Why chasing more force is sabotaging your growth — and what actually works instead.

If you’re like me, you’ve probably thought “If I want to grow faster, I just need to increase force.”

It makes sense.
More Force = More Elongation = More Growth… right?

Wrong.

That’s not how this works.
And I’ve got the data to prove it.

I just ran a 4-month analysis over 80 length sessions — and the result is the opposite of what you’d expect:

More force didn’t lead to more elongation — In fact, it often led to less.

What Actually Drives Elongation?

Duration — Not Force

Here's the data showing duration vs. elongation:

See the upward trend?

This is a positive correlation — the longer the session, the greater the elongation.
Not every session is perfect, but the trend is clear: More time under tension delivered better results.

Now let’s make the same plot but with force instead of duration.

More Force = Less Elongation?

This data set is peak force vs. elongation.

Notice the slope?

It’s downward — meaning the more force used, the worse elongation became.

So What’s Going On Here?

The Fascia is Fighting Back.

Your Tunica is made of Fascia — the body’s built-in armor.

Fascia’s job is to PROTECT the tissues it surrounds.
When it senses tension that exceeds what it thinks you can safely handle, it goes into defense mode.

It Contracts. Hard.

In fact, fascia can become as rigid as steel when contracted — locking up instead of elongating.

So, when you crank up the force past a certain threshold, you’re not stretching the tunica…
You’re activating its emergency brakes.
That’s why we see this trend in the data.

More force doesn’t create more elongation — it creates more resistance.

We need to find the sweet spot with force, where we can create elongation without triggering Fascia’s defenses.

Finding The Sweet Spot

Here’s a heatmap of force, duration, and elongation.

Notice the sweet spot?

Most of the green and pink zones (2%–4% elongation) cluster around moderate force (6–8 lbs) and longer durations (80–110 min).

It’s not about blasting max force…
It’s about staying in the zone where your tissues can relax and elongate.

Does Elongation Drive Growth?

It sure does! Here is 7 Day Average Elongation Plotted Against 7 Day Average BPFSL Increase:

Doesn't get any clearer than that. More Elongation = More Growth.

What To Do Next

If you've been chasing higher forces in hopes of more growth. But don’t have much to show for it, it’s time to shift your strategy:

1) Track Your Sessions!

If you’re not logging your session start now.
But what do you need to track? And how?
I wrote an entire newsletter on it a few weeks ago. You can read it here: "The Reason Your Gains are Stuck on Random Mode"

2) Find Your Sweet Spot

Review the Data. Look at Force, Duration and Elongation.
What combinations of force and duration led to your best elongation?
You might be as surprised by the results as I was.

Once you know where the sweet spot is, STAY THERE!

3) Stop Trying to Force Growth

If you get better elongation with lower forces, there is no reason to increase force.
Put the ego aside.
Just because someone made great gains with 10 pounds doesn’t mean you will.
Stop chasing weight for it’s own sake.

If You’re Just Starting Out

1) Start Tracking Your Sessions

Seriously, click this link for your guide on tracking your sessions.

2) Pick a Comfortable Force

As you now know, more isn’t better.
Find a force that you can handle for 60+ minutes without having to fight through the pain.

3) Prioritize Duration.

More elongation comes from more time.
If you need more elongation, spend more time under force.

4) Use Force as a Tool — Not a Trophy

If you’re getting desired elongation with a low force, GREAT! Keep at it, more force isn’t going to lead to more growth.

PE isn’t about forcing growth.
It’s about creating the right conditions for growth to happen.

Final Takeaway

Force doesn’t drive growth.
Elongation does.

Elongation comes from applying the right amount of force over an extended duration. Not maxing out your hanger or extender. Force is ONE of the levers we pull to create elongation. But pulling that lever too hard can be counterproductive. Duration is a much more effective lever to pull on when you need more elongation.

So next time you’re tempted to crank up the force thinking, “This will force growth” remember, you might be triggering the body’s defense system. Making it harder to elongate — not easier. And if you’ve been chasing more force, it might be time to reassess your approach.

Smart growth isn’t about brute force.
It’s working with your body – not against it.

Stay patient. Stay consistent. Train smarter.
And remember — this is a long game. Play it like one.

P.S Ready to stop guessing and start growing?

Click the link below to get the exact protocol guaranteed to make force work for you, rather than against you.

Click this link to learn more about PE 201 now.