Maximum Intensity Strength Training

 

 

Resistance-induced contraction (RC) is a term and concept that may be even less familiar than dynamic contraction (DC); which is the term and concept that I explained in the precursor article to this one, Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part III; the Role of Dynamic Contraction.  So this series of articles on exercise intensity is probably your very first introduction to the term.

 

In fact, other than Maximum Intensity Training (MIT) and Maximum Intensity Strength Training (MIST), I’m not aware of any workout plans that even use the term resistance-induced contraction (RC).

 

Nonetheless, resistance-induced contraction (DC), specifically maximum resistance-induced contraction “per unit of time”, is essential to triggering the anabolic process that can lead to maximum muscle growth. And that’s because as I explained in the first article of this series, Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part I; Exercise Intensity Defined, exercise intensity is “the amount of contraction generated in the working muscle, per unit of time“.

 

And as I stated in the second article of this series,

Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part II; Muscular Contraction Defined,

there are two types of contraction that you need to maximize, in order to achieve maximum intensity; and thus maximum muscle growth. And resistance-induced contraction (RC) is one of them.

 

What Exactly is Resistance-Induced Contraction?

 

As I stated in Part II of this series on exercise intensity, resistance is the “net external force” that your muscle is working against, when you’re strength-training or weight-training.  And as the muscle works against that force, resistance–induced contraction (RC) is generated in the muscle.

 

And the greater the resistance is, the more resistance-induced contraction is generated in the working muscle. And for any amount of dynamic contraction that you generate in a muscle, the more resistance-induced contraction that you generate in the muscle, the higher the level of intensity; and thus, the greater the muscle growth is likely to be.

 

The Rule of Progressive Resistance

 

I introduced and explained the Rule of Progressive Intensity in Part I of this series of articles on exercise intensity. And now we have another rule that you need to follow; if you want to achieve maximum intensity, and thus build maximum muscle in minimum time. And that’s the Rule of Progressive Resistance.

 

The Rule of Progressive Resistance simply states that you need to continually subject your muscles to “progressively higher amounts of resistance“, in order to generate “progressively higher” amounts of resistance-induced contraction in the muscle, per unit of time. And doing so enables you to generate “progressively higher” levels of intensity, that are needed to trigger the process that leads to prolonged, sustained, continual muscle growth.

 

So your ultimate goal when working out to build muscle is to apply the Rule of Progressive Intensity. And in order to apply that rule, you also need to apply the Rule of Progressive Resistance.

 

 

How to Generate Maximum Resistance-Induced Contraction (RC) in a Muscle: It’s Not All About the Amount of Weight!

 

 

Explaining how to generate maximum dynamic contraction (DC), as I did in Part III of this series of articles, is relatively easy. Explaining how to generate maximum resistance-induced contraction (RC) is more complicated.

 

And that’s because when you’re weight-training, resistance can be determined by 3 different variables. So any one of those variables can also determine the amount of “resistance-induced contraction” generated in the muscle; and thus the level of intensity that you generate in the muscle. Which then determines how much muscle you build; or whether you build any muscle at all!

 

Many people erroneously believe that resistance is the “amount of weight” that the muscle has to work against, when you’re performing a weight-training exercise. And I could have used the term “weight-induced contraction”, instead of the term “resistance-induced contraction”, to refer to this type of muscular contraction. Certainly “weight-induced contraction” is easier to say, and it’s an easier concept to grasp, than is “resistance-induced contraction”.

 

But the term “weight-induced contraction” is misleading. And that’s because there’s a lot more to resistance than just the “amount of weight” that the muscle has to work against, as I explain in the following section. In fact, “resistance” and “weight” are not the same at all; although the terms are often used synonymously.

 

The 3 Variables That Determine Resistance

 

It’s very important to remember that when you’re weight-training, resistance is actually determined by these 3 different variables:

 

1)  the amount of weight that the muscle is working against

 

2) the amount of leverage that the muscle is working against; if any

 

3) the speed at which the reps (repetitions) are executed (often called the rep cadence); if reps are done, as opposed to static holds

 

And since each of those variables can play a significant role in determining the amount of resistance that the muscle has to work against, and thus the amount of resistance-induced contraction (RC) generated in the muscle, and thus the level of intensity generated in the muscle, they need to be addressed individually.

 

The Role of Weight in Determining Resistance

 

It’s pretty obvious that the “amount of weight” that the muscle has to work against determines the amount of resistance that the muscle has to work against.

 

Imagine holding a 30 lb. dumbbell in your hand, palm facing up, forearm extended in front of you and parallel to the ground. Holding the weight in place creates resistance for the biceps to work against, which generates resistance-induced contraction (RC) in the muscle, thereby generating intensity in the muscle. And you would have to generate enough “muscular contraction per second” (i.e. intensity) in the biceps, in order to hold the forearm and the weight in place.

 

Now imagine holding a 50 lb. dumbbell in the exact same position. That would obviously create a greater resistance than the 30 lb. dumbbell would, thereby generating even more resistance-induced contraction (RC) in the biceps. And thus, the intensity would be even higher than with the 30 lb. weight.

 

In the above example, increasing the amount of weight does increase the amount of resistance, and thus the amount of “muscular contraction generated per unit of time” (i.e. the intensity). And that’s because the other variables that determine the resistance (i.e. “leverage” and “speed of execution of the reps”), and thus the intensity, were not changed at all.

 

Just remember, however, that increasing the amount of weight for any particular type of motion or exercise doesn’t always increase the resistance, or the intensity of the exercise. In fact, it’s actually possible to generate a lower amount of resistance, and thus a lower level of intensity, by using a heavier weight; depending upon what happens with the other variables that determine the resistance (i.e. “leverage” and “speed of execution of the reps”).

 

And this explains why lifting heavier weights doesn’t always lead to higher levels of intensity or more muscle growth, than lifting lighter weights would. The bench press is a perfect example of this fact. And I explain that further in the next section.

 

Also, it’s important to remember that whenever you do reps of any kind, the  “amount of weight” that you use to perform an exercise is not always the same as the “amount of weight” that the muscle is actually working against. In fact, whenever you do reps, it sometimes happens that your muscles aren’t working against any of the weight being used at all; depending upon where you are in your range of motion.

 

The “amount of weight” that you use to perform an exercise always stays the same, of course. But whenever you do reps, the “amount of weight” that the muscle actually has to work against often fluctuates; sometimes dropping down to zero. And that causes a fluctuation in the amount of resistance, and the amount of resistance-induced contraction (RC) generated in the muscle. Which causes a fluctuation in the amount of intensity generated in the muscle.

 

So that adds another variable, that makes determining the exact amount of resistance, and thus the amount of resistance-induced contraction generated, even more complicated and harder to track.

 

 

The Role of Leverage in Determining Resistance

 

 

Have you ever wondered why the bench press enables you to lift more weight than does any other chest exercise? Well, this might be a blow to the ego, but it has nothing to do with the strength of your pectoral muscles. You’ve got the same pectoral muscles, regardless of what chest exercise you do; whether it’s the dumbbell fly, the double-cable crossover, the pec dec, or the bench press.

 

The reason is leverage. The bench press enables you to lift more weight, simply because when you do the bench press, your pectoral muscles have “less leverage” to work against, than when you do other chest exercises. And that’s because when you do the bench press, the “line of force” of the weight is closer to your shoulder joint, than it is for other chest exercises; like the dumbbell fly, for example.

 

So whenever you’re weight-training by doing rotary-type motions (such as those used for the bench press, the squat, the triceps kickback, the lat pull-down, the lateral raise, the biceps curl, etc.), it’s very important to remember this fact:

 

The “amount of leverage” that the muscle has to work against is just as important as the “amount of weight” that the muscle has to work against, in determining the “amount of resistance” the muscle has to work against.

 

And as anyone with a basic, rudimentary knowledge of physics can tell you, this phenomenon is easily demonstrated by the following equation:

 

LOAD  x  LEVER = TORQUE

 

So if we apply that equation to weight-training, the “load” is supplied by the “amount of weight” that the muscle has to work against. The “lever” is the distance from the “working joint” to the “line of force” of the weight. And the “torque” is supplied by the “amount of resistance” that the muscle has to work against.

 

Then putting different numbers into that equation, we get the following:

 

3000 lbs.  x  3 inches = 9000 inch-lbs. of torque

 

300 lbs.  x  30 inches =  9000 inch-lbs. of torque

 

So as you can see, lifting 3000 lbs. with a 3 inch lever requires the same muscular force (indicated by the torque) as lifting only 300 lbs. with a 30 inch lever!

 

This explains why it is possible to achieve a higher level of intensity and build more muscle, by lifting a light weight with a long lever, than you would do by lifting a heavy weight with a short lever. And the bench press is a perfect example of this fact.

 

So all that extra weight that the bench press allows you to lift may make you feel like superman, and it may be good for your ego. But it’s all just an illusion. Nobody has chest muscles that are that strong! Most of that extra weight is simply due to the shorter lever that’s used when doing the bench press. Plus, when doing the bench press, you’re using additional muscle groups (such as your triceps), to get the weight up.

 

In fact, you can prove the power of leverage for yourself: lie on your back, extend your arm out to the side, arm straight and parallel to the ground, with a dumbbell in the palm of your hand. Just as you would do at the start of the dumbbell fly. Hold the weight in that position, and use your opposite hand to feel the amount of contraction in your pectoral muscle.

 

Now, keep holding the same dumbbell, and allow the arm to bend into a right angle, with only the upper arm parallel to the ground. Just as would do at the start of the bench press. Hold the weight in that position, and feel your pectoral muscle again. Notice how much less contraction there is in the muscle.

 

What’s the difference between the above two examples, that accounts for such a significant change in the amount of resistance-induced contraction (and thus intensity) generated in the muscle? The “amount of weight” that the muscle is working against hasn’t changed. And there is no rep cadence, or “speed of execution of the reps”, because you’re just doing static holds.

 

The only thing that changes between the two is the “amount of leverage” that the muscle has to work against. In the first example, the lever is your entire arm. Whereas in the second example, the lever is just your upper arm.

 

And at the start of the bench press, the lever is simply the length of your upper arm. And that’s much shorter than the length of your entire arm, which is the lever used at the start of the dumbbell fly.

 

So although the bench press does allow you to lift more weight than do other chest exercises, it doesn’t necessarily allow your pectoral muscles to work against a “greater amount of resistance” than other chest exercises do.

 

And ultimately, it’s the “amount of resistance” that the muscle has to work against, that determines the amount of resistance–induced contraction that’s generated in the muscle. The amount of weight that you use is simply “a means” of generating the “greatest amount of  resistance“, and thus the greatest amount of resistance-induced contraction possible. And as I explain in this section, it’s only one of 3 different variables that can determine the resistance that the muscle has to work against; and thus the intensity of the exercise.

 

It’s also important to know that whenever you do reps for rotary-type motions (such as the bench press), the “amount of leverage” that the muscle has to work against constantly fluctuates; sometimes dropping down to zero. This causes the resistance to fluctuate, sometimes dropping down to zero. And that causes the resistance-induced contraction (RC) to fluctuate, sometimes dropping down to zero. And that, in turn, causes the intensity to fluctuate, sometimes dropping down to zero.

 

And, of course, if you have zero intensity, you have zero muscle growth stimulation!

 

This fluctuation in resistance and intensity occurs only when you do reps, however. It doesn’t happen when you do “static holds”, where the leverage and the intensity remain stable, throughout the entire exercise.

 

 

The Role of Rep Cadence (Speed of Execution of the Reps) in Determining Resistance

 

 

One frequently overlooked fact in strength-training and weight-training is that the “speed of execution of the reps” (a.k.a. the rep cadence) can have a big effect on the “amount of resistance” that the muscle has to work against. And thus, the rep cadence can also have a big effect on the level of intensity generated in the working muscle.

 

For example, imagine going though the eccentric phase of motion for the biceps curl, done unilaterally (only one arm at a time), using a 50 lb. dumbbell. The eccentric phase of motion is that part in your range of motion, where the muscle “elongates” and ” de-contracts dynamically“; as gravity pulls the weight towards the ground.

 

First, imagine letting the 50 lb. dumbbell “drop” through the eccentric phase of motion, entirely due to gravity. Obviously, there would be no resistance–induced contraction generated in the biceps, and thus no work for the biceps to do. And thus, there would be zero intensity.

 

Now remember: during the eccentric phase of motion, your muscle is not moving the weight at all. Gravity is always moving the weight during the eccentric phase of motion. During the eccentric phase, your muscle comes into play only to the extent that you “slow the weight down”, against the pull of gravity.

 

And the more you slow the weight down, the harder the muscle has to work, to resist the pull of gravity; and thus, the greater the resistance becomes. And the greater the resistance becomes, the more contraction (i.e. resistance-induced contraction) you generate in the muscle per unit of time. And thus, the higher the intensity becomes, at any given point in the eccentric phase of motion.

 

So now imagine using that same 50 lb. dumbbell to go through the eccentric phase of motion for the biceps curl “super-slowly”. That would be a lot more work for the biceps to do, than if you were to go through the eccentric phase quickly, with the same amount of weight. And that’s because the amount of resistance for the biceps to work against would be much higher. Which means that the amount of resistance-induced contraction (RC) generated “per unit time” would be much greater; resulting in a much higher level of intensity.

 

So what’s the primary difference between the above two examples, that accounts for the significant change in resistance, resistance-induced contraction (RC) and intensity? The only significant difference between the two is the rep cadence, or “speed of execution” of the reps. And that’s what accounts for all of those changes.

 

It’s also important to note that the rep cadence can fluctuate as you do reps. And if it does, that causes the amount of resistance to fluctuate. Which, in turn, causes the amount of resistance-induced contraction (RC)to fluctuate. And that, of course, causes the intensity to fluctuate.

 

That isn’t a problem when you perform “static holds’ however, since there is no rep cadence for those exercises.

 

It’s Not Only the Amount of Weight That Counts; Ultimately, It’s How You Use the Weight That Determines Intensity, and Muscle Growth!

 

Finally, what I’ve explained in the previous 3 sections brings out a very important, yet usually overlooked fact in strength-training, weight-training and bodybuilding:

 

It’s not only the amount of weight that you lift, or even just the amount of weight that the muscle “is actually working against”, that determines intensity and muscle growth. Ultimately, it’s “how you go about using” any given amount of amount of weight, that determines how much intensity you generate in the working muscle; and thus the amount of muscle that you’re likely to build.

 

So although you ideally want to use the heaviest weights you can, remember that a lighter weight used with a longer lever, a slower rep cadence (during the eccentric phase), or with a greater amount of dynamic contraction (DC) can actually generate greater intensity and build more muscle, than a heavier weight can; depending upon “how the weight is used“.

 

In Conclusion: Putting it All Together

 

So now that I’ve explained all 3 of the variables that determine resistance, the question is this: how do you generate maximum “resistance-induced contraction” (RC) in a muscle, so that you can generate maximum intensity, and thus achieve maximum muscle growth?

 

Simply stated, maximum resistance-induced contraction (RC) occurs when you combine those three variables in a way so as to generate the “highest level of resistance possible”; and that resistance is doing the exact opposite of what the working muscle is doing, at any point in time during the exercise.

 

Then when you combine maximum resistance-induced contraction (RC) with maximum dynamic contraction (DC) simultaneously, you get “maximum contraction per unit of time”. And that results in maximum intensity, which means that the muscle is working as hard as it possibly can. And that is the key to generating maximum muscle-growth stimulation, and building “maximum muscle in minimum time”.

 

Now, for a summary of all of the variables that determine exercise intensity, and for an analysis of some common, popular definitions for exercise intensity, read the next article in this series,

Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part V; the Big 5 Factors That Determine Exercise Intensity.

 

Comments? Questions” Care to agree or disagree? Feel free to do so!

 

 

 

How often have you heard or read about dynamic contraction? Probably not very often, if at all. In fact, this massive series of articles on “exercise intensity” may be your very first introduction to the term. And that’s because other than Maximum Intensity Training (MIT) and Maximum Intensity Strength Training (MIST), I’m not aware of any workout plans that even use the term dynamic contraction.

 

Nonetheless, dynamic contraction (DC), specifically maximum dynamic contraction “per unit of time”, is essential to triggering the anabolic process that can lead to maximum muscle growth. Because as I explained in the first article of this series, Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part I; Exercise Intensity Defined, exercise intensity is “the amount of contraction generated in the working muscle, per unit of time“.

 

And as I explained in the second article of this series, Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part II; Muscular Contraction Defined, there are two types of contraction that you need to maximize, in order to achieve maximum intensity; and thus maximum muscle growth. And dynamic contraction is one of them.

 

So how do you generate maximum dynamic contraction in the working muscle, when performing any strength-training or weight-training exercise?

 

 

How to Generate Maximum Dynamic  Contraction (DC) in a Muscle

 

 

Dynamic contraction is the type of muscular contraction that causes motion. So dynamic contraction simply refers to the process whereby a muscle contracts by “shortening”, usually in order to move a body part towards the working muscle. This is called the concentric phase of motion.

 

Imagine bending your arm with no added weight, so that your forearm moves toward your biceps. What enables you to perform that motion? It’s dynamic contraction. Obviously, you have to “activate” (i.e. “contract”) muscle fibers in your biceps to move the forearm towards the biceps. And as you do so, the amount of dynamic contraction in the biceps gradually increases.

 

And when the forearm is as close as it can get to the biceps and can move no farther, and you’ve reached the end of the concentric phase of motion, you have maximum dynamic contraction (DC) in the biceps, for that particular type of motion (i.e. bending the arm). And that’s your only point of maximum dynamic contraction in the biceps in your entire range of motion, for that type of motion.

 

So remember: every point in your range of motion has a different amount of dynamic contraction. And, since intensity is the “amount of muscular contraction that you generate per unit of time”, you want to generate as much dynamic contraction as you can per second; in order to increase the intensity of any weight-training exercise that you do.

 

And because maximum dynamic contraction (DC) is a requirement for achieving maximum intensity, you need to get to your point of maximum dynamic contraction (DC) when you’re weight-training, in order to achieve maximum intensity and maximum muscle growth.  And thus, it’s the only point in your range of motion where you have the potential to induce maximum protein synthesis, in the muscle fibers that are recruited for that particular motion.

 

Also, remember that whenever you perform reps (repetitions, or “repeated body motions”) of any kind, the amount of dynamic contraction (DC) constantly fluctuates; sometimes dropping down to zero. And that, of course, causes the intensity to constantly fluctuate; sometimes dropping down to zero.

 

 

Where Conventional Weight Training Exercises Fall Short on Dynamic Contraction

 

 

Amazingly, some of the most popular and highly-touted conventional weight-training exercises limit your range of motion so much, that it’s impossible to get to your points of maximum dynamic contraction (DC). And that’s why you’ll never achieve maximum intensity, or build maximum muscle from those exercises.

 

Those exercises include the lat pulldown, the overhead press, the dumbbell fly, the lateral raise, the front raise, the pull-up, and even the bench press, and the squat!

 

So it’s always ironic to hear people talk about using a “full range of motion” for the bench press, when there’s really no such thing. It’s impossible to use a full range of motion when doing the bench press. In fact, you can’t even come close.

 

Your range of motion when doing the bench press is actually so small, that it’s akin to doing the biceps curl and lifting the weight up only about 2-3 inches, and then lowering it. Do you think you’d ever build maximum muscle in your biceps by doing the biceps curl like that? No way!  Likewise, you won’t build maximum muscle in your pectoral muscles by doing the bench press either.

 

So basically, you’re actually doing “partial reps” whenever you do the bench press; although most people (even experts and personal trainers) are unaware of this fact. Furthermore, those partial reps are limited to your “weak range” of motion. And that’s where you have the least amount of dynamic contraction (DC), and the lowest potential for maximum muscle growth.

 

And if you are going to opt for partial reps for this particular type of motion (i.e. the one that works your pectoral muscles, when you do the bench press), you’d be much better off doing the partial reps in your “strong range” of motion, where you generate the most dynamic contraction. That way, you can at least generate “more contraction per unit of time”, and thus a “higher level of intensity“; and thus achieve more muscle growth, than you would by doing the partial reps in your weak range of motion.

 

For more on that, read my article, The Overrated Bench Press: Dethroning the King of Chest Exercises

 

So now that dynamic contraction has been covered in this article, how do you generate maximum resistance-induced contraction (RC) in the working muscle, when performing any weight-training exercise?

 

That’s a lot more complicated than achieving maximum dynamic contraction (DC), due to several variables that come into play. But I make it as easy-to- understand as I can in the follow-up article to this one:

Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part IV; The Role of Resistance-Induced Contraction

 

Comments? Questions? Care to agree or disagree? Feel free to do so!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Ironically, muscular contraction is a topic that isn’t discussed very often or very thoroughly, if at all, in most workout plans. But it definitely should be. Because as I stated in the first article of this series on exercise intensity, Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part I; Exercise Intensity Defined, exercise intensity is simply “the amount of muscular contraction generated in the working muscle per unit of time“.

 

And the more muscular contraction that you generate in the working muscle “per unit of time”, the harder the muscle is working, and the higher the intensity of the exercise. And thus, the greater the muscle growth stimulation is likely to be.

 

So to build maximum muscle, especially “maximum muscle in minimum time”, you need to get the muscle to work as hard as it possibly can, by generating “maximum muscular contraction  per second“, in the working muscle. That’s what maximum intensity is. And that’s simply a law of nature that applies to everyone.

 

So anyone who says that it’s impossible to come up with a single workout plan that works effectively for everyone is wrong. And that includes the late, great Joe Weider, one of the leading bodybuilding gurus of the 20th century; who made that statement in one of his books.

 

The truth is that any workout plan that defines exercise intensity correctly and completely (as defined above), and shows you how to apply that definition effectively to any strength-training or weight-training exercise that you do, will enable you to build maximum muscle; in 100% of all cases!

 

I also pointed out that muscular contraction, not motion, is what induces muscle protein synthesis (muscle growth). The truth is, you can build muscle without motion; but you can’t build muscle without muscular contraction.

 

And I emphasize this fact, because people are generally so obsessed with all of the “motions” that they do when they workout, that they miss out on the primary reason for all that motion; which is to generate as much muscular contraction as possible per second in the working muscle.  And the purpose of that, of course, is to achieve maximum intensity, and thus build maximum muscle; ideally “maximum muscle in minimum time”.

 

In fact, you’d probably be interested to know that the more motion that you generate “per unit of time” when strength-training or weight-training, the less muscular contraction you generate “per unit of time”; and thus, the lower the intensity of the exercise.  And the more muscular contraction that you generate “per unit of time”, the less motion you generate “per unit of time”; and thus, the higher the intensity of the exercise.

 

So, the amount of muscular contraction that you generate “per unit of time”, and the amount of motion that you generate “per unit of time”, are inversely proportional to each other.  Which means that the higher one is, the lower the other has to be. You’ll probably want to remember that during all of your workouts.

 

So how do you generate “maximum muscular contraction per second” in the working muscle, for any strength-training or weight-training exercise that you do?

 

To accomplish that, you obviously need to know what muscular contraction is.

 

 

Muscular Contraction Defined

 

 

Muscular contraction can be defined simply as “the activation of a muscle fiber”.  And when you’re strength-training or weight-training, you can activate a muscle fiber for two purposes:

 

1) To move a body part, such as when you bend your arm, or straighten your leg.

 

2)  To work against a “net external force”, such as that provided by a weight. That force is called resistance.

 

The first type of contraction is called dynamic contraction (DC). And that’s because it involves motion. This type of contraction generally involves a “shortening” of the muscle, as the moving body part is drawn towards the working muscle.

 

And the second type of contraction is labeled resistance–induced contraction (RC). And that’s because when you’re strength-training or weight-lifting, it’s caused by the “net external force”, or resistance that the muscle has to work against. This type of contraction does not require any motion; nor does it involve any shortening of the muscle.

 

I chose those terms for these two types of muscular contraction when I developed Maximum Intensity Training (MIT) and Maximum Intensity Strength Training (MIST).  And that’s because when I came up with those two workout plans, I had never found any other workout plans (and I analyzed many) that clearly differentiated between these two types of muscular contraction.

 

And if your goal is to achieve maximum intensity, so that you can build “maximum muscle in minimum time”, it’s very important to distinguish between the two. And that’s not only because of the crucial role that both dynamic contraction(DC) and resistance–induced contraction (RC) play in the process of muscular hypertrophy. It’s also because whenever you do reps of any kind, both types of muscular contraction constantly fluctuate; often dropping down to zero. And that, of course, causes the intensity of the exercise to constantly fluctuate; sometimes dropping down to zero.

 

So it often happens that you might have maximum dynamic contraction (DC) at a certain point in your range of motion; but zero resistance-induced contraction (RC) at that point. Then at another point in your range of motion, you might have maximum resistance–induced contraction (RC), but zero dynamic contraction (DC).

 

And since intensity is the “amount of contraction that you generate in the working muscle per unit of time (per second)”, you obviously need to maximize both dynamic contraction (DC) and resistance–induced contraction (RC) simultaneously, throughout the entire exercise; in order to achieve maximum intensity, and thus maximum muscle growth.

 

Combining maximum dynamic contraction (DC) with maximum resistance-induced contraction (RC) simultaneously provides the “ultimate trigger” in the central nervous system (CNS), that’s needed to induce maximum muscle protein synthesis.

 

So, think about it: since muscular contraction is the “activation of a muscle fiber”, should it come as any surprise to learn that you have to activate (i.e. “contract”) a muscle fiber, in order to get it to grow bigger and stronger?

 

Furthermore, should it come as a surprise to learn that maximally activating the fiber (as when you combine maximum DC with maximum RC simultaneously) is the key to maximum growth of the muscle fiber, and thus the entire muscle?

 

No, it’s no surprise at all. It actually makes sense. Basically, it means that you’re getting the muscle fiber to “work harder” than it would when it’s less activated; as hard it can in fact, at it’s maximum level. And getting the muscle to “work as hard as it possibly can” is what triggers the process that leads to maximum growth in the muscle fiber.

 

In Conclusion

 

So, to sum it up:

 

MAXIMUM DYNAMIC CONTRACTION per unit of time + MAXIMUM RESISTANCE-INDUCED per unit of time =

MAXIMUM MUSCULAR CONTRACTION per unit of time = MAXIMUM INTENSITY = MAXIMUM MUSCLE GROWTH

 

So now that you know what muscular contraction is, how do you generate maximum dynamic contraction (DC)?

 

How do you generate maximum resistance-induced contraction (RC)?

 

How do you combine those two types of muscular contraction simultaneously, to achieve maximum intensity, and thus build “maximum muscle in minimum time”?

 

To learn the answers to those questions, start with the follow-up article to this one,

Exercise Intensity: the #1 Key to Building Muscle, Part III; The Role of Dynamic Contraction

 

Comments? Questions? Care to agree or disagree? Feel free to do so!