A new strength training protocol has surfaced that will help you maximize strength gains with less training time and effort. It’s called the “3/7 method” and according to a recent study, it can outperform other popular strategies for both strength and muscle growth. The study involved two groups of subjects that did arm curls with…
Research can provide golden information to health and fitness professionals. Here are some recent findings to help you stay ahead of the pack: Diverging metabolic effects of two energy restricted diets differing in nutrient quality: a 12-week randomized controlled trial in subjects with abdominal obesity A high nutrient quality 25% energy restriction diet is more…
If you’ve been doing lateral raises for years but your shoulders haven’t budged, science may be able to help. Muscle growth requires a sufficient amount of tension and time under tension. During a standard lateral raise, the maximum amount of tension occurs when the arm is straight out to the side, parallel to the ground—this…
Several variables influence muscle hypertrophy (growth), including how much weight you lift (intensity), how many total reps you perform (volume), and how often you lift (frequency). But there may be one variable that trumps them all… Assuming intensity, volume, and frequency are sufficient, the most important variable for muscle hypertrophy is the amount of effort…
Can 10 sets of 3 build as much muscle as 3 sets of 10? The short answer is yes—but the type of hypertrophy you experience differs. In strength training, time under tension (TUT) reflects the total duration of a set and is calculated by multiplying the number of reps by the tempo or speed of…
In strength training, time under tension (TUT), sometimes called time under load, refers to the total duration of a set. It’s calculated by multiplying the number of reps by the tempo of each rep. For example, if you perform 10 reps and each rep takes 6 seconds (2 seconds to lift the weight and 4…
Occlusion training, also known as blood flow restriction (BFR) training, involves restricting blood flow to working muscles during exercise to enhance muscle growth. While this method can be effective when implemented properly, research suggests it may not be necessary to achieve muscle hypertrophy. A recent study by Farup et al. (2015) found that blood-flow restricted…