I’ve noticed that powerlifters have built large muscles by indirect stimulation(Stabilizing & Static Holding). Deadlifts come to mind here. If a powerlifter can build large calf & forearm muscles by holding a heavier weight instead of repping a lighter weight. I’m wondering, why do the reps for hypertrophy in the first place? If the forearm hypertrophy is greater in a static holding position, and the calf hypertrophy is greater in a stabilization position. Shouldn’t all hypertrophy seekers be using this technique instead? Now I know powerlifters do flex thier calves when walking and stress them there. Is it the combination of the two calve stresses or what?
If i can flex my calves with my feet flat on the floor & without having to contract them in the raised position, do i really need to contract them to force maximal stress on them?
I’m not sure of which technique creates greater hypertrophy.
Now if a powerlifter can build bigger calves then you and he never exercised them directly doing contractions once in his life(calf raises), doesn’t he have the better training program for calves?
I’m just curious where the hypertrophy is comming from. Does a muscle have to be stretched and contracted for hypertrophy to occur?
For example. If I only did deadlifts with my calve being contracted. And done no calve stretching or contracting after the deadlifts. Would my calves still grow? Or do they have to be stretched and contracted in order to tear the muscle down and rebuild it?
I’m not exactly clear on this concept. I just don’t see the point of repping if it is inferior to static holding and stabilizing.
I brought this up because I was thinking about doing nothing but indirect stimulation and static holding to build forearm muscles. I remember that the biggest my forearms ever got where when i was using 405 lbs to do shrugs with & I did not train forearms at all at this time. I could barely hold the weight, but just gripping that weight I think did the trick. I have not done those shrugs in years & have lost alot of size just doing direct forearm work like wrist rollers and wrist curls.
It seems to me holding 400-500 lbs in your hands for 10-20 seconds is gonna create greater hypertrophy for my forearms than doing 1 set of 400-500 wrist curls with rest pauses to complete that many reps is what i would have to do to equal that amount of stress.
I need some help here. Any powerlifters out there? I don’t wanna waste my time doing wrist curls anymore. Am I right in thinking this?