Strength training in stretched position = hyperplasia?

[Guest Ido Portal]

I ran into this remark by Poliquin:

Gustavo Badell & Free Range Movements

One of the biggest proponents of full range movements in the bodybuilding world is Gustavo Badell. Many observers say that Gustavo is the man most likely to dethrone Ronnie Coleman from the Mr. Olympia title.

Gustavo credits his tremendous back, glute and hamstrings development to doing deadlifts on a platform. In his own view, he does not care that the load he uses is 150-200 lbs lighter than regular deadlifts. Rather, he strongly feels that the added range is what has contributed to his enormous posterior chain development.

Interestingly enough, newer evidence from lab research indicates that exercises that overload the stretch position that contribute to hyperplasia, more than hypertrophy.

I could not track the research from here (Bangkok), but I can see how this explains the 'different growth' gymnastics s&c is so known to induce. This type of training just produces a different type of physique.

Food for thought,

Ido.

[Razz]

Very interesting, would definately be interested in more readings on this if anyone has any

[Joshua Naterman]

There were experiments done with birds that showed something insane like a 200-300% increase in the number of muscle fibers in the birds after weights were attached to their wings for long periods of time each day, holding them in the stretched position.

I think the study was a few months long. Birds have much faster metabolisms than humans, so there could be less correlation, but it's true that loading a stretched position does seem to contribute to hyperplasia( For those who don't know, hyperplasia is an increase in the actual number of muscle fibers, or muscle cells, which doesn't normally happen. Usually you get hypertrophy, which is the increase in size of existing cells)

There are some bodybuilding programs based around this. I tried it for a while a long time ago, and I didn't notice anything special, but I only did it for a few months. Probably not long enough for a human to notice any significant hyperplasia, if it even happens in people.

[Hayden Whealing]

would there be any advantages for developing hyperplasia instead of hypertrophy?

[Joshua Naterman]

The idea is that when you have more muscle fibers you have a higher potential for strength and size. No one really knows if this is true or not, since there are so many factors that go into real-world performance. Science has yet to observe this phenomenon in humans.

[Gregor]

http://209.85.135.132/search?q=cache:C_ ... =firefox-a

http://www.bodybuildingweb.net/blog/doe ... l-muscles/

[Joshua Naterman]

Great links!

[Razz]

Another article here:

http://home.hia.no/~stephens/hypplas.htm

seems like the author of the second article Gregor posted may have read this one at least they seem very very similar imo. but this one is much more detailed and has references.

[Adrien Godet]

There is a relatively famous bodybuilding protocol built around extreme stretches: Doggcrapp.

The forum: http://www.intensemuscle.com/dogg-pound.html

A synthetic article: http://www.tmuscle.com/free_online_arti ... _12_months

It is different because extreme stretching is done in between heavy strength sets.

I am not expert enough to see if the same (supposed) phenomenom is at play.

[Joshua Naterman]

DC training is also different in their approach. They are what you'd call Powerbuilders lol! Size through strength, essentially. Any system that is set up that way will be successful.

DC is especially great for everyone who wants to get up to a certain weight. You can do it with a fair number of exercises we do here, like the ring dips, HSPU, SLS, GHR, etc, etc, and get great weight gains as well as specific strength increases where we all want them, on the gymnastic exercises!