Control the eccentric phase of your exercise (the lengthening phase). This will force you to keep constant tension on your muscles throughout the full range of motion. If you stick to these tips you will be doing twice work with each of these exercises, instead of allowing gravity to do all the work. Here are a few examples:
- Squats – pull yourself down into the squat. Do not allow yourself to merely collapse due to gravity. Instead, actively pull your hips/butt down to your squatting depth.
- Push ups – pull yourself down into the push up. Actively grip the ground with your hands and row pull yourself into the bottom of the push up. You should feel like you are doing a row – activate your upper back muscles.
- Shoulder press – pull the weight down into your body. Grip the weight tightly and use your lats to pull the weight down from the over head position.
To control the eccentric phase of a lift you need to maintain core stability. During the squat your core and torso should be stable and solid. During the push up or shoulder press your core and leg muscle should be active.
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