Not wasting, but you’re not being effective or efficient. 

Too many people associate the “pump or burn” with results, so they go faster and faster to chase that feeling thinking that they’re doing the right thing, but they generally result in a fruitless endeavor due to the laws of biomechanics and physiology.

Yes, that burn in your body may have you thinking that you’re getting results, but in reality, all it is is a change in pH levels and a build-up of lactic acid, which has no real long-term effects on your physiological adaptations. 

If more people understood the difference between a concentric pump and eccentric destruction, then I wouldn’t have a job, but lucky for you, you’ve subscribed to my email list, so I’m gonna help you out.

Plus, information alone won’t help you. The $ are in the implementation process. 

You see, a concentric pump refers to a neuromuscular connection in which you create a squeeze in the muscle, promoting blood to flock into the area to help bring nutrients and flush out the metabolites that build up. If you keep pushing, eventually, the build-up of lactic acid is so intense that the muscles become swollen (swole) with blood and you have to stop because they can’t contract anymore. 

This has great restorative properties and is one of the best ways to promote recovery through submaximal loading and the promotion of nutrients through blood flow, without the destruction of muscle fibres. 

But, apart from some acute hormonal changes and rehabilitation work, there isn’t too much long term benefit from this style of training if you’re looking to gain that lean, athletic physique. 

The real results are in the eccentric loading phase (in which your muscle fibres contract during lengthening) which creates trauma to the soft tissue in the form of microtears.

(sounds gruesome right?). 

But, it’s not that bad, at least for the goals that we have. [lean, athletic muscle]

Our bodies obviously don’t love the stress this causes to the physiology, so they adapt and grow in case we try and do it to them again (we will 😉

The result: we get larger, thicker, more adapted muscle fibres with more capacity to produce more force without being broken down. 

Think of it as adding more and more rubber bands to try hold up a weight. 

(One band might snap, but if you had 10 bands, the load would be distributed easier and less risk of damage). 

The benefit of having these larger, thicker, more adapted muscle fibres is that we can now increase our work capacity to lift more things and progressively overload our stimulus, but also, from an aesthetic standpoint, it comes down to the influence that muscle mass has on our metabolism. 

Muscle mass is expensive to maintain, meaning the more of it we have, the more calories we use. 

So we either get to eat the same amount of calories each day and be in a calorie deficit, resulting in weight loss. 

Or

We can increase our daily caloric intake and remain the same weight without getting fat. 

Ultimately, in the long run, you’ll have:

• Muscles that are more defined 
• Lower body fat 
• A more metabolically efficient body
• Muscles that can tolerate more capacity and therefore do more work and continue the perpetual cycle mentioned above, without the risk of injury. 

Long story short: 

• Stop moving fast through a short range of motion. You’re doing yourself a disservice
  and start
• LIFTING HEAVY THROUGH A LARGE RANGE OF MOTION WITH A CONTROLLED TEMPO TO MAXIMISE THE BENEFITS OF T.U.T THROUGH A LARGE R.O.M, ESPECIALLY IN THE ECCENTRIC PORTION OF THE LIFT.

Sorry to yell that at you, but I feel like you wouldn’t hear me otherwise. 

I wouldn’t have to yell if people would just start listening and stop going to these bloody HIIT institutions that associate sweat with results. 

The acute benefits of sweat and burn have absolutely nothing on the long term physiological effects of progressively overloading a large range of motion at relative intensity. 

Here’s your challenge. 

1. Pick a squat weight that is heavy for 10 reps (I mean actually heavy, like an 8/10 heavy. The type when you put it down and feel like you’ve worked hard).
2. Complete 50 reps as slow as possible and through the largest range of motion possible. I’m talking, hamstring hits your calf on every rep.
   (Put your heels on a plate if needed)
3. Rest as much as you need, but just make this as slow and painful as you possibly can.
4. Trust me. Your future self is going to hate/love you for it.

Those who are willing to endure the short term discomfort will earn the right to enjoy long term satisfaction.