• H&R Moderators: VerbalTruist

Muscle building via flexing

when you tense a muscle up, making it look bigger. Imagine the classic body builder pose of you arm stuck out to your side and your forearm at a 90 degree angle to that.
 
i was under the impression that the only way to build muscle is to overload that muscle.

Therefore, intensive stretching may build some muscle, but how would you overload your muscle after that? By adding extra weight to the exercise.

I agree with Chrisitan Soldier in that what you are experiencing is know to us gym freaks as 'the pump', a temporary englargment of the muscles after a workout. I think its caused by extra blood and water flooding the muscles, hence you get a bigger pump if you drink Creatine before working out.

Nonetheless, from a mood boosting point of view, 'the pump' is probably the most satisfying part of working out in my opinion.

Your method is therefore of some use, but more from a mental well-being point of view rather than a muscle building one.

All that aside, stretching is fantastic for general physical conditioning.
 
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No one seems to understand that flexing is the base of the workout. Yes. Flexing. I swear to god, just flex your bicep and hold it for 2 minutes. Tell me you don't feel it. I dare you.
 
I don't feel it.

Perhaps if you did one or all of the following, we may be less critical of your idea:
A) Explained some of the science behind your theory
B) Post a link or two supporting your hypotheses
C) Actually told us what your "methods" are, in detail
 
Judge Fishy....

You are sounding like a troll. While I agree stressing and/or flexing can help build and repair muscle fiber as well as give you a "pump", I wouldn't consider it the "base" of any workout..
 
If you think I'm a troll that's your opinion. But when you see my pictures you're gonna say I look like an ogre!
 
Muscle flexing probably works only to a certain extent. Why?

When you flex your arm for instance, you flex your biceps and triceps. Your biceps are, however, much stronger, and cannot be used at full strength. Also, even when not taking this in consideration, I highly doubt you're always flexing at maximum strength. It's quite hard to really feel this. So it's like going to a gym and using your regular weights * 1/2. It probably will work somewhat, but not nearly as much as normal work-out.

secondly, there's only a limited amount of muscles one can flex against each other (like biceps/triceps): abdominal muscles? just flexing them against nothing will not help you.
 
JudgeFishy said:
If you think I'm a troll that's your opinion. But when you see my pictures you're gonna say I look like an ogre!

Of course we think you're a troll you blankety blank! Can't you read?

HobbyIsBowling said:
Perhaps if you did one or all of the following, we may be less critical of your idea:
A) Explained some of the science behind your theory
B) Post a link or two supporting your hypotheses
C) Actually told us what your "methods" are, in detail
 
just think for yourself a little bit fuckers. (intended aggression)

I'm looking foward to his pictures-myself, because I see how it can work. It's something I've thought of before, as well... or along the lines of.

Weightlifting-sure does bulk up muscles.. however, maybe this method might one day prove to be overall better for us.
 
If all of you naysayers would take half a second to look up anything about body building you'd see that this is an incredibly effective technique to help build definition. It's not gonna get you ripped, but it will help build a small amount of muscle mass which will greatly enhance your look if you're already a weight lifter and will greatly help you if you need to get in shape - it will increase your individual "muscle metabolism" and help burn fat faster.

No, you can't get yourself to look like Arnold just by doing this, but it can produce pronounced effects. Just look in every fuckin' edition of Cosmo - they recommend these types of exercises to tone abs, glutes, and quads all the time - that's because it's easy and effective.
 
Keep in mind that it's cosmo...

Why waste all that time just to get minimal (if that) results when you can spend 45 minutes or less in the gym 3 times a week and get great results?
 
Wouldn't this be equivalent to pilates og yoga (isometric excercise)? Isometric meaning your muscle is being used but it is not constricting.
The two other possibilities are concentric (your muscle is working while constricting) and excentric (your muscle is working while expanding).
In bodybuilding, to train your biceps you grab the wait, lift it up (concentric movement) till your arm can't bend anymore, and stretch out your arm (excentric movement) while putting the weight down. This is repeated x times, or just until you can't lift the weight anymore.
 
^So how many bodybuilders do you know that ONLY do pilates or yoga.

None?

Obviouslly. There is no way on gods green earth that you can build muscle to a greater degree by flexing than by lifting weights.

Award for most lazy ass atempt at bodybuilding goes to JudgeFishy.....

(if this had any truth at all wouldnt all computer programmers have HUGE forearms- shit you flex your forearm flexors every time you type a letter)
 
kittyinthedark said:
If all of you naysayers would take half a second to look up anything about body building you'd see that this is an incredibly effective technique to help build definition. It's not gonna get you ripped, but it will help build a small amount of muscle mass which will greatly enhance your look if you're already a weight lifter and will greatly help you if you need to get in shape - it will increase your individual "muscle metabolism" and help burn fat faster.

Okay so if you do a flex type of activity enough it would be similar to doing a high rep low weight set. But theres no way that your gonna sit and flex your arms as many times whilst looking in the mirror as going down to the gym picking up a 5/10lb weight and doing 4 sets of 12.
 
HobbyIsBowling said:
Keep in mind that it's cosmo...

Why waste all that time just to get minimal (if that) results when you can spend 45 minutes or less in the gym 3 times a week and get great results?

Because that kind of muscles makes you sloooow
Which is not good for someone who is serious about hyperspeed dancing like me :)
 
Zappa said:
Because that kind of muscles makes you sloooow
This statement is just flat out inaccurate. Unless you're power lifting(low reps/high weight), lifting will not significantly slow you down in anyway.
 
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