Maintain the intensity throughout the entire lift.
Whether you’re weightlifting or engaging in bodyweight exercises, there’s a unique element that can subtly change the actual resistance you encounter. For instance, during push-ups, you’re not bearing your full body weight throughout the entire movement, only during the initial phase. To maximize the benefits of such exercises, it’s crucial to ensure that you feel the full force of the resistance throughout. This is where the concept of flexibility resistance becomes important.
Flexibility resistance involves using additional equipment or specific movements to compel your body to experience the full impact of the resistance you’re introducing. Incorporating resistance throughout the entire range of motion will undoubtedly intensify the exercises, but it will also significantly enhance the results you achieve from a workout session. The use of bands or chains is a common practice in flexibility resistance training; for example, attaching bands while lifting weights will distribute resistance both during the lifting and lowering phases.
If you don’t have bands available, certain types of bodyweight exercises can also serve the purpose. For instance, an inclined push-up mimics the posture of a high plank, with the additional weight of your upper body leaning over your hands balancing the resistance during the return phase. One caveat of this training method, whether using bands or specific poses, is that you may need to slightly reduce the resistance load. Keep in mind that a conventional workout load already accounts for recovery periods to some extent. Attempting to carry out prolonged exercises with flexibility resistance may lead to injury, so it’s important not to overexert yourself.
