I’m doing the intermediate program in Ian King’s Book o’ Muscle and still can’t quite figure out how the pause at the bottom of a lift is supposed to “feel.”
And I’ve read several articles on here about it, but still am just not getting it.
Let’s say the tempo is 321 and I’m benching. Does the bar rest on my chest and do my arms relax for those two seconds? Or am I holding it slightly off my chest with the tension still through my arms and chest?
I was noticing this the other day when I was doing curls and felt the tremendous difference between relaxing my arms at the bottom vs. maintaining muscle tension and not quite locking out.
I can see the merits in both. But I’m confused. Which technique is proper? I’m guessing keeping tension is correct…
The pause is a static hold thats why there is a count. Laying the weight down on your chest for example on bench. then your just resting with the weight on your chest instead of the rack. I think pause squats are a great way to get the feel for it, cause if you dont do it right you will get stapled to the floor! Just try it with light weight first. So lower the weight and tighten up and hold it there for whatever count and then continue the rep. Hope this helps. It feels the same as an isometric exersise to me, depending on the weight.
Like said you want to keep tension at the bottom… Bench for example lower bar to chest and hold it there for whatever the tempo calls for, the key is HOLD it there don’t try actually support the load with your rib cage.
So, lat pulldowns or leg extensions for example, you sould maintain muscle tension and not allow the muscles to “relax” or let the weight rest on the weight stack between the eccentric and concentric stages, true?
[quote]futuredave wrote:
So, lat pulldowns or leg extensions for example, you sould maintain muscle tension and not allow the muscles to “relax” or let the weight rest on the weight stack between the eccentric and concentric stages, true?[/quote]
the pause comes at the completion of the concentric portion of the lift, so in lat pull downs the stack would be in the air. Same with leg extensions.