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There appears to be some skeptics here in regards to static holds being able to increase muscle mass. I was a big believer in static holds in the past, but then those skeptics got me thinking more about it.

I bounced back and forth some ideas in my mind, being pro statics and con statics. I finally came back to my original conclusion that static holds are an extremely efficient means of increasing muscle mass, as well as strength.

Some argued that strength can increase a lot in the static holds, but little or no muscle mass gains would come.

I′ll keep this short, just to give some direct proof that static holds DO increase muscle mass, and probably do so MORE than positive motions.

Mike Mentzer, as well as some other awesome bodybuilders had gigantic forearms. Mike had some of the biggest. He did NO direct forearm work. He just held on to heavy weights.

The deadlift is another great example. We all know how much the deadlift builds the whole back. However, the motions performed in the deadlift are almost all entirely the lower back and legs! The traps don′t shrug the shoulders up, they just HOLD them in position. Same with the lats. Most of the muscles are in a static hold position.

The more I thought about it, MANY muscles are at some time in a static hold during most compound exercises. Isolation exercises are the only case where they are typically not. This doesn′t mean isolation exercises cannot be done in static fashion, I just mean that during some compound movements, some muscles are ONLY in static positions.

These ideas finally led me to the 100% conclusion, that static holds DO build muscle mass, and they ARE actually more intense than positive motions.

Thanks.

Darrell

Darrell, did Mike say how to perform the deadlift? Did he recommend with the bar in front of the shins, and with an alternated grip? Also, can I get your opinion on my workout?
jim

jimpaul, I believe Mike mentions how to do it in his latest book, High Intensity Training the Mike Mentzer way.

I′ll try to find it…

Darrell

Hey Darrell,

That was a great post. When you said "some people here don′t beleive" I felt eye′s on ME LOL. I agree on the forearms, but the traps are doing some movement in the deadlift. If you watch people′s shoulders while they deadlift you can see them pulling back. :-]

I do believe some mass can be had with them, but after my own experience, and massmans, I really think statics are 3rd in the line of growth stimulation. I do however think Mike′s application of doing them after a regular set is a good idea :-]

My main problem with them is with compound exercises, as there are so many muscles that are involved only at certrain points, and then there participation changes with the posistion in ROM. Like where would you do a static with squats? If you do it at the top, then only the quads are getting worked properly, if you do it 1/2 way, then your back fails before anything else. 🙁

Any thoughts on that?

:-] Az

Analyzer, what is ROM? I know you are not refering to Read-only-memory, LOL……. But anyways what is it?