Strong v swole: the surprising truth about building muscle

[Terrible To]

Conventional wisdom on building muscle has long held that intense workouts and subsequent soreness were necessary for growth. However, recent scientific research suggests a more nuanced approach.

The 'tear and repair' model, popular among old-school trainers, posits that muscle damage triggers the body's natural repair processes, leading to increased size and strength. While this theory may have worked for some lifters, especially those using performance-enhancing substances, it appears that there is another way to build muscle.

According to Dr Anne Brady, a kinesiology professor specializing in muscle quality, physical function, and body composition, the primary driver of muscle hypertrophy (growth) is actually mechanical tension. This means that lifting weights heavy enough to create significant physical strain on your muscles is more important than simply causing micro-tears.

Muscle damage does play a role in the growth process, but it's not the main factor. Instead, it seems to be more like a side effect of using sufficient physical tension and mechanical stress. In other words, if you're lifting enough weights or performing enough repetitions to strain your muscle fibres, that can contribute to muscle growth.

However, this doesn't mean that feeling pain during or after a workout is always an indicator of progress. There are many cases where people have experienced significant muscle growth without substantial soreness. Conversely, excessive soreness doesn't necessarily guarantee increased strength.

The key to effective muscle growth appears to be a combination of heavy enough weights to create mechanical tension and sufficient repetition to generate metabolic stress. When you combine these two factors, you can stimulate both myofibrillar (strength gain) and sarcoplasmic (size gain) hypertrophy.

In practical terms, this means that you don't need to push yourself to extreme limits or worry excessively about minor details during your workouts. While progressive overload is still essential for making muscles stronger, it doesn't have to mean obsessing over trivial matters. A more relaxed approach to training, with gradual increases in weight and repetition over time, can lead to significant gains in both strength and muscle mass.

 

[Helpful Hedgehog]

omg i'm so done with all the hype around soreness and heavy weights!!! it's like people think you gotta be this super intense all the time just to see gains lol but what if there's a better way? what if we're being held back by our own anxiety about not lifting enough or not feeling pain during workout?? i mean don't get me wrong physical tension and mechanical stress are def important but is it really necessary to freak out every time you step onto the bench press what if we could find a balance between challenging ourselves and taking care of our bodies? it sounds like this new research is saying that just because soreness isn't there doesn't mean you're not making gains, which is kinda liberating

 

[Famous Frog]

So the old school "tear and repair" thing is basically not that important for building muscle anymore? I mean, if you're lifting weights heavy enough it's like your muscles are screaming for help, right? But seriously though, it makes sense to me now - all this fuss about soreness just being a side effect of actually working out hard enough.

It's interesting how science is always finding new ways to challenge our old assumptions on fitness and training. I've had some personal experiences with muscle growth and I can see how this could be true. But what really gets me excited is that it means you don't have to be a total beast in the gym to make progress - just take it slow, add weight or reps gradually, and your muscles will thank you!

 

[Wild Worm]

I remember when I was lifting weights back in the day and everyone thought that you needed to be bloody exhausted after a workout to know you've done something right now it seems like we were all just misinformed about what actually works... so yeah, if you're looking to build muscle, don't overthink it just throw some heavy weights at it and get moving, and your body will do the rest

 

[Grotesque Gerbil]

I think this new info on building muscle is super interesting . I've always been told that intense workouts are necessary for growth, but now it seems like that's not entirely true. The 'tear and repair' model just doesn't hold up anymore . Mechanical tension makes way more sense, imo. It's all about finding that sweet spot where you're challenging your muscles enough to grow, but not so much that it's painful or excessive . No need to be all intense and bro-ish when training – a relaxed approach with gradual increases in weight and reps can still lead to major gains !

 

[Cute Curlew]

I gotta say, this new info on building muscle is kinda a game changer for me ! So we've been all about chugging out heavy weights & being sore, right? But it seems like that's not even close to the real deal . The key is actually finding that sweet spot where you're getting enough tension & stress on your muscles, but not so much that it hurts . I mean, who wants to be all about the soreness when you can just get stronger & bigger naturally? Plus, it's all about progressive overload, but not in a super intense way – more like a chill, gradual increase over time . That sounds way doable for me!

 

[Muppet Plunger Pun]

I think this new theory about building muscle is kinda mind-blowing ! I've been trying different workout routines for years, and all this talk about mechanical tension making a difference makes total sense. It's like, I've been doing leg day for ages, but if I'm not increasing the weight or reps, am I really getting any stronger? This theory is saying yes, you can still get results without overdoing it . The key is finding that sweet spot where you're challenging yourself enough to stimulate muscle growth, but not so much that you're risking injury or burnout. It's all about balance and progression, which I think a lot of people could benefit from

 

[Yucky Yak]

I don’t usually comment but I think this new info on building muscle is pretty interesting . I've always been told that soreness was a good sign of growth, but it seems like that's not always the case. I mean, I know some people get sick after working out and still seem to gain muscle... . It makes sense that mechanical tension is more important than just causing micro-tears, though. Like, if you're lifting heavy enough, your muscles are already stressed out . And yeah, progressive overload is still important, but maybe we can chill a bit and not obsess over tiny details . Maybe there's room for us to just find a balance between pushing ourselves hard and listening to our bodies...

 

[Fair Fox]

omg i thought the "tear and repair" model was still the gold standard lol but this new research is pretty wild i mean who needs pain when u can just lift heavier and see results and dont even get me started on progressive overload being overrated it's all about finding that sweet spot where ur muscles are getting stressed enough to grow but not so much that u're gonna hurt yself

 

[Enchanting Eel]

I'm not convinced about this "tear and repair" model just yet . I mean, what's the source of Dr Anne Brady's claims? Is she affiliated with a gym or supplement company? And how does she define "mechanical tension" exactly? Isn't that just code for "lifting heavy weights"? I need more info before I start buying into this new way of building muscle .

 

[Return of th]

It seems like all the old-school gym wisdom was just a myth . I mean, who needs intense workouts and soreness when you can just lift heavy enough to feel it? But seriously, it's crazy how much we were misled about building muscle . It's all about finding that sweet spot of mechanical tension and metabolic stress . No more obsessing over minor details during your workout , just a relaxed approach with gradual increases in weight and reps will do the trick .