Other/Mixed Tension during mass building?
- Thread starter Anon
- Start date
Other strength modalities (e.g., Clubs), mixed strength modalities (e.g., combined kettlebell and barbell), other goals (flexibility)
Yes, Practice. If you can only do 5 reps before losing tension then stay there.
Anon
First Post
I can do it for multiple reps but I find using it makes me tighter and tired overall even if I can excute the reps and sets properly. Im just wondering if total tension is only made for low reps/strength.
Ege
Level 6 Valued Member
This is a good topic for me to learn from.
Let me take KB press as an example. When I am practicing, I am tensing glutes, abs, fist and lats. But since I am practicing lower than my max, (I am learning the groove and I did not test my max) I don’t try to create a maximum tension. Is it recommended to try full tension even at lower weights?
Let me take KB press as an example. When I am practicing, I am tensing glutes, abs, fist and lats. But since I am practicing lower than my max, (I am learning the groove and I did not test my max) I don’t try to create a maximum tension. Is it recommended to try full tension even at lower weights?
3letterslong
Level 6 Valued Member
The tension required to execute a movement in good form is what you need. If you want to practice high tension technique, lower the reps, raise the weight, and keep the rests between sets short.
-S-
-S-
Anon
First Post
Does that mean less than the amount of tension for strength?
meaning if 1-5 reps is 100% of tension would 10 reps be 40-50%?
Fewer reps per set allow higher tension without undue fatigue.
Anything more than a triple isn't just strength, it's strength-endurance or bodybuilding or assistance work or something else.
Video of you lifting would help us explain things to you better - can you provide?
-S-
Anything more than a triple isn't just strength, it's strength-endurance or bodybuilding or assistance work or something else.
Video of you lifting would help us explain things to you better - can you provide?
-S-
Anon
First Post
I do high rep calisthenics for mass
The right amount to keep the movement safe but not to hinder performance
Kenny Croxdale
Level 7 Valued Member
Mass Building Tension
Maintaining Constant Tension is one of the primary keys to increasing muscle mass.
This increase Lactate (not Lactic Acid). Lactate triggers a downstream anabolic, muscle building effect.
What occur when Constant Tension is maintained in an exercise is...
Venous Blood Flow
Venous Blood Flow is trapped in the muscles and not allowed to flow back to the heart.
This occurs with High Repetition Exercise, especially when the tension is maintained on the muscle by not locking the movement out or resting the movement in the bottom position.
This also happens with Occlusion Training in which a tourniquet is applied to the leg or arm. On a scale of 1-10, it will be a 6-7 where some blood is allowed to flow back to the heart.
Arterial Blood Flow
During the exercise, blood is pumped to the working muscles. That combined with the restriction of blood flow back to the heart produces "The Pump" anabolic response.
While the increase in Lactate trigger Hypertrophy, it does so at the expense of decreasing the amount of weight lifted.
Bottom Line
1) Lactate production elicits Hypertrophy.
2) Lactate production limits Maximum Strength, Power and Speed.
Hypertrophy vs Maximum Strength Training and Development
Completely different approaches are necessary to produce a positive training effect for Hypertrophy vs Maximum Strength Training.
From 0-100: Know Your Training Percentages
From 0 to 100: Know Your Percentages!
Each training percentage, from zero to 100% of your 1RM, has a distinct effect on speed, power, and hypertrophy. Here’s how to use that info wisely.
This article will provide you with some fundamental information.
A secondary factor is the Rest Periods taken between sets...
1) Hypertrophy Training
Short Rest Periods of a minute or less are taken between Sets.
2) Maximum Strength Training
Longer Rest Periods are taken between Sets, 3 minutes plus.
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silveraw
Level 9 Valued Member
I believe Pavel calls this Dominata.
If I'm understanding that concept correctly.
bluejeff
Level 7 Valued Member
What kind of calisthenics? Like pushups, pullups, dips, etc? Or also things like levers, planche work, planche pushup work? Do you do weighted calisthenics?
Like others have said, and in my experience, you want tension where you need it to complete the move and reps safely and effectively, without excess tension in places that would make the move cumbersome to do. If you are doing high reps for hypertrophy, you do not want excess tension in areas of your body that you aren't trying to work with a given exercise.
For example, if I am trying to work my shoulders and arms with handstand pushups, I only maintain enough tension in the rest of my body to keep a straight line and prevent my back from arching too much. I am trying to work my upper body, not my whole body.
I can make a relatively light move feel very hard on muscles I want to focus on by keeping other muscles relatively relaxed. The less I squeeze my "entire body" the less "help" the muscles I am focusing on get, thus they themselves see more tension. It's similar to using weight machines that stabilize your body so you can focus on a particular muscle group. The machine makes it so you don't have to squeeze the rest of your body. Without a machine, it takes more skill, but imo it is possible.
If you are trying to express a high degree of strength, first of all, you wouldn't be training high rep sets. Second, you would want more tension throughout the body because it will help you complete the reps you are doing.
Last, depending on what skills you are training, you might want more tension throughout the body. For example, one arm pushups, bent arm planches, any kind of lever or straight arm planche, 90 degree pushups. Your core must be a lot more tense in those kinds of moves, or else you wouldn't really be able to do them. If you are doing things like dips, then why would you want to tense everything?
However, once you get stronger, the amount of voluntary contraction you will need to do them will feel like less. That is, you won't need to consciously squeeze everything as hard as you can, because your body will have "learned" (adapted) how to do the move and squeeze what it needs, as much as it needs, in order to do it.
If you are training max strength, then you would want to squeeze hard, because you are trying to maximize tension, as I wrote above.
Adam R Mundorf
Level 6 Valued Member
You want to dial the tension knob. You shouldn't be hardstyle tying your shoes but use only enough tension to complete the lift/reps. With more experience/time, you'll learn how to dial it better and more precisely.
Funnily enough the thing that taught me how to dial tension the most was working as a furniture mover.
North Coast Miller
Level 9 Valued Member
As @bluejeff mentions, the tension you are looking to apply is structural. Generating artificial tension in the antagonist muscle isn't liable to help with the goal here.
Structurally "awake" throughout. Tension in the working limb or muscle is purpose driven - the muscle doing the work with just enough antagonist to keep it stable.
Structurally "awake" throughout. Tension in the working limb or muscle is purpose driven - the muscle doing the work with just enough antagonist to keep it stable.