We are in the middle of a lifting block at Tradewinds which is one of my personal favorite ways to train for many reasons. For one, I do just love to lift. There’s something so empowering about picking things up and putting them down. Maybe I’m just a meathead after having worked out for so long but can you blame me? Anyone who has had the feeling just knows. Powering through a hard set and just zoning in on that one task without a care in the world for anything else, what could be better than that?
Another reason why I love this block is it really emphasizes how versatile and accessible exercise can be for anyone. If heavy weights intimidate you, that’s okay there are other ways to challenge yourself. If you find yourself not ready for certain exercises, that’s okay too. There are many regressions to everything under the sun. On the other hand if you are more advanced and looking for a challenge, there are so many ways to progress and push yourself.
Here are the top three ways you can maximize your workouts whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro:
- Time Under Tension: If you’re familiar with us you probably already know this one. Basically moving slower on purpose to get more out of every single rep is the simplest way to put it. On a beginner level, if I’m doing a bodyweight squat as slow as I possibly can, I am going to 100% feel that everywhere I want to in my legs and build such a strong squat pattern. Additionally, as I become a seasoned pro and add weight to my squat, I am doubling down on those benefits, now we are talking true stability, endurance and strength all coming together. The great news? I can do this with any single lift in the gym and see benefits to it.
- Breathing: This one goes hand in hand with time under tension, and it may seem silly to say but when you lift you have to breathe. Not only is this just a necessity for not passing out, but we can actually utilize breathing techniques as a way to enhance our reps. The worst thing to do is hold your breath, so by getting out of that space and thinking about breathing we are already making great progress. The next way to level up would just be taking a deep breath with every rep, whenever it comes naturally, just to ensure more oxygen flow. And the way to maximize breathing fully would be a big inhale through the nose to start every rep, keeping that air in the diaphragm on the way into a rep and then pushing the air out hard on the way out of each rep. Think of the air flow as a propellant to give you that extra power and oomph.
- Mind body connection: Another concept as simple in nature as breathing and moving slowly, but probably the hardest of the three. Mind body connection is all about intention. I want to set the intention for how I want a rep to feel, and then dial in on how it actually feels in my body. For example, if I’m doing a ring row, the intention is I want to pull myself to the rings using my big back muscles. The result of this has to come from me doing that action, plus squeezing my shoulder blades together and checking in with where I feel it. Again, a simple concept but it does require a lot of focus and adjustment, so I really have to be present in every rep and hold myself accountable.
All of this is to say that you might be working out and have a great routine going. But could it be better? Are you doing through the motions or are you challenging yourself and feeling that challenge. That’s what we push you to do at Tradewinds Fitness. Simple, accessible exercises done really well in a thoughtful and intentional way.
If that sounds like something you’d enjoy, let’s get you in for a 7For7. One week of unlimited group classes.
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