Without getting too technical, Newton's Theory of Movement states an object at rest will stay at rest unless acted upon by an external force. An object in motion will stay in motion unless a force acts upon it. That's a very basic interpretation. When lifting weights, we tend to keep the weights moving, this allows us to lift more because the weight is in motion. Many times I see people bouncing the weight off their chests during a bench press, bouncing the weights at the bottom of the leg press, leg extension etc. This allows you to use momentum to change the moving weight's direction.
Enter my discovery. FORCE = MASS x ACCELERATION. If you've ever had to push a car before (My Bootcamp class can verify this... sorry Amy about crashing your car!), you will have learned it takes a lot of force to get the car moving from a stopped position. However, once the car is moving, it becomes a lot easier to keep it moving. So how does this apply to your workout? Follow along...
Let's take the bench press... When performing the rep, allow the weight to descend and stop on your chest. Pause for a 2 second count, then push the weight back up. By pausing at the bottom of the movement you have removed all inertia. I have used the dumbbell laying triceps extension with many of you. While laying on the floor, holding a pair of dumbbells straight over head, allow the dumbbells to descend to the sides of your head and come to a complete rest on the floor beside your ears (Be careful not to hit yourself in the head!!!). After a two count, explode the weight back up to the starting position. A personal favourite of mine is to set the safety stops on a Smith Machine or free weight shoulder press and allow the weight to drop to the "bailout pins", pause then with a forceful muscular contraction, explode the weight back up.
It requires greater force to get an object at rest (stopped weight) in motion. You produce more force by increasing acceleration. This is done by creating a force or muscle contraction on the stopped weight. This will incorporate a deeper contraction of the muscles thus stimulating hypertrophy. I recommend you don't do this type of training every workout but incorporate it periodically to stimulate the nervous and muscular systems. You won't be able to handle the same amount of weight you normally use for the exercise but will definitely feel it deep in the muscle and connective tissue the next day! Feel free to contact me for a demonstration of this principle. It will change the way you workout and accelerate your progress!
*As always, consult your physician before attempting this or any other fitness program. Contact a CERTIFIED Personal Trainer for demonstration and instruction for this and other fitness programs.