💪🏼💪🏿PT CORNER: Muscle Contractions & Why They Matter on the Machine💪🏿💪🏼

EVERY MONTH WE ARE EXCITED TO BRING YOU “PT CORNER!” OUR RESIDENT STUDENT PHYSICAL THERAPIST AND FIERCEMOVEMENT® COACH REAGAN RUPARD IS SHARING HER INSIGHT ON HOW THE BODY WORKS AND HOW IT RELATES TO THE MOVEMENTS WE DO ON THE MACHINE. UTILIZE REAGAN’S INSIGHT TO KICK YOUR CLASSES UP A GEAR!

BY: Reagan Rupard

At Fierce45®, we think a lot about our “why”. And for me, as a (6 weeks from graduating but who’s counting) student physical therapist, my “why” isn’t just about what I emotionally bring to the table when I coach a class. I’m asking myself why over and over as I plan my classes each week. That’s how I ensure that I have a reason behind every inch that my clients are moving on the machine. I always want the sequence of class, the moves I choose, and the variations I add onto them to be purposeful. 

A big part of bringing purpose to my classes and challenging clients of every skill level is largely built on a basic knowledge of how our muscles work. This month, I want to share some of that knowledge with you so that you more fully appreciate our physical “why”, and you can use it to challenge yourself next time you’re on the machine.

A few definitions, first.

concentric contraction: muscle contraction where the muscle length shortens because muscle fibers move closer together (think, bicep curl in)

isometric contraction: muscle contraction where muscle length does not change (think of a 10s hold in the bottom of your squat)

eccentric contraction: muscle contraction where muscle lengthens because muscle fibers move apart from each other (the down phase of a lunge, where your hamstring is still on fire, but lengthening as you lower)

What makes Fierce special?

Have you ever been to a gym and seen someone throw weights up into a bicep curl then passively drop them, letting gravity do the work on the way down? This type of momentum-driven exercise means that a huge amount of potential work is being missed out on. And by work, I mean the work we show up to do when we exercise: overloading the muscle so that we cause microscopic damage in muscle fibers that then spurs the body to build back new, stronger muscle. We spend equal amounts of time in the concentric/eccentric phases of contraction at Fierce45. That’s especially important because the eccentric phase of contraction (down in a lunge, out in bicep curls, those last two inches out in hero) are especially good at making us stronger.

How can I apply this in class?

Up-level every single class you take by staying more present in each move. Don’t let the eccentric contraction be a break where you allow gravity, cables, or springs to do the work for you. Hold on to the intensity you’ve built in the concentric phase - that burn in your biceps, along the smile of your seat, all along your core - and keep in through the entire movement. Challenge yourself to really control the descent in lunges, creating a little bit of your own resistance all the way down. This not only helps to fatigue the muscle, but encourages us to stay in our most active range of motion. Overall, that means less breaks, and more soreness. As coaches, we’ve been focusing on using eccentric contractions to challenge you more, so be on the lookout for those opportunities in class to get that sweet, sweet shake.