So the past few days, I've mentioned
the Cell Expansion Protocol from IFBB
Pro bodybuilder Ben Pakulski.

Today, I wanted to give you a little more background
on the principles this protocol is based on. They are...

1) Cell Swelling
2) Time Under Tension
3) BFR (Blood Flow Restriction)
4) Intra-Set Stretching

Ben's CEP protocol combines all four of these principles
into ONE powerful 4-minute "set"...and let me tell you...
this WORKS.

Here's a quick rundown on each principle...

(Just fyi, I put together this article using excerpts from
his MI40-Extreme program for the explanations...there's
a LOT of info here and it's very good stuff, definitely
worth a few minutes to read through...it'll give you a
good idea of what Ben's training is all about):


1. Cell Swelling

In Pumping Iron when Arnold says he “trains to the pump,”
he actually might have been on to something. Inducing a
mind-numbing pump has been scientifically demonstrated
to induce hypertrophy of tissues.

Our scientific counterparts refer to the pump as the “cell
swelling response.” The thought is that the build-up of
metabolites from hard exercise creates an osmotic
pressure that draws fluid from the plasma into the cell
causing it to swell.

It is currently believed that the swelling of the muscle is
sensed as a “threat” to the survival of that cell. In
response, the muscle activates a series of molecular
switches, which turn on the coveted hypertrophy response.

The muscle literally senses that it has two options: “Grow
or Die.” It’s important to realize that this is exactly how
you will feel during much of the MI40-Extreme program.


2. Time Under Tension

It is important to note that performing an exercise DOES
NOT automatically mean that a muscle is under tension.
More often than not, the group of surrounding ancillary
muscles will do just as much work as the muscle that is
intended to be working.

Learning to create tension in the working muscle is what
the MI40 program is truly based on.

“It doesn’t matter WHAT you do, it matters HOW you
do it,” has become the mantra I’m known for across the
fitness world.

I can write the most well designed and specific program
for someone, but unless they are executing the
movements with a degree of concern for tension in the
appropriate place, their results will be minimal.

Maximizing the amount of time that a muscle is placed
under tension will give the muscle an implicit need to
grow or hypertrophy. Most people never build any
appreciable amount of muscle because they spend
more time resting than they do training, both between
sets and mid-set.


3. BFR (Blood Flow Restriction)

BFR Training is simple...it involves using bands or ties
to restrict blood flow both in and out of the working
muscles.

Brad Schoenfeld has shown that hypoxia caused by
blood flow restriction may, in fact, activate fast
twitch fibers alone in an attempt to maintain force-
generating capabilities.

And Dr. Wilson found that when performing blood flow
restriction training, which causes high metabolic
stress, that motor unit muscle fiber recruitment
significantly increased. This therefore indicates that
as the muscle is nearing fatigue, more motor units
are recruited.

Fatigue induced by metabolic stress would therefore
likely force the nervous system to recruit a high
number of fast twitch fibers.

Now, exercise-induced acute hormonal production
is something still highly debated. As it relates to
metabolic stress, it is believed that the accumulation
of metabolites may increase the hormones IGF-1
and testosterone.

In turn, the suggestion is that if you have a larger
amount of circulating hormones in your system, the
likelihood that they will attach to receptors and signal
hypertrophy and growth is very high.

IGF-1 is known as being an anabolic hormone and
hypertrophy-type training routines that generate
extensive metabolic buildup have been found to
result in significantly greater elevations of circulating
IGF- 1 levels.

In short, the more lactic acid and other metabolites
present, the more IGF-1, therefore the more muscle
growth you will get!

BFR Training is a proven way to accomplish this
accumulation of growth-inducing metabolites.


4. Intra-Set Stretching

There is a lot of controversial research on this topic
as some say stretching is great for growth, while
others say it is not advantageous at all.

The type of stretch we're looking at is very different
to the static-type stretching most are accustomed
to seeing that gives the muscle and nervous system
a signal to relax and effectively “turn off”.

Intra-set stretching is a modality of loaded stretching
that takes place between bouts of intense lifting and
muscle contraction. The load has been shown to
increase muscle damage and satellite cell activity
to massively stimulate new muscle growth.

The muscle is being stretched while still under
substantial load and is forced to contract
against that resistance.

Although you’re consciously trying to relax the muscle,
the body will always maintain contraction as a
protective mechanism, thereby maintaining large
amounts of stress on the tissue.

Intra-set stretching creates an almost occluded-like
effect similar to blood flow restriction training.

While performing the prescribed reps, you’re forcing as
much blood into the muscle as possible, then loaded
stretching will promote some addition blood flow,
but mostly it will prevent metabolites from exiting the
muscle because of the extreme intramuscular tension
preventing uninhibited blood flow back out.

Intra-set stretching will create nothing short of obscene
amounts of lactic acid and growth factors with each
and every set giving your body no choice but to build
muscle when applied properly.

SO WHAT?

More time under tension, extreme amounts of lactic
acid and a BFR effect causes greater recruitment of
type II fibers (the fast-twitch fibers that GROW!), plus
a massive increase in anabolic growth factors.

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So this is Nick here again.

When you read through the info above, I think it's
pretty clear that Ben has put a LOT of thought and
research into this Cell Expansion Protocol.

As I was reading through this the first time myself, I
found myself nodding in agreement with just about
everything he put forward here.

I've used all of these various techniques myself...even
put a few of them together in some of my own programs.

Combining all these four principles into one stacked
set like this?...Genius.

This entire program is right in line with what I do
and gets my highest recommendation.

Now, if you'd like the full story on MI40-Extreme, I
definitely recommend watching the video Ben put
together on the program.

He'll give you the full explanation on how the entire
program works to build serious mass and really blow
through any genetic limitations you THOUGHT you had.

Take a few minutes and watch the video here...it's time well spent.

(or if you don't have whole lot of time and are still
interested in learning about the program, you can also
click the "Learn More" link when you get to the page)

Enjoy!

Nick Nilsson
The "Mad Scientist of Muscle"

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