Loaded Stretching Question

[Chthonian]

From what I've been reading lately on these boards in both older and more recent posts, loaded stretching is recommended if one wishes to maximize their hypertrophy. I know Dante/DC utilizes an extreme stretching method, and I know Jules is a pretty avid advocate of this.

1) Where are the studies that point to this being effective?

2) Will using such a method cause stretch marks more easily? Not due to just increased size, but actually stretching the area more than if one just got to that size without incorporating this method.

3) When should this kind've thing be done, how often, for how long, and what kind've progression should a person use?

 

[noobie]

well. the first 2 questions are out of my league . But the third one i can answer i guess. Basically you would find the maxes for your stretch point movements (ie: db flyes or overhead ext). Then from there u would plug em into the calculator.

What i do is 15s: purely compound movements, few isolation. no stretch

10s: 1 set comp + 1 set stretch

5s: 1 set comp + 1 set stretch + 1 set burn

post 5s 1 set comp + 1 set stetch + 1 set burn(sooped up with static holds and pulsing and all sorts of stuff)

(progression follows as usual HST progression goes)

stretch set should always come after the main workset because it zaps your strength, this is also noted by Bryan in his last Think tank article.

I'm a teenager and energy is just all over the place for me so the stretch sets don't really bother me during the 10s. If you think there'll be trouble. You can do what some people suggest, don't begin the stretch sets until the 5s and post 5s. This way you don't have to be too fatigued and stuff. (progression through 5s would be the same, continue the 5 RM through extended 5s, I usually only try to increase my comp lifts and just leave the stretch alone and just add 10% to them for the next cycle)

hope that wasn't too confusing.

pzhang