HRT Q & A: The Science behind the Madness

[rev8ball]

Okay, cream puffs - are you thinking about jumping on board with this insanity but you have some questions about its foundation? Then you have found your home.

All of your questions that you may have dealing with the science behind Hell Raiser Training you can post here. I will try to get them answered in a timely manner; plus, I will be posting some of the research that we already have that supports the theories behind HRT.

Who am I? Until I finish getting my profile filled out, suffice it to say that I am a huge nut-job mad scientist that specializes in helping athletes of all types beat their opponents unmercifully in to the ground.

Now, be heard…….

[rev8ball]

Increasing muscle size (hypertrophy) can be done in two ways: by increasing the size of muscle fibers (Myofibrillar); and by increasing the amount of fluids in the muscles (Sarcoplasmic).

The body keeps certain fluids within the muscles in order to keep the tissue functioning normally. These fluids contain nutrients such as carbohydrates, calcium, Creatine, ATP, etc. Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy occurs when the body is forced to increase the amount of these fluids in the muscles in order to keep up with the demands of training; this increases the overall size of the muscles.

One of the best ways to increase these fluids is through eccentric training, that is, training the negatives. Muscles are much stronger in this part of the lift (about 20-50% stronger than in the positives), so they are able to handle much heavier loads. Hitting muscles hard during the negatives has been shown to produce greater gains in lean mass than just training the positives alone. But it is tough to train the negatives intensely enough when muscles are limited by the positives in just how much they can handle. And what makes it even more difficult is that these benefits will only happen when the negatives and the positives are trained together.

Hellcentrics is a great yet simple way to accomplish all of this and reap the benefits of eccentric training, and it will demolish your muscles from several directions:

1. Research shows that during the normal positive and negative movement, the load should be about 70% 1RM. After this, it is necessary to force the body to increase the levels of fluids in the muscles by increasing the demand on them. This is done with the eccentric-only part of the movements. The load for this segment should be about 100-140% 1RM, and reps should stay between 3-5 reps per set, with a 3 to 5 second count. Hellcentrics does just this.

2. Hellcentrics not only hits fast twitch fibers hard, but it also decreases the use of slow twitch fibers. Fast twitch fibers are the best for growth, while slow twitch are not. Therefore, this is a great recipe for hypertrophy.

3. Research also shows that anabolic hormonal levels increase after specifically focusing on highly intensive eccentrics during a training regimen. Need we say more?

By overloading the muscles during the negatives while at the same time still hitting the positives without mercy, Hellcentrics creates a great environment for muscle growth.

[mrdead]

Nice...!!!

[ragingmuscle]

Thanks for this thread Michael.

This is a great opportunity for those wanting to get into the deeper aspects of Hellcentrics.

[Universal Rep]

Nice... Welcome aboard, R. There are those who've run HRT and know from experience it works. Then, there are those who will wanna understand it from an intellectual point of view. Good to have a discussion of both...

[rev8ball]

Nice... Welcome aboard, R. There are those who've run HRT and know from experience it works. Then, there are those who will wanna understand it from an intellectual point of view. Good to have a discussion of both...

Bingo, UR.
Rage and I figured that there are some people out there that would like to give it a shot, but may be a little hesitant without knowing the guts behind it.

[rev8ball]

Thanks for this thread Michael.

This is a great opportunity for those wanting to get into the deeper aspects of Hellcentrics.

Not a prob, bro. I think this could get fun...lol

[mrdead]

Nice... Welcome aboard, R. There are those who've run HRT and know from experience it works. Then, there are those who will wanna understand it from an intellectual point of view. Good to have a discussion of both...

Bingo, UR.
Rage and I figured that there are some people out there that would like to give it a shot, but may be a little hesitant without knowing the guts behind it.

Exactly...

[rev8ball]

Exactly...

And this man knows why......lol

[rbowman91]

Thanks for the explanations! I have been seeing gains since we started HRT at its release, but wasn't sure if it was placebo or real. This makes a lot of sense with what we have been experiencing. Definitely something to this.

[Universal Rep]

Thanks for the explanations! I have been seeing gains since we started HRT at its release, but wasn't sure if it was placebo or real. This makes a lot of sense with what we have been experiencing. Definitely something to this.

You'll find rev def has some street cred to talk about HRT's mechanics...

[rev8ball]

Thanks for the explanations! I have been seeing gains since we started HRT at its release, but wasn't sure if it was placebo or real. This makes a lot of sense with what we have been experiencing. Definitely something to this.

Not a prob.
Yes there is. And there is even more coming down the pipe...

You'll find rev def has some street cred to talk about HRT's mechanics...

Thanks for the props, UR.
Just trying to offer some help to anyone who is looking for it....

[rockwood51]

My main question is "Why the partial?"

I have a theory and I want to know if I'm right.

My gut instinct after running the program for 5 weeks now is the partial forces you to utilize areas of the muscle that don't get worked as hard at the top of the movement due to momentum. I also believe that due to this momentum you're able to carry a higher weight through the entire motion verses what you'd be able to do on the partial. This in my mind is the partial reason for the major drop in weights from a standard straight set.

The movements you have to "catch" the weight and then move back up are where this effect is most noticeable.

For instance, on the rear delt raise (Workout IV) I've noticed if just doing a straight set (during the 8 normal reps) I can use a much higher weight and be fine. Say 25-30lbs. However when the Hellcentric phase comes in and I have to actually bring the weight up, "catch" it (meaning stop it from moving back down) 25lbs is almost impossible to work with. I've had to drop down to around 15 due to this motion.

The portion that kills it, is catching the weight at the top of the 8th rep, then after the partial negative, catching the weight again and forcing it to rise. The 6-8 inches of partial rise is a struggle even at 10lbs less than what I'd normally work with. I'm assuming this is due to the muscle not having momentum from the bottom of the movement to work with and instead it's having to turn potential energy into kinetic from scratch. Thus we're forcing this portion of the muscle (or phase of contraction) to do more work than what its used to doing. Essentially you're working extra hard in the weak part of the movment.

The only stumbling point in my theory is some of the lifts (like the flat, incline, decline, leg press, etc.) don't accentuate the "weak" part of the lift and instead are done in the strongest area of the movement (like at the top on the flat bench.)

So is that the purpose of the partial negative, or am I off base completely? lol. If I AM correct, I wonder how things would changed if someone switched up the lifts in the previous paragraph, to do the partial negative at the bottom of the lift instead.

[rev8ball]

My main question is "Why the partial?"

I have a theory and I want to know if I'm right.

My gut instinct after running the program for 5 weeks now is the partial forces you to utilize areas of the muscle that don't get worked as hard at the top of the movement due to momentum. I also believe that due to this momentum you're able to carry a higher weight through the entire motion verses what you'd be able to do on the partial. This in my mind is the partial reason for the major drop in weights from a standard straight set.

The movements you have to "catch" the weight and then move back up are where this effect is most noticeable.

For instance, on the rear delt raise (Workout IV) I've noticed if just doing a straight set (during the 8 normal reps) I can use a much higher weight and be fine. Say 25-30lbs. However when the Hellcentric phase comes in and I have to actually bring the weight up, "catch" it (meaning stop it from moving back down) 25lbs is almost impossible to work with. I've had to drop down to around 15 due to this motion.

The portion that kills it, is catching the weight at the top of the 8th rep, then after the partial negative, catching the weight again and forcing it to rise. The 6-8 inches of partial rise is a struggle even at 10lbs less than what I'd normally work with. I'm assuming this is due to the muscle not having momentum from the bottom of the movement to work with and instead it's having to turn potential energy into kinetic from scratch. Thus we're forcing this portion of the muscle (or phase of contraction) to do more work than what its used to doing. Essentially you're working extra hard in the weak part of the movment.

The only stumbling point in my theory is some of the lifts (like the flat, incline, decline, leg press, etc.) don't accentuate the "weak" part of the lift and instead are done in the strongest area of the movement (like at the top on the flat bench.)

So is that the purpose of the partial negative, or am I off base completely? lol. If I AM correct, I wonder how things would changed if someone switched up the lifts in the previous paragraph, to do the partial negative at the bottom of the lift instead.

From what we have found so far (and our research is still currently ongoing), you’re not wrong at all; actually on the right track, though just a bit backwards....lol

The partials are not meant to hit the weakest part of the lift, but the strongest. Let me explain:

Throughout a full ROM weightlifting movement, the muscles being engaged have what are called mechanical advantages and disadvantages as they go through the motion, and these vary depending on where the muscle is at during the lift. Let’s take the bicep curl, for example. With the arms fully extended (the bottom of the lift), the muscles are at a great mechanical disadvantage; it’s difficult to get the weight moving. However, at the top of the lift, with the arms fully flexed, the muscles are at a mechanical advantage; it’s easier to move the weight.

On eccentric movements (the “negative” part of the lift), the body does not use as many muscle fibers to lower the weight verses lifting the weight. The reason for this is a whole other post…lol

Therefore, the theory behind partials is an attempt to force more fibers to activate, which the body is more likely to do on the concentric (“positives”) part of the movement, and is easier to do when the muscles are at a mechanical advantage. With more fibers are activated, more are stimulated, more are used in the full ROM of the movement (including when they’re at a mechanical disadvantage), and therefore, more can experience hypertrophy.

Of course, like I said before, our research is still going (probably about another year’s worth), but this so far seems to best explain the mechanics of why partials seem to assist in stimulating growth.

[ragingmuscle]

My main question is "Why the partial?"

I have a theory and I want to know if I'm right.

My gut instinct after running the program for 5 weeks now is the partial forces you to utilize areas of the muscle that don't get worked as hard at the top of the movement due to momentum. I also believe that due to this momentum you're able to carry a higher weight through the entire motion verses what you'd be able to do on the partial. This in my mind is the partial reason for the major drop in weights from a standard straight set.

The movements you have to "catch" the weight and then move back up are where this effect is most noticeable.

For instance, on the rear delt raise (Workout IV) I've noticed if just doing a straight set (during the 8 normal reps) I can use a much higher weight and be fine. Say 25-30lbs. However when the Hellcentric phase comes in and I have to actually bring the weight up, "catch" it (meaning stop it from moving back down) 25lbs is almost impossible to work with. I've had to drop down to around 15 due to this motion.

The portion that kills it, is catching the weight at the top of the 8th rep, then after the partial negative, catching the weight again and forcing it to rise. The 6-8 inches of partial rise is a struggle even at 10lbs less than what I'd normally work with. I'm assuming this is due to the muscle not having momentum from the bottom of the movement to work with and instead it's having to turn potential energy into kinetic from scratch. Thus we're forcing this portion of the muscle (or phase of contraction) to do more work than what its used to doing. Essentially you're working extra hard in the weak part of the movment.

The only stumbling point in my theory is some of the lifts (like the flat, incline, decline, leg press, etc.) don't accentuate the "weak" part of the lift and instead are done in the strongest area of the movement (like at the top on the flat bench.)

So is that the purpose of the partial negative, or am I off base completely? lol. If I AM correct, I wonder how things would changed if someone switched up the lifts in the previous paragraph, to do the partial negative at the bottom of the lift instead.

I'm not going to steal Michaels thunder here by any means but let me give you my reasoning for the partial and then when Michael is available he can elaborate if he so chooses.

The partial reps always begins while the muscle is in a fully contracted state, whether it is at the weakest point for that particular muscle or not. The reasoning behind this is to begin additional muscle fiber recruitment for the extreme eccentric portion of the movement. Plain and simple.

[mrdead]

I'm not going to steal Michaels thunder here by any means but let me give you my reasoning for the partial and then when Michael is available he can elaborate if he so chooses.

The partial reps always begins while the muscle is in a fully contracted state, whether it is at the weakest point for that particular muscle or not. The reasoning behind this is to begin additional muscle fiber recruitment for the extreme eccentric portion of the movement. Plain and simple.

Isn't this also to keep constant tension on the muscle, as well...??? And also prevent the trainee from being allowed to "reset", during the rep...???

[rev8ball]

Isn't this also to keep constant tension on the muscle, as well...??? And also prevent the trainee from being allowed to "reset", during the rep...???

*See above*................lol

[ragingmuscle]

Isn't this also to keep constant tension on the muscle, as well...??? And also prevent the trainee from being allowed to "reset", during the rep...???

*See above*................lol

Deads always focusing on the torture aspects!

[CaptSpaulding]

Thank you for the information, this is exactly what I was looking for.

I want to be clear about how much additional resistance should be applied during the eccentric portion. From the top post I gathered that the partner should be applying a additional 43%-100% percent of the working weight.

For example, if I have a 1RM of 100lbs on a given excerise, I should use a working weight of 70lbs (70% of 1RM) for my 8 reps, during the eccentric portion I should have a total resistance of 100-140lbs (100-140% of 1RM), this would mean the partner is applying 30-70lbs of resistance; or 43-100% additional resistance on the working weights.

I'm clarifying because I want to ensure that I am maximizing this training program. Currently I would guess that my partner applies 25-40% additional resistance. If these numbers are correct I will have to further lower weights and, along with it, ego. Also, my training partner is now going to get a workout when I do leg press.

[ragingmuscle]

Isn't this also to keep constant tension on the muscle, as well...??? And also prevent the trainee from being allowed to "reset", during the rep...???

*See above*................lol

All kidding aside, Michael, I know why I developed the technique with the partial. And let's stay focused on rock's question and example with rear delts.

My explanation is accurate, but Michael, perhaps you can elaborate. We've talked about the reasonings behind my methods and you've always been able to take my explanations to the next level.

[BB2K]

Thank you so much for this info. Damn fine read and very interesting. On the eccentric there's really no way your partner can apply 100-140%, not without some type of way to measure it constantly. I use approx 80% of my 1rm and if my wife isn't pressing down hard enough I tell her. We "practiced" the past 2 weeks and she has it down pat now and applies the perfect amount. But as I've gotten stronger she is working harder! Lol I will add 5lbs each week to each lift of that's a good idea...? I assume we will gain a lot of strength on this routine so weight will have increase correct?

[rev8ball]

All kidding aside, Michael, I know why I developed the technique with the partial. And let's stay focused on rock's question and example with rear delts.

My explanation is accurate, but Michael, perhaps you can elaborate. We've talked about the reasonings behind my methods and you've always been able to take my explanations to the next level.

Yeppers, you're right. I thought my above remarks about what we have talked about supported your explanation, but I do tend to ramble a bit....lol

[ragingmuscle]

Yeppers, you're right. I thought my above remarks about what we have talked about supported your explanation, but I do tend to ramble a bit....lol

Absolutely. As usual, you nailed it and explained it a hell of a lot better than I ever could have.

[Marly1988]

Thanks a lot for the information above. It's really good to know more about the theories behind it. Love

[palumboism]

Eccentrics for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
And I thought I read the word science somewhere around here LMAO.

[Universal Rep]

Eccentrics for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
And I thought I read the word science somewhere around here LMAO.

Keep an open mind and I'm sure the discussion in this thread can be useful... Me, I don't know much about the science of trainin' so I'll defer to rev... Thanks brotha.

[mrdead]

Is there any scientific data, in regards to solo HRT...???

[rev8ball]

Eccentrics for sarcoplasmic hypertrophy.
And I thought I read the word science somewhere around here LMAO.

Poetry in motion, my man....

Keep an open mind and I'm sure the discussion in this thread can be useful... Me, I don't know much about the science of trainin' so I'll defer to rev... Thanks brotha.

Thanks, bro....

Is there any scientific data, in regards to solo HRT...???

Not directly yet, but it is one of the studies we have planned for next year at my facility.

[rev8ball]

I was told that there was post asking why there is no additional force placed on the lifts during the concentric portion (positives) during HRT. Since I cannot find the post, I will just answer it here.

The reason is basically if you are able to move the bar during the positives with your partner pushing down on it, he is not pushing down hard enough. Remember, in order to be effective, the load on the bar during the eccentric/negative part needs to be much greater than your 1RM (120-140%). Therefore, if you are able to move the bar during the positive, then obviously the load is not greater than your 1RM. If it were, the most you would be able to do is keep the bar moving at all, which is isometric, and this is not what we want. In order to get the most out of the eccentrics, a full ROM must be done, and that includes a full concentric motion.

Hope that helps.....

[mrdead]

Not directly yet, but it is one of the studies we have planned for next year at my facility.

Please let me know, when you do...