Train Like an Athlete - Look Like an Athlete

Train Like an Athlete – Look Like an Athlete

Building peak performance requires mastering three types of muscle contraction: eccentric (braking), isometric (stabilization), and concentric (action).

Eccentrics teach energy absorption and reduce injury risk.

Isometrics enable the highest motor unit recruitment (up to 95.2%) and build tendon health.

Concentrics are the desired end result, but they must be performed with maximal intent to accelerate (marked as “X” in tempo). A deliberate intent to move fast increases fast-twitch (FT) fiber activation by 20–37%, even if the load is moving slowly.

Your body has a built-in protective mechanism: it will allow you to strike only as fast as it can safely decelerate that strike. If your antagonists (e.g., rotator cuff, biceps) are weak, the brain will send an inhibitory signal to the agonists (triceps, chest) to prevent injury. That’s why performance is built on structural balance—stronger “brakes” (eccentric strength of antagonists) allow a stronger “engine” (concentric power of agonists).

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