Some people have a bodypart or two that almost defy growth. In many cases it’s just genetics and a bad luck of the draw leaves the trainee with a very unresponsive bodypart no matter what is tried. But…….sometimes the bodypart is unresponsive because the muscle fascia refuses to expand to allow the muscle to grow bigger. The fascia is part of the muscles connective tissue and for lack of a better description is like a girdle that keeps the muscle together. It also can keep it from enlarging if it is tough enough!

There are a few ways of stretching the muscle fascia. It can be done with synthol injections (not a good idea), with an extreme pump, or with extreme stretching, or of course, any combination of the above listed.

DC, and a few others have really brought extreme stretching to the forefront of the lifting world. And while the stretches are not applicable to every trainee using every routine, they sure can be helpful under many situations. The goal is to get a big pump going in the muscle, and then put it into an extreme stretch condition for 30-60 seconds. Without writing a small book on when and who should be doing them (anyone on a true DC style routine) I will just state that the stretches can work wonders, and often a trainee with a “stuck” bodypart will find it magically “un-sticks” when extreme stretching is employed.

Here is a description of how to do some extreme stretches. These are by far not the only ones that can be done, and you can use your imagination, or do some searching to find other descriptions, but it is a start.

Chest: Take a pair of dumbbells and with a chest full of air lower them into the position that is kind of a cross between the bottom of a dumbbell press and a fly. Hold for 60 seconds

Triceps: Sit on a bench, use one with a flat back rest if possible and hold a dumbbell as if you were doing an overhead triceps extension. Lower the dumbbell and position your body until a full stretch is achieved. Hold for 60 seconds.

Shoulders: (DC’s description verbatim) This one is tough to describe--put barbell in squat rack shoulder height--face away from it and reach back and grab it palms up (hands on bottom of bar)---walk yourself outward until you are on your heels and the stretch gets painful--then roll your shoulders downward and hold for 60 seconds

Biceps: Sit facing away from a power-rack and reach the arm to be stretched back and over your head. Grab on to the power-rack and slowly turn away until the bicep is screaming. Hold 60 seconds

Back: With a fairly narrow grip grab a chinning bar and hold yourself in the lower position. Relax arms and lats until you get a full stretch. Hold for 60 seconds.

Hams: Put your foot up on a barbell in a rack at about waist high and lean forward until your hams stretch. You may also sit on the floor and with the leg to be stretched out in front of your body and the other bent behind you,, lean forward until a full stretch is achieved. Hold 60 seconds.

Quads: facing a barbell in a power rack about hip high --grip it and simultaneously sink down and throw your knees under the barbell and do a sissy squat underneath it while going up on your toes. then straighten your arms and lean as far back as you can. Hold 60 seconds.

Calves: Lower the weight on the carriage on the leg press using the ball of your feet until a full stretch is achieved. Hold for 60 seconds. You can do the same on a standing calf machine also

Iron Addict