Muscle flexing definitely has it's uses - great ones at that! I had poor connection with my traps and shoulders but I started using Maxick's muscle control book a couple of months back and the improvements were massive. I would definitely recommend it to those struggling to use their muscles. My exercises now have even more to offer since I started the muscle control course.
I read the book and i love the idea but i can not say that i find realising the exercises very enjoyable and funny... Any idea to make the process more enjoyable ?
Well, I see it as a way to supplement my current workouts and improve overall muscle control skills. Saying that though, I recommend not treating it as a workout and practicing the exercises whenever you have time to yourself, that can help to make it feel less like a chore.
I habitually used to flex my left arm while shadowboxing (improperly) in southpaw stance (ingrained in me by my martial arts classes at that time despite being right-handed) growing up during my teen years and to this day, my left bicep, tricep, & deltoid are indeed bigger than on the right. But my right bicep & deltoid are stronger than the left but trying to do one-arm chin-ups, my left is stronger.
I have been doing Charlie Bronson's Solitary Fitness and Harry Wong's Dynamic Strength for a long time now. They are basically isometric exercises - provided that you actually USE your body for self resistance. What I mean by that is that the opposite arm provides the resistance while the arm being worked increases tension; it can mimic weight pretty well, and I've found that it produces great tonus - my muscles are very hard, packed in. They do lack good posterior chain work, so I just supplement them with kettlebell swings to make up for it. Also, much of my strength gains come from tendon work from these exercises. Some guys don't believe the Bronson/Wong/Atlas methods work for strength, but they really do - if, IF you give your joints and tendons time to recover. Flexing a muscle by itself can help with muscle control, and I am in the process of learning Maxalding to get better at it.
I have been experimenting with muscle tension. Some exercises lend themselves to this more than others. I do lateral raises w/o weights as well as close-grip "air presses. When doing the "air presses, I try to touch my biceps to my ears at the top while tensing the triceps and making fists with the palms facing forward. Raising the arms is nothing, but that squeeze at the top adds up after several reps. It is doing _something_ b/c I feel a small amount of DOMS the next day when I stretch the traps. Same thing with the lateral raises, except that I feel it in the delts. I will not say that they are building mass, but they are doing _something_ and I can do them any time and anywhere. I do these as supplemental work.
This is a very intresting subject! An prison show I saw ones come to mind. They discussed diffrent training approaches diffrent inmates had. One did a flex routine twise per day inspired by Arnold and he claimed that he over time used this to shape his muscle using the mind muscle connection thing. He also did calistenics for compounds and diffrent items like his rolled up mattress as weights for arms and stuff. It sounds like broscience but latly there have been some science proving that there Is truth to it. Jeff Nippard talks about it in one of his videos.
Thanks Matt. I feel really good after sitting at a desk too long, or if I'm feeling lethargic, to flex different muscle groups or do some isometrics. Yeah, maybe not building muscle, but sure feels good! Also, it sounds like you're referring to both "isometrics" (no movement) and "dynamic tension" (slow movement without weight using only body tension--eg, pushing your hands away from you very slowly with maximum tension). Just want to make sure you're referring to both. Thanks!
You appear to be talking about three separate things: 1. Static flexing, like posing 2. Dynamic flexing through a range of motion 3. Self resistance These have some crossover but are not the same thing. Calisthenics can of course be done with deliberate muscular contraction. You can also 'flex' through a movement like a dumbbell press or chest press without opposing resistance, which is the basis of kungfu and karate techniques like Iron Wire Fist and Sanchin respectively. Self resistance is another thing entirely, where you provide direct resistance to the movement with another part of your body. I've used all three methods for quite a few years, with calisthenics as the base and muscle control methods like Maxalding and Harry Wong's Dynamic Strength exercises. You don't get very large from this kind of training but you develop very hard, sinewy looking muscles. Essentially, you look like a type of kungfu practitioner, because that's mostly how they train. Do NOT overdo tensing exercises because they can lead to spikes in blood pressure, valsalva breathing issues including dizziness or blackout, and tension headaches and neck/shoulder pain. It is preferable to use resistance training with compound moves like cals as your strength base, and use flexing/tensing as supplementary training.
There is the DDP yoga, by diamond dallas page, but it's more like dynamic resistance, so I guess that might work.. Don't know if you can grow much muscles with that..
The kegal is a dynamic tension exercise to strengthen to PC muscle, and it supposedly works. For strength, that is. Not size. I've never heard of anyone having a bulked out PC muscle. There's no way to put a weight, a band, or any resistant to it. Just tension.
I have a sitting job, and have gained more weight than I would like. I started flexing to try to loose calories, and think it is working. In the least I start sweating after a full body flex for about a min or two. If im sweating im pretty sur Im burning calories and losing weight. Im not sure why this isn't suggested more often to people with a sedentary lifestyle.
Awesome! I wanted to get up to Sapporo and do some skiing, but they had that big volcano erupt at the time so that put an end to my ski trip pretty quick
My interest in flexing is that I damaged my shoulder making it difficult to do any chest exercise. I am able to flex my pecs without involving my shoulder. I want to maintain the chest while I recover my shoulder. Is flexing good for maintaining muscle?
Hi Matt, love the videos. Just had a question: I’m in the National Guard and we’re regularly tested on maximum number of pushups in 2 minutes, maximum sit-ups in 2 minutes, and lastly a timed 2 mile run. Would getting stronger with calisthenics progressions help me to do more pushups overall or would I be better off focusing more on just doing regular pushups rather than getting stronger on the progressions? Thanks, Dan
Strength will certainly help, but I would do at least one set of high-rep push-ups and sit ups a week to test and make sure your strength is translating into the endurance you need.
I like music of I'm doing while body movements like running, skipping, punchbag, squats but no music for more concentrated movements like press-up, pull ups, core work. No idea why, something to do with the concentration required in since and the desire for the brain to switch off in others I suppose....
The ladies love it when guys do bridges like that. 01:25 Ok I got that out my system. Yes keeping tension in the muscles is important for the long-term.
Your videos are awesome! Question, I noticed you mentioned Qigong. I went to see a Shaolin monk for an "energy treatment" a few years ago. As he began the treatment I began to feel intense electric shocks from his hands, while also losing control of my arm and having it jump around by itself! This was a result from his Qigong training. He is the current lineage holder for his Shaolin tradition and is a 31st generation monk or something like that. Have you ever trained with or met any people that had this ability? I believe that such refined control over your internal energy could be used to get even stronger!
It's certainly a very fascinating discipline. I once attended a workshop and the Qigong instructor introduced himself by writing his name on the board with both hands in a perfect mirror image of one another at the same time. he then had us stand and go through a simple meditation practice which felt like it took a few minutes but nearly a full hour had passed when we opened our eyes again. Simply amazing.
When I do these, my muscles feel kinda burned out. I think I'm good at contracting with will alone, without an external load. But I still can't be sure it would be enough on its own. So I'm not sure I see the point, when things like calisthenics and bands exist and are so convenient. When performing these dynamic exercises, I have to learn how to contract everything to best effect, same as if I was doing isometrics?
I'm a firm believer in "dynamic tension" exercises - not as my only form of training (as Charles Atlas claimed) but as a supplement to my normal workouts. Every morning, for many (MANY) years, I've performed a mini full-body workout using dynamic tension exercises. It takes about 10 minutes and I'm certain that it has added a great deal to my overall development. Would I use this as my main form of training? No way! But as a supplement it works great! :) Many thanks for yet another great video :)
Thank you. I really love this series and your thoughts. Consciousness is the secret ingredient that is transfered through the nerves to the muscles that results in authentic, Samson like strength. Using resistance profits little in the development of real strength without the conscious element. As you said, there is no real need to use the muscles with most resistance training so the consciousness cannot be as active as the ego wanting to puff up the body like it has already puffed up the mind wanting the power back it has lost through the loss of concious awareness. We should want the common sense orientation back we were given the moment we were created more than than the appearance of the strength we lost conforming to our environment or seeking out excitement. But we haven't found that yet, so maintaining health and strength using what we have left of the common sense conciousness we have left is the best we can do for now and our hope for complete redemption. One of the first things I learned by experience in my 40 years in the medical profession is the prolific strength of 18 month old babies and their natural martial arts skills. It can take up to 5 full grown adults using all their strength to hold a baby down to get a simple injection. Even then, their ability to escape the hold on them is difficult to stop for the short time needed to get the job done. As we lose our common sense concious awareness we lose our physical strength as well and spend a lifetime trying to get it back and/or robbing others in endless ways to compensate. It is concious awareness that is the difference between someone that is truly strong and an over inflated, feminized (show off), world class body builder that doesn't even have the authentic strength to hold his own baby patiently ( I actually know someone like this). You can't control your consciousness like you can control the flexing of a muscle. But people generally lose their conscious awareness with age and accelerate the loss through conformity to ideologies ( no matter what kind, religious, scientific or political), 'education', seeking excitement and with poor lifestyle preferences/priorities. When lying down I like to dig my 90 degree flexed elbows close in to my ribs into the floor when doing leg raises, bridges, etc to increase tension in my middle/upper back getting better thoracic extension when doing leg raises,bridges, etc.
What if you do the motion of exercises but while flexing throughout the entire movement. Surely this is no longer static tension and the muscle is contracting and expanding. Will this build muscle?
My girlfriends cousin is a national champion arm wrestler and when I watch his events and get hyped, I flex enough to for sure get a huge work out out of it. I should take before and after photos because it's almost funny how strong my arms feel after watching a show lol
Hey Matt, if you squat with your toes pointed slightly outward, is that a proper squat? I read somewhere that if your toes are not pointed forward it is not a proper squat. What is your take on this? Is one better than the other?
No such thing as just one proper squat, there are many variations and modifications and everyone will be a little different in how they do them. So front, side angled they are all good in various situations. In general, the wider your stance the more your toes point out.
It was mike marvel dynaflex course that did the muscle flexing stuff (the other big comic book muscle course)... atlas was calisthenics and self resistance. For me I noticed when I started doing some flexing exercises I am much better able to isolate those muscles when doing resistance training. I can also move my pecs like the rock now thanks to the flexing as flabby as they are lolz. So it definitely helps your mind-muscle connection.
I find that dynamic tension requires more comitment than actually working out. You have to imagine the weight actually in your hands and you should be out of breath and sweating after each set. The real difference i can see is lactic acid build up. There is virtually none using dynamic tension exercise because the nervous system gives out before the muscle is at true failure. Personally, i thi k if you work in an office, dynamic tension will do nothing, but if youre a physcial worker like a builder or laboirer then this workout is very very complomentary to your lifestyle.
Hi Matt, what do you think about Maxick approach? In his book "Muscle Control" he said that by learning to flex and relax every muscle in his body he was able to increase tension overtime, build muscle and getting stronger without any tool or resistance training. After that he applied the same principle on weightlifting, and he was able to lift a lot more than guys who were way bigger than him. I'd like to know if you read that book and your opinion on the subject, thanks! Btw great job with the RDP channel!
surely, learning to control muscle contraction/lengthening voluntarily instead on just relying on resistance will make you better at it when actual resistance is applied. nervous system = king
Sorry about late posting... I have been trying Dynaflex course for a few months,and I have increased the holding time upto 45 seconds on each exercise instead of 7 seconds, as stated in book. Matt, would I able to increase hypertrophy for muscle building.?
why not using flexing and isometric tension as an afterburner after the ordinary workout simply beacouse you might be able to flex and use isometric holds after you cant do the actual dynamic workout that could be the best of both worlds ust sayin
Sort of, simply turning it on is just that, but using it is about using that tension for a specific application which is can vary greatly depending on what you're doing.
I gain a lot of back trap muscle ( or is it placebo) comes from flexing AND stretching. SO Stretch your muscle and tense/flexing it, the advantage is that you don't put stress to your joint or wrist, don't need to scared of weight falling into your face, you can do anytime of day without going to the stupid gym, you don't need to wait for your joint or wrist to heal from weight training. I think flexing with stretching will be the next work out breakthrough of 21 century, along with water fasting to cure cancer. Disadvantage is that you can't train your chest or abs with flexing. update: Wow my back is growing faster than ever before, I am very satisfied, I don't have to go the the gym or has to endure muscle soreness with weight lifting.
Yes. Quick proof: astronauts lose muscles because the natural flexing against gravity isn't there in space. So the difference in muscle between astronauts (if they stopped exercising) and Earthlings (if we take a typical dude who doesn't exercise) is all due to the regular dude's natural flexing against gravity. And, yes, if you lived in a high-gravity planet, you'd build muscles like crazy doing no exercise. On a high-gravity planet you'd have the mass of a 20-foot giant, and would need insane muscle mass just to roll over in bed. Downside is your heart will probably explode because we're not evolved to be like giraffes and pump blood over the equivalent of a 20-foot equivalent gradient.
when you flexed before using weights you were lacking the understanding and proper techniques imo... Charles Atlas also lifted weights as well as sold his dynamic tension book...It was about making money imo.. Adding dynamic tension etc gets results when done correctly. weights and mind muscle connection is the secret to results...All top body builders pose,flex hours per week which improves their quality and definition of every muscle...
I clench my teeth a lot like manga/anime and eating hard food/bone cartilage, now my face looks very masculine. A lot of girls fell in love with me at first sight and some huge looking bodybuilder dudes at the gym tried so hard to flirt with the hottest girl but she ignored while she stare at me all the time. Even though he won prizes from local bodybuilding competition and he is rich but she doesn't like him at all. I then got laid, but my penis is too small for her since she is used to 6' tall dude so we broke up soon after.
Weird flex but ok.
always thought about this question... now I know a little bit more. thank you Matt!
Muscle flexing definitely has it's uses - great ones at that!
I had poor connection with my traps and shoulders but I started using Maxick's muscle control book a couple of months back and the improvements were massive. I would definitely recommend it to those struggling to use their muscles. My exercises now have even more to offer since I started the muscle control course.
I read the book and i love the idea but i can not say that i find realising the exercises very enjoyable and funny...
Any idea to make the process more enjoyable ?
Well, I see it as a way to supplement my current workouts and improve overall muscle control skills. Saying that though, I recommend not treating it as a workout and practicing the exercises whenever you have time to yourself, that can help to make it feel less like a chore.
What's the name of the book please?
@@seancox3049 Muscle control by Maxick
Cool thx!
If Flexing Added Muscle RiceGum Would Be The Strongest Person On ThE Planet
hahhahhahahaa :)
Lmaoo
I habitually used to flex my left arm while shadowboxing (improperly) in southpaw stance (ingrained in me by my martial arts classes at that time despite being right-handed) growing up during my teen years and to this day, my left bicep, tricep, & deltoid are indeed bigger than on the right. But my right bicep & deltoid are stronger than the left but trying to do one-arm chin-ups, my left is stronger.
I have been doing Charlie Bronson's Solitary Fitness and Harry Wong's Dynamic Strength for a long time now. They are basically isometric exercises - provided that you actually USE your body for self resistance. What I mean by that is that the opposite arm provides the resistance while the arm being worked increases tension; it can mimic weight pretty well, and I've found that it produces great tonus - my muscles are very hard, packed in. They do lack good posterior chain work, so I just supplement them with kettlebell swings to make up for it.
Also, much of my strength gains come from tendon work from these exercises. Some guys don't believe the Bronson/Wong/Atlas methods work for strength, but they really do - if, IF you give your joints and tendons time to recover.
Flexing a muscle by itself can help with muscle control, and I am in the process of learning Maxalding to get better at it.
Excellent feedback, you've got a heck of an arsenal of knowledge there, keep us up to date on your progress!
@@RedDeltaProjectthanks! Will do
This dude is not only ripped, but equally knowledgeable. Pretty amazing. Good work!!
I appreciate that!
I have been experimenting with muscle tension. Some exercises lend themselves to this more than others. I do lateral raises w/o weights as well as close-grip "air presses. When doing the "air presses, I try to touch my biceps to my ears at the top while tensing the triceps and making fists with the palms facing forward. Raising the arms is nothing, but that squeeze at the top adds up after several reps. It is doing _something_ b/c I feel a small amount of DOMS the next day when I stretch the traps. Same thing with the lateral raises, except that I feel it in the delts. I will not say that they are building mass, but they are doing _something_ and I can do them any time and anywhere. I do these as supplemental work.
Sounds like you've got quite some experience there Keith, thanks for sharing these ideas with us.
This is a very intresting subject! An prison show I saw ones come to mind. They discussed diffrent training approaches diffrent inmates had. One did a flex routine twise per day inspired by Arnold and he claimed that he over time used this to shape his muscle using the mind muscle connection thing. He also did calistenics for compounds and diffrent items like his rolled up mattress as weights for arms and stuff.
It sounds like broscience but latly there have been some science proving that there Is truth to it. Jeff Nippard talks about it in one of his videos.
I will like to flex my muscles while sleeping for bigger arms in the morning 🌄 😴 💪
more like bigger cramps
@@pure2291 Yes you need at least 60-90 minutes before sleep
Thanks Matt. I feel really good after sitting at a desk too long, or if I'm feeling lethargic, to flex different muscle groups or do some isometrics. Yeah, maybe not building muscle, but sure feels good!
Also, it sounds like you're referring to both "isometrics" (no movement) and "dynamic tension" (slow movement without weight using only body tension--eg, pushing your hands away from you very slowly with maximum tension). Just want to make sure you're referring to both. Thanks!
Excellent point Sean, turning on and flexing the muscles can be a very good way to loosen up and get the energy flowing.
You appear to be talking about three separate things:
1. Static flexing, like posing
2. Dynamic flexing through a range of motion
3. Self resistance
These have some crossover but are not the same thing. Calisthenics can of course be done with deliberate muscular contraction. You can also 'flex' through a movement like a dumbbell press or chest press without opposing resistance, which is the basis of kungfu and karate techniques like Iron Wire Fist and Sanchin respectively. Self resistance is another thing entirely, where you provide direct resistance to the movement with another part of your body.
I've used all three methods for quite a few years, with calisthenics as the base and muscle control methods like Maxalding and Harry Wong's Dynamic Strength exercises. You don't get very large from this kind of training but you develop very hard, sinewy looking muscles. Essentially, you look like a type of kungfu practitioner, because that's mostly how they train.
Do NOT overdo tensing exercises because they can lead to spikes in blood pressure, valsalva breathing issues including dizziness or blackout, and tension headaches and neck/shoulder pain.
It is preferable to use resistance training with compound moves like cals as your strength base, and use flexing/tensing as supplementary training.
Excellent points raksh9, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us.
There is the DDP yoga, by diamond dallas page, but it's more like dynamic resistance, so I guess that might work.. Don't know if you can grow much muscles with that..
Sanchin Kata helps maintain muscle tone and can be done daily.
My Sensei always make sure Sanchin Kara is the most important, So has the ancient Chinese muscle tendon change yi jin jing
The kegal is a dynamic tension exercise to strengthen to PC muscle, and it supposedly works. For strength, that is. Not size. I've never heard of anyone having a bulked out PC muscle. There's no way to put a weight, a band, or any resistant to it. Just tension.
Excellent points edge3220, thank you very much for sharing your thoughts with us.
I have a sitting job, and have gained more weight than I would like. I started flexing to try to loose calories, and think it is working. In the least I start sweating after a full body flex for about a min or two. If im sweating im pretty sur Im burning calories and losing weight. Im not sure why this isn't suggested more often to people with a sedentary lifestyle.
Nice information to tweek the crucial details! 🖐🏽🤸🏽♂️
Nice pic of your Japan exchange. I spent a year in exchange in Sapporo and it was one of the most mind-opening experiences I had in college.
Awesome! I wanted to get up to Sapporo and do some skiing, but they had that big volcano erupt at the time so that put an end to my ski trip pretty quick
My interest in flexing is that I damaged my shoulder making it difficult to do any chest exercise. I am able to flex my pecs without involving my shoulder. I want to maintain the chest while I recover my shoulder. Is flexing good for maintaining muscle?
Hi Matt, love the videos.
Just had a question: I’m in the National Guard and we’re regularly tested on maximum number of pushups in 2 minutes, maximum sit-ups in 2 minutes, and lastly a timed 2 mile run.
Would getting stronger with calisthenics progressions help me to do more pushups overall or would I be better off focusing more on just doing regular pushups rather than getting stronger on the progressions?
Thanks,
Dan
Strength will certainly help, but I would do at least one set of high-rep push-ups and sit ups a week to test and make sure your strength is translating into the endurance you need.
RedDeltaProject Thanks so much for the response!
Hey Matt, simple question but it's been going through my mind lately... do you listen to any music while trainning? or do you prefer silence?
Do what works best for you. Try a set or workout in silence and then try one with music you like. See which one feels better.
Some can't focus on their training like me while listening to music! Idk why?
@@Greg_Chocki'm not asking for me, just curious about matt's preference
Good question for a future video!
I like music of I'm doing while body movements like running, skipping, punchbag, squats but no music for more concentrated movements like press-up, pull ups, core work.
No idea why, something to do with the concentration required in since and the desire for the brain to switch off in others I suppose....
Good explanation thanks
well said, i think thats a good explanation
The ladies love it when guys do bridges like that. 01:25
Ok I got that out my system.
Yes keeping tension in the muscles is important for the long-term.
lol, I was just making the same joke with a buddy at the gym the other day
@@RedDeltaProject have yo uever seen a person who only does yoga who is muscular? no you havent. isometrics are thus a hoax. right? ;)(
Your videos are awesome!
Question, I noticed you mentioned Qigong. I went to see a Shaolin monk for an "energy treatment" a few years ago. As he began the treatment I began to feel intense electric shocks from his hands, while also losing control of my arm and having it jump around by itself! This was a result from his Qigong training. He is the current lineage holder for his Shaolin tradition and is a 31st generation monk or something like that.
Have you ever trained with or met any people that had this ability? I believe that such refined control over your internal energy could be used to get even stronger!
It's certainly a very fascinating discipline.
I once attended a workshop and the Qigong instructor introduced himself by writing his name on the board with both hands in a perfect mirror image of one another at the same time.
he then had us stand and go through a simple meditation practice which felt like it took a few minutes but nearly a full hour had passed when we opened our eyes again. Simply amazing.
I always open up and set my shoulders when I lie on my back because it makes my stomach look flatter. 😉
When I do these, my muscles feel kinda burned out. I think I'm good at contracting with will alone, without an external load. But I still can't be sure it would be enough on its own.
So I'm not sure I see the point, when things like calisthenics and bands exist and are so convenient. When performing these dynamic exercises, I have to learn how to contract everything to best effect, same as if I was doing isometrics?
Yes you can bc ive have tourettes anf lots morr but if had a physical flexing arm tick for 5 or 6 years strait and now im super big
I'm a firm believer in "dynamic tension" exercises - not as my only form of training (as Charles Atlas claimed) but as a supplement to my normal workouts. Every morning, for many (MANY) years, I've performed a mini full-body workout using dynamic tension exercises. It takes about 10 minutes and I'm certain that it has added a great deal to my overall development. Would I use this as my main form of training? No way! But as a supplement it works great! :) Many thanks for yet another great video :)
I agree, that dynamic tension stuff has a lot more power than many people realize and it can really help as a good warm up too.
@@RedDeltaProject Absolutely!
Thank you. I really love this series and your thoughts.
Consciousness is the secret ingredient that is transfered through the nerves to the muscles that results in authentic, Samson like strength. Using resistance profits little in the development of real strength without the conscious element. As you said, there is no real need to use the muscles with most resistance training so the consciousness cannot be as active as the ego wanting to puff up the body like it has already puffed up the mind wanting the power back it has lost through the loss of concious awareness. We should want the common sense orientation back we were given the moment we were created more than than the appearance of the strength we lost conforming to our environment or seeking out excitement. But we haven't found that yet, so maintaining health and strength using what we have left of the common sense conciousness we have left is the best we can do for now and our hope for complete redemption.
One of the first things I learned by experience in my 40 years in the medical profession is the prolific strength of 18 month old babies and their natural martial arts skills. It can take up to 5 full grown adults using all their strength to hold a baby down to get a simple injection. Even then, their ability to escape the hold on them is difficult to stop for the short time needed to get the job done. As we lose our common sense concious awareness we lose our physical strength as well and spend a lifetime trying to get it back and/or robbing others in endless ways to compensate.
It is concious awareness that is the difference between someone that is truly strong and an over inflated, feminized (show off), world class body builder that doesn't even have the authentic strength to hold his own baby patiently ( I actually know someone like this). You can't control your consciousness like you can control the flexing of a muscle. But people generally lose their conscious awareness with age and accelerate the loss through conformity to ideologies ( no matter what kind, religious, scientific or political), 'education', seeking excitement and with poor lifestyle preferences/priorities.
When lying down I like to dig my 90 degree flexed elbows close in to my ribs into the floor when doing leg raises, bridges, etc to increase tension in my middle/upper back getting better thoracic extension when doing leg raises,bridges, etc.
thanks for this :)
@@sensortowerrush You are welcome.
Wow! This was a great read, thank you so much for sharing it with us!
What if you do the motion of exercises but while flexing throughout the entire movement. Surely this is no longer static tension and the muscle is contracting and expanding. Will this build muscle?
its good for mobility and prehab, warming up too. but it isnt the main driver. its shadow boxing to sparring.
Good analogy there!
*Bobby Pandour joined the discussion*
2:55 he is one of the actors from the karate kid
Hey Matt. Can you show us how to keep our shoulders during handstand and any handstand push ups? I can't figure out how should I activate them.
Not a bad idea, let me jump on that
My girlfriends cousin is a national champion arm wrestler and when I watch his events and get hyped, I flex enough to for sure get a huge work out out of it. I should take before and after photos because it's almost funny how strong my arms feel after watching a show lol
Hey Matt, if you squat with your toes pointed slightly outward, is that a proper squat? I read somewhere that if your toes are not pointed forward it is not a proper squat. What is your take on this? Is one better than the other?
No such thing as just one proper squat, there are many variations and modifications and everyone will be a little different in how they do them. So front, side angled they are all good in various situations. In general, the wider your stance the more your toes point out.
It was mike marvel dynaflex course that did the muscle flexing stuff (the other big comic book muscle course)... atlas was calisthenics and self resistance. For me I noticed when I started doing some flexing exercises I am much better able to isolate those muscles when doing resistance training. I can also move my pecs like the rock now thanks to the flexing as flabby as they are lolz. So it definitely helps your mind-muscle connection.
I know just what you mean J D. I had the same issue with my hamstrings.
Yes u can but u need to flex to the point of muscle failure and get sore
Very informative
I find that dynamic tension requires more comitment than actually working out. You have to imagine the weight actually in your hands and you should be out of breath and sweating after each set. The real difference i can see is lactic acid build up. There is virtually none using dynamic tension exercise because the nervous system gives out before the muscle is at true failure. Personally, i thi k if you work in an office, dynamic tension will do nothing, but if youre a physcial worker like a builder or laboirer then this workout is very very complomentary to your lifestyle.
I agree, it can be a much more challenging use of your concentration
I feel better if i flex & stretch between or after workouts
So do I.
Genius👌
Hi Matt, what do you think about Maxick approach? In his book "Muscle Control" he said that by learning to flex and relax every muscle in his body he was able to increase tension overtime, build muscle and getting stronger without any tool or resistance training. After that he applied the same principle on weightlifting, and he was able to lift a lot more than guys who were way bigger than him. I'd like to know if you read that book and your opinion on the subject, thanks!
Btw great job with the RDP channel!
surely, learning to control muscle contraction/lengthening voluntarily instead on just relying on resistance will make you better at it when actual resistance is applied. nervous system = king
Maxick has long been one of my biggest influences and I highly recommend his book for sure!
Sorry about late posting...
I have been trying Dynaflex course for a few months,and I have increased the holding time upto 45 seconds on each exercise instead of 7 seconds, as stated in book.
Matt, would I able to increase hypertrophy for muscle building.?
why not using flexing and isometric tension as an afterburner after the ordinary workout simply beacouse you might be able to flex and use isometric holds after you cant do the actual dynamic workout that could be the best of both worlds ust sayin
For sure, old-school body builders use to do that I think and it's an idea that probably has more merit than we may know
It does work cuz ive been flexing my right arm and now its bigger than tge left one
So Yes or No but more important question is i have hard time activating my triceps,does doing flexing and concentrating on my tricpes will help??
Yes, muscle tension is a skill and practicing it, like in the triceps, will improve your workouts a lot
i always pose with my right side and it is a lot bigger
Great video anyways god bless you
I have watched so far 14 of your videos. You are the Albert Einstein of fitness. The way you explain stuff like a research scientist.
Super appreciate that John, and thanks for the comments too!
Turning a muscle on and using it are different things then?
Sort of, simply turning it on is just that, but using it is about using that tension for a specific application which is can vary greatly depending on what you're doing.
I gain a lot of back trap muscle ( or is it placebo) comes from flexing AND stretching. SO Stretch your muscle and tense/flexing it, the advantage is that you don't put stress to your joint or wrist, don't need to scared of weight falling into your face, you can do anytime of day without going to the stupid gym, you don't need to wait for your joint or wrist to heal from weight training. I think flexing with stretching will be the next work out breakthrough of 21 century, along with water fasting to cure cancer. Disadvantage is that you can't train your chest or abs with flexing. update: Wow my back is growing faster than ever before, I am very satisfied, I don't have to go the the gym or has to endure muscle soreness with weight lifting.
What you do. Please tell me exercise
Yes.
Quick proof: astronauts lose muscles because the natural flexing against gravity isn't there in space. So the difference in muscle between astronauts (if they stopped exercising) and Earthlings (if we take a typical dude who doesn't exercise) is all due to the regular dude's natural flexing against gravity. And, yes, if you lived in a high-gravity planet, you'd build muscles like crazy doing no exercise. On a high-gravity planet you'd have the mass of a 20-foot giant, and would need insane muscle mass just to roll over in bed. Downside is your heart will probably explode because we're not evolved to be like giraffes and pump blood over the equivalent of a 20-foot equivalent gradient.
What did you go to college for?
He studied nutrition and Japanese 😆😆
when you flexed before using weights you were lacking the understanding and proper techniques imo... Charles Atlas also lifted weights as well as sold his dynamic tension book...It was about making money imo.. Adding dynamic tension etc gets results when done correctly. weights and mind muscle connection is the secret to results...All top body builders pose,flex hours per week which improves their quality and definition of every muscle...
Are squats with your toes pointing forward as opposed to slightly outward more difficult? It seems that way to me
Yes, they require a lot more strength in the hip flexors and other pulling muscles like the shin muscles.
So my attempts to turn super saiyan when I was a kid weren't so futile
Not at all, may have been one of the best things you could do to build a strong foundation for later training
I clench my teeth a lot like manga/anime and eating hard food/bone cartilage, now my face looks very masculine. A lot of girls fell in love with me at first sight and some huge looking bodybuilder dudes at the gym tried so hard to flirt with the hottest girl but she ignored while she stare at me all the time. Even though he won prizes from local bodybuilding competition and he is rich but she doesn't like him at all. I then got laid, but my penis is too small for her since she is used to 6' tall dude so we broke up soon after.
@@AlanNguyenMD 😆
lol you look like a nice guy with hair
a yes or no never hurts ...
I was afraid to ask this questing cuz i think i would be dumb
Nonsense, the only dumb question is the one that is never asked for a question by its very nature is the intention to learn.
Thanks , i will remeber what you said
Firsts yeet