Mechanical tension is one of the primary mechanisms that contribute to muscle hypertrophy. Mechanical tension occurs when a muscle is subjected to external forces…that STRETCH and PLACE STRESS on the individual muscle fibers. This stress leads to microscopic damage to the muscle fibers, which triggers a cascade of physiological responses that result in muscle growth.

DO NOT BE FOOLED…Just because the load is heavy…doesn’t mean hypertrophy will occur. Muscles need to be taken close to failure or to failure to elicit a growth response. This typically occurs in the later reps of a working set…when those last few hard reps are slowed down because of fatigue and load…as the weight slows down…more muscle damage will occur. That’s why eccentric training is so effective.

Mechanical tension causes muscle hypertrophy by activating satellite cells, stimulating the production of growth factors, and activating the mTOR signaling pathway. These physiological responses result in an increase in protein synthesis, which leads to an increase in muscle size and strength.

If you want to learn more about Hypertrophy and Mechanical Tension email me…

Matt Brown Coach