Body Building Weightlifting Is All About The Negative
Article by Jim O’Connor
Body building weight training enthusiasts always flock to one another in the gym looking for that magic muscle building button. One really doesn’t exists naturally, but there is a proven body building workout technique that is second to none. This weightlifting technique is probably responsible for more muscle than any other. However, it puzzles me why is it not used as often. If you are a body builder looking for quick muscle building results in the shortest possible time, begin using the body building weight lifting technique I describe below.
As with any body building tip or technique it is useless you actually apply it. Just by knowing what to do without taking action is a total waste.
In body building, in order for the muscle development process to occur, there needs to be a high intensity stimulus placed upon the musculature system. When your muscles are overloaded in force greater than at a previous time, the human body requires that particular muscle group to hypertrophy, or increase larger. Thus, there is an rise in muscle strength, and size. The muscle system adapts to any added stress placed upon it.
A large overload of force must be placed upon the muscular system in order for body building weight training muscle results to occur. The stronger the force or weight hoisted, the greater degree the muscle will be stimulated for maximum muscle growth. Therefore, in order for this muscle building process to occur, certain intensity generating body building weight training techniques must be incorporated into your weightlifting program.
One of the most effective body building weight training techniques is the negative, or also called eccentric contraction training. Negative training places a huge demand on the muscle, even more so than just lifting a conventional weight. This added stress is what is responsible for delivering rapid muscle building results.
A negative or eccentric contraction is when is a specific type of muscle contraction in which the resistance is greater than the force applied by the muscle so that the muscle lengthens as it contracts. Think of an extremely heavy weight being placed in your hand, and you are not able to hold it up. Trying to hoist this weight up every muscle fiber is trying to lift it, but the force is just too challenging so your arm, with the heavy weight attached to it, quickly begins to slower o the ground. Think of it as a brake trying to stop the resistance from moving forward.
Other specific examples included doing a bench press. When you push the bar all the way into full arm extension you slowly lower the bar back down to your chest. Slowly lowering the bar down, trying to hold the load up, is what is called an eccentric contraction.
The human muscle system can lift up to 40% more weight during the eccentric contraction as compared to the concentric muscle contraction. The concentric muscle contraction, or positive motion during a lift, is when there is a shortening of the muscle fibers. Another words, the positive motion is considered movements such as curling, pressing, or pulling down the resistance.
The 40% more weight or resistance placed upon a targeted muscle increases your training intensity, or places a greater demand on the muscle. Thus, providing the optimal stimulus for body building muscle growth, and development.
Why can the human body lift more resistance on the negative repetition compared to the positive, concentric muscle contraction? It all comes down to one work- intra muscular friction. The friction on the regular, concentric muscle contraction is much higher as compared to the negative rep. Therefore, the human body can lift more during the eccentric contraction versus the concentric. This is why negatives are important to incorporate into a successful body building weight lifting program.
When doing a negative it is always best to utilize a spotter or two at your side to help lift the heavier weight back to its normal starting position so you can attempt to hold the weight up again for yet another rep as gravity helps force it down. Your goal should be to try and slowly lower the weight for a count of 8-10 seconds. Continue to fight the repetition by not letting it get back down to its original starting point of a repetition until these 8-10 seconds have expired. Do to such an extremely high weight training intensity, it is recommended not to perform this highly effective muscle building technique more than a few times each month for each of your main weightlifting movements.
Please be advised that the negative body building weight training technique is proven to increase the damage in the muscle fibers, and intensify the delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS). It is always wise to consult your physician prior to engaging in such a high intensity body building weight training protocol. This extra muscle fiber trauma is a result of higher intensity training. Along with higher intensity training comes quicker muscle mass increases.
For an extra body building weight training edge, turn to the negative, or eccentric contraction. Doing so will not only significantly improve your strength, but muscle size too. The muscle building technique takes only a few short seconds, and has helped hundreds of people achieve quick body building muscle results.
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Jim O’Connor – Exercise Physiologist
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Jim O’Connor, A Beverly Hills celebrity fitness consultant, has conducted thousands of personal fitness consultations with celebrities, business executives, and highly motivated individuals throughout Los Angeles. He is the Chief Exercise Physiologist for Wellness WORD, LLC, a health, fitness, and nutrition promotion company. He is the author of popular Wellness Word Multimedia Newsletter.
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