We approach our workout, the way we approach life- we rush through them, without paying attention to the details; without taking enough time on every movement, every rep. We get in the gym and we do everything just so we can cover the standards. We think that the faster we do something, the better will be the effect. In reality, in the long term, quicker is always slower!
One of the most common mistakes, and in the same time the one that few people realize, is rushing through the exercises! The uncontrolled performance of the movement!
The reasons for this mistake might be a lot. Some of them are:
1.You think that the faster it is, the better.
2.You put way too much weight, which doesn’t allow you to focus on the execution, and instead it force you to do everything, as quick as possible, just so you can get rid of the load.
3.You are doing it, because it feels easier and you want to get done with the set; to cover the standards and just get back home.
One of the things that really drives me insane is the quick execution of the exercises. It seems as if the trainee is just slacking.
The loading is determined by a lot of factors and one of them is the so called TUT or in other words Time Under Tension- how much time your muscles will be under pressure.
There is even a training method, which is based on training REALLY slow. Actually, I am a huge fan of it and I perform most exercises extremely slow and controlled.
A lot of trainees underestimate the fact, that muscles do work, in both- the positive and the negative part of the movement ( i.e. when you ascend and descend). What you might observe in the gym I how the negative part, usually shows the inability of the trainee to resist gravity.
Renegade row? You can always hear when somebody is doing it. Usually, the trainee will crash the dumbbell into the floor in a way that will make the plaster fall off the walls.
Actually, the next time, try to lower the weight extremely slow and instead of crashing the dumbbells into the floor- place them on the floor- silently and gently. You will feel how the exercise gets harder and you feel your muscles working twice as more!
Squats? Usually when I see somebody squatting, his movement resembles the fall of a comet- absolutely no control over the execution of the movement and just flowing with inertia.
Actually, in order to have better loading, in order to have better effect from the exercise, you should do it slowly and in a controlled fashion- both in the negative and the positive part.
I love it when somebody says that the goal of the exercise is not supposed to do it slowly. Really? I thought that the goal of the exercise is to keep your muscles under pressure and to resist gravity!
Workouts, pretty much, obey to laws of Physics. And keeping in mind how everybody “loves” Physics, it is no wonder that we train the way we do and that our workouts, instead of being personification of control and preciseness, they are personification of inertia, rushing and hurry over.
The slower you perform the exercise, the better will be your control over the movement. The control over the movement, allows you to feel how your body reacts, if your technique is right, while in the same time it challenges your muscles to work, by counteracting to gravity, in order to push, pull, and etc. the weight.
I have a mission for you! Dedicate this week to the slow execution of the exercises. Then come back and write me if you feel the difference.
Until then, here is an example how squatting with body weight, can become from extremely easy movement, a pretty challenging one! It’s all about TUT!
