It’s been a while since I wrote an article about training. We’ve been moving the gym, getting it set up and putting out “fires” for two weeks. There are always growing pains and issues with a move, trust me, I know! I’ve also been locked up tight in the office dealing with software issues.
We just switched to new gym management software and I made the mistake of listening to a salesperson. I NEVER do this and shouldn’t have this time. He sold me with tales of awesomeness and fully functional software. He even told me that yes it does export all of your data to Quickbooks.
He lied.
It doesn’t.
Whoever made business management software that doesn’t export to Quickbooks is a moron. Apparently I am too because I got the software and am locked into it for the time being.
The point? Never trust the salesperson. Unless it’s one from EliteFTS. They are great.
Anyway, enough of that. I am back and will start writing about training again.
I’d like to go over tension.
When we lift it is critically important to create tension in the body in order to:
- Avoid injury
- Activate the nervous system
- Activate more muscle fiber
- Move the weight fast
- Smash big weights
- Make your head turn purple
- Get stronger
- Move faster
- Be a better lifter
How do you generate tension
This is easier than you think and is something advanced lifters instinctively know how to do. Beginners seem to have a tough time with it. I’ll go over the details and soon, your head will be more purple than Matt Rhodes when he was about 300 pounds. That is your goal!
I like to start from the ground up.
It doesn’t matter if you are standing or lying on your back, you need to begin with the lower body. In order to create tension, we start at the feet.
Screw your feet into the floor.
Spread the floor.
Or any other cue you have heard, they all mean the same. Push out against the side of your shoes so that you feel the muscles in the sides of your legs firing. Do this the entire time that a bar is in your hands or on your back.
If you are benching, drive your toes through the ends of your shoes and put downward pressure on your heels. This has a similar effect as pushing the feet out when standing.
Knees Out
Next up is to force your knees out. Push both knees away from your body and try to rotate your hips in the socket. You should immediately feel the glutes tighten up and the tension in your body increase.
Squats, deadlifts, presses (overhead and bench), rows, Cleans, Snatches, whatever. Force your knees out all the time.
Tossing a Hip Circle or a Mini Band on the knees is a good way to feel this.
Brace, Brace, Brace
You’ve heard all the cues.
- Big Air
- Big Belly
- Air
- Breathe
They’re all the same.
Take a huge gulp of air into your belly and push your belly button down towards your grundle. If you are a girl and don’t have a grundle, push your belly button towards where the grundle would be if you had one.
Try and fill up your entire lower body with air and force out against the abs, sides and back. A great way to do this is to perform some breathing drills before you begin.
Lie on the floor and take as long of a breath in through your mouth as you can forcing it into your belly, sides and lower back. Do your best to press your back into the floor while you are there. Next, place a closed fist against your mouth and force the air out against it for as long as you can.
You should hear a funky noise coming through your hand. Do not inhale!
Breathe out for as long as you can while forcing your abs, sides and lower back out, do a crunch as you exhale.
Once you think you have all the air out, exhale more. Then when you are pretty sure it is all out, hold it for a three count to start as you attempt to push your guts through your belly button and back.
Inhale, rest and repeat five times. You should cough and feel light headed after doing this drill.
Trust me.
It works.
If you wear a belt you can do this standing with the belt on after. Repeat the process and push out against the belt as if you were trying to snap the belt off.
Get good at this because if you want to squat or deadlift double, triple or more bodyweight you can’t do it without being tight!
Squeeze the Bar
Next up is the easiest part and the thing I see screwed up the most.
Squeeze the bar as if your life depends on it. I don’t care what type of grip you are using.
Just squeeze the bar.
Squeezing your hands allows all of your muscles to contract harder.
Don’t believe me?
Try this.
Stand up and open your hands and keep them relaxed with your fingers spread apart.
Now tighten up all of your muscles as hard as you can like a toddler about to throw a tantrum.
OK, did you do it?
No, well stand up and do it.
I’ll wait.
Now, do the exact same thing but start with your fists balled up like you were going to throw a punch.
Squeeze them hard. Keep squeezing them as hard as you can for as long as you can.
I’ll bet you noticed a huge difference.
Squeezing your hands creates radiational tension. That’s a Five Dollar way of saying it allows your muscles to contract harder.
There you have it.
A simple guide to moving more weight faster by creating tension.
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Vincere vel mori
