HOW TO INSTANTLY GET STRONGER

Make a fist. Now squeeze it with 30% of total force production. What your hand is doing is contracting. Now give it 80%, and you may notice your arm assisting in the contraction, followed by your shoulder. Give it 100%, and your whole body is getting in on the action. What you are unknowingly doing is calling upon your body’s muscles to work together to exert as much force as possible. This is known as the law of irradiation. ‘A muscle working hard recruits the neighboring muscles, and if they are already part of the action, it amplifies their strength. The neural impulses emitted by the contracting muscle reach other muscles and ‘turn them on’ as an electric current starts a motor.’ – Sherrington’s Law of Irradiation.

Simply gripping something with all your might will give more input to the central nervous system, which will lead to an increase in overall strength production. This is exactly why I do not recommend the use of lifting straps because they are limiting you from total use of irradiation and potential CNS activation. (But that’s another post I’ve already made.) A perfect example of irradiation can be applied to the bench press. What we know is that the most powerful irradiation generators are your grip, glutes, and abs. For the grip, squeeze the bar tightly and imagine bending it in half. Next, drive your heels into the ground, activating your hamstrings, then your glutes, then your abs, and so on. The extra generated force will aid in more power when pushing the weight and make you stronger.