Muscles for Athletes, Part II
The Hypertrophy Methods
by Christian Thibaudeau Page: 1 | [url=javascript:pager.gotoPage(1);]2[/url] | [url=javascript:pager.gotoPage(2);]3[/url] | [url=javascript:pager.gotoPage(1);]Next[/url] | [url=javascript:pager.gotoPage(2);]Last[/url]

In the previous installment of this series, we saw that:
1.
Athletes should always try to generate as much force as possible when
they're lifting a weight. In other words, they should not only lift the
load, but attempt to impart as much acceleration to it as possible.
As
the load becomes heavy or fatigue sets in, the actual speed of movement
will decrease. However, the intent and effort to accelerate is as
effective as the actual acceleration of the load when it comes to
stimulating muscular and neural adaptations.
2.
Athletes should not only develop their strength in
concentric/lifting/accelerating movements, but also in
eccentric/lowering/braking and isometric/static/stopping actions.
3.
Athletes can maximize force production potential by working on the
muscular, reflexive, and elastic factors involved in force production.
The higher the force produced, the more high-threshold motor units are
recruited and the more growth/strength gains can be stimulated.

Show Me The Methods! Athletes
should train every type of muscle contraction (isometric, concentric,
and eccentric) as well as the three components of force production
(muscular, elastic, and reflexive). With those goals in mind we can
constitute a list of possible training methods. Understand
that not all of these methods should be used at the same time. Your
selection will depend on the needs of your sport, your training phase,
and your current level athleticism and experience.

Part I: Concentric Emphasis Methods Concentric
refers to a muscle action where the muscle produces strength while
shortening. This is the phase of a movement commonly referred to as
"lifting," which isn't always an accurate term. I personally call this
phase of the movement the "overcoming" portion because your muscles
contract with the intent of overcoming an external resistance. Concentric-muscular
method heavy emphasis: This refers to training methods where the
muscular aspect of force production is emphasized. Here we're talking
about regular lifting movements, preferably with a heavy weight. By
"heavy" we don't necessarily mean maximal (1-3 rep range) but a weight
that's at least 80% of your maximum on a given lift. Obviously, we want
to use money exercises for this type of training. Here's a short list
of good movements:
Pectorals: Barbell bench press, barbell decline press, barbell incline press, weighted dips (if shoulders are healthy).
Upper back/lats emphasis: Weighted chins, weighted pull-ups, lat pulldown with a straight torso.
Upper back/mid back emphasis: Chest-supported dumbbell rowing, barbell rowing, one-arm dumbbell rowing, corner row.
Shoulders: Barbell military press, seated barbell press, seated dumbbell press, standing dumbbell press.
Quadriceps: Back squat, front squat, lumberjack squat (pictured below), leg press.
Hamstrings/hips:
Barbell Romanian deadlift, Barbell stiff-leg deadlift, Sumo deadlift,
leg press with feet high on platform.
Triceps:
Close-grip bench press, rack lockouts (partial bench press), decline
close-grip bench press, incline close-grip bench press.
Biceps: Standing barbell curl, preacher curl, hammer curl.
Concentric-muscular
method explosive emphasis: Explosive exercises from a static start are
also "muscular dominant" (while those starting with a countermovement
are elastic in nature). Yes, during the movement, momentum
will take over (at some point, because of the acceleration, the load
will be moving on its own) but it's the muscular component that must be
used to produce the initial impulse necessary to propel the load
upward. In other words, yes, momentum eventually reduces the
amount of work the muscles must do, but it's the muscles that must
first create this momentum. This requires a very high and sharp force production. Exercises in this category include: 1.
Olympic lift variations from a static start: Here we're talking about
either Olympic lifts starting from the floor or from blocks. Note
that we can also use lifts from the hang; however, it becomes necessary
to pause the bar for at least two seconds in the starting position
before lifting it to negate the myotatic reflex. There
are several variations of the Olympic lifts. The two major ones we can
use are the power snatch and power clean. "Power" means that you're
catching the bar without squatting too much under it, certainly not by
bending the knees more than 90 degrees, and I'd recommend not bending
them more than 135 degrees. Reasons?

a)
The bar must be lifted over a greater distance because it's caught
higher. This requires a greater power production.
b)
Catching the bar in a full squat position is technically more difficult
and requires a lot of flexibility. Some athletes will need a lot of
time, even months, to be somewhat efficient at the full lifts. Waiting
months before a movement becomes efficient enough to develop strength
and power isn't an option for a lot of athletes who are on tight
schedules.

I generally recommend sticking to
lifts from the blocks or hang because the lifts from the floor are more
technical and require the most flexibility. Most athletes will be
somewhat efficient at the power movements from blocks or from the hang
right off the bat, so these are better options. The lifts
from the blocks are a better option when focusing on the muscular
aspect while the hang version will be more effective when focusing on
the elastic component. Below are the power clean from blocks and power
snatch from blocks. 2.
Ballistic movements from a static start: We can also use simpler
ballistic movements from a static start to create a peak in force and
power production emphasizing the muscular aspect. Understand
that this method isn't really well suited as a primary hypertrophy
method. But as an activation tool performed prior to a regular lifting
movement it can be effective. It will "wake-up" (potentiate) the
nervous system and will allow you to recruit the high-threshold motor
units more easily in the subsequent lifting exercises, which means more
muscle growth. Ballistic means that there's an actual
projection of the load. Classic examples include the jump squat, jump
lunges, and bench throws. Remember that to emphasize the muscular
aspect of force production you'll have to start the movement from a
static start. Shown
above is the static jump squat. You hold the quarter squat position for
2-3 seconds before jumping. About 15-30% of your max squat can be used
for this exercise.