5.
Maintain a constant
resistance and tempo
By now you will have come to the
conclusion that you should be in
control of the weight at all times.
You want the concentric (shorten-
ing) phase of the lift to be controlled
whilst maintaining tension. Then,
through the eccentric (lengthening)
phase of the lift you want to resist
the weight rather than just control-
ling it down.
By resisting the weight with the
working muscle, you can apply
greater tension and build up more
metabolic stress on the muscle. It is
this eccentric phase of the lift that is
responsible for our love hate
relationship with DOMS.
One thing that is also extremely
important is to keep an eye on the
end range of the exercises you
perform. This is where tension can
drop off because your skeletal
system will support the load instead
of your muscles.
For example:
At the top of a leg press if your
knees lock out.
At the top of a bench press with
your elbows locked.
On a preacher curl when
the DB reaches the top and is in
line with your wrist and directly
above your elbow.
On a dumbbell fly when you bring
your hands together.
When this happens you not
only take all load off the working
muscle, but it makes the exercise
that much easier as essentially
you are resting at the top of
every rep.
My top tips for keeping
perfect form
Use the desired muscle you
want to work.
Focus your mind on activating
that muscle.
Use the antagonist muscle to
remove momentum.
Work the full range of the muscle
Set up the machine so that it’s
right for you.
Maintain constant tension and
resistance.
38
FLEX | APRIL 2018