How To Train For Pure Muscle Growth

Summary

In this video, the focus is on maximizing pure muscle growth through five critical bodybuilding principles. The video emphasizes the importance of tension as the primary driver of muscle growth and introduces 'bodybuilding technique' for optimal tension application. It advises on proper lifting tempo, full range of motion, controlled effort, and the necessity of progressive overload for continuous muscle development. The video also advocates for high-tension exercises and discusses the role of training variables like volume and rest periods in muscle hypertrophy.

Takeaways

• 💪 Tension is the primary factor for muscle growth, causing a biochemical response that signals muscles to grow.
• 🏋️‍♂️ Bodybuilding technique is distinct from powerlifting, emphasizing controlled tempo and full range of motion for maximum tension.
• 📉 Controlled negative tempo (2-4 seconds) is crucial for muscle hypertrophy, as it places more emphasis on the eccentric phase of lifts.
• 🚀 Explosive concentric movements should follow slow negatives to maximize muscle tension and growth.
• 🙅‍♂️ Avoid 'cheating' on form; maintain proper technique to ensure target muscles receive the most tension.
• 💥 Pushing sets close to failure is key for maximizing muscle growth, as it stimulates greater hypertrophic response.
• 🔁 Progressive overload is essential to avoid plateaus; increase reps, add weight, or improve technique to continually challenge muscles.
• 🏋️‍♀️ High-tension exercises are preferable for pure hypertrophy training, offering better stimulus-to-fatigue ratios.
• 🔄 Variety in exercises is important for muscle growth; machines and cable exercises can be superior for targeting specific muscles.
• 📚 The 'Pure Bodybuilding' program offers a structured approach to maximize muscle growth with specific exercise demos and coaching cues.

Q & A

What is the primary focus of the video?

The primary focus of the video is to explain how to train for pure muscle growth, outlining five crucial bodybuilding principles that must be followed to maximize muscular development.

What is the first principle discussed in the video for maximizing muscle growth?

The first principle discussed is 'Tension is King,' emphasizing that tension is the primary factor driving muscle growth, which occurs when muscles stretch and contract under load.

What is 'bodybuilding technique' as mentioned in the video?

Bodybuilding technique refers to a specific type of exercise performance that differs from powerlifting technique and common gym practices. It includes controlled tempo, full range of motion, and minimizing momentum to maximize muscle tension.

How does the video suggest managing the tempo during exercise for muscle hypertrophy?

The video suggests a controlled tempo for bodybuilding, with a 2 to 4 second negative (lowering phase) and a faster, more explosive concentric (lifting phase) to maximize muscle growth.

What is the importance of range of motion in bodybuilding exercises as per the video?

The video emphasizes the importance of a proper range of motion, usually a full range, to ensure the muscle is sufficiently stretched during lifting to maximize hypertrophy, with some exceptions where partial reps in the stretched aspect of the lift can be more effective.

Why is it important to push sets hard according to the video?

Pushing sets hard is important because research shows that most people don't push their sets close enough to failure to stimulate new hypertrophy, which is necessary for muscle growth.

What does the video say about the effectiveness of training to failure for muscle growth?

The video presents conflicting evidence on training to failure. While one meta-analysis suggests that training closer to failure leads to more muscle growth, another suggests there's no superiority of training to failure over non-failure training for hypertrophy.

What is the 'progressive overload principle' discussed in the video?

The progressive overload principle is about increasing some training variable, such as weight, reps, or improving technique, from week to week to continue stimulating muscle growth and avoid plateaus.

Why should high tension exercises be chosen according to the video?

High tension exercises should be chosen because they place high levels of tension on the target muscles, which is essential for muscle growth. The video suggests that machine and cable-based exercises often provide a better stimulus to fatigue ratio for pure hypertrophy training.

What does the video suggest about the role of training volume in muscle growth?

The video suggests that training volume is important for muscle growth up to a point, and it's recommended to do two to three sets on most exercises, with the last set taken to failure to maximize volume and stimulate growth.

What additional resources are offered at the end of the video?

At the end of the video, the presenter offers a new pure bodybuilding program for pre-order, which includes a full 10-week plan, the hypertrophy handbook, and the pure bodybuilding nutrition booklet, all designed to support muscle growth.

Outlines

00:00

💪 Maximizing Muscle Growth: The Importance of Tension

The video focuses on training for pure muscle growth, emphasizing five critical bodybuilding principles. The first principle is 'tension is King,' highlighting that tension, the force experienced by muscles during stretching and contraction, is crucial for muscle growth. The video suggests using bodybuilding technique, which includes controlled tempo, full range of motion, and avoiding cheating on form to maximize tension. It also stresses the importance of pushing sets hard to stimulate muscle growth, and the need for progressive overload to prevent plateaus by increasing training variables such as weight, reps, or improving technique.

05:02

🏋️‍♂️ Bodybuilding Techniques and Training to Failure

The video discusses the use of bodybuilding techniques to ensure maximum muscle tension, such as controlled negative movements and explosive concentric movements. It also addresses the debate on training to failure, presenting findings from recent meta-analyses that suggest a spike in muscle growth as one approaches failure. The video advises doing two to three sets with the last set taken to failure, while earlier sets should leave one or two reps in reserve. Additionally, it introduces a new bodybuilding program designed for muscle growth, emphasizing less demanding exercises for better recovery and pushing sets closer to failure.

10:03

📈 Progressive Overload and Choosing High-Tension Exercises

The video emphasizes the principle of progressive overload to continuously challenge muscles and avoid plateaus. It outlines various ways to apply this principle, such as increasing reps or weight, improving technique, or enhancing the mind-muscle connection. Furthermore, the video discusses the selection of high-tension exercises for optimal muscle stimulation, advocating for a mix of machine and cable exercises due to their high stimulus-to-fatigue ratio. It contrasts this with compound free weight exercises, which, while beneficial, may not be as efficient for pure hypertrophy due to their high fatigue demand. The video concludes with a recommendation for a new bodybuilding program designed to kickstart muscle growth, including a comprehensive guide and tailored exercise demos.

Keywords

💡Tension

Tension refers to the force experienced by muscles when they stretch and contract under load. In the context of the video, it is highlighted as the primary factor driving muscle growth. The script emphasizes that tension is what triggers a biochemical signaling cascade, leading the muscle to adapt and grow larger. The video suggests that to maximize muscle growth, one must maximize tension on the muscle, which is a central theme of the training principles discussed.

💡Bodybuilding Technique

Bodybuilding Technique is a specific way of performing exercises that differs from powerlifting or general fitness lifting. The video describes it as a method to ensure maximum tension on the muscles, which is crucial for muscle growth. This technique involves controlled tempo, full range of motion, and minimizing momentum to keep the target muscle under tension. The script provides examples such as a controlled 2 to 4 second negative on the lowering phase of an exercise to maximize the muscle's stretch and contraction.

💡Tempo

Tempo in bodybuilding refers to the speed at which one performs the different phases of an exercise. The video stresses the importance of a controlled tempo, particularly a slow eccentric (lowering) phase, for muscle growth. It contrasts this with the common practice of quickly lifting weights and neglecting the lowering phase. The script advises a slow and controlled negative with a faster concentric (lifting) phase to optimize muscle tension and growth.

💡Range of Motion

Range of Motion (ROM) is the extent of movement a joint can make, and in bodybuilding, it's about how far one moves a weight through its full arc. The video explains that a full ROM is generally beneficial for muscle growth as it allows for a deep stretch of the muscle fibers. However, it also notes that sometimes partial reps, especially in the stretched position, can be more effective. The script gives examples of exercises where going below parallel in squats or fully extending in presses can enhance the stretch and, consequently, muscle growth.

💡Momentum

Momentum in the context of the video refers to the use of body swing or other forms of assistance to move weights, which can reduce the tension on the target muscle. The script advises against cheating on form and using momentum, as it can detract from the muscle's ability to grow by not applying sufficient tension. Proper form and controlled movements are emphasized to ensure the target muscle is under the most tension possible.

💡Progressive Overload

Progressive Overload is a principle in strength training where one systematically increases the stress placed upon the body during exercise to cause adaptation and growth. The video explains that to continue muscle growth, one must continually challenge the muscles by adding weight, reps, or improving technique over time. The script provides examples of how to apply progressive overload, such as increasing the number of reps or the weight used in subsequent training weeks.

💡Stimulus to Fatigue Ratio

Stimulus to Fatigue Ratio is a concept introduced by Dr. Mike Israetel, which compares the amount of muscle tension (stimulus) an exercise provides to the fatigue it causes. The video suggests that for pure muscle growth, exercises with a high stimulus to fatigue ratio are preferable. This means exercises that provide a lot of tension with less fatigue are more effective for hypertrophy. The script contrasts this with compound lifts like deadlifts, which are high in stimulus but also high in fatigue.

💡Mind-Muscle Connection

Mind-Muscle Connection refers to the mental focus and awareness one has on the muscle being worked during an exercise. The video suggests that enhancing this connection can increase muscle growth by better targeting the muscle with tension. The script implies that focusing on the muscle's contraction and relaxation can improve the effectiveness of an exercise, potentially leading to greater hypertrophy.

💡Volume

Volume in bodybuilding refers to the total amount of work performed for a particular muscle group during a workout, typically measured in sets and reps. The video mentions that while pushing sets to failure can be beneficial, doing so on all sets may lead to reduced volume due to fatigue, which can hinder muscle growth. The script advises a balance between pushing hard on the last set while maintaining volume in earlier sets to optimize muscle growth.

💡Machine and Cable Exercises

Machine and cable exercises are types of strength training that use weight machines or resistance cables. The video argues that these exercises can be superior for hypertrophy training due to their ability to provide continuous tension throughout the range of motion and potentially cause less fatigue compared to free weights. The script contrasts machine exercises, like the cable curl, with free weight exercises, highlighting how machines can offer a more consistent tension profile.

Highlights

Tension is the primary factor driving muscle growth.

Maximize tension on a muscle through specific bodybuilding techniques.

Use a controlled tempo for bodybuilding exercises, emphasizing the lowering phase.

Pair slower eccentric movements with faster concentric movements for optimal muscle stimulation.

Employ a full range of motion in exercises, with an emphasis on the stretched aspect for hypertrophy.

Maintain proper form to ensure target muscles receive the majority of the tension.

Push sets hard to maximize muscle growth, approaching failure for optimal stimulus.

Recent meta-analysis suggests a spike in muscle growth as reps approach failure.

Apply progressive overload by increasing reps, weight, or improving technique over time.

Choose exercises with a high stimulus to fatigue ratio for pure hypertrophy training.

Machine and cable-based exercises provide high tension with less fatigue, ideal for bodybuilding.

Free weights have their advantages but may not be as optimal for pure muscle growth due to higher fatigue.

Variety in exercises and novelty is beneficial for continued muscle growth.

Training split and rest periods are important but less critical than other factors for muscle growth.

Specialized hypertrophy techniques can be helpful for advanced trainees.

The Pure Bodybuilding program offers a structured approach to maximize muscle growth.

The program includes a variety of exercises and coaching cues for effective muscle stimulation.

Transcripts

in this video I'm going to explain how

to train for Pure muscle growth and I'm

going to lay out five crucial

bodybuilding principles that must be

followed to maximize your muscular

development this video isn't about how

to get stronger it isn't about how to

get both bigger and stronger this video

is about maximizing pure muscle

gain chapter 1 tension is

King okay so the first non-negotiable

principle is that tension is King at

this point tension is universally

recognized as the primary factor driving

muscle growth tension is the force that

our muscles experience when they stretch

and contract under load if you think of

each muscle fiber as a rope in a tug of

war that stretching and pulling on the

rope is tension that tension then causes

a biochemical signaling Cascade that

ultimately tells the muscle it needs to

grow bigger so how do we maximize

tension on a muscle well answering that

question leads us into the four

remaining

principles chapter 2 use bodybuilding

technique to ensure maximum tension we

need to perform exercises using a

specific type of technique that I'm

calling bodybuilding technique this

technique is different from powerlifting

technique and it's different from how

most people lift I was at an LA Fitness

Gym the other day and I noticed just how

few people actually use bodybuilding

technique almost nobody was taking all

the boxes the first box is lifting tempo

for bodybuilding we generally want a

controlled 2 to 4 second negative if

you're used to just letting the weight

free fall this will feel quite slow at

first but this is important because

research shows that the lowering phase

or the Ecentric is very likely more

important for muscle growth in the

positive phase or concentric yet for

whatever reason most people lift as if

the opposite were true most people just

try to get the weight up and then forget

about lowering it back down especially

as they get tired toward the end of a

set but this is a mistake because the

Reps toward the end of a set are the

most hypertrophic and the negative is

the most important part of each rep so

you really want to control and resist

the negative especially on those last

few reps new re Arch also indicates that

for muscle hypertrophy slower Ecentric

movements should be paired with faster

concentric movements this means that

while you want to go nice and slow on

the negative you should be more forceful

and explosive on the positive so if I'm

doing a hack squat I'm thinking control

control control on the way down and then

speed as I explode on the way up on

lateral raises I'm resisting the weight

on the way down and then driving the

dumbbells up and out forcefully on the

positive the same tempo should apply to

most exercises in your routine next

bodybuilding technique means using a

proper range of motion usually this

means using a full range of motion so

you get to at least parallel on squat

type exercises and ideally a bit below

parallel you bring the dumbbells all the

way down on presses until you feel a

nice deep stretch in your pecs and on

pull-ups you go all the way up and all

the way down however there is some

important Nuance here because recently a

number of Studies have shown that full

range of motion isn't always better for

muscle growth partial reps are sometimes

more effective but only when they're

done in the stretched aspect of the lift

in other words the stretch stretched

part is more hypertrophic than the

squeezed part so the bottom half of a

cable curl is more important than the

top half of a cable curl the bottom half

of a squat is more important than the

top half of a squat so you may not

necessarily always need to use a full

range of motion but you do need to get

the muscle sufficiently stretched while

lifting to maximize hypertrophy so if

you're not feeling a deep stretch at the

bottom of the range of motion you should

try to find that stretch by going a bit

deeper if going deeper causes you pain

or serious discomfort you can work on

any flexibility or Mobility deficit or

you can find a different exercise that

allows you to reach that deep stretch

because it really is that important

another thing I've been noticing a lot

at the gym is that most people do quite

a lot of cheating on their form probably

too much cheating to maximize muscle

growth that's because you can move the

weight without actually applying much

tension to the Target muscle for example

if I curl the weight up while leaning

back and forth I'm shifting tension away

from the biceps and onto the lower back

so we want to ensure that the target

muscle is receiving most of the tension

which means keeping momentum under

control

chapter three

effort you need to push sets hard and

unfortunately research consistently

shows that most people simply don't push

their sets hard enough to maximize

muscle growth it's very common to see

people hitting the gym year after year

but making no noticeable progress in

most cases this isn't because they'

maxed out their natural potential

instead it's usually because they simply

aren't pushing their sets close enough

to failure to stimulate new hypertrophy

so how hard is hard enough and how

important is going to failure well since

I published my last video on this topic

there's been a bombshell of a new meta

analysis that is the science-based

lifting Community buzzing and I need to

update a few things first I want to

quickly announce that I just launched my

new pure bodybuilding program for

pre-order over on Jeff ner.me

here's a sneak peek at week one day one

of the full body version of the program

we start with three sets of cross body

lat pull rounds which offer an insane

stretch on the lats then we do lwi

incline Smith machine press for the pecs

Which is less demanding than a freee

barbell press then it's on to machine

hip adductions to get the legs nice and

warmed up for leg press again another

low impact exercise that we can push

harder without generating tons of

fatigue and then we finish with some

face PS and cable crunches so by

prioritizing exercises that are less

costly recoverywise we're a to push them

much closer to failure without feeling

completely wrecked anyway you can

pre-order the full 10we plan at 30% off

for the pre-sale and I'll put a link to

that in the description box down below

so this is the new meta analysis which

found that as you get closer and closer

to failure the more muscle growth you

tend to see and this is their bombshell

figure that you've probably seen

floating around online here on the

x-axis we have reps in reserve so this

point here at zero would be failure

where you couldn't do another rep if you

tried this point would be two rep shy of

failure this would be 10 rep shy of

failure all the way down down to 22 rep

shy of failure which would basically

just be the easiest set imaginable and

then here on the y- AIS is muscle growth

and as you can see from the trend line

as you get closer and closer to failure

you see more and more muscle growth in

fact as you go from two reps in the tank

to zero reps in the tank muscle growth

really spikes up so naturally a lot of

people who endorse high-intensity to

failure training have been using this

study to make their case that if you

want to maximize muscle growth you need

to push sets all the way to failure and

I do think they have a pretty good case

for that training approach with this

study however what I haven't seen them

showing is this other brand new meta

analysis from 2022 which pulled 15

studies based on slightly different

inclusion criteria and came to a

different conclusion quote there is no

evidence to support that resistance

training performed to momentary muscular

failure is superior to non-failure

resistance training for muscle

hypertrophy so what's going on here well

it seems that depending on which

specific studies you include and how you

run the statistics you can either come

away from this body of science thinking

that going all the way to failure really

is a lot better for muscle growth or

that going all the way to failure

doesn't actually offer a meaningful

benefit over stopping a few reps shy the

evidence is conflicting so what should

we do practically speaking well this is

my takeaway do two to three sets on most

exercises and take the last set all the

way to failure for the first one or two

sets leave one or two reps in the tank

if you were to go to failure on all sets

you'd most likely be very fatigued by

the last set which means you'd get less

reps and hit less volume as a result we

know from other research that volume is

also important for muscle growth up to a

point now rather than do a full deep

dive on training volume I'll just put a

text summary up here on screen that you

guys can pause and read for more detail

on that so leave a few reps in the tank

for the earlier sets and send it to Hell

on the last set I also pretty much

always leave a rep or two in the tank on

heavy free weight compound exercises

like squats bench presses and deadlifts

even on the last set simply because

going to failure is so

disproportionately fatiguing that it's

not worth the risk on these movements

but that's also part of the reason why

those exercises aren't emphasized in my

pure bodybuilding program

chapter four give your muscles a reason

to

grow to build bigger muscles we need to

give them a good reason to grow if we

keep doing the exact same thing week

after week and month after month our

muscle growth will fairly quickly

Plateau so to keep things progressing

you need to apply the progressive

overload principle where you aim to

increase some training variable from

week to week now there are a few main

ways to apply Progressive overload

specifically for bodybuilding first you

can add reps at the same amount of

weight for example on bicep you could do

three sets of 10 in week 1 three sets of

11 in week 2 three sets of 12 in week

three and then in week four you could

either go for 13 reps or you could add

some weight and return back to 10 reps

and then start adding reps again this

type of progression is usually better

for moderate to high rep zones you can

also add weight at a fixed rep count for

example on hack squats you could do

three sets of six reps with three plates

per side in week one and then add 10

pounds to each side each week until

eventually you build up to four plates

per side for the same three sets of six

reps this type of progression is usually

better for lower to moderate rep zones

eventually you'll have a week where

you're not able to add weight or reps

and in this case you should focus on

improving some aspect of your Technique

you can try to control the negative

better use less momentum on the positive

or improve your range of motion I still

count this as Progressive overload

because it increases tension on the

target muscle as a final option you can

try to improve your mind muscle

Connection by really focusing on feeling

the target muscle working better

research has shown that the Mind muscle

connection can increase hypertrophy in

some cases and well it may not be as

effective as adding weight or reps or

improving technique it's still worth

keeping in mind especially on isolation

exercises where traditional overloading

becomes impractical at a certain point

of strength

development chapter five choose high

tension

exercises because tension is King we

need to make sure that we're choosing

exercises that place high levels of

tension on the target muscles and this

is where I may lose some of you so I

want to reiterate that this advice is

directed at pure hypertrophy training

not strength training or hybrid training

and so while it is true that you can

build a great physique by only using

barbell exercises like the squat bench

press and deadlift especially if you

throw in a pull-up in a freee row this

approach is probably too basic to

maximize muscle growth that's for two

reasons for one there will be smaller

muscles that go under stimulated if this

is literally all you do muscles like the

biceps side delts hamstrings and calves

won't be getting enough love and

secondly some of these exercises don't

have the best stimulus to fatigue ratio

this is a term coined by Dr Mike isra

tell and it essentially means exactly

what it sounds like the stimulus part

mainly refers to how much tension the

exercise delivers to the Target muscle

and the fatigue part refers to how

fatiguing the exercise is or how hard it

is to recover from so for example the

deadlift offers a high stimulus because

it places a lot of tension on the glutes

and the spinal Erectors which is great

but it also carries a very high fatigue

demand it's really hard to recover from

which isn't as great from a bodybuilding

perspective so for Pure hypertrophy we

want to at least air toward exercises

that have a High stimulus to fatigue

ratio now this doesn't mean that any

exercise that causes fatigue is bad

fatigue is an inevitable and necessary

part of training but generally speaking

if we can pick an exercise that offers

just as high or higher of a stimulus for

Less fatigue that's going to be a good

pick and machine and cable-based

exercises are some of the best options

for this they provide massive tension

for Less fatigue than free weights and

also tend to be safer to take to failure

research also shows that contrary to

popular belief machines are at least as

effective as free weights in stimulating

hypertrophy and some evidence suggests

that they may be superior in some cases

this shouldn't be super surprising

because machines and cables tend to have

fantastic resistance profiles where you

get this smooth even tension throughout

the range of motion for example with the

standard freeway dumbbell curl your

biceps reach their highest level of

tension when the elbow is at 90° and

experience virtually zero tension when

the bicep is fully stretched at the

bottom by contrast the face away Bean

cable curl offers much more continuous

tension on the biceps throughout the

ring range of motion including in that

important stretch position at the bottom

now I don't want to overstate the

superiority of machines and cables free

weights have some advantages too they're

more accessible they tend to have better

strength carryover and they may activate

smaller stabilizers better and I'm still

a fan of the barbell I love the squat

bench and deadlift and I think that

strength can fit neatly into a

hypertrophy plan if programmed correctly

but if we're designing a program purely

dedicated to muscle growth that's a

recovery wrinkle we don't need to worry

about plus we already know that having

some exercise variety and Novelty is

good for muscle growth and doing the

same exercises month after month and

year after year can get stale there are

a few other things that can impact

muscle growth but are relatively less

important your training split is

essentially just a way of organizing

your workouts throughout the week and as

long as it fits your schedule allows you

to push your sets hard do enough volume

and recover between workouts it'll work

just fine full body routines upper lower

splits push P leg splits and even

modified body part splits are all

effective options also rest periods seem

to matter somewhat for muscle growth

resting at least 1 minute between sets

is generally better than resting for

less than 1 minute so be careful not to

rush through your workout as it can

limit your recovery between sets and

then there are specialized hypertrophy

techniques like long length perals myor

reps and drop sets which can all be

helpful for driving continued progress

beyond the beginner stage I'm going to

cover at least five or six of these

techniques in an upcoming miniseries so

make sure you're subscribed and have a

look out for that within the next month

and again if you're looking for a

program to Kickstart some new growth I'd

recommend checking out my pure

bodybuilding program over on Jeff

ner.me % off you'll also get the

hypertrophy handbook sent to you right

away which covers everything you need to

know about training for muscle growth

and you'll get the pure bodybuilding

nutrition booklet right away so you can

get your diet on track as well you'll

also get all three versions of the pure

bodybuilding program when you pre-order

so you'll get the push pull legs full

body and upper lower versions of the

program after the pre-order week is over

you'll just select which one version of

the program you want unless you want to

buy all three separately each version of

the program also includes a weak points

and arm day so you can prioritize

whatever your individual weak point is

and I included the dedicated arm workor

because it's a really fun workout it's a

great pump and arms are super important

for bodybuilding this is definitely not

like any of my other programs and I

filmed over 200 private exercise demos

specifically for this program that each

come with specific coaching cues and

tutorials from me there's a lot of new

exercises in here that I think you guys

are really going to love so you can

click the link over here next to my head

if you want to check that out and as

always thank you guys so much for

watching I really appreciate it don't

forget to leave me a thumbs up if you

enjoyed the video subscribe if you

haven't already and I'll see you guys

I'll here in the next one