Yes, genetics matter. So does nutrition, your fat-to-muscle ratio, how many years you’ve been lifting weights, if you sit throughout the day, and — ultimately –how much weight you can lift.<\/p>\n
But let’s assume all of those are equal, and yet, here you are, still sweating day-after-day at the gym and not looking like the other people putting in the same work.<\/p>\n
We’ve all been there and it’s an awful feeling, but one that can be fixed with a simple adjustment. One of the biggest factors that determine whether or not you\u2019ll see the results you want comes down to two words: weightlifting technique.<\/p>\n
More specifically, creating tension. If you want to start seeing your efforts pay off, it’s time to learn that it’s not always\u00a0<\/span>what<\/span><\/i> exercises you do, but <\/span>how <\/span><\/i>you do them. <\/span><\/p>\n For a moment, forget weightlifting technique and think bigger picture. We know that there are 3 primary factors that <\/a><\/span>determine how much much muscle strength and size you\u2019ll build when you lift: metabolic stress, mechanical tension, and muscle damage. Let’s focus on the first two because the third is a byproduct of the work you do.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n People spend a mountain of time thinking about category number one. You\u2019ve probably wondered many times about how many sets and reps you should perform, and when and how often you should change those numbers over time. <\/span><\/p>\n Most people, however, don\u2019t spend nearly as much time on category two (tension), which is a huge missed opportunity. This is where weightlifting technique comes into play.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cTension and its twin, relaxation, are the alphas of strength and conditioning,\u201d says <\/span>Dan John<\/span><\/a>, a world-renowned fitness coach and author of several books on training. \u201cThey are the most important two concepts. And they are exact opposites of each other.\u201d \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The trouble with tension — like any weightlifting technique — is that it can be difficult to learn. Which also means it\u2019s challenging\u2014and time-consuming\u2014to coach. Many trainers won\u2019t take the time to teach it. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWhen I\u2019m teaching someone to do a correct <\/span>kettlebell swing,<\/span><\/a> I first have to teach them to grip the ground with their big toe. For a person who\u2019s new to lifting, that might take a day,\u201d John explains. <\/span><\/p>\n He adds that each of the other key elements of the exercises\u2014buttcheeks squeezed together, abs firmly braced, lats pulling back, and then making all of this to happen at once\u2014takes days if not weeks to learn. \u201cSo teaching someone the kettlebell swing\u2014which at the top, is basically a vertical plank\u2014might take the better part of a few months. And yet I see people teach that exercise and 72 others on the first day of a class.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n To be fair to trainers, not everyone wants to take the time to learn any weightlifting technique. It’s not exactly as much fun as losing fat, building biceps, or seeing your abs pop. And a big part of a trainer’s job is to make exercise fun to prevent you from being bored. After all, \u00a0making exercise enjoyable will keep you doing it and coming back for more, and that’s when results happen. \u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n But, here\u2019s why you\u2019ll want to take a little time to master the tension weightlifting technqiue (while still making your workouts fun)\u2014and how it can make every exercise you perform more effective. <\/span><\/p>\n Another secret smart trainers know: creating tension can help you fix bad biomechanics and reduce how much you are hurt. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cI\u2019d argue that a lot of what people call \u2018lack of mobility\u2019 can be attributed not to lack of flexibility but to lack of stability, which you can establish through coaching tension,\u201d says <\/span>Tony Gentilcore<\/span><\/a>, owner of CORE, a small-group training facility in Boston. <\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s what he means. Let\u2019s say you\u2019re having trouble staying upright when you squat. Your torso leans forward as you descend. Lots of people will blame that on a lack of mobility in their thoracic spine (upper back). But there\u2019s a good chance that what\u2019s actually to blame is your core. You\u2019re not stable enough in your midsection to descend as far as you should. If you learn how to create more tension in your core, then suddenly the \u201cmobility issue\u201d goes away. <\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s how it works. If you\u2019re an experienced lifter, perhaps you\u2019re familiar with the terms \u201ckinetic chain\u201d and \u201cenergy leaks.\u201d If not, here\u2019s a quick primer. <\/span><\/p>\n The <\/span>kinetic chain<\/span><\/a> refers to the body\u2019s joints (ankle, knee, hip, shoulder, etc.) working together. Think of your body as a cohesive unit. When you walk, for instance, it\u2019s just not your legs doing the work. Anyone that\u2019s ever had a back injury knows this all too well because even the simplest (seemingly unrelated) movements can cause pain. <\/span><\/p>\n An energy leak occurs when there\u2019s insufficient stiffness (a.k.a. tension) around one of those joints. <\/span><\/p>\n So let\u2019s say you\u2019re performing a back squat and your knees cave inward. That\u2019s an energy leak. And it\u2019s a problem because, not only does that leak put stress on the joints, it also fosters a muscle imbalance. When your knees cave in, your body asks the surrounding muscles to re-center your knee. Over time, you\u2019re strengthening one set of muscles at the expense of another. (You\u2019re also burning metabolic fuel that could otherwise be put toward another rep.)<\/span><\/p>\n Maybe that\u2019s something you can get away with if you only ever use light resistance when you train. But as the weight gets heavier, the risk gets bigger. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cFor advanced guys, you might have 400-500 pounds on your back,\u201d says strength coach <\/span>Jason Ferruggia<\/span><\/a>. \u201c<\/span>So<\/span> to minimize injury risk, you\u2019ve got to maintain full-body tension throughout the set.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n What does that mean? When you think of weightlifting technique, you usually just think about the muscles you’re working. But that’s just part of the story. You\u00a0need to prepare your entire body for a lift, and, oftentimes, it\u2019s the muscles you wouldn\u2019t even think about. <\/span><\/p>\n Staying with the squat example, most people are worried about their knees or their back (or both). But creating \u201cfull-body tension\u201d often times starts in neither of those two places. You\u2019ll begin with your grip on the bar and then focus on your breathing and abs, which is what actually protects your back from injury.<\/span><\/p>\n When you take a big belly breath (think about filling your stomach with air so that if you have a belt around your natural waist you would feel it become tight), it creates a natural lifting belt that protects your spine. This is known as bracing your torso. (<\/span>Here\u2019s a story that explains how it works and how to do it<\/span><\/a>. You can skip down to the section \u201cThe Problem: Incorrect Breathing\u201d if you want to see it straight away.) <\/span><\/p>\n So in this case, tension is protective. Your grip creates tension that sends a signal to your brain saying, \u201cI\u2019m about to lift heavy weight.\u201d That\u2019s important. If you then \u201cpull\u201d your elbows down and back (imagine someone\u2019s hands trying to push your elbows up and you have to resist against them), you\u2019ll engage your lats, which also protect your spine. Then, when you take your belly breath, you add the final piece of full body tension, which will protect your spine. This type of approach can prevent an energy leak that causes your\u00a0form to break down and injury to occur.<\/span><\/p>\n Just as tension protects you when you squat, it keeps you safer when you perform other exercises. A shoulder that\u2019s engaged is less likely to wind up in an unnatural position when you overhead press. Having your torso firmly braced will help protect your lower back when you deadlift. <\/span><\/p>\n As mentioned earlier, the heavier of a weight you use, the more important weightlifting technique and proper tension becomes. The same is true for the number of reps\u2014the more you perform, the more challenging it is. <\/span><\/p>\n \u201cEvery rep beyond 5 or 6 or so becomes increasingly more difficult to do, so you open yourself up to more injury risk,\u201d Ferruggia says. \u201cThat\u2019s why I like low reps on the big lifts. It\u2019s really hard to maintain that tension while maintaining good form. So a lot of times people say beginners should do high reps. No, it\u2019s the opposite.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Tension isn\u2019t just about playing it safe. On almost any exercise, even bodyweight movements like planks or pushups, full-body tension can dictate what you get out of the exercise and help put your body in an optimal position.<\/span><\/p>\n What do we mean when we say \u201cfull-body\u201d tension? Exactly that: Your entire body. \u201cIt has to literally be from toes to forehead,\u201d John says. \u201cIf I ask you to do a plank and you forget to breathe because you\u2019re so tense, that\u2019s when I know you\u2019re doing it right.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n In fact, go ahead and try that right now. Do a plank while creating as much tension as possible within your body. Here are a few cues that will probably change the way you think about planks (and make the thought of going for 60 seconds seem like the hardest thing you\u2019ve ever done).<\/span><\/p>\n Try it and you\u2019ll see that a plank can fry your entire body in a matter of seconds\u20145 seconds is a great place to start, and 15 is a mighty hold. (Conversely, you know those hours-long World Record-setting planks that you sometimes see grabbing headlines? Here\u2019s why they<\/span> don\u2019t do a whole lot for your muscles<\/span><\/a> and wind up producing more back pain than anything.) \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n In addition to making exercise more efficient, learning to create tension can improve the \u201cmind-muscle connection.\u201d Any bodybuilder will tell you that this link helps you activate the muscles you actually want to work when you exercise. (If you\u2019re skeptical, <\/span>Contreras has proven this phenomenon<\/span><\/a> using an EMG.) \u00a0Studies show that both internal focus (i.e. you trying to direct your body\u2019s efforts with your mind) and external verbal cues (i.e. a coach telling you to focus on a specific part of a move) can increase certain muscle activations, so focusing on tension should help you produce better results. <\/span><\/p>\n Here\u2019s the tricky thing: When you start trying to create full-body tension in your workouts, you\u2019ll probably wind up feeling weaker at first. Ferruggia\u2014who\u2019s <\/span>written about this phenomenon<\/span><\/a> \u2014says while your performance (and especially total reps) may suffer at first, \u201cthe strength gains you make by using proper full-body tension are going to transfer better to the real world.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n Translation: You won\u2019t be one of those people who can leg press hundreds of pounds but can\u2019t move a couch. And as you get used to using full-body tension, Ferruggia adds that, in time, you will surpass your previous numbers. \u201cEventually you will be stronger than you were.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Finding a great coach who can help provide cues, correct your weightlifting technique, and build programs that work <\/a>is always a great choice. <\/span><\/p>\n The reality is that many of you won\u2019t go that route for a variety of reasons, so you\u2019re going to need to learn how to do this on your own. The good news is that we\u2019ve teamed up with some of the best coaches to develop a plan that helps you do that. Here are some of the things you can try right away to start ensuring optimal tension for all of the exercises you perform:<\/span><\/p>\n The trick is learning exactly how to cue those muscles for the different exercises you do. Probably the easiest cue to learn\u2014and the one people fail to do the most often\u2014is gripping the bar. We mean <\/span>really<\/span><\/i> grip it. Too many people, when they\u2019re doing an exercise like dumbbell curls or farmer\u2019s walks, will just secure the dumbbell handle between their thumb and first two fingers. What you want is to have every finger in your hands be at an <\/span>I\u2019m about to crush this bar!<\/span><\/i> level. For barbell work, that means squeezing the life out of the bar while simultaneously trying to pull the bar in opposite directions (think about removing a sword from a sheath). \u201cIf you\u2019re just squeezing the bar as hard as possible, that kind of cues the rest of your body,\u201d Ferruggia says. \u201cThe tension will radiate out from your hands.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The next spot you want to work on is your core. Because the core includes your abs and hips, tension will make a big difference in squats, deadlifts, overhead presses. The quick-and-dirty answer is to say \u201cbrace\u201d your core. What\u2019s that mean? As we mentioned before, pretend you were about to get punched in the gut\u2014or better yet, shatter a 2×4 with your abs (<\/span>like this badass martial arts instructor<\/span><\/a>). Produce something even close to that kind of engagement in your midsection, and you\u2019re going to be better off when you lift\u2014and you\u2019ll provide more support and stability to your spine. <\/span><\/p>\n Training core stability outside of your full-body lifts will also be helpful. Eric Cressey, who trains hundreds of MLB players and other pro athletes, has<\/span> a set of 5 exercises<\/span><\/a> that train all of the dimensions of core strength in a relatively short amount of time. A good way to learn proper core engagement for movements like pull-ups is to try <\/span>this \u201chollow\u201d position drill from Gentilcore<\/span><\/a> (and note how it isn\u2019t so \u201chollow\u201d after all, you definitely are not doing a \u201csuck and tuck\u201d here no matter what old-school ab training or bad Pilates instructors might have told you). And to make sure you aren\u2019t creating all of this stiffness at the expense of your mobility, try Dr. John Rusin\u2019s <\/span>hybrid quadruped position drill<\/span><\/a>.<\/span><\/p>\n Some of the common cues you\u2019ll hear for your shoulder are \u201cpack the shoulder,\u201d \u201cflatten your shoulder blades,\u201d \u201cpull the lats down,\u201d or \u201cflex the pecs and lats.\u201d All of them are trying to achieve basically the same thing: For you to keep your humerus (the upper arm bone) in your shoulder socket. Gentilcore tells his clients to \u201cpretend like you\u2019re squeezing an orange in your armpit during the entire rep and you\u2019re trying to make orange juice\u201d on lifts like the Deadlift. Try it, and you might be surprised what you feel in your shoulders and back, and how much lighter the weight becomes. <\/span><\/p>\n On just about every exercise where you\u2019re standing, your butt should <\/span>not<\/span><\/i> be relaxed. You want it engaged and supporting your body. What\u2019s that mean? Squeeze the cheeks, or even \u201cturn coal into a diamond in your butt cheeks.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n Lastly, let\u2019s talk about your feet. Just as your grip can help you generate tension throughout your arms, firmly pressing your feet\u2014and especially your toes\u2014into the ground can send tension up your lower legs. <\/span><\/p>\n Coaches will often tell you to \u201cgrip the floor with your toes\u201d (as Dan John described earlier), or \u201cscrew your feet into the floor,\u201d or \u201cpush the floor away from you.\u201d Use whichever one you find the most useful. One other note for your legs: Push your ankles out. Same with your knees. <\/span>Valgus knees<\/span><\/a>, or having your knees collapse inward when you lift, is a form fault that can lead to a host of issues and injuries. <\/span><\/p>\n Ready to start putting these cues to work and getting more out of your training? Good. But there\u2019s one last thing you should do: Be patient. <\/span><\/p>\n Every coach we spoke to agreed that cues are an essential way to help our brains to trigger tension. But any lifter who\u2019s been coached has experienced information overload at one point or another. You\u2019re doing a squat then someone tells you to screw your feet into the floor. Then they tell you to pull down your lats. Then they tell you to brace your core. The result of trying to do too much at once? You get confused. <\/span><\/p>\n So, instead, try focusing on one or a few aspects of tension at a time. As they become second-nature to you, add a new cue. In time, you\u2019ll be doing this stuff without even thinking about it.<\/span><\/p>\n Full-body tension takes time\u2014sometimes a lot of it\u2014to master. \u201cTension is an underappreciated concept even among the elite athletes I work with,\u201d Rusin says. \u201cIt\u2019s something you can be getting better at no matter your experience level.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n The 4-Step Biceps Builder<\/a><\/p>\nWhy Tension Matters<\/h2>\n
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How Your Weightlifting Technique Prevents Injuries<\/h2>\n
How Tension Builds Results You Can See<\/h2>\n
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How to Create More Tension When You Train<\/h2>\n
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Weightlifting Technique Upgrade: Your Grip<\/h2>\n
Weightlifting Technique Upgrade: Your Core<\/h2>\n
Weightlifting Technique Upgrade: Your Shoulders<\/h2>\n
Weightlifting Technique Upgrade: Your Butt\/Glutes<\/h2>\n
Weightlifting Technique Upgrade: Your Feet<\/h2>\n
Remember: Learning Tension is a Process. Try, try again.<\/h2>\n
READ MORE:\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/h3>\n