If you haven’t seen the Planet Fitness ad campaign, you’re missing out. There is a great ad with a bodybuilder getting a tour of the gym. The employee asks the man what he does for a living. His response is, “I lift things up and put them down.” It’s his response for everything! Now lifting may seem that easy but there are actually a lot of things going on when you lift weights. Knowing the movements involved in a lift can help you perform the lift better, therefore getting a better and more productive workout. Also, it helps you realize how much thought and planning went into P90X and X2.
There are three types of muscle action: concentric, eccentric, and isometric. In concentric action, the muscle contracts and shortens (think picking up a weight – “I lift things up.”). In eccentric action, the muscle lengthens in a controlled manner (think resisting the lowering of a weight – “I put them down.”) The third action shows very little visible action: isometric. In an isometric action, the muscle neither shortens or lengthens. The muscle is still contracted, just held in a fixed state. It is important to remember that a muscle can only contract. It can only get shorter. That is why your muscles are paired with each other in an opposing fashion. The bicep contracts and pulls your arm in and then your triceps contract and straighten your arm out.
Knowing about these three movements can be powerful in getting the most out of your lifts. Focusing on the concentric action allows you to make sure you are contracting your muscle to lift the weight, as opposed to cheating and using momentum to swing the weight up. In the eccentric part of lifting, concentrate on lowering the weight in a controlled fashion. These movements are especially important with bands. Control the contraction and squeeze the muscle and then slowly release.
Just think about how these movements and actions are incorporated into P90X and X2. Tony is consistent in reinforcing form, pointing out what “cheating” looks like, that little bit of “body English.” He cautions about bands in X2 as well, to not use them as “rubber-bands.” Without getting into the specifics, Tony is reinforcing the focus that is needed on both the concentric and eccentric portion of the band movement. I think the best example of all three movements is in Crazy Eights. There you hold one arm in an isometric action while the other arms gets to work. Or the ultimate isometric fun, WALL SQUATS! The science included in the Beachbody workouts is pretty incredible. You think you are just following along and Tony has you using all three types of muscle action to get the best results possible. Awesome!
So next time you are doing a bicep curl, tricep extension, or push up, think about contracting your muscle fully. Then focus on releasing that muscle in a controlled fashion. Then repeat for a healthy 8 to 12 reps. I know you’ll be telling yourself, “I lift things up and put them down.” But in reality, you are doing so much more for your muscle and strength development than you even realize!
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