Fit'n'Flexed - The Ultimate Health, Strength and Fitness TV Show - Training

Is Squatting Alone Enough For Maximum Quadriceps Muscle Growth?

Dayne Hudson — Wed, 01 Jun 2016 00:36:12 +0000

I'll be quick on this one because you might be heading off for leg day - but squats alone for working and growing your entire quadriceps just aren't enough.

First of all let me begin with some quadriceps anatomy:

All of those muscles (except the rectus femoris) exist only to allow your knee to extend. The rectus femoris functions as such BUT ALSO as a hip flexor too (1). You'll find out why this is important in just a moment!

For the record, the biggest muscle in your leg is the vastus lateralis which packs approximately 670 cm³ (2). Obviously for big quadriceps, attacking this muscle should be a priority.

However for a complete set of quads with maximal muscle size, a leg workout whereby you work ALL sectors is of paramount importance, which is what this article is all about.

Ok, so the million dollar question is: Which muscles of the quadriceps do the squats work?

Squatting will work all the muscles in your quadrcieps except your rectus femoris (3) and except your hamstrings which I've touched on.

So why not the rectus femoris?

Because as I mentioned, the rectus femoris works as a hip flexor AND a knee extensor, and your knees and hips are both using it as you ascend during a squat. This ultimately means it stays the same length throughout the whole movement and therefore doesn't get worked adequately (4).

So whilst squatting is great for leg development you'll need to do more than that.

Precisely, you'll need to work your rectus femoris too.

So now for the other obvious question, what exercise works the rectus femoris?

Well, the earlier cited paper above showed the leg extension worked the rectus femoris better than the squats did (3).

And in even better news, leg extensions have been found to grow the rectus femoris BETTER than the other three muscles in your quadriceps (5).

We're not just looking at EMG studies here - studies that actually look at this DIRECTLY tell us this!

Which leads me into this piece of research that compared 4 groups over a 12 week period, with 2 groups performing the squat only and the other two groups doing a variety of exercises including the squat, leg press, deadlift and lunge (6).

So what did they find?

The group who did the variety of exercises saw growth in all 3 muscles PLUS the rectus femoris, whereas the squat group only experienced muscle growth in the three single-joint muscles.

Practical Applications: Leg Training

Well I'm sure you know EXACTLY what we're going to conclude here: make sure you fit in some leg extensions (and other quadricep exercises) to allow for MAXIMAL quadricep growth!

Many people do this anyway, but exactly why they do it some may not know.

As we're learning in current muscle growth literature, we can work different sectors of our muscles with various exercises better than others. That link details as such in the hamstrings.

Some bodybuilders turn their noses up at this information, thinking that a muscle can only "lengthen or contract." But this school of thought is outdated and flat out incorrect.

If you're interested in some free FIT'N'FLEXED quadriceps workouts that I LOVE to do, check out this link and give them a crack!

The aim of those workouts of course is (you guessed it) maximal quadriceps growth!

Happy quadriceps day training!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Let's nail your diet and get you in the shape of your life...

(Read that sentence again)

I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...

My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.

Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!

I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.

That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!

I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!

As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.

GET STARTED

References

(1) Gage JR, Perry J, Hicks RR, Koop S, Werntz JR. Rectus femoris transfer to improve knee function of children with cerebral palsy. Dev Med Child Neurol. 1987 Apr;29(2):159-66.

(2) Walton JM, Roberts N, Whitehouse GH. Measurement of the quadriceps femoris muscle using magnetic resonance and ultrasound imaging. Br J Sports Med. 1997 Mar;31(1):59-64.

(3) Ebben, W. P., Feldmann, C. R., Dayne, A., Mitsche, D., Alexander, P., & Knetzger, K. J. (2009). Muscle activation during lower body resistance training. International journal of sports medicine, 30(1), 1-8.

(4) Bae C-H, Jeong Y-W, Lee J-H. Analysis of muscle activations in lower extremities muscles at various angles of ankle flexion using wedges during static squat exercise. Journal of Physical Therapy Science. 2015;27(9):2853-2855. doi:10.1589/jpts.27.2853

(5) Ema, R., Wakahara, T., Miyamoto, N., Kanehisa, H., & Kawakami, Y. (2013). Inhomogeneous architectural changes of the quadriceps femoris induced by resistance training. European Journal of Applied Physiology, 113(11), 2691-2703.

(6) Fonseca, R. M., Roschel, H., Tricoli, V., de Souza, E. O., Wilson, J. M., Laurentino, G. C., & Ugrinowitsch, C. (2014). Changes in exercises are more effective than in loading schemes to improve muscle strength. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 28(11), 3085-3092.

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Training

Is Squatting Enough For Optimal Hamstring Development?

Dayne Hudson — Tue, 31 May 2016 03:18:37 +0000

I'll be quick because you're probably rushing off to the gym - but squatting is definitely not enough for your hamstrings!

It's quite common for people to think that they can "feel" their hamstrings being worked hard during squats, and therefore any additional hamstring training is not required for optimal muscle growth.

But data challenges this point of view!

Squatting and Hamstring Growth

Squats are far superior for your quadriceps and glutes in comparison to your hamstrings, as your hamstrings just simply aren't activated as much during the movement!

We've learnt that squat force and quadriceps activation is very strong in the context of your quadriceps, but quite low for the hamstrings (1). This is a reliable indication of how much your hamstrings are worked in the context of the squat.

Even adding more weight to the bar does NOT increase the activation of your hamstrings, but does cause a large rise in glute and quadriceps activation (2).

"But I squat so low, this DOES work my hamstrings, I use a FULL range of motion..."

Don't be so sure!

Research reveals that even increasing the depth of a squat does NOT call upon more of your hamstrings, but rather your quads and glutes (3).

We can sum it up like this: Squat for quadriceps and glute development and save some hamstring exercises for the same workout or another day.

Regardless of what some people say, squats just don't work your hamstrings enough to warrant no additional focus on them!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

You tell me what and how you like to eat, and I'll help you lose weight!

I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...

My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.

Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!

I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.

That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!

I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!

As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.

GET STARTED

References

(1) Luera, M. J., Stock, M. S., & Chappell, A. D. (2014). Electromyographic amplitude vs. concentric and eccentric squat force relationships for monoarticular and biarticular thigh muscles. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 28(2), 328-338.

(2) Li, Y., Cao, C., & Chen, X. (2013). Similar electromyographic activities of lower limbs between squatting on a reebok core board and ground. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(5), 1349.

(3) Gorsuch, J., Long, J., Miller, K., Primeau, K., Rutledge, S., Sossong, A., & Durocher, J. J. (2013). The effect of squat depth on multiarticular muscle activation in collegiate cross-country runners. The Journal of Strength & Conditioning Research, 27(9), 2619.

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Training

What's The Best Exercise For Triceps?

Dayne Hudson — Mon, 30 May 2016 00:53:28 +0000

I'll be quick because I know your time is precious - but your chosen tricep exercises may make a difference to how they'll end up looking.

In short, some exercises may be better than others!

We all yearn for the thick "horse shoe" looking triceps, so it's important we learn about which exercises recruit which parts of the triceps to achieve this look!

To begin, here's a quick look at triceps anatomy:

Maximal Tricep Muscle Growth - EMG Studies

From EMG studies, we have a decent idea at which exercises are best for targetting all parts of the triceps.

And whilst a higher EMG reading doesn't mean one particular exercise will result in MORE muscle growth, it gives us a decent idea of the degree in which a muscle is activated.

Starting with the lateral and medial head of the tricep, these exercises came out on top:

Cable push-downs (straight or bent bar)
EZ-bar triceps extensions (lying on the bench - also known as "skull crushers")
Guillotine presses (with a shoulder wide grip)
Dumbbell kickbacks (torso horizontal on bench)
Dumbbell extension (single arm behind the head)

And for the long head, the top 5 exercises were:

Dumbbell Kickbacks (incline bench)
Barbell Neck presses
Dumbbell kickbacks, torso horizontal on bench
Dumbbell extension, single arm, behind the head
Seated EZ-bar triceps extensions

It's interesting to see the triceps kickback at a 60 degree incline was the best for the long head of the triceps - there's no question that this should find itself into our tricep routine!

The research also examined the best body weight exercises for the lateral head, and they found bench dips to be the best.

A Solid Triceps Workout

So given what we know, there's no question EZ bar tricep extensions (aka skull crushers) sitting and lying, should find their way into your triceps workout.

The 60 degree dummbell kickbacks are also worth it, along with the cable press downs and bench dips. An example could be:

3 sets of Cable Push Downs

3 sets of EZ-bar skull crushers

3 x Bench Dips (add weight as you please)

2 x 60 degree dummbell kickbacks

At the least, that's a great starting point for a solid triceps workout!

But let me make this clear - you don't have to incorporate all these exercises into your program to get a decent pair of trieps. You can very easily incorporate just one or two and chose others, and still get great results.

It's important you do the exercises you like and not the ones that are found to be the "best" - as it won't be enjoyable for you at all! What's more important is that you get into the gym frequently and follow a diet that's suited to your goals.

That's really the most important thing, and if you can do that whilst combining a few of those exercises just above into your triceps routine, well you'll be well on the way to success.

Good luck in the quest for those horse shoes!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Need an ANTI-BROSCIENCE muscle growth training plan? It's one step away...

With NO drugs, let me combine all the science we have into MAXIMAL muscle growth, to craft something for you to bring one thing: MAXIMAL GAINS!

Email me at [email protected]" style="box-sizing: border-box; background-color: transparent; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); text-decoration: none; background-position: initial initial; background-repeat: initial initial;">[email protected] for more info.

Reference

(1) Boeckh-Behrens & Buskies. 2000.

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Training

Is a 5 X 5 Program The Best For Muscle Growth?

Dayne Hudson — Thu, 26 May 2016 00:24:07 +0000

I'll be quick because you're probably looking for a new training program ahead of the gym - but the 5 x 5 approach according to science may not be the best for muscle growth.

Every study into rep ranges throughout the ages tells us one thing - lower reps (lifting heavier weight) are better for strength! That's not up for debate...

But is a 5 x 5 program the best for optimal muscle growth? For those of you who aren't aware, this training approach involves performing 5 sets of 5 reps for a particular exercise whilst training your chosen muscle group.

But here's the thing: the data we have doesn't support this as an optimal approach for muscle growth, and I want to take you through why!

Rep Ranges

A landmark meta-analysis in 2007 found that lifting 60-85% of your 1 rep max seems to be the best for muscle growth, which means under this approach you'd be lifting in the 6-12 rep range (1).

Now that's not to say that super low reps to the tune of 5 is bad for muscle growth - it's NOT.

The above meta-analysis clearly shows that 6 reps "works", whilst this meta-analysis years earlier found training at 80% is most effective for those who are trained, whilst 60% of a 1 rep max is best for those who are untrained (2).

But more recent evidence from 2015 into muscle growth tells us that when 2 groups of TRAINED subjects train with either HIGH or LOW reps, muscle growth is the same.

There's not ONE magical rep range and that's the point. Variety seems to be better based on the data we have.

Now yes, type 2 fibers are BIGGER than type 1 fibers and respond MORE to LOWER reps (3).

But it's not that black and white - we're learning that type 1 fibers can grow at a large rate from higher reps, leading to greater overall hypertrophy, as evident in the link above!

Isolation Exercises

The 5 X 5 approach also leaves out isolation exercises which might not be a good idea.

We're learning - here in the context of hamstring training for example - that we can target different parts of the muscle with various islolation exercises.

Therefore, we have evidence that isolation exercises can contribute to greater overall muscle hypertrophy.

Now to look at the other side of the debate, this research found that lat pull downs worked the biceps to the same degree as biceps curls.

And in the above link, when trained researcher Bret Contreras tested his biceps for mean and peak bicep activation, he found these exercises were the best:

Mean Bicep Activation: Weighted Wide Parallel-Grip Pull-up, Weighted Chin-up, Barbell Curl

Peak Bicep Activation: Weighted Chin-up, Weighted Wide Parallel-Grip Pull-up, EZ-Bar Curl

What I'm getting at was that a compound exercise here was the best for biceps compared to the EZ bar curl, an isolation exercise.

However, EMG results do not directly mean more muscle will be grown. And why would you do compound exercises ONLY for maximal muscle growth when you can do isolation exercises TOO?

There's still not enough research to say that isolation exercises are not worth it, and I don't know many who would say they are.

Isolation exercises definitely fit into the three mechanisms of muscle growth - mechanical tension, metabolic stress and muscle damage, so I therefore see no benefit of leaving them out!

Practical Applications

If maximal strength is your goal then a 5x5 approach is great.

You will still grow muscle, but not as muscle on a specified muscle hypertrophy program, as the data suggests.

The bottom line is that a 5x5 training program is NOT the best for optimal muscle growth, and that training across a larger spectrum of rep ranges as detailed above should be far superior for your muscle gains!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Need an ANTI-BROSCIENCE muscle growth training plan? It's one step away...

With NO drugs, let me combine all the science we have into MAXIMAL muscle growth, to craft something for you to bring one thing: MAXIMAL GAINS!

Email me at [email protected]">[email protected] for more info.

References

(1) Wernbom M, Augustsson J, Thomee R. The influence of frequency, intensity, volume and mode of strength training on whole muscle cross-sectional area in humans. Sports Med. 2007;37(3):225-64.

(2) Rhea MR, Alvar BA, Burkett LN, Ball SD. "A meta-analysis to determine the dose response for strength development." Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2003 Mar;35(3):456-64.

(3) Miller AE, MacDougall JD, Tarnopolsky MA, Sale DG. Gender differences in strength and muscle fiber characteristics. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1993;66(3):254-62.

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Training

Chest Day Training: Dumbbell Presses Vs Bench Press For Isolation

Dayne Hudson — Sun, 22 May 2016 22:51:00 +0000

I'll be quick on this one because you're probably reading it before training chest - but we do have some good data into isolating the chest with various exercises.

If you're like many at the gym, you alternate between working your chest on the bench press and via dumbbell presses.

For those of you new to training, the dumbbell press exercise is below:

And the big question here is: which exercise isolates the chest the best? Many have said the dumbbell presses over the bench press option - but are they right?

I've spoken about the best exercises for chest before - here's the previous info pertaining to this.

However, this research looked into this chest isolation question using 12 trained male participants performing barbell bench presses, bench presses on a Smith machine and dumbbell presses as I've just shown you above (1).

The big question here pertained to which exercise called upon the biceps, the triceps and the shoulders the LEAST, whilst activating the chest the MOST.

Using Electromyography (EMG) as a measure, where reseachers put electrodes on the muscles to see which ones were activated the most during what exercise, they reported the results below:

As you can see, the dumbbell chest press which many believe to be the best for isolating the chest, was found to work the biceps more than bench press and the Smith Machine bench press.

However, the dumbbells did take the triceps OUT of the movement more than the other two exercises, but it did bring in MORE biceps and shoulders.

But this is the most important finding really: all movements were "similiar" for activating the chest, meaning there was no massive advantage for any.

Practical Applications for Maximal Muscle Growth

It really comes down which exercise you're comfortable with performing out of the three.

However, I'd advise you to forget about the smith machine bench, as it does take out key stabilisers as we've seen in the context of leg training (2).

Tailor your chest workout around what you're most comfortable with doing, but ideally you'd be using both dumbbells and a barbell during chest pressing movements on chest day.

So don't go searching for the perfect chest exercise, use a combination of all in concert with a solid nutrition plan and muscle growth strategy, and you're off and running!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Is your diet as good as your chest day strategy?

I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...

My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.

Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!

I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.

That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!

I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!

As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.

GET STARTED

References

(1) Saeterbakken AH, van den Tillaar R, Fimland MS. A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements. J Sports Sci. 2011 Mar;29(5):533-8. doi: 10.1080/02640414.2010.543916.

(2) Schwanbeck S, Chiliback PD, Binsted G. A comparison of free weight squat to Smith machine squat using electromyography. J Strength Cond Res. 2009 Dec;23(9):2588-91. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3181b1b181.

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Training

What's The Best Rep Range For Training Abs?

Dayne Hudson — Tue, 17 May 2016 23:46:51 +0000

I'll be brief because I know you're busy - but the rep range in which you train your abs might make a difference to how they look.

Going off what we know about muscle fibers, type 1 fibers are slow twitch, whilst type 2 fibers are fast twitch. Type 2 fibers are BIGGER than type 1 (1), which generally means heavier weight is best for optimal stimulation, at least in the initial parts of the set.

Researchers suggest that a lighter weight firstly calls upon type 1 fibers before type 2 fibers come in and complete the job, as the type 1 fibers fatigue (2).

So why is this important? What's this got to do with ab training?

Well, because what we know about a particular muscle group and it's fiber type distribution gives us a decent starting point as to how to train it.

So the next obvious question is...

What's The Muscle Fibre Type Distribution of Abdominal Muscles?

According to research into 13 "normal human subjects" - 9 females and 4 males aged 24-55 (3), the mean fibre type was as follows:

"Mean fibre distribution ranges were 55-58% I, 15-23% 2A, 21-28% IIB, and 0-1% II C fibres....there was a high correlation in the size of Type I vs. II fibres."

So basically, there's more type 1 fibers than type 2!

And just so you know, the difference between type 2B fibers and type 2A fibers are that type 2B fibers are known for their power/speed and high force production and LOW endurance, where as Type 2A are somewhere in the middle (4).

The study of these subject's abs is a pretty good starting point, as the researchers suggest:

"In general, the differences between the different muscles were minor or non-existent."

So it's safe to say we should be targetting our abs with HIGHER reps, maybe 15 reps or more as a starting point until further notice.

Will Heavy Weights Make My Waist Bigger And Blocky?

This is a common and important question that everyone wants answered, as no one wants a big blocky waist.

Obviously we want a blocky chest, triceps, and shoulders, as we want them to grow!

But whilst we want our abs to "pop" and look defined, it's really the same deal - when we hypertrophy them (grow them), they get bigger.

But the issue is with more the obliques along with the rectus abdominals themselves - when we grow them we look wider and according to some, "fatter".

Check out the anatomy of the abs below:

You can see how if you grow the internal and external obliques along with the transversus abdominis, there's an issue with how much wider you'll be and appear.

What actually causes blocky abs is training them too much, lifting too heavy, and focusing too much on obliques.

I argue given the available literature, that there's no need to lift heavy weights with your abs.

Some may fire back and say: "but you need strong abs for squats and deadlifts" but that would make their argument NOT in line with the findings of science - as squatting and deadlifting has been found to hardly engage the abs at all, contrary to popular belief. Now they certainly do engage the abs, but not to the point where it's going to cause a "blocky" or wide looking midsection.

How To Train Your Abs

Whilst you should be focusing on progressive overload and muscle failure whilst training all other muscles, the abs shouldn't get that attention.

Feel free to do a few sets, but don't train them more than once a week if you can help it, and stick to the 15+ rep range.

It's tough I know, but in this case, less really is more for a slim and lean waistline - NOT training them can make you appear slimmer and not as wide or "blocky."

It's an old fitness industry cliche but it's true, abs really are made in the kitchen - it's all about diet!

Now if you're after a thick and blocky waist, then take to your ab training with high frequency, high volume, and with heavy weight...

But if that's not what you're after (which I'm guessing it isn't!) then stick to training them irregularly and by NOT going to muscle failure too often, whilst focusing more on diet.

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

You want abs? Seriously? Then let me get them for you....

I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...

My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.

Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!

I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.

That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!

I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!

As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.

GET STARTED

References

(1) Miller AE, MacDougall JD, Tarnopolsky MA, Sale DG. Gender differences in strength and muscle fiber characteristics. Eur J Appl Physiol Occup Physiol. 1993;66(3):254-62.

(2) Nicholas A. Burd, Cameron J. Mitchell, Tyler A. Churchward-Venne, Stuart M. Phillips. "Bigger weights may not beget bigger muscles: evidence from acute muscle protein synthetic responses after resistance exercise." Applied Physiology, Nutrition, and Metabolism, 2012.

(3) Haggark T, Thorstensson A. Fibre types in human abdominal muscles. Acta Physiol Scand. 1979 Dec;107(4):319-25.

(4) Scott, W., Stevens, J., & Binder–Macleod, S. A. (2001). Human Skeletal Muscle Fiber Type Classifications. Physical Therapy, 81(11), 1810-1816. Accessed May 17, 2016. Retrieved from http://ptjournal.apta.org/content/81/11/1810

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Training

Will Hardcore Eccentric Training Help You Break Strength And Size Plateaus?

Dayne Hudson — Tue, 17 May 2016 00:15:24 +0000

I'll be quick on this one because I know you're in a rush - but really focusing on a heavier load during eccentric training may help you break a plateau!

First of all - the eccentric movement is when you're bringing the weight back down, and the concentric movement is when you're lifting the weight up, so keep this in mind as you keep reading!

We all know how hard it is to keep obtaining gains, and I've written before about ways to combat it. But this study aimed to investigate what effect the accentuated eccentric training has.

The idea of increasing the focus on the eccentric phase in this context, was achieved by subjects being assisted on the way up, but not assisted on the way down (1). That way, one can obviously lift more weight.

This study was conducted on 33 healthy young men with 2-7 years of training experience, pretty decent candidates for assesing how to break through plateaus!

They did 2 x 5 week training programs, pumping iron twice a week with 48 hours in between sessions.

The first session was 3 sets of 6 rep max and the second of their 10 rep max across the leg extension and leg press.

But the difference was that the AEL group did the exercises with a 40% heavier weight during the eccentric movement compared to the concentric phase (the way up).

Here's how the subjects were split up:

AEL - Performed accentuated eccentric load-training

CON - Kept doing what they were doing

TRAD - Traditional concentric-eccentric isoinertial training program (basically lifting the same weight and not changing)

The CON group had no dietary supervision and weren't monitored, but the other two groups were, which is fine: the AEL and TRAD group both did the same training, except the TRAD group obviously lifted a heavier load during the eccentric phase as I mentioned (on the way down).

Both TRAD and AEL groups were given a drink containing 23 g of whey protein, 3 g of carbohydrate and 1.6 g of fat to kep the post-workout nutrition the same.

So what did they find?

The maximum isometric torque finished in favour of the AEL group compared to the control group, and the AEL group led to large increases in isokentic eccentric torque, whilst the TRAD group saw an increase only concentric torque - and LESS than the AEL group.

Efffectively, the strength was superior at the end of the day in the AEL group.

Muscle Mass and Growth

Interestingly though, the authors noted that "similiar increases in muscle mass occured in both intervention goups", meaning that on this occasion, strength and size DID NOT correlate.

However, that's not to say that with a study lasting longer than 5 weeks as this one did, that significant muscle hypertrophy may not have been observed - we need more research and longer studies, but an increase in strength is never a bad thing!

The authors conclude with:

"Accentuated eccentric load training led to greater increases in maximum force production, work capacity and muscle activation, but not muscle hypertrophy, in strength-trained individuals."

Really, there's no issue with mixing up your training to the point where you have a spotter help you with a heavier weight on the way down.

The differences may only be small, but they are better than continuing to train the way you always have done, at least as far as this study is concerned.

Training with a larger focus on the eccentric movement and shifting more weight as a result may really be worth your time!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Are you ready to get in the shape of your life?

I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...

My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.

Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!

I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.

That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!

I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!

As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.

GET STARTED

Reference

(1) Walker, Simon, et al. "Greater strength gains after training with accentuated eccentric than traditional isoinertial loading loads in already strength-trained men." Frontiers in Physiology 7 (2016): 149.

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Training

Study: Less Muscle Soreness And More Reps With Caffeine

Dayne Hudson — Mon, 09 May 2016 02:22:40 +0000

I'll be quick on this one because you're probably in a rush - but coffee won't only bring about less muscle pain, but will most likely help you pump out more reps too!

In this study, 9 male students abstained from caffeine 1 week prior to the research (1).

They trained their biceps twice - first pumping out 4 sets of 10 reps at 75% of their one rep max, then another set doing as many reps as they could manage.

Occasion One: They took 5 mg caffeine per kg of bodyweight before training their biceps (which is up to 4 times more caffeine in the average cup).

Occasion Two: They trained their biceps after taking a placebo.

So what did they find?

The caffeine group was able to pump out 18 reps, whilst the placebo group was able to perform 12.

A six rep difference isn't too bad, and can certainly yield superior muscle gains!

Moreover, the subjects recorded significantly less muscle soreness after working out with caffeine, despite performing more reps!

Check out the graph below:

This is also in line with other caffeine research, which is also why you hear me carrying on about how good coffee (caffeine) is, for something you pick up at the supermarket!

Now like a lot of performance enhancing aids, their effect can wear off as you use them more. Moreover, this research doesn't mean you'll get 6 more reps out every set on every muscle group. Results WILL vary, however, there's no doubt you're better off with caffeine then without it.

This study and others is why I believe we should all get into the caffeine before training!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Do you want more great tips to help you get in the shape of your life?

I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...

My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.

Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!

I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.

That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!

I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!

As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.

GET STARTED

Reference

(1) Hurley CF, Hatfield DL, Riebe DA. The effect of caffeine ingestion on delayed onset muscle soreness. J Strength Cond Res. 2013 Nov;27(11):3101-9. doi: 10.1519/JSC.0b013e3182a99477.

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Training

The Truth About Weight Lifting And Baldness

Dayne Hudson — Thu, 05 May 2016 04:22:29 +0000

I'll be quick on this one but it's valuable information that needs to be spread!

You've probably heard this one before: "Weight training can make you go bald, be careful."

Recently Fit'n'Flexed reader tagged Steffen me in a video claiming this very thing, and unbelievably, blaming protein for it too?!

So I thought it was time to reveal the facts!

Men are prone to baldness because of the levels of the more potent androgen Dihydrotestosterone (DHT), which is coverted from free testosterone (1).

Two subjects can have super high levels of testosterone and DHT, with one bald and the other not.

Why?

Because "the most important factors would appear to be the genetically-determined sensitivity of the follicles to DHT and their different reactions to androgen concentration" (1).

Essentially - some of us have hair follicles more sensitive than others to DHT, meaning we're more likely to lose hair.

But hair loss is a complicated issue and we're still learning so much about it!

Another common misunderstanding is that we're bald because we have too much testosterone. Aging males generally have lower levels of testosterone (2), but a higher incidence of baldness. It's not quite that black and white!

However, we know that exercise DOES increase DHT (3), but again, what's important is for how long it's elevated for and what effect that has on hair loss.

To date there's no direct research suggesting weight lifting or exercise directly leads to baldness!

Whilst DHT is elevated after training, it seems it's elevation is not long to warrant any hair loss concerns.

In this research into health males who sprinted, DHT returned to baseline after 1 hour (9) - that's hardly anything to worry about.

Taking a step away from science for a moment and just looking around - look at how many bodybuilders (even those who are enhanced) have so much hair?! Yes there are bald ones too, but there are alot with plenty of hair. It's not as simple as some try to claim.

However, there's no doubt that if you're prone to hairloss - that the use of anabolic steroids (which I never recommend) does accelerate hair loss (4).

To bring in the authors here:

"It is likely that androgenic alopecia observed as a result of exogenous androgen use is more prevalent in individuals that have a genetic predisposition to balding."

The super large increase (beyond the normal range) or testosterone and thus DHT from steroids is large enough to cause an issue, whereas to date, normal fluctuations of testosterone and DHT resulting from weight lifting or sprinting don't seem to pose a big enough issue.

It's kind of like how growth hormone and testosterone levels are increased through shorter rest periods when lifting weights (5,6,7), which actually ultimately results in less muscle growth signalling pathways (8), which is not a good thing more muscle growth! It's assumed by many that the increase in these hormones would mean more muscle - but this just isn't the case.

It's also like how training legs, and the subsequent rise in testosterone DOES NOT result in increased muscle elsewhere!

Now let me me clear: I'm not drawing these links to prove the point - because they don't prove the point of weight lifting and baldness at all!

What I'm saying is, what sounds good in theory (ie, more weights = more testosterone = more DHT = more baldness) isn't always correct - and this is just another example of that.

Bodybuilding and Hairloss - The Verdict

Currently, there's no direct evidence to say that small increases in testosterone (and thus DHT) resulting from weight lifting and/or exercise is enough to spur on male pattern baldness.

Whilst we need more research, the current literature does not lend support to this theory!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Enough about hairloss....let's get you massive and shredded!

I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...

My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.

Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!

I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.

That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!

I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!

As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.

GET STARTED

References

(1) Urysiak-Czubatka, Kmiec ML, Broniarczyk-Dyla G. Assessment of the usefulness of dihydrotestosterone in the diagnostics of patients with androgenetic alopecia. Postepy Dermatol Alergol. 2014 Aug;31(4):207-15. doi: 10.5114/pdia.2014.40925. Epub 2014 Sep 8.

(2) Wu CY, Yu TJ, Chen MJ. Age related testosterone level changes and male andropause syndrome. Chang Gung Med J. 2000 Jun;23(6):348-53.

(3) Hawkins VN et al. Effect of exercise on serum sex hormones in men: a 12-month randomized clinical trial. Med Sci Sports Exerc. 2008 Feb;40(2):223-33. doi: 10.1249/mss.0b013e31815bbba9.

(4) Hoffman JR, Ratamess NA. Medical Issues Associated with Anabolic Steroid Use: Are They Exaggerated? J Sports Sci Med. 2006 Jun; 5(2): 182–193. Published online 2006 Jun 1. PMCID: PMC3827559

(5) Kraemer, W. J., Marchitelli, L., Gordon, S. E., Harman, E., Dziados, J. E., Mello, R., Frykman, P., McCurry, D., & Fleck, S. J. (1990). Hormonal and growth factor responses to heavy resistance exercise protocols. Journal of Applied Physiology, 1442-1450.

(6) Kraemer, W. J., Gordon, S.E., Fleck, S. J., Marchitelli, L. J., Mello, R., Dziados, J.E., Friedl, K., Harman, E., Maresh, C., & Fry, A.C. (1991). Endogenous anabolic hormonal and growth factor responses to heavy resistance exercise in males and females. International Journal of Sports Medicine, 228-325.

(7) Smilios, I., Pilianidis, T., Karamouzis, M., & Tokmakidis, S. P. (2003). Hormonal responses after varied resistance exercise protocols. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 644-654. Retrieved March 4, 2007, from Ovid database.

(8) McKendry, J., Pérez-López, A., McLeod, M., Luo, D., Dent, R., Smeuninx, B., Yu, J., Taylor, Angela. E., Philp, A. and Breen, L. (2016), Short inter-set rest blunts resistance exercise-induced increases in myofibrillar protein synthesis and intracellular signaling in young males. Exp Physiol. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1113/EP085647

(9) Smith AA, Toone R, Peacock O, Drawer S, Stokes KA, Cook CJ. Dihydrotestosterone is elevated following sprint exercise in healthy young men. J Appl Physiol (1985). 2013 May 15;114(10):1435-40. doi: 10.1152/japplphysiol.01419.2012. Epub 2013 Mar 7.

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Training

Latest Study Into Rest Intervals Between Sets For Muscle Growth

Dayne Hudson — Mon, 02 May 2016 06:10:10 +0000

I'll be brief because I know you're flat out - but resting longer between sets is probably the best thing to do.

Recently I brought you some of the latest research into this very topic, that found 3 minutes as opposed to 1 minute was far superior (1).

You can read more about that here!

But now, hot off the press, we have another study that is consistent with the previous literature into this very topic (2).

The reserarchers aimed to inveistigate the "acute muscle anabolic response to resistance exercise performed with short or long inter-set rest intervals" in other words: is a minute rest or 5 minute rest between sets better for dem gains?

16 males in a parallel-group design, completed 4 sets of leg press and leg extensions at 75% of their 1RM to muscle failure.

One group rested for 1 minute and the other group rested for 5 minutes. After the workout they sucked down 25 grams of whey protein.

Muscle biopsies were taken at 0,4,24 and 28 hours after training to examine myofibrillar protein synthesis AND intracellular signaling.

Now it's vital to point out that like levels of growth hormone and testosterone released after training - myofibrillar protein synthesis doesn't neccesarily mean MORE muscle growth (3).

But, the signaling results are always most interesting.

So what did they find?

Muscle protein synthesis rates increased significantly more so in the 5 minute group as opposed to the 1 minute group (76% and 152% respectively). But after 24-28 hours post-exercise, they were "indistinguishable between groups."

Moreover, in terms of signaling (which is very important!) the key pathways were hindered with LESS rest...

The authors conclude:

"Resistance exercise with short (1 minute) inter-set rest duration attenuated myofibrillar protein synthesis during the early post-exercise recovery period compared with longer (5 minute) rest duration, potentially through compromised activation of intracellular signalling."

The last line says it all: it seems less rest harms the activation of the required signalling for better gains!

This is consistent with other research into this very question - not just one stand alone study with no context.

Another study suggests that either resting for 2 minutes or resting for 5 minutes might not bring any significant differences in terms of muscle growth, and this was also done into trained subjects! (4)

Rest Periods In The Gym - Pratical Applications

My advice here is pretty simple, 1 minute definitely isn't enough (1,3).

Given other research though (4), there may not be a world of difference between 2 minutes or 5 minutes of rest - more research is definitely required.

So what's the verdict?

Try 2-3 minutes of rest between sets and you shouldn't have any issues at all!

"Stay Fit, Stay Flexed!"

Need and awesome diet or training plan?

I know you're busy, so I won't keep you for long...

My readers regularly message me as losing weight can be extremely difficult.

Even worse is when stopping an extreme diet brings all the weight back!

I have a solution that'll allow you to continue eating the foods you love (in moderation, of course!) but without an extremity such as paleo, no sugar or no carb.

That's me (Dayne Hudson) above. The photo on the left is me at the end of a bulk, and the photo on the right is after dropping off the weight...in just 12 weeks!

I don't believe in short term diets either! I believe in creating a healthy lifestyle, eating the foods you love, and not needing to worry about your diet around the clock!

As a Sports Nutrition Specialist, scientific researcher and valued member of the International Society of Sports Nutrition, I use proven studies to generate results that last for you.

GET STARTED

References

(1) Schoenfeld BJ et al. Longer inter-set rest periods enhance muscle strength and hypertrophy in resistance-trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2015 Nov 20. [Epub ahead of print]

(2) McKendry, J., Pérez-López, A., McLeod, M., Luo, D., Dent, R., Smeuninx, B., Yu, J., Taylor, Angela. E., Philp, A. and Breen, L. (2016), Short inter-set rest blunts resistance exercise-induced increases in myofibrillar protein synthesis and intracellular signaling in young males. Exp Physiol. Accepted Author Manuscript. doi:10.1113/EP085647

(3) Phillips S et al. Acute post-exercise myofibrillar protein synthesis is not correlated with resistance training-induced muscle hypertrophy in young men. PLos One. 2014 Feb 24;9(2):e89431. doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0089431. eCollection 2014.

(4) Ahtiainen JP, Pakarinen A, Alen M, Kraemer WJ, Hakkinen K. Short vs. long rest period between the sets in hypertrophic resistance training: influence on muscle strength, size, and hormonal adaptations in trained men. J Strength Cond Res. 2005 Aug;19(3):572-82.

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Training