> _How To Train For Pure Muscle Growth_. Directed by Jeff Nippard, 2023. _YouTube_, [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71op1DQ2gyo](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71op1DQ2gyo). # Tension is the primary factor driving muscle hypertrophy ^1c0bda ## 1. Tension is king - Tension is the force our muscles experience when they stretch and contract under load - **Universally recognized as the** ==**primary factor driving muscle growth**== ## 2. Use bodybuilding technique - **Lifting tempo: 2-4s negative** - Eccentric phase is probably more effective than concentric for muscle growth - ==**Pair slower eccentric with faster concentric movements**== - **Proper ROM** - LLPs / full ROM (see [[@jeffnippardWorldSmartestIntensity2023#^e9ce5d|Long-length partials lead to higher muscle growth than full ROM]]) - **Minimal momentum** ## 3. Effort - ==**Push hard**== - **Positive corrrelation between ==proximity to failure and muscle growth==** - For 3 sets: - Set #1: **stop 1 rep shy of failure** - Set #2: **stop 1 rep shy of failure** - Set #3: **all the way to failure** ## 4. Give your muscles a reason to grow - **Apply** ==**progressive overload**== - Option #1: **add reps with the same weight** - Option #2: **add weight at fixed rep count** - Option #3: **improve some aspect of your technique** - Control the negative better - Use less momentum on the positive - Improve ROM - Option #4: **improve mind-muscle connection** - Can increase hypertrophy in some cases ## 5. Choose high-tension exercises - Free-weight compound exercises like bench press and deadlift do not have the best "stimulus-to-fatigue ratio" - Stimulus: how much tension the exercise delivers to the target muscle - Fatigue: how hard the exercise is to recover from - Deadlift: high stimulus and high fatigue - **Machine and cable-based exercises generally have ==higher stimulus-to-fatigue ratios==** - **Research shows they are ==as effective for hypertrophy== as free weights, if not better** ## Miscellaneous - Rest for more than 1 min. between sets if possible - Look at specialized hypertrophy techniques: - LLPs - Myo-reps - Dropsets - Forced reps - Cluster sets - Iso-holds