Maximize Your Training Efforts
I use the word maximally to emphasize that when lifting a weight, we should maximize the effort we put into it. All too often I see members in a health club using minimum effort to lift a weight.
To give you an example, I will illustrate something you have probably seen before. Remember the guy that you saw in front of the mirror doing bicep curls? Do you remember how he was bouncing the weight up and down with no form or technique? He was probably doing them as fast as he could. This is what I consider to be training minimally.
Someone who trains minimally is worried about how much weight they are doing or how many repetitions they are doing. What they don’t grasp is that it’s not about how much or how many.
It’s about how you do it.
If you’re getting ready for a weight lifting event or something similar, the amount of weight you do does matter, but I’m not referring to those types of scenarios. I’m talking about normal people who want to lift weights to develop a great body and feel better.
In order to train maximally, follow these 2 tips:
Squeeze the Muscle
When you lift a weight, don’t bounce it. Don’t lock the joint, but actually squeeze the muscle for a pause between 1- 3 seconds. Squeezing the muscle will maximize the end of a positive contraction, which is where you are actually lifting the weight and the muscle is shortening.
Slow Release
Instead of abruptly dropping the weight, slowly lower the weight in a smooth, controlled manner. This will maximize the effort of a negative contraction. A negative contraction is when the weight is being lowered and the muscle is lengthening. The negative contraction should be between 2- 5 seconds. Try not to lock or overextend the joint at the end of this contraction.
These are only a few tips you can use to maximize your weight lifting efforts. The benefits of these tips are safety, better muscle tone, increased metabolism and the development of true strength. Training maximally is not as easy as training minimally. You will feel it more, which is good. It’s about reaching your goals and doing it right and not about what comes easy.
Kelly Huggins
Exercise Science, B.S.
Owner, Fitness Together
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