date.
If you found this info helpful, smash the like and Retweets below
and share it with your friends.
Godspeed and God bless. https://twitter.com/thorbrah/status/1359929450574598148
If you found this info helpful, smash the like and Retweets below
and share it with your friends. Godspeed and God bless. https://twitter.com/thorbrah/status/1359929450574598148
