Flexing Between Sets

So I’m reading Arnold’s “The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” (i know it’s old news) but i’m loving it! Downloaded it for my ipad and read it during down time at work, great stuff!

ANYWAY Arnold suggests flexing the muscles you are working, between sets. I ran a search on this site and there was another thread about this, and people generally agreed it is beneficial in that it helps get you a better pump.

Though there wasn’t much more discussion on it.

When i first read it in the book, i was thinking that it would be counterproductive because; don’t you want to use that short time between working sets to recoop and get ready to go ALL OUT for the next set? Would flexing, for example, your chest between DB Chest Flys be detrimental to your performance? Or is it indeed beneficial and recommended to do?

I have already picked up a lot of great stuff from the book, and i’m only on page 468 of 1746 (ipad version). I will put this flexing between sets method to use if the consensus on here is that it is beneficial.

FST7

I don’t see how it could hurt - same as extreme DC stretches. Whether science does or doesn’t support it, it’s a very low cost to pay for perhaps a good response.

Plus, getting good at flexing will help with MMC, and vice versa.

Try it out for yourself and see if you like it. If you really take a look at bodybuilding training you will see that it is not as complicated as strength training or training for other sports. You just go in, hit the muscle, and leave. How you do it is completely up to you, that is why people see great results with meadows training, DC, once a week per bodypart, twice a week per bodypart, etc… It’s up to what you feel most comfortable doing and what you feel works best for you. So try it out and if you like keep doing it and if you don’t then stop doing it, it won’t make much of a difference at the end

Flexing between sets would help develop your mind muscle connection and that couldn’t be a bad thing.

I think this method only works with your shirt off, in front of a mirror, and with people around.

[quote]infinite_shore wrote:
I think this method only works with your shirt off, in front of a mirror, and with people around.[/quote]

And make sure you’re singing Eye of the Tiger … out loud.

[quote]myself1992 wrote:
Try it out for yourself and see if you like it. If you really take a look at bodybuilding training you will see that it is not as complicated as strength training or training for other sports. You just go in, hit the muscle, and leave. How you do it is completely up to you, that is why people see great results with meadows training, DC, once a week per bodypart, twice a week per bodypart, etc… It’s up to what you feel most comfortable doing and what you feel works best for you. So try it out and if you like keep doing it and if you don’t then stop doing it, it won’t make much of a difference at the end[/quote]

Thanks that is a great point. I am going to try it out. I suppose i should also just go on how i feel. Again appreciate the insightful response.

The idea is to build up fatigue, resting is not real rest, it is a grey zone, partial rest with small weights, you are not going for a record.

again, another thread that might be good for some fruitful dialog but instead it is littered with bullshit.

MMC, learning how to contract and flex a given muscle. we could get into the concepts of trapping nutrient rich blood, satellite cell recruitment, Mtor pathway responsiveness on a cellular level during hypertrophy training, fascia stretching --but all of these things are just anecdotal and disputable tidings to ponder; paradigms will vary among individuals.

the concise answer, do it sometimes.

[quote]cyruseven75 wrote:
again, another thread that might be good for some fruitful dialog but instead it is littered with bullshit.

MMC, learning how to contract and flex a given muscle. we could get into the concepts of trapping nutrient rich blood, satellite cell recruitment, Mtor pathway responsiveness on a cellular level during hypertrophy training, fascia stretching --but all of these things are just anecdotal and disputable tidings to ponder; paradigms will vary among individuals.

the concise answer, do it sometimes. [/quote]

get over yourself… Motor pathway responsiveness? lol

[quote]wswnsc wrote:

[quote]infinite_shore wrote:
I think this method only works with your shirt off, in front of a mirror, and with people around.[/quote]

And make sure you’re singing Eye of the Tiger … out loud. [/quote]

Don’t forget the oil… thats important

[quote]airtorey15 wrote:
So I’m reading Arnold’s “The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” (i know it’s old news) but i’m loving it! Downloaded it for my ipad and read it during down time at work, great stuff!

ANYWAY Arnold suggests flexing the muscles you are working, between sets. I ran a search on this site and there was another thread about this, and people generally agreed it is beneficial in that it helps get you a better pump.

Though there wasn’t much more discussion on it.

When i first read it in the book, i was thinking that it would be counterproductive because; don’t you want to use that short time between working sets to recoop and get ready to go ALL OUT for the next set? Would flexing, for example, your chest between DB Chest Flys be detrimental to your performance? Or is it indeed beneficial and recommended to do?

I have already picked up a lot of great stuff from the book, and i’m only on page 468 of 1746 (ipad version). I will put this flexing between sets method to use if the consensus on here is that it is beneficial. [/quote]

Hi, I disagree that flexing is the best thing you can do in between sets.

Do you really think that flexing a muscle is a better way to get strong and big than proper resting, cooling, and thinking about your last set: what you did well and what you did bad, besides preparing yourself to lift heavy iron in a few moments and have a fucking awesome set?

Cheers.

[quote]trap_builder wrote:

[quote]airtorey15 wrote:
So I’m reading Arnold’s “The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” (i know it’s old news) but i’m loving it! Downloaded it for my ipad and read it during down time at work, great stuff!

ANYWAY Arnold suggests flexing the muscles you are working, between sets. I ran a search on this site and there was another thread about this, and people generally agreed it is beneficial in that it helps get you a better pump.

Though there wasn’t much more discussion on it.

When i first read it in the book, i was thinking that it would be counterproductive because; don’t you want to use that short time between working sets to recoop and get ready to go ALL OUT for the next set? Would flexing, for example, your chest between DB Chest Flys be detrimental to your performance? Or is it indeed beneficial and recommended to do?

I have already picked up a lot of great stuff from the book, and i’m only on page 468 of 1746 (ipad version). I will put this flexing between sets method to use if the consensus on here is that it is beneficial. [/quote]

Hi, I disagree that flexing is the best thing you can do in between sets.

Do you really think that flexing a muscle is a better way to get strong and big than proper resting, cooling, and thinking about your last set: what you did well and what you did bad, besides preparing yourself to lift heavy iron in a few moments and have a fucking awesome set?

Cheers.
[/quote]

Wait…you cannot think about your last set while you flex?

You should also spend a lil time stretch the worked muscle too.

I flex between most sets because it helps the target muscles get pumped up.

My friends used to wonder why I was so vascular compared to them (I have these neat trap veins) and I am convinced it is because I would do the most muscular pose all the time. haha

I am a master of flexing my traps so hard I almost pass out. I love it :smiley:

[quote]Ct. Rockula wrote:

[quote]trap_builder wrote:

[quote]airtorey15 wrote:
So I’m reading Arnold’s “The New Encyclopedia of Modern Bodybuilding” (i know it’s old news) but i’m loving it! Downloaded it for my ipad and read it during down time at work, great stuff!

ANYWAY Arnold suggests flexing the muscles you are working, between sets. I ran a search on this site and there was another thread about this, and people generally agreed it is beneficial in that it helps get you a better pump.

Though there wasn’t much more discussion on it.

When i first read it in the book, i was thinking that it would be counterproductive because; don’t you want to use that short time between working sets to recoop and get ready to go ALL OUT for the next set? Would flexing, for example, your chest between DB Chest Flys be detrimental to your performance? Or is it indeed beneficial and recommended to do?

I have already picked up a lot of great stuff from the book, and i’m only on page 468 of 1746 (ipad version). I will put this flexing between sets method to use if the consensus on here is that it is beneficial. [/quote]

Hi, I disagree that flexing is the best thing you can do in between sets.

Do you really think that flexing a muscle is a better way to get strong and big than proper resting, cooling, and thinking about your last set: what you did well and what you did bad, besides preparing yourself to lift heavy iron in a few moments and have a fucking awesome set?

Cheers.
[/quote]

Wait…you cannot think about your last set while you flex?

You should also spend a lil time stretch the worked muscle too.[/quote]

-Both things can be done but not with the same quality as when concentrating on one. You only have some seconds or minutes before your next lift.

-Why? Because it feels good? You think you’re stretching the peri-muscular tissue and you will be able to be more muscular? Maybe you are right and stretching is more beneficial than I believe.

For the time my stretching is more of a pre-workout psychological preparation and a couple of Taekwondo kicks.

Best,
Carlos