I am standing up with a load on my back that has never been there before. A bar that is bending due to the grouping of 45 pound plates on each end. I am about to attempt a new PR (personal record) in back squat. Will I get it, or will I fail?
Each and every time you workout, your body is performing millions of different muscle contractions. These muscle contractions can be classified under three categories. Eccentric, Isometric and Concentric. The type of training you perform in each of these muscle groups is ultimately what will play a huge role in your success or failure in the gym. The fate of my back squat attempt will rest on how I have trained in each of these three muscle contractions.
What’s The Difference?
Concentric
Just about everyone concentrates on the concentric contraction of a muscle. This is commonly referred to as the overcoming phase and is when the muscle is shortening. In a squat it would be when I was heading back up after my descent. In the bench it is when pressing up, in a bicep curl it is when you are curling. Hopefully those examples will help you understand exactly what a concentric contraction is. The concentric contraction is usually pretty well understood and utilized, so I won’t preach about it for long.
One thing you want to think about with a concentric contraction is speed. This movement should always be done with maximum speed while staying under control. This is not saying that you need to use light weight in order to move it fast. What this means is that no matter what the load, you should always be attempting to move it as fast as possible. If you are using light weight that is easy to move around, don’t allow yourself to get out of control where you lose form and technique in the lift. With that being said, you really shouldn't be using a load that light to often.
Isometric
The isometric contraction is any point in where the joint angle is fixed. If you are working through a complete movement, this contraction is when you are changing direction. An example of this would be when you are changing the direction from lowering to lifting during a bench press. Many times this action is not utilized and is done within one second. If you are looking to get stronger, you will be making a big mistake in not utilizing an isometric approach.
When you hold an action isometrically you are allowing for your body to recruit more muscle fibers than if you didn’t focus on the isometric portion of a lift. Heres a few things to do: 1) Work on isometric holds for things such as pull ups, pushups and lunges. When you hold an isometric contraction you are strengthening the muscle in a 15-20 degree range. So, if lower into a push up halfway down you will be strengthening the muscles not only in that exact joint angle but also a little more angle and a little less angle. 2) Isometric work is fantastic for overcoming what’s called a “sticking point”. If you are benching this will be the point where you touch the chest and try to press back up, but fail. The sticking point is the most fatal part of a lift when trying to tackle a PR. A good thing to do is put some lighter weight on the bar and hold it an inch off the chest for time. If you have a buddy that you train with, have them try and press the bar down into your chest while you try to push the bar up. Hopefully you can maintain that position of just off the chest for 10-30 seconds.
There is much much more in the great world of isometrics, do some research. Iso’s are great and extremely painful, but they will help build up your mental strength along with your physical strength.
Eccentric
Last but definitely not least is the eccentric muscle contraction. It is hard to get much stronger eccentrically by lifting in a “normal” way. What I mean by normal is just lowering the bar at a steady pace and then lifting it back up. You are much stronger eccentrically than you are concentrically or isometrically. Think about it, your body is much strong at loading a weight than overcoming a weight.
If you get stronger eccentrically you will be doing yourself a big favor. Why? The stronger you are eccentrically, the more energy you will be saving in that phase of an exercise. This will keep more energy and strength for the hard part (concentric) of the exercise. That sticking point that I mentioned earlier has a lot to do with getting exhausted eccentrically, which will put a damper on your concentric strength.
Heres the plan: 1) Slow down your tempo when moving through the eccentric phase. So instead of taking 1-2 seconds in the eccentric phase, slow it down to 3-5 seconds. 2) Try the 2/1 technique. This is when you go through an eccentric movement with 1 limb then use 2 for the concentric part. It works great on a tricep pushdown, Press down with both arms, than use one to slowly bring it back to the top. 3) Use supra-maximal lifts. This is also known as a negative, throw on about 120% of your max and slowly move through the eccentric phase.
***The eccentric techniques discussed are very taxing on the muscles and I recommend that you have been working out for a while before trying them. The first one that I mentioned can and should be used a fair amount. The second and third however, are very taxing so make sure your body can handle that sort of stress.*
So now that you know that the is more to lifting than just one movement, I hope you can push through some plateaus. Utilize these movements to the fullest and your strength will sky rocket.
Oh yeah, lets just say I have a new PR to start working towards. I followed my own advice and can now squat more than I ever have been able to!
Each and every time you workout, your body is performing millions of different muscle contractions. These muscle contractions can be classified under three categories. Eccentric, Isometric and Concentric. The type of training you perform in each of these muscle groups is ultimately what will play a huge role in your success or failure in the gym. The fate of my back squat attempt will rest on how I have trained in each of these three muscle contractions.
What’s The Difference?
Concentric
Just about everyone concentrates on the concentric contraction of a muscle. This is commonly referred to as the overcoming phase and is when the muscle is shortening. In a squat it would be when I was heading back up after my descent. In the bench it is when pressing up, in a bicep curl it is when you are curling. Hopefully those examples will help you understand exactly what a concentric contraction is. The concentric contraction is usually pretty well understood and utilized, so I won’t preach about it for long.
One thing you want to think about with a concentric contraction is speed. This movement should always be done with maximum speed while staying under control. This is not saying that you need to use light weight in order to move it fast. What this means is that no matter what the load, you should always be attempting to move it as fast as possible. If you are using light weight that is easy to move around, don’t allow yourself to get out of control where you lose form and technique in the lift. With that being said, you really shouldn't be using a load that light to often.
Isometric
The isometric contraction is any point in where the joint angle is fixed. If you are working through a complete movement, this contraction is when you are changing direction. An example of this would be when you are changing the direction from lowering to lifting during a bench press. Many times this action is not utilized and is done within one second. If you are looking to get stronger, you will be making a big mistake in not utilizing an isometric approach.
When you hold an action isometrically you are allowing for your body to recruit more muscle fibers than if you didn’t focus on the isometric portion of a lift. Heres a few things to do: 1) Work on isometric holds for things such as pull ups, pushups and lunges. When you hold an isometric contraction you are strengthening the muscle in a 15-20 degree range. So, if lower into a push up halfway down you will be strengthening the muscles not only in that exact joint angle but also a little more angle and a little less angle. 2) Isometric work is fantastic for overcoming what’s called a “sticking point”. If you are benching this will be the point where you touch the chest and try to press back up, but fail. The sticking point is the most fatal part of a lift when trying to tackle a PR. A good thing to do is put some lighter weight on the bar and hold it an inch off the chest for time. If you have a buddy that you train with, have them try and press the bar down into your chest while you try to push the bar up. Hopefully you can maintain that position of just off the chest for 10-30 seconds.
There is much much more in the great world of isometrics, do some research. Iso’s are great and extremely painful, but they will help build up your mental strength along with your physical strength.
Eccentric
Last but definitely not least is the eccentric muscle contraction. It is hard to get much stronger eccentrically by lifting in a “normal” way. What I mean by normal is just lowering the bar at a steady pace and then lifting it back up. You are much stronger eccentrically than you are concentrically or isometrically. Think about it, your body is much strong at loading a weight than overcoming a weight.
If you get stronger eccentrically you will be doing yourself a big favor. Why? The stronger you are eccentrically, the more energy you will be saving in that phase of an exercise. This will keep more energy and strength for the hard part (concentric) of the exercise. That sticking point that I mentioned earlier has a lot to do with getting exhausted eccentrically, which will put a damper on your concentric strength.
Heres the plan: 1) Slow down your tempo when moving through the eccentric phase. So instead of taking 1-2 seconds in the eccentric phase, slow it down to 3-5 seconds. 2) Try the 2/1 technique. This is when you go through an eccentric movement with 1 limb then use 2 for the concentric part. It works great on a tricep pushdown, Press down with both arms, than use one to slowly bring it back to the top. 3) Use supra-maximal lifts. This is also known as a negative, throw on about 120% of your max and slowly move through the eccentric phase.
***The eccentric techniques discussed are very taxing on the muscles and I recommend that you have been working out for a while before trying them. The first one that I mentioned can and should be used a fair amount. The second and third however, are very taxing so make sure your body can handle that sort of stress.*
So now that you know that the is more to lifting than just one movement, I hope you can push through some plateaus. Utilize these movements to the fullest and your strength will sky rocket.
Oh yeah, lets just say I have a new PR to start working towards. I followed my own advice and can now squat more than I ever have been able to!