Menno Henselmans on Stretch-Mediated Hypertrophy

Published: Nov. 16, 2022, 11 a.m.

Does training at different muscle lengths affect how quickly the muscles grow? In this interview, Menno Henselmans and I discuss new research on stretch-mediated hypertrophy and the role muscle lengths play in combination with mechanical tension. This is something Mike Israetel and I briefly touched on in our recent interview on partial reps versus full-ROM training, but in this discussion, Menno and I talk about the latest science of resistance training at long muscle lengths, including a new meta-analysis that isn\u2019t published yet.

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Menno has been on my podcast many times on my podcast, but in case you\u2019re not familiar with him, he\u2019s a former business consultant turned international public speaker, educator, writer, published scientist, and physique coach who\u2019s passionate about helping serious athletes attain their ideal physiques.

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In this interview, Menno and I talk about . . .

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- What stretch-mediated hypertrophy is, possible mechanisms behind it, and whether you should modify your training to incorporate more of it

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- Active tension versus passive tension

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- The actual reason why full-ROM training is effective

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- Specific guidance on how to modify and tweak exercises for more loaded stretching \xa0(including Bayesian curls, flyes, leg extension tips, and \u201cskull-overs\u201d)

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- Static stretching between sets (its effects and whether you should do it)

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- And more . . .

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So if you want to learn what the science says about training at longer muscle lengths, and how to incorporate more stretch-mediated hypertrophy in your program, definitely check out this interview!

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Timestamps

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(0:00) - My award-winning fitness books for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

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(4:22) - What is stretch-mediated hypertrophy?

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(6:28) - What is passive tension and active tension?

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(11:00) - Can muscles get longer, not just bigger?

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(15:34) - What are your thoughts on modifying full range of motion training?

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(28:06) - Are there modifications to exercises that can make them more efficient?

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(42:21) - What are your thoughts on different height positions for flyes?

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(45:03) - Can you explain skull overs?

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(48:17) - Are there any other modifications you want to cover?

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(50:15) - Does the position of the wrists affect pec activation?

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(58:22) - Where can we find you?

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Mentioned on the Show:

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My award-winning fitness books for men and women: https://legionathletics.com/products/books/

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Menno\u2019s Youtube channel: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCmO2dykYM3nlb5BtsXxp9ZQ

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Menno\u2019s Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/mennohenselmans

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Menno\u2019s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/menno.henselmans/