"Negatives" .. What are they? Why do we practice them? That is a good Question. When we talk muscle development and strength it is worth looking at not only putting reps overhead or squatting a ton of weight over and over; we must also look at what happens to muscle when it actually lengthens against resistance.
This method of strength training is called 'eccentric' training. It is where the muscle is loaded and you as the athlete fight against the resistance on the way to lengthen the muscle. To give a couple examples; this is what we are training in our Tempo Squats, our slow lowering in the pull up, the power I'm looking for in the buddy pulls or sled pushes.
The strength adaptations when you train the 'eccentric' phase are both neuromuscular, and physiologically. Remember how the Tempo squats felt? Muscles that you never felt, ever, were suddenly screaming at you. That is denoting a firing sequence that doesn't always happen when you are just training the contraction phase. When your mind learns to fire certain muscles, it develops pathways which make those muscle accessible at all times.
Now muscle size.. Always gets peoples ears perked up. Well during the eccentric phase we can overload the muscle more than in the contraction phase so development of muscle fibers are quicker when you train this! Not only is the muscle getting stronger but the tendons and ligaments are also benefitting but overloading.
Combining greater and faster muscle recruitment with overall stronger muscles means that you get stronger... faster. Sound good? Well today we get to practice some of this in regards to strengthening our Muscle Up. Gymnastics and weightlifting illicit similar stimulus and our training will complement the muscle development well!!
Here's to Gainz!!!
Baseline:
Banded Bully Stretch/ Banded Pull Aparts/ Banded Pass Thru/ Lat Band/ Banded Across The Chest Stretch
Tabata Cone Touch: Linear and Lateral Agility
Gymnastic Skills:
Gymnasty 12
:05 Ring Dip Eccentric Lower
:15 Ring Support Bottom
15 Seated L-Sit Leg Raises over Slam Ball
12 Candle Stick to Pistol
WOD:
8 Min AMRAP
8 Slam Ball
8 Wall Ball Shots
8 Toes To bar
Rest 5 Mins
8 Min AMRAP
15 cal Assault Bike/ 200m Run
10 Overhead Squat 115/75
5 Muscle Ups/ 10 Dips
