Hypertrophy Past and Present 018 Pauses, Stretching, and Partials
21 snips
Sep 22, 2025 Explore Reg Park’s classic calf specialization routine and discover the intricate differences between straight-leg and bent-leg calf exercises. Delve into the science of pause fatigue, unraveling metabolite versus calcium-related fatigue mechanisms. Learn why static stretching and active contractions serve different purposes in training. Practical insights reveal how to optimize muscle leverage with pauses and partials for effective results. A practical calf training plan ties it all together, ensuring gains for both the gastroc and soleus.
AI Snips
Chapters
Transcript
Episode notes
Match Pause Position To Muscle Leverage
- Pauses and their placement should align with the muscle's leverage: soleus favors contracted pauses, gastrocnemius favors lengthened.
- Reg’s program paused every rep on seated raises (soleus) but only held the final rep on donkey raises (gastroc) for this reason.
Effort And Position Drive Pause Effects
- Two pause variables matter: isometric effort level and where you pause in the ROM (top/mid/bottom).
- Pausing in stretched positions produces more calcium-related fatigue and can reduce subsequent high-threshold recruitment.
Pause Where The Exercise Is Hardest
- Check the exercise resistance profile before pausing; pause where the exercise is hardest to keep recruitment high.
- For the soleus, use contracted-position pauses or contracted partials because seated calf raises are hardest at the top.