Ep. 275 - Biomechanics for Bodybuilding (with Kassem Hanson)
May 20, 2024
auto_awesome
Bodybuilding coach Kassem Hanson joins the podcast to discuss applied biomechanics and anatomy for bodybuilding. They cover exercise selection principles, working around injuries, leg press muscle targeting, and the application of biomechanics research for training.
Specificity of exercises is key for hypertrophy, emphasizing optimal muscle stretch and contraction paths.
Muscle length and range of motion are critical in hypertrophy, maximizing muscle activation and growth.
Resistance challenge should align with individual strength levels for effective hypertrophy stimulus.
Stability demands play a vital role in exercise selection, enhancing muscle activation and minimizing injury risks.
Deep dives
Principles of Specification in Exercise
An important aspect discussed in the podcast is the specificity of exercises for hypertrophy. The key principle highlighted is the need for exercises to target specific muscles effectively, considering factors like leverage and muscle action paths. Ensuring exercises emphasize the most stretch position for the muscle and move in the direction of shortening optimizes muscle activation and growth potential, aligning with the specificity principle.
Muscle Length and Range of Motion in Exercise
Another significant point covered is the importance of muscle length and range of motion in hypertrophy exercises. Emphasizing physiological muscle length beyond just exercise constraints allows for maximal muscle activation and growth potential. By focusing on exercises that incorporate a longer muscle length and challenging ranges of motion, individuals can optimize muscle engagement and hypertrophic stimulus.
Resistance Challenge for Effective Hypertrophy Workouts
The podcast also delves into the concept of resistance challenge in hypertrophy training. Rather than focusing solely on external resistance, the emphasis is placed on ensuring that the challenge of the resistance aligns with an individual's strength levels. This principle aims to optimize muscle workload relative to individual strength, leading to effective and targeted hypertrophic stimulus. Prioritizing exercises that present a challenge commensurate with an individual's strength enhances the effectiveness of hypertrophy workouts.
Stability and Coordination Demands in Exercise Selection
Lastly, stability and coordination demands are explored as crucial factors in exercise selection for hypertrophy. Understanding the balancing requirements and high muscular engagement in stability-demanding exercises enhances the overall effectiveness of hypertrophy training. By incorporating exercises that challenge stability and coordination appropriately, individuals can optimize muscle activation and growth potential while mitigating injury risks. Balancing specificity, muscle length, resistance challenge, and stability demands leads to a well-rounded approach to hypertrophy training.
Applying Biomechanical Principles to Exercises
Understanding the interplay between biomechanics and exercise selection is crucial for optimizing training. Integrating principles like muscle leverages, joint angles, and exercise context can enhance workout effectiveness. Learning anatomy in context, focusing on positioning during movements, and considering individual joint actions surpasses textbook-based knowledge.
Contextualizing Anatomy in Exercise Execution
Practical application of anatomy in exercise performance requires contextual understanding. Moving beyond origin-insertion-action lists to interpret how muscles function in specific postures and joint actions is essential. By analyzing movements experientially and grasping the directional pull of muscles in distinct positions, exercisers can refine training techniques.
Enhancing Muscle Activation through Lengthened Partials
Lengthened partials in exercises can help target specific muscle engagement. Integrating full range reps amid partial movements can offer benefits, especially in exercises with stacking components. Understanding the relationship between muscle lengthening, partial reps, and volume load can aid in optimizing muscle activation and training outcomes.
To complement the recent appearance of Dr. Wes Goodman, we now have the founder of N1 Education, Coach Kassem Hanson to join us on iron culture to discuss applied biomechanics and anatomy for bodybuilding. We discuss the limitations of research, what might be considered fundamental features of effective hypertrophy exercises, common mistakes and misunderstandings of applied anatomy, individual differences and more! Join us in this discussion of bodybuilding functional anatomy and learn how to take your, or your clients training that much closer to optimal.
