Relevant Research Study Articles:

1) Partial Range of Motion Exercise Is Effective for Facilitating Muscle Hypertrophy and Function Through Sustained Intramuscular Hypoxia in Young Trained Men

2) Partial range of motion training elicits favorable improvements in muscular adaptations when carried out at long muscle lengths

3) Influence of full range of motion vs. equalized partial range of motion training on muscle architecture and mechanical properties

4) Partial Compared with Full Range of Motion Resistance Training for Muscle Hypertrophy: A Brief Review and an Identification of Potential Mechanisms

5) The efficacy of incorporating partial squats in maximal strength training

6) Full Range of Motion Induces Greater Muscle Damage Than Partial Range of Motion in Elbow Flexion Exercise With Free Weights

Relevant Dr. Gains YouTube Videos:

1) If You're ONLY Doing Full Range Squats, You Are LIMITING Your Progress (Scientific Proof Provided)

2) YES, You CAN Work Your "INNER" CHEST - Here's How! (Region-Specific Hypertrophy - 6 Studies)

Mahalo for listening! 🤙🏼
-Michael Kamalu

For comprehensive science-based tricep training programs, go here 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/programs

Also check out the Regional Hypertrophy Training section of my All-Access Memberships for more like this for EVERY muscle! 👉 https://dr-gains.net/all-access/

RESEARCH STUDY:

1) Triceps brachii hypertrophy is substantially greater after elbow extension training performed in the overhead versus neutral arm position

RELEVANT YOUTUBE VIDS:

1) The SECRET to targeting the LONG HEAD of the TRICEPS! (FULL VIDEO)

2) YES, You CAN Work Your "INNER" CHEST - Here's How! (Region-Specific Hypertrophy - 6 Studies) - (Discussion of region-specific hypertrophy starts at 4:59)

Mahalo for listening! 🤙🏼
-Michael

Check out the Regional Hypertrophy Training section of my All-Access Memberships for region-specific techniques like this for EVERY muscle! 👉 https://dr-gains.net/all-access/

RESEARCH STUDIES:

1) Comparison of Electromyographic Activity of the Superior and Inferior Portions of the Gluteus Maximus Muscle During Common Therapeutic Exercises https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/27494053/

2) Gluteus Maximus Activation during Common Strength and Hypertrophy Exercises: A Systematic Review https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32132843/

3) Hip Muscle Activity During 3 Side-Lying Hip-Strengthening Exercises in Distance Runners https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC3418110/

IMPORTANT: Don't start pounding crazy amounts of spinach! Like virtually anything, eating TOO much can be toxic. If you want some guidelines, quantities of up to 1g/kg of bodyweight per day has been studied as both effective for muscle growth and safe (no toxicity). Personally I just put a large handful of it into my post-workout smoothies.

If you want to get the anabolic benefits of a higher dose of ecdysteroids, I recommend adding a beta-ecdysterone supplement to the whole spinach you eat (remember there are MANY other nutrients you get from whole spinach, so don't take a supplement INSTEAD of it). If you want a specific product recommendation, I take this one (no, they're not a sponsor, I didn't get paid to recommend it, and I pay full price for it myself. It is an Amazon product though, so I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use my link 🙏)

Research Studies:
1) Ecdysteroids as non-conventional anabolic agent: performance enhancement by ecdysterone supplementation in humans
2) Ecdysteroids: A novel class of anabolic agents?
3) The effect of spinach supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress
4) A 12-Week Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial, Evaluating the Effect of Supplementation with a Spinach Extract on Skeletal Muscle Fitness in Adults...

More Nutrition & Supplementation Content:
1) ⁠Techniques, Principles & Theory section of the All-Access Memberships⁠

Mahalo for listening! 🤙🏼

-Michael

IMPORTANT: Don't start pounding crazy amounts of spinach! Like virtually anything, eating TOO much can be toxic. If you want some guidelines, quantities of up to 1g/kg of bodyweight per day has been studied as both effective for muscle growth and safe (no toxicity). Personally I just put a large handful of it into my post-workout smoothies.

If you want to get the anabolic benefits of a higher dose of ecdysteroids, I recommend adding a beta ecdysterone supplement to the whole spinach you eat (remember there are MANY other nutrients you get from whole spinach, so don't take a supplement INSTEAD of it). If you want a specific product recommendation, I take this one (no, they're not a sponsor, I didn't get paid to recommend it, and I pay full price for it myself. It is an Amazon product though, so I receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you use my link 🙏)

Research Studies:

1) Ecdysteroids as non-conventional anabolic agent: performance enhancement by ecdysterone supplementation in humans

2) Ecdysteroids: A novel class of anabolic agents?

3) The effect of spinach supplementation on exercise-induced oxidative stress

4) A 12-Week Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Clinical Trial, Evaluating the Effect of Supplementation with a Spinach Extract on Skeletal Muscle Fitness in Adults...

More Science-Based Nutrition & Supplementation Content:

1) Techniques, Principles & Theory section of the All-Access Memberships

Mahalo for listening! 🤙🏼

-Michael

RESOURCES:

If you have a rotator cuff / shoulder injury 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/gwp-total-shoulder-program (NASM-CPT Certified Course)

A comprehensive shoulder-building program integrating science-based external rotation training 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/hypertrophy-total-shoulder-program

A library of over 2,500 training videos, including 30+ different external rotation exercises for all equipment types 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/all-access

Science-based full body training regimen 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/total-body-hypertrophy-antagonists

Anatomy animations by Muscle & Motion! 👉 https://muscleandmotion.pxf.io/6b46Nr

===

Anyone doing weight training of any type NEEDS to be strengthening their rotator cuff, or they're toast. But very few know how to adequately do that.

The two most important rotator cuff muscles to focus on are the Teres Minor and the Infraspinatus. Both muscles externally rotate the shoulder, but there's one all-important difference between them! The infraspinatus is engaged during external rotation with your elbow tucked into your side (aka shoulder adducted), but the Teres Minor is only significantly engaged during external rotation when your elbow is raised 90 degrees to the side (aka shoulder abducted).

So you NEED to equally work BOTH positions, and along a variety of angles, for a healthy, strong rotator cuff!!

Disclaimer: None of the information in this video is, or should be considered as, medical advice.

RESOURCES:

If you have a rotator cuff / shoulder injury 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/gwp-total-shoulder-program (NASM-CPT Certified Course)

A comprehensive shoulder-building program integrating science-based external rotation training 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/hypertrophy-total-shoulder-program

A library of over 2,500 training videos, including 30+ different external rotation exercises for all equipment types 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/all-access

Science-based full body training regimen 👉 https://www.dr-gains.com/total-body-hypertrophy-antagonists

Anatomy animations by Muscle & Motion! 👉 https://muscleandmotion.pxf.io/6b46Nr

===

Anyone doing weight training of any type NEEDS to be strengthening their rotator cuff, or they're toast. But very few know how to adequately do that.

The two most important rotator cuff muscles to focus on are the Teres Minor and the Infraspinatus. Both muscles externally rotate the shoulder, but there's one all-important difference between them! The infraspinatus is engaged during external rotation with your elbow tucked into your side (aka shoulder adducted), but the Teres Minor is only significantly engaged during external rotation when your elbow is raised 90 degrees to the side (aka shoulder abducted).

So you NEED to equally work BOTH positions, and along a variety of angles, for a healthy, strong rotator cuff!!

Disclaimer: None of the information in this video is, or should be considered as, medical advice.

Relevant Research Studies:

1) Maximal Strength Performance and Muscle Activation for the Bench Press and Triceps Extension Exercises Adopting Dumbbell, Barbell, and Machine Modalities Over Multiple Sets

2) A comparison of muscle activity and 1-RM strength of three chest-press exercises with different stability requirements

3) Narrative review of injuries in powerlifting with special reference to their association to the squat, bench press and deadlift

Relevant Dr. Gains YouTube Videos:

1) BEFORE YOU BENCH PRESS, Understand the Anatomy Behind it! (Incline, Decline, Close Grip, Wide, Form)

2) By popular demand - the free weight & bodyweight alternatives to the Inner Chest Squeeze Press! (shows the dumbbell "squeeze press" variation mentioned above)

Relevant Dr. Gains Workout Programs:

1) Hypertrophy Series Total Chest Program

Summary:

For this week's tip I'm going to give you 4 reasons why bench pressing with dumbbells is better for you than benching with a barbell.
1. First, Dumbbells have much higher stability requirements through every phase of the bench press motion, engaging all the stabilizing & synergistic muscles much more (that includes the upper and lower chest (aka clavicular and costal heads of pec major), the pectoralis minor, both biceps heads, the anterior deltoid, and the serratus anterior).
2. Second, Dumbbells have much greater versatility, giving you the ability to alter the press type and angles of resistance instantly - even mid-rep - changing how the target muscles are worked without having to pause and re-adjust (examples are wide vs close grip presses... pronated vs neutral vs supinated press... etc.). That versatility also allows you to do press variations that aren't even possible with a barbell! (such as the twisting press, or the squeeze press, where you squeeze the dumbbells together while you press out.)
3. Third, Dumbbells provide complete freedom of rotation in the wrists and shoulders, making you much less susceptible to injury compared to a barbell which locks your joints in place.
4. And fourth, Dumbbells give you the ability to perform the bench press unilaterally, or one side at a time, which opens the door to many benefits that only come from unilateral training, which I discussed in the previous podcast episode.
Now, I'm NOT saying that you shoulder never do barbell bench press... variety is key and the barbell press has its place. For example, it's better at targeting the triceps. What I AM saying is that if you had to choose between the two... the dumbell press is better! And you definitely should not be exclusively using a barbell.
Application, use dumbbells for the majority of your bench press exercises!

Relevant Research Articles:

1) Effect of unilateral and bilateral resistance exercise on maximal voluntary strength, total volume of load lifted, and perceptual and metabolic responses

2) Unilateral strength training leads to muscle-specific sparing effects during opposite homologous limb immobilization

Summary:

This week's tip is on the incredible, yet largely under-appreciated benefits of unilateral training!

UNILATERAL means one-sided, so unilateral exercises are movements where you're only training one side at a time, such as single-leg squats or

a single-arm dumbbell press... as opposed to BILATERAL exercises where you work both legs or arms simultaneously.

Studies have repeatedly shown that incorporating unilateral exercises into your training regimen will increase muscle size and strength significantly faster than only using BILATERAL exercises, and also significantly increases core strength due to the added stabilization requirements.

Unilateral training also provides benefits for the muscles on the opposite, untrained side. For example, if one arm or leg is injured and in a cast or something, working the uninjured limb will provide what are called contralateral or cross-education gains in the immobilized limb and prevent those muscles from atrophying! How incredible is that? Check out study #2 in the show notes for just one example.

Application of this week's tip? Don't forget to include unilateral training in your routines!!