POG - Opinion On Constant Tension Training For Incline Bench

Hey nation, today I watched this video on constant training. I know there is already some debate on the topic of constant tension but after watching this video I can understand why people are confused about the whole constant tension vs full ROM approach. So before giving my opinions on this video I would love to hear what fellow hermanites have to say about the video.

I LITERALLY just clicked on the video before seeing your post. I was just about to watch it. Give me a minute or two and i ll be back :P

Well, I m back! First of all, if someone is natural.. 95% of POG advice is useless ( in my opinion), and it is quite obvious that both chris and vince are on a little something something :D


About the video, well, he kinda saved it somewhere in the middle and the he $##@ed it up again towards the end. So let me get this straight. He tried constant tension ONE time, and he got a PUMP, so he decided that its good? Since, when does getting a pump translate to any kind of gains? I get a pump in my biceps when I carry groceries, I dont see my biceps becoming stronger or bigger from that a-0x0a-x0-ax0-xa0xa0-xa0ax0-0-


He mentioned that if you go all the way down, you lose some tension on the chest? What the f___ ? You lose no tension. If anything, you increase tension because the chest is stretched far more.

He also mentioned he was weaker with this technique in comparison to full ROM. What the h___ ? If anything you do less work, so you will be stronger. I used to bench this way actually, and it was far easier. He probably is a little tired because he lost 30lbs of fat in 12 weeks only to discover he gained 0,2lbs of muscle in his bulk.

Then, he mentioned something about delts+ lats helping a little bit when doing full ROM. Thats good I guess. If you want to be a bro and isolate your chest, why dont you go do some pec dec flys?

Then, he mentioned that he will stick to full ROM because it keeps his joints healthy. Thats a good call. People that stick to partials, eventually tear some stuff up because they arent used to full ROM.

THEN, he said that constant tension is best left for isolation exercises. Why? Why not use full ROM on every exercise? You think that by losing some tension at the start or end of a rep really matters in the long run? If you lift 100lbs for 5 reps, thats all that matters. If you lift 100lbs for 6 reps next time..guess what..you ve made some GAINS!

Finally, constant tension in my opinion is a bodybuilding tool that is used by enhanced bodybuilders. When you take drugs its fairly easy to build muscle. You build forearm muscles by just pleasuring yourself. So, constant tension will obviously work too. Problem is, these people are so dysfunctional in everyday life. They cant run, they cant hit, they cant be hit, they are useless. They have built useless muscle that is used for NOTHING other than doing partials on the bench press. So, yea, if you want to be a meathead go ahead and some constant tension training and stack up some steroids to help.

Some of this answer is directed you Daniel, and the rest is obviously advice for people reading this. Btw, sorry to Daniel and Scott for some bad language in there, but as you see 95% of the video was incorrect advice. Advice that he didnt even research before doing the video. He just experimented with one person ( himself) for one time..

I won't jump in debate, because i don't feel enough competent for this.

But Kostas, I guess you are missing a little bit of meaning of bodybuilding. It's name tells everything: it's about building a body. Not to be strong, functional or whatever. To build a body. Somehow it's more art than sport. It is just coincidence that bodybuilders, weight lifters, powerlifters, other athletes and ordinary people use same tools/equipment and similar techniques. Don't equal different sports, even if they look very similar, because their purpose and red line might be/are different.

And regarding drugs in sport. I never was against them. Far from that I would support them, but when searching real limits and the "best of the best", go ahead, if it worth to you. I would just make categories like in apnea (but here are other things than drugs). Some categories with rules and unlimited category(-ies). Unlimited = make whatever you want, just come back alive.

Just my opinion after reading your before last paragraph.

BR, Gregor

I m not really against steroids, but I hate when people use them for the wrong reasons. Most of the times, they dont know why they use them actually. I have to agree on you about bodybuilding though. Its not about functionality. But I thought maybe people want to combine the two. Why wouldnt they?

But just because bodybuilding is about building mass, that doesnt mean that you can do it with constant tension. Actually, in the end you will reach your goal no matter what type of training you do, but what we are debating here is what is faster, smarter, and safer. And in my opinion, the only reason bodybuilders see relatively fast results with constant tension is because they are enhanced but they dont let young people know and as you said on another post, a lot of people are dumb these days. What can you do.. :)

So what works for them, will not work for a natural athlete, or it will work much much slower. And thats why old bodybuilders knew this and trained for strength. Arnold, Dorian Yates, Ronnie Coleman..even Kai Greene, they were/are all enchanced but they knew/know the best way to get big. Actually, Kai Greene is extremely functional, I dont know if you have ever had the privilage to see him on stage :D

Finally, now that I think about this again....what is bodybuilding? What is the meaning of it? Building a body right? What does this mean though? Does it mean building a big body? Building a strong body? Building an athletic body? Maybe all of the above :D What does everybody think about this?

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Wow!! First of all do you really think Vince and Chris are on the juice? LMAFAO!! They are always preaching Natty!

Secondly I agree with you Whisp, I asw thw video and the whole thing was a confused mess where he condradicts himself and seems more like a rant than advice!

Finally, Bodybuilding for my is all about being happy with myself, aesthetically and in strength. I don't really want to be massive I just want to look great and feel strong :-)

Hey Nils, thats a great attitude you have about fitness.

Well, POG doesnt really make informative videos, its the same with TMW. Its just for fun. I cant believe people are taking it seriously. Almost everyone on youtube is claiming natty but are using drugs. Its obvious to people that have been in the game for a long time. I mean think about this for a second..does Chris (or Vince) seem smart enough to understand biomechanics and exercise science? They just have some anecdotal evidence from themselves but its not applicable to other people because they are not natural. And Vince got like 20lbs of muscle in 6 months last year. Thats crazy.

Completely agree Kostas. Here are a few things I picked up on in the video:

• He claims he uses full ROM but he doesn't. Full ROM would actually be created by an elbow lockout. May I also add there is nothing wrong with locking out the elbows as long as its not a sudden "snapping" motion.
• Full ROM does not stimulate the lats to act as prime mover for the bench press. Yes it may act to stabilise but it would never become a prime mover.
• I also disagree about the shoulder injury aspect of his version of constant tension. Pausing an inch above the chest will not damage the shoulders in any way more than full ROM.

Here's the thing about constant tension vs full ROM - the two don't have to be classed as two seperate muscle building protocols. This is where a thorough biomechanical and anatomical knowledge comes into play. In order to maximise the protocols of hypertrophy you must work through a full ROM with tension throughout. If you touch your chest whilst bench pressing you will not remove tension from the chest unelss you rest the while weight of the bar on your body and relax your chest. This is backed by the all-or-nothing law of muscle contraction that states a muscle either contracts or it does not. Now to make the most or constant with full ROM you need to train through what I call the stimulation ROM. This ROM will vary from joint to joint and which muscle(s) you are targeting. Take the exercise lateral raise. It primarily targets this middle deltoid. Full ROM of motion for this movement would dictate 180 degrees of shoulder abduction, but is this effectively targeting the middle deltoid? No its not. The middle deltoid only likes to work in isolation up to about 110 - 120 degress of shoulder abduction therefore its a lot more beneficial to train through this range which is essential a full ROM with constant tension.

Just as a side note would people be interested if I wrote an article on this subject?

Well, I dont think he means that lats act as a prime mover. I think he meant that you can push your arms with your lats if you flare them. Know what I mean? If you have huge lats, I bet you can do it. It is similar to leg drive on the bench press. Its still not a reason not to go with full ROM though.

You inspired me to say this : Full ROM is always accompanied by constant tension, but constant tension is not always accompanied by full ROM. :D Makes any sense? So we dont have to seperate them because the one is already included in the other. Thus, making full ROM superior to constant tension.

Also, in my mind, constant tension is very close to isometric holds. You expect to build a lot of muscle with isometrics?
And yea I dont understand why they dont want to lock out at the top? Dont want the tricep strength/stimulation? I guess thats why they do like 20 sets of triceps after their chest workout. :P

Definitely write an article on this. This is important stuff.

Daniel, don't ask about article...just do it ;)

What bodybuilding is as a sport there is probably somewhere written; I guess they judge on competitions with that in mind(?). For me personally bodybuilding is to have a body not like Kenyan runner :D 100m sprint is not king of athletics without reason and for me their bodies are satisfying my taste at most. When I look on bodybuilding as sport it is known, there is size, definition and symmetry. Strength and power are "behind the scene", but on top level they are also top shit. All bodybuilders you have put on list, beside all other things, also knew very well what to do with steroids and how to use them and knew that this is just a supplement on their training and diet...in contrast to majority of drug users. And anyhow, I admire everyone who is on top of it's sport, regardless to drug usage. Commitment and dedication are values which makes you the best. I do not put ethics in same basket(!). Average Joe won't ever be the best. And I deeply respect all who admit how they achive their goals. Once again, without uncompromising dedication they wouldn't succeed. There just should be different categories. Cheaters will always exist, so why not make them uncover and directed? Public will put the thumb up or down.

I don't follow BB so deeply, but I was few times very surprised by agility and flexibilty of some bodybuilders. And I liked when Ty Og went to a gymnastic gym.

BR, Gregor