I am happy to be able to include this article with the Matrix of Motion blog. A good friend, fellow trainer and UFE bodybuilding competitor, Chris Young, has a lot to say about staying in control throughout your workout and within every exercise!
“We have all seen this before, a guy who is grunting like crazy while doing bicep curls with a weight that is way too heavy for him. His body is swaying back and forth like a bag in a wind storm. I don’t know about you, but when I am training, I try to stay in as much control as possible of the exercise I am doing in order to feel the muscles I want to feel. There is no true way to isolate one specific muscle at a time due to the fact that as soon as a load is placed into your hands in front of your body, everyone on the posterior (back) aspect of your body has to fire just so you don’t fall over. We can at least try to be close, as opposed to swaying and making a bicep curl into a squat plus back extensions followed up by a bicep curl.
There is an easy fix to this problem…DROP THE WEIGHT! Most guys just want to move the heaviest weight possible, and move it by any means necessary – the by product of which is throwing body control right out the window. Unfortunately, they are just trying to impress everyone by moving this monster weight. Do you know what would be more impressive? BIGGER BICEPS! How do we do that? In order to actually work your biceps, control it, own it every step of the way. Take that weight that you think you are being very strict with and lean up against a wall. Keep your elbows touching the wall all the way through your curl. Weight is not going too far is it? Now drop your weight by a few pounds and try it again – slowly flex your elbow until you reach the top of the movement, then return at the same pace, keeping the bicep under tension the whole way through. How dows that feel? I bet it is a much different experience then what you have been feeling before. Use the wall as sort of a training wheel then transfer it into a strict standing curl. Trust me, it will be much more impressive when you are curling those fifties with no body rocking at all.
A good rule of thumb when entering the gym is to check your ego at the door and stay in CONTROL your entire workout. Use weight you can control in every movement you do. This will not only help you attain your goals much faster but it will also dramatically reduce the risk of injury. Your joints and muscles will thank you for it and you can have a long enjoyable life at the gym!”
So there you have it! Stay in CONTROL!! Focus as much as you can on what you are attempting to accomplish and you will see the benefits! Thank you Chris for that great article! Looking forward to seeing more from Chris down the road as he continues to train hard!