Weighted Stretching: For Drastic Muscle Growth, Hyperplasia and Mobility?

In this post I look at weighted stretching or 'loaded stretching'. This simply means stretching with added resistance, often by extended your range of motion in a regular exercise. You can either hold an isometric stretch (while contracting the muscle) for 30 seconds at the end of your last set, or you can simply use a great ROM during your regular training.

I've been doing this intuitively for a while now, but there is mounting evidence to suggest it really is effective. Anecdotally, many people report the best gains from exercises like the farmers' walk, the dumbbell flye and the weighted pull up - which all involve a stretch component. Then there are the studies, including the infamous quail study that involved hanging weights from their wings. This was also found to trigger muscle hyperplasia - the creation of new muscle fibers!

There's enough evidence that I'm convinced to give it a go anyway. And I feel it has helped with my gains. There's also an interesting link here with PNF stretching (proprioceptive neuromuscular facilitation) which involves stretching and then contracting the muscle, and which appears to improve mobility more than regular stretching.

So what do you think? Will you be incorporating weighted stretching into your own routine? Let me know!

Alpha Destiny's video on the topic is also very compelling:    • Is Weighted Stretching The Key to Getting ...  

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Music Credit
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Olivaw - Idols