If you spend 30 seconds in your entire set of say overhead presses, you're exposing your muscles, joints, ligaments and brains to 30 seconds of load. If you increase that to 40 seconds, you're exposing those variables to an additional 10 seconds, per set. In 3 sets, you've an additional 30 seconds of load if compared to using 30 seconds per set.

Essentially, you're giving yourself an extra set, without going through that extra set.

This is very beneficial in hypertrophy, because as we know, increased duration of load, increase the amount of hypertrophy potential.

If you don't have an additional load to use, or cannot use an additional load because it's too heavy, increasing T.U.T. is a beneficial variable to use, as it continues to stretch the fascia and enable more hypertrophy.

It can be 40 seconds, 50 seconds, 60 seconds whatever. As long as the T.U.T was longer than the previous session, you'll probably reap a good amount of hypertrophy benefits out of an increment in T.U.T.

It is just ONE of the many variables that can be played around with to grow muscle.

Another method is to increase repetitions in a set, but that's another story. Generally, in BODYBUILDING, , it's a good idea to stay within 8-12 repetitions. Anything more, you're not using sufficient load. Anything less you're using too much load.

HOWEVER, this IS not SET IN STONE. There are plenty of professional bodybuilders out there, who go for sets of 20 even. This however, isn't easily achievable for the common gym-rat because you've not had enough sarcoplasmic hypertrophy to enable tolerance to such workload in a set.

I may have deviated, but that should get the idea in.

Thanks everyone for the feedback and information. Well there are very much for me to learn in this area. And no (reply to berry), I'm not really keen to get a very defined or ripped body. I have been this skinny for a decade and it's very depressing and tiring and boring and embarassing when people say "u r just a lil too skinny dude", "you'd look better if there's some fat over here n there" and bla bla.. So actually, my first goal is to get the ideal weight, to get a round elbow, normal body. You know the look of the bones of the elbow of a very skinny people right? I'm so ashamed of it to the point that all my clothes is a long sleeve. Just gotta hide it. And yes, with the weird rib cage I have, I've difficulty to expose my body when I have to go to shower at my hostel. Always wear shirt till I reached the cubicle. And I'm just mad at people who have a nice built but act like a girl or in other words, soft. No offense. Sorry you had to read my rants. I can't help it and I felt better now, hehe..

T.U.T = Time Under Tension
R.O.M = Range of Motion
got it.

Well, previously I did my workout with a fixed 4.4kg dumbbells my brother bought years ago. Seems like I have to buy a barbells now. Anyone wanna sell one to me? I prefer second hand since it'll be much cheaper.

---

Added on November 3, 2010, 10:43 amI see. Well, hope you can do something about it.
Mine was well, I think not that bad. Maybe I'm just being optimistic. I looked more like in this picture, Horizontal inwards of the middle rib.


This post has been edited by fifty2seventy: Nov 3 2010, 10:43 AM

Do 30 negative pull-ups, 50 pushups, 100 bodyweight squats now. Everyday add 5. Do this for a month. Eat right. Come back and tell me what happened.

Great! This is useful since I don't have barbells yet. Wait, meaning just do it for complete 30 days without any resting day? Ok, will do it. So, by the 30th day, I should've been doing 180 (-) pull-ups, 200 push-ups and 250 body weight squats right?

---

Added on November 3, 2010, 11:35 amOne last thing, western squat or asian squat?

This post has been edited by fifty2seventy: Nov 3 2010, 11:35 AM

5 years ago I was about 60+kgs. Mind you, I was a fat kid all throughout my childhood and teenage years. When I had enough of all the fat jokes and wanting to have a much healthier life, I stopped eating all the junk. And I really mean, I stopped ALL junk; roti canai, char kuey teow, nasi lemak, carbonated drinks, sugary food, oily food, fried food, you name it, I stopped eating it. It's been a trying period to get where I am now but there's nothing like the present.

My diet right now isn't the prettiest but I've said before, I try to make it "clean". My body type is crappy too, meso+endo (google Body Types and you'll know what I mean) which is great for building muscle. And retaining fat. \

Western squat or Asian squat? What the heck? Just squat, man!

Actually the pull ups, you merely add ONE pull-up a day. Sorry, I missed that out.

And to the last question, why don't you try doing the western squat for 250 reps and see if anything blows out. It'd be funny as fuctk and I'd certainly laugh till my stomach explodes when it does. Some questions, you don't have to ask.

yeah you couldn't be more right about it. i have a question regarding arnold press and dumbbell shoulder press, i see some people push the dumbbells all the way up while others just bend their elbows a little, does this make any significant difference on the workload or just a matter of keeping some tensions onto the delts? tqvm

---

Added on November 3, 2010, 6:12 pmwell i'm sure everyone has his own purpose of practicing bodybuilding because no one is perfect that's why we gotta do something about it. your dedication really speaks volumes about your success and if you stick to your goal i'm sure something good will pan out soon. wish you the best of luck then!



haha just spit it out, we're all ears

This post has been edited by Berrymore84: Nov 3 2010, 06:38 PM

Insert Sarcasm: Don't worry, if you spit it out, we won't even read it. Still, it'll make you feel better, so why bother? Spit it out! Or not. Hmm hmm, think think hunny bunny!

Arnold press, shoulder press, military press, push press, bench press, konek press, haiyah......Just press the bloody bar lah.

Here's smtg interesting. There has been some coaches in Europe that have meddled with the idea of REDUCING flexibility for certain athletes. Now what sport require this? I'm unsure myself. Maybe ...I don't have a clue honestly. But how they've done this, is by making the athletes do partials. Partials, is believed to increase muscular tightness at certain angles, and I'm certain this is the case when you do partial reps as well.

My suggestion, add both partials and full range repetitions. More full range, partials to supplement and assist the prime movement.

konek press??? to make konek bigger izzit LOL

that was sound advice, thanks!

Why thank u. I always give sound advice. I think.
Maybe....
I'm not sure.....
Well maybe not....
Fine fine.

Wow, all parts of my body is aching.. You sure I can just continue to do the workout the very next day? Some says give it time to recover bla bla a day or two then only resume.. I'm confused, it's not too clear for me, bro.

Hey,TS,are u just doing squats now?Or what?Sorry,I lazy to read through the thread la

use some common sense. if some parts of your body is sore after one day of exercise, work on the other parts you didn't work on the previous day.

Well after some reading and searching in the net, I found out squats is one of the surest way to gain weight even for hard gainers provided with some plenty consumptions of milk and hence the name 'Squat n milk'.
After explaining to pizzaboy my actual goal (simply gain weight, not really into defined body YET), he suggested those workout. I take it as the workout to help me gain weight. And so I followed.

I still haven't work on abs and triceps. But then I remembered what he said about my current condition and goal, which is to gain weight. He said squatting will help tremendously and it can heals much faster than other workout. At least, that's what I get from his posts.

So I guess abs and triceps are the 'less useful movement at this current point'. Which leaves me nothing to do but to wait for a reduced/healed sore of my biceps, chests and thighs.

Please correct me if I got things wrong.

This post has been edited by fifty2seventy: Nov 4 2010, 06:30 PM

Hey TS, just thought you should know this other method of gaining weight which is proven, its called GOMAD. Gallon Of Milk A Day. A gallon is like, 4 litres. I've personally tried it before earlier this year, and it works, packed on 7-8kg before I stopped. If you're interested, go search it up.

This method is purely dietary, doesn't touch any workout plans. See if it suits you.

Thanks for spending some time and thoughts to reply, suggests and answer my questions, guys. Appreciate it. Alright, gotta GO MAD about it.. =)

This post has been edited by fifty2seventy: Nov 4 2010, 10:15 PM