Hi, I’m Cassie coming to you from MaxStrength Fitness Willoughby.
This month in our mastery series, we’ve been talking about pace.
Last week, Dominic talked about the perfect pace and why a speed of about 6 to 10 seconds in each direction is the ideal speed of movement.
But what about the even bigger challenge of maintaining a smooth and consistent pace from start to finish?
This can be one of the biggest challenges and most common mistakes we see in the studio.
Inconsistent or varying speeds can make your set less effective and add potential risk for injury.
Let’s take a look at some of the most common mistakes and how we can avoid them in the future.
Mistake number 1: inconsistent pacing in the concentric versus the eccentric phase.
We’ll often see clients move slowly as they lengthen or in the eccentric phase and pick up the pace in the concentric phase.
We want to keep the pace even and smooth and the same in both directions.
Mistake number 2: speed changes in response to fatigue.
Often we’ll see clients moving smooth and slow as their set begins, but as fatigue sets in and the discomfort begins to rise, we’ll see the speed increase in response to that.
Our goal is to keep our speed consistent even when fatigue sets in.
Mistake number 3: not controlling the lower turnaround.
When we don’t control the lower turnaround, we introduce momentum into the movement, we lose continuous tension, and we introduce a risk for injury.
A correct lower turn should barely touch, barely start, and remain the same pace throughout.
So, next time you train, remember, continuous pace, smooth consistent movement, controlled turns.
Think of it like setting the cruise control on your car!
