How You Can Break Through A Plateau

This last Saturday I was working with one of my favorite clients (they are all favorite) and I gave her two 12 K.G. kettlebells for a squat and press strength complex. She pressed them once and then needed to do a push-press to get the bells overhead after that. Which are fine, push-presses is a great exercise and I have seen people turn a push-press into a strict press with some spent training.However I felt like something was missing from her technique and that she just needed a quick refresher into the technique of “how to” of being stronger.

 

 

I then did some drills with her to help her remember the proper technique and “wham” she smashed her press with ease. Even on her “weak” side with way less difficulty. All that we did was worked on bracing drills and using tension to empower her pressing. That is what our post for today is about; using muscle tension to produce strength, safety and faster fat-loss.

 

 

 

Sometimes the thing that is needed to do a certain move is to learn how to use this technique. Think about something that you may struggle with and how you can never seem to develop or earn the move. This principle can help you to finally get “victory” over your struggle with that move or load.

You may think that this is a gimmick or that it won’t work for everyone, but please take the time to acknowledge that I am not trying to sell you anything. I am just giving you information that can transform your fitness levels to new heights and levels for free! So give it a shot, unless of course you have high blood pressure.

 

This particular practice involves tightening up every muscle in the body to produce force and power. This practice creates stability in the body and thus more power.  You also need to employ a particular breathing pattern (power breathing) that will also help you generate more strength in your lifts.

 

1. Tightening up your body to produce force:

This is what I call mind over muscle it is using the mind to brace and tighten every muscle in the body. To learn how to do this we will use the hard style plank. (It is easier to learn something without moving) Get in a push up plank position, now brace your abs as if you were about to take a kick to the gut. Then, squeeze your heels together and upper legs as well. Tighten your glutes squeeze them as if you were trying to break a walnut with your “lower cheeks.”  We will also move this up the body by “packing your shoulders” or pulling them down away from the ears. If you have gotten this right you will feel you lats almost cramp. Finally push your hands down into the floor along with your feet. If you have done this properly; you will feel like holding your plank got easy. But it takes a lot of energy to hold it due to the focus and using your entire body to hold it rather than a passive plank.

 

 

2. Power breathing:
Depending on whom you are and your experience with breathing drills, this aspect of strength enhancement can be a bit more difficult to learn properly. Tis can be a result of needing to learn how to breathe into the middle of your body first and not into your chest. This may take a lot of practice but don’t feel discouraged as you endeavor to learn it. As long as you are getting a bit better every-time that you do

This particular technique is done by breathing in through the nose to fill up your sides, back and abdomen. Then taking your tongue and sticking it to your teeth and finally breathing out with a hiss. If you have done this well your abs should be on fire.

 

 

Work on applying these principles into your working out if you are healthy enough to do so. As you do you find your numbers going up and also will be better suited for advanced exercises such as: pistols, planche holds, levers and so on. Just start with the plank and breathing drills. As well as putting these ideas to work in your lifting.  You will be pleased with your progress and possibly finally begin to do some moves that may have eluded you up until now!