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The Right Way to Stretch: Timing and Techniques Matter

2/10/2025

 


Stretching is essential, but are you doing it at the right time? Many people assume stretching before and after a workout is always beneficial, but the type of stretching you do can make or break your performance. In this article, we’ll break down the three main types of stretching and when to use them for maximum benefit.
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​The Problem with Pre-Workout Static Stretching: Let’s say you’re getting ready for a lower-body workout. You start with long-held hamstring, quad, and glute stretches. While this might seem like a good idea, it could actually be reducing your performance.

Why? Because of something called the Golgi Tendon Organ (GTO)—a receptor in your muscles that limits force production when stretched. This is a built-in safety mechanism to prevent muscle damage. Holding a static stretch (30 seconds to a few minutes) before lifting can reduce your ability to generate power, making it harder to lift heavy or perform explosive movements.

When to Use Static Stretching: Static stretching is most effective after a workout, when your muscles are warm and relaxation is the goal. It helps with recovery, reduces tension, and improves long-term flexibility. Light static stretching for just a few seconds before exercise likely won’t hurt, but prolonged holds can be counterproductive.

The Best Pre-Workout Stretching: Dynamic Stretching- For a proper warm-up, dynamic stretching is the way to go. This type of stretching involves moving your muscles through a full range of motion without holding a stretch for long. Think leg swings, arm circles, and torso twists. Dynamic stretching primes the muscles, increases blood flow, and improves mobility—getting you ready for action. That’s why professional athletes, like NFL players, always incorporate dynamic movements before their games.

The Risky One: Ballistic Stretching- Ballistic stretching involves bouncing at the end of a range of motion, such as rapidly reaching for your toes and bouncing repeatedly. This technique can improve tendon elasticity due to a principle called Davis’s Law, which states that soft tissues adapt to the stresses placed upon them.
      However, ballistic stretching comes with a higher risk of injury because it places excessive strain on muscles and tendons. For this reason, it's generally not recommended for most people. If you're an athlete looking to improve explosiveness, consult a professional before incorporating ballistic stretching.

A Powerful Stretching Hack: PNF Stretching- A more advanced stretching technique is Proprioceptive Neuromuscular Facilitation (PNF). This method combines static stretching with muscle contractions to improve flexibility and range of motion. PNF stretching is often used in physical therapy and athletic training because of its effectiveness in increasing mobility.

The Takeaway:
- 
Static stretching: Best for post-workout recovery, not pre-workout.
- Dynamic stretching: Ideal before a workout to enhance performance.
-  Ballistic stretching: High risk—only for advanced athletes under supervision.
-    PNF stretching: A powerful technique for flexibility, used in rehab and performance training.
     
    If you’ve been stretching the wrong way, now’s the time to fix it! Incorporate the right stretching techniques at the right time to improve your performance and reduce injury risk.
Watch my video on this topic!

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The Basics of Hypertrophy: A Simple Guide to Building Muscle

1/19/2025

 

   Building muscle can seem like a complex process, but is it really that difficult? With all the advice floating around online, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. But don’t worry, I’m here to break it down for you in a simple, digestible way. By the end of this post, you'll have a better understanding of how hypertrophy works and how to train smarter, not harder.

1. Consistency: The Key to Long-Term Success
Consistency is the most important factor in building muscle over time. As a personal trainer, I often hear from people who say they train hard, work out five days a week, and follow a perfect diet. Then I ask, “How long have you been doing this?” The answer is usually something like, “Three months.”
That’s a great start, but building muscle is more of a marathon than a sprint. Even with the best workouts and nutrition, the key to success is sticking with it year after year, not just for a few months.
   Here’s an easy way to think about it: Building muscle is like adding grains of sand to a pile. Each workout adds a little more to your progress. After 100 workouts, you’ll start to see a noticeable difference. After a few years? That pile is going to be impressive/ significant.

2. Intensity: Train Hard for Maximum Gains
How hard you train makes a huge difference in muscle growth. If you’re treating every workout like a light stroll through the park, you're likely leaving gains on the table. While lighter, less intense workouts can be beneficial for general health, maximizing muscle growth requires a higher level of intensity.
To stimulate hypertrophy, you need to train close to failure. This means pushing yourself whether you're using a light load for higher reps (say 30) or a heavier load for lower reps (around 5). Hypertrophy can happen within a rep range of 5-30. In fact, varying your rep ranges can be an effective strategy. Just make sure to push yourself and train hard!

3. Volume: Finding the Right Balance
Volume refers to the total number of sets you perform for each muscle group over the course of the week. So, how much is enough?
For most people, 4 sets per muscle group per week is the minimum effective dose, assuming you're training with high intensity. Ideally, I recommend aiming for around 10 sets per muscle group weekly as a minimum. Advanced lifters may need 15-20 sets, but it's important to balance volume with proper recovery.
   It might seem daunting to fit 15-20 sets into one session, and you're right—it can be. The solution? Split your weekly volume across multiple workouts. For instance, if you do 13 sets for your chest on Monday, you can add another 6-8 sets on Friday. This approach lets you maintain high volume without sacrificing intensity.
Advanced lifters may be able to handle more volume, but remember: It takes time to build up your tolerance. Don't rush the process. Enjoy the journey!

4. Exercise Selection: Simple Is Often Best
When it comes to selecting exercises for hypertrophy, it doesn’t need to be complicated. The most effective exercises are often the simplest. Foundational movements like bench presses, squats, shoulder presses, leg extensions, pull-downs, and bicep curls are just some examples of exercises that should form the backbone of most hypertrophy programs.
   While fancy, complex-looking exercises may seem impressive, they don't always deliver better results. There's nothing wrong with incorporating these exercises into your routine, but the basics will get you the best results. It’s all about performing them correctly and applying proper form.
   Think a certain exercise is useless? Drop a comment below, and as a group, we can see if we can find a practical application for it.
 Video for this topic - https://youtu.be/jT3eryDnO9M 

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What's better for weight loss Cardio or Weight lifting?

1/8/2025

 

   The other day, I came across a post of a woman who was overweight and doing some powerlifting. The comments were all over the place, but one consistent remark stood out: “She should stick to cardio.” As a personal trainer with a degree in exercise science, I want to weigh in on this topic. So, let’s jump right in.
    I want to approach this from two perspectives: My Personal View: Based on real-world experience working with clients. The Scientific Perspective: What does the research say?

My View Over the years, I’ve seen many people successfully lose weight using various methods. Can you lose weight while weightlifting? Absolutely. However, like anything, there’s nuance to this. First and foremost, weight loss requires being in a calorie deficit. This means the energy you expend during the day needs to exceed the calories you consume. Here’s where weightlifting can complicate things: If you train like a bodybuilder—pushing close to failure with high volume and intensity—it may not always align with weight loss goals. This type of training heavily breaks down muscle tissue, requiring significant nutrients and sustenance to rebuild. Striking the right balance is essential. You can definitely weightlift while being in a calorie deficit, but the key is moderation.

Here are some practical guidelines:
- Weight Training: Moderate intensity, 2-3 times per week for about 45 minutes per session.
- Calorie Deficit: Maintain a daily deficit of 300-500 calories.
- Light Steady-State Cardio: Engage in light activities like walking, biking, or using the elliptical 5-6 days per week for 30-60 minutes. This type of cardio burns calories without significantly spiking cortisol levels, which can make fat loss harder if they become elevated.

The Scientific Perspective: A comprehensive review in 2021 that analyzed 12 systematic reviews and over 140 studies provided some key insights: Weight Loss: Exercise led to significant weight loss (−1.5 to −3.5 kg), fat loss (−1.3 to −2.6 kg), and visceral fat loss (−0.33 to −0.56 standard mean difference).
- Training Types: No difference in weight, fat, and visceral loss was found between aerobic and high‐intensity interval training as long as energy expenditure was equal. 
-Resistance Training: Reduced lean mass loss during weight loss by approximately 0.8 kg (95% CI: 0.4–1.3 kg).
-Long-Term Maintenance: Exercise had no significant effect on weight maintenance. The research also emphasized the unique benefits of resistance training: it stimulates muscle protein synthesis, helping to preserve muscle mass loss during a weight loss phase.

Final Thoughts In summary, weightlifting is a valuable tool for overall health, body composition, and maintaining muscle during weight loss. Pair it with light cardio and a reasonable calorie deficit for the best results. It’s not about “sticking to cardio” or dismissing other forms of exercise—it’s about finding a balanced, sustainable approach that fits your goals.

Full video- youtu.be/FQLav2Tfy2U 

Source - 
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC8365736/​ 

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Training to failure

12/26/2024

 
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How hard should you work out? The opinions on this topic vary, but let's delve into the research to find a clearer answer.
    Fitness is nuanced, and several factors can significantly influence how hard you should train. Research suggests that performing 10 to 20 sets per week is optimal for achieving the best strength and muscle growth results. These numbers can vary widely based on your approach. For instance, if you lift to failure, 10 sets may suffice, whereas stopping just short of failure might require 20 sets to achieve similar results. This can also depend on your specific goals, and in this context we are discussing Strength or size. 
A 2022 study on this topic provides important insights. The study measured two outcomes: muscle size and strength. Hang with me here, this gets a little confusing, but the graphic below helps illustrate this more clearly. The study compared four groups: those lifting heavy to failure, heavy loads just shy of failure, light loads to failure, and light loads stopping short of failure.
​The findings revealed if your goal is to build muscle then the worst results came from the light load group that stopped shy of failure. Conversely, the best outcomes were in the light load group that trained all the way to failure.
    When it came to strength, the heavy load group that stopped short of failure outperformed both light load groups, regardless of whether they stopped short of failure.


Now, this part is important. We need to add some context. Whether your goal is getting stronger or bigger. If you typically do 5 sets of 10 reps for biceps, this doesn’t mean you can simply reduce the number to 6 or 7 reps for 5 sets and expect the same results. The research indicates that groups stopping short of failure matched volume. So, if you stop at 6 reps, you could have still completed 4 more reps. So these participants added extra sets, keeping your total volume of reps consistent. 

    While this makes sense, one study isn't enough to base everything on. A meta-analysis from 2024 supports these findings, showing that strength gains are consistent across a wide range of reps in reserve (RIR), while muscle hypertrophy improves as sets get closer to failure. So, how can you apply this?
    Drawing from my 14 years of personal training experience, for those aiming to get stronger, focus on lifting heavy weights. If you enjoy training to failure and can do so safely, go for it. If you’re lifting alone, doing 3 sets of 4 reps to failure might feel risky. Instead, you could aim for 4 sets of 3 reps. Adding that extra set looks to yield similar results!

    For muscle growth, the data confirms that training close to failure yields the best results. This doesn’t mean every set has to go to failure. A practical approach could be to progressively increase your training intensity. For example, if you hit 15 total weekly sets for a muscle group and you only hit 1 or 2 of those sets to failure. Try progressing to 3 or 4, then 5 and 6, and so on.
     I hope you guys found this helpful, head over to my YouTube channel and watch the full video on this very topic. (below) 
youtu.be/Zv86_sztD7E  

 
By: Adam Stover B.S. Exercise Science, NFPT + TPI certified trainer 

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