There are a number of ways an exercise can be made harder other than packing on more weight. This is important knowledge for injury prevention as well as for specific training purposes. A Personal Trainer Richmond BC will have the knowledge to scale up and down the movement depending on the level of the client or athlete.
1.) Tempo
Let’s take the bench press exercise for an example. A regular bench press would have the tempo of one second down and one second up; which is great for learning and practicing technique. However, when more intensity is needed, you can alter the tempo for more gains. A longer tempo is generally harder; for an example three seconds on the way down and one second on the way up. Reaching the same number of reps with slow tempo will be much more difficult. A personal trainer in Richmond will alter the tempo depending on client and athlete needs.
2.) Unilateral movements
As humans we are not perfect and we will have imperfections. One of which are physical imbalances; left and right, front and back, top and bottom. Once we are comfortable with the form of a bilateral exercise, such as the barbell bench press, we can transfer it to a unilateral form – the dumbbell chest press. If we have an imbalance one arm will generally be weaker than the other. Our goal now is to balance both arms with independent resistance. A personal trainer in Richmond will be sure to spot clients to ensure safety.
3.) Accommodating resistance
Now we’re getting fancy. The barbell bench press has a constant tension on the chest, shoulders and triceps. When we add an accommodating resistance, we are changing the amount of tension throughout the movement. This can be done through adding chains or resistance bands on the bar. Now when we perform the movement, it gets harder as we finish the press. This will train our lock-out strength at the end of the movement.
If you need more personalized help with your exercise and training. Contact the best personal trainers in Richmond, Surrey, and Langley.
