By Dr. Davide Marciano
The effectiveness of this technique is carried out in making the muscle work in its entire range of motion, furthermore it makes use of the Myotatic Reflex thanks to which there is a greater muscular stress.
What is the myotatic reflex?
Without going too far into specifics, when you reach the maximum muscle stretch in an exercise (for example, the low position of the crosses on bench) and immediately reverse the direction, a larger part of muscle fibers contracts.
This reflex allows a hypercontraction of the muscle, therefore a greater growth.
According to the author, most bodybuilders ignore the stretch position and that's why it takes a lifetime to get good results. In addition to the stretch position, it is also inserted into the intermediate and contraction positions through which there is a synergy towards muscle growth.
The intermediate position consists in the use of multi-joint exercises, as they force the muscles to work in synergy. Thanks to this work, it is possible to lift more load and achieve greater growth thanks to a remarkable hormonal response.
Finally, the contraction position includes all those exercises that allow you to maintain muscular resistance throughout the entire range of movement. Due to this resistance opposition the contraction position is performed after a movement in the stretch position. This sequence of exercises (first stretching and then contraction) allows a greater recruitment of the muscle fibers.
Therefore in training you will have to perform an exercise in an intermediate position, then in a stretch position and finally in a position of contraction.
Exercises in intermediate position:
| Quadriceps | Squat / Leg Press |
| Femoral biceps | Off the ground with legs extended (the highest part of the movement) |
| Calves | Leg curl with extended toes |
| Great Dorsal | Lat machine or chest pulls |
| Central part of the back | Lat machine or Pull-ups behind the neck |
| Lower chest | Distension on a flat or declined bench |
| Upper chest | Incline bench press |
| deltoids | Slow forward |
| Biceps | Curl with barbell |
| Triceps | Narrow bench |
| abdominal | Sit up / knees in the chest while lying down |
Exercises in stretch position:
| Quadriceps | Sissy Squat |
| Femoral biceps | Deadlift to the legs (the lowest part of the movement) |
| Calves | Tip lifting at 90 ° or at the Press |
| Great Dorsal | Pullover |
| Central part of the back | Rower with handlebar or cable one arm only |
| Lower chest | Crosses on a flat or declined bench |
| Upper chest | Inclined bench crosses |
| deltoids | Lateral risers only one arm on inclined bench |
| Biceps | Inclined bench curl |
| Triceps | Extensions above the head |
| abdominal | Crunch on a curved bench |
Exercises in contraction position:
| Quadriceps | Leg extension |
| Femoral biceps | Leg curl |
| Calves | Tip lifting in an upright position |
| Great Dorsal | Pushed down with outstretched arms or rowing with supination hold |
| Central part of the back | Rower or raise to 90 ° |
| Lower chest | Crosses with cables |
| Upper chest | Crosses on the inclined cables |
| deltoids | Side raises or pulled to the chin |
| Biceps | Concentrated or corded curl |
| Triceps | Extensions one arm behind the head or pushed down |
| abdominal | Crunch with reduced range of motion |
