Connective tissue hypertrophy - the hypertrophy no one talks about!

When it comes to building muscle, we tend to focus on muscle fibres and maybe sarcoplasm. We talk about sarcoplasmic and myofibrillar hypertrophy and discuss mechanical tension vs metabolic stress vs muscle damage.

But this is a simplistic view of things that doesn’t take into account other adaptations like angiogenesis, tendon strength, neurological adaptations, or fibre type - to name a few!

In this short, I’m discussion connective tissue hypertrophy. This refers to the ability to thicken and strengthen not only the tendons, but also the fascia that both surrounds and ENTERS the muscle. The muscle itself is made up of roughly 20% connective tissue (give or take depending on the muscle in question).

You have the epimysium which is the sheath of tissue surrounding the muscle, the perimysium which divides the muscle into bundles of fibres, and you have the endomysium that surrounds the individual muscle fibres, themselves.

You can make this thicker and stronger, creating another avenue to increase the size and strength of the muscle!

So, how do you bias your training to ensure you target the fascia? The same way you strengthen tendons: with a large mechanical load (training heavy) and by emphasising the eccentric (lengthening) portion of the movement.

You can also focus on increasing blood supply, seeing as muscle tissue is generally better supplied than connective tissue. You can do this through angiogenesis - the formation of new blood vessels - which in turn can be achieved through high continuous time under-tension or occlusion training. Both will trap blood in the muscle and thereby force the body to adapt by increasing blood supply.

Just something else to worry about? That’s not really my point, here. Rather, it is to avoid oversimplifying muscle building or thinking we have all the answers.

The best way to be safe in your training - to ensure you’re covering all your bases - is to train with maximum variety. Train different angles, different speeds, different energy systems.

[stephens]

Very fascianating! The more you learn about the nuances of human physiology.

[jesse]

First One!

It's interesting and crazy how complex the human body really is.

[Cavouku]

Quoting fron Wikipedia (sourcing "The costamere bridges sarcomeres to the sarcolemma in striated muscle", by Peter et al, 2011):
"Only 20-30% of the total force generated by sarcomere contraction is transmitted longitudinally, suggesting that the majority of the force generated by sarcomeres is transduced in the lateral direction, perpendicular to the contracting myofibril fibers"
If the terminus for this lateral force transmission is the perimysium fascia, it further shows how important it is to keep this connective tissue strong: it's resisting (and perhaps subsequently longitudinally translating) upwards of 70% of the force generated by the muscle fibers.

[MartinMartinm]

The bioneer has a unique take on fitness that no other you tubers have.

[greenarrow]

Thanks for more information.
If you happen to read this Adam, been following you for about a year or more.
Taken on huge amount of your training programs and advice. Gained new type of strength & skills as well as dropped 15kg weight. 47yo and probably at my best physical condition ever.
Thanks mate for your fantastic videos and ebook.
💪🇳🇿

[alanESV]

Amazing, would like to see further elaboration on this subject

[ivoryas]

Man, the Orange anaology was *actually **_rather_* clever, among other things! 😁

[ubrfrnzy]

I injured my calf when I was 15. For a few years, if I sat on my leg, or move it in a funny way, I could feel movement under my skin. it felt like there was a seperate, stick layer of something between my muscle and my skin. Something was definitely not attached properly after that, but after a few years it went back to normal. I'm assuming I has torn the fascia from the muscle somehow.

[johncoats]

Internal martial arts trains the facia.

[jamesfish]

When is the best time to massage or focus on fascia… with rollers, etc. As part of a workout, afterwards, during recovery day????

[Thrillr]

Fascia!!! 💪🏾😊 Fascia fitness is good fitness

[kfbfbkfkofgofkfl]

Yes and no. Thats true but standart strenght Traning alredy greatly increses the amount auf connective tissue.

[SpikeTFA]

So then is there a specific way to target it, or does it just grow along with the muscle?

[sixtyskills]

You need to combine breath retention, twisting movements and resistance training to properly do this. Additionally the letter I from Franz Bardon’s Kabbalah works as well. Old school martial arts and yogic training does a lot of this.

[brianlamptey]

I'm also pretty sure the strength of your fascia is a limiting factor for progress in strength and hypertrophy