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Review
. 2023 Dec 29;9(1):9.
doi: 10.3390/jfmk9010009.

Optimizing Resistance Training Technique to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review

Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis  1 , Milo Wolf  1 , Max Coleman  1 , Ryan Burke  1 , Alec Piñero  1 , Jeff Nippard  2 , Brad J Schoenfeld  1
Affiliations
Review

Optimizing Resistance Training Technique to Maximize Muscle Hypertrophy: A Narrative Review

Patroklos Androulakis Korakakis et al. J Funct Morphol Kinesiol. .

Abstract

Regimented resistance training (RT) has been shown to promote increases in muscle size. When engaging in RT, practitioners often emphasize the importance of appropriate exercise technique, especially when trying to maximize training adaptations (e.g., hypertrophy). This narrative review aims to synthesize existing evidence on what constitutes proper RT exercise technique for maximizing muscle hypertrophy, focusing on variables such as exercise-specific kinematics, contraction type, repetition tempo, and range of motion (ROM). We recommend that when trying to maximize hypertrophy, one should employ a ROM that emphasizes training at long muscle lengths while also employing a repetition tempo between 2 and 8 s. More research is needed to determine whether manipulating the duration of either the eccentric or concentric phase further enhances hypertrophy. Guidelines for body positioning and movement patterns are generally based on implied theory from applied anatomy and biomechanics. However, existing research on the impact of manipulating these aspects of exercise technique and their effect on hypertrophy is limited; it is therefore suggested that universal exercise-specific kinematic guidelines are followed and adopted in accordance with the above recommendations. Future research should investigate the impact of stricter versus more lenient exercise technique variations on hypertrophy.

Keywords: muscle development; muscle growth; resistance training form.

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Conflict of interest statement

B.J.S. serves on the scientific advisory board of Tonal Corporation, a manufacturer of fitness equipment. J.N. was employed by the company STRCNG Incorporated, OA Jeff Nippard Fitness. The remaining authors declare that this research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest.

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