Hello, Cassie here from MaxStrength Fitness in Willoughby. Welcome to our next installment of our ongoing mastery series. This month’s focus is the lower turnaround.
As we heard from Dominic, the lower turnaround is the point in the exercise where you’re lowering the weight stack. It briefly touches and then you come back out.
Why is the lower turnaround so important? It’s so important because our goal is to keep continuous tension on the muscle throughout the exercise to maximize the stimulus and the efficiency of the exercise. And this is the moment where we make that happen.
How do we do that? We follow the three rules of the lower turnaround.
1. Always bottom out
2. Never unload at the bottom
3. Don’t fire out of the bottom
Let’s dig into rule number two. Never unload at the bottom.
Let’s set the scene. You’re well into your set on leg press. Your heart is pounding. Your legs are shaking. The stimulus in your thighs is intensifying. Maintaining control is becoming extremely challenging and takes all of your energy and focus. You finally reach the bottom of the rep, the lower turnaround. What happens next?
For most people, it’s instinctual. A brief pause, a breath, a split second rest by briefly setting the weight down, finding a moment of relief. But here’s the problem with that: that is the moment where you give away your gains. We know how tempting it is to fully rest for just a second, especially when the muscles are screaming for a break. But every time we let go of that tension we’ve built, we’re reducing the stimulus our bodies need to grow stronger.
How do we do that? We focus, we breathe, and we go back to that fourth P, purpose. Remember, the purpose of the exercise is to create the maximum amount of motor unit recruitment. And to do that, we must stay under continuous tension.
So when you approach that lower turnaround, you find the weight stack and you don’t let the weight down. You briefly touch, you stay under tension, and you continue the rep. Remember, you’re not just lifting weights. You’re training your body to perform under control with focus. And despite fatigue, you’re building longevity. Let’s truly get better, one rep at a time.
