When we are training for optimal muscle growth, there are two very strong signals that we want to send your body in order to maximize your bodies' response to rebuilding the muscle that is being used!
TWO THINGS YOU SHOULD DO IN EVERY WORKOUT IF YOU WANT TO GROW MUSCLE:
1) BREAK THEM DOWN- No, I'm not talking about actually creating a tear in your muscle; I'm talking about producing enough force to stress your muscle out, break it down, and create microfiber tears. When these microfibers are torn, your body's response is stimulated immediately with a need to rebuild them! *Note that these micro tears occur during the eccentric phase (when the muscle is lengthening). To maximize micro tearing of the muscle fibers, lift heavy weights. Go as heavy as you can, with correct form and control. Should be around the 6-12 rep range and controlling the eccentric phase for 3-4 seconds.
2)PUMP THEM UP- After we break our muscle fibers down, our goal is now to refill them with lactic acid and get that serious "pump". Instead of the eccentric phase, now we're focusing more on concentric (when the muscle shortens). Squeeze your muscle tight with every rep, concentrating the entire movement on just lifting with the exact muscle you want to target. Keep the muscle activated the entire movement and watch the blood flow pump up your muscle like a balloon. To get the most pump out of your muscles here, you want to aim for a higher rep range (15-20 reps) and really focus on keeping the muscle contracted throughout the entire movement for the ultimate "burn"
