Smooth Lift (off)

If there's one thing I could wave a magic wand to eliminate in every gym (private studio, workout room at home) in the world, it would be that bounce at the bottom of the release phase on strength exercises that nearly everyone does.

You know the scene - the dumbbells are being lowered from the chest toward the waist and they pick up speed like a brick falling from a 20-story window and then BAM! The elbows hit their extension limit and the weights bounce back up, picking up momentum to "get a head start" on the next rep. And the lifter usually leans forward as the weights drop and then back with the upswing to help with that momentum, all at the expense of the elbow joints and the low back.

It has to be the single most damaging part of the movement. So why do people do it like that? Simple - they're using too much weight to control, so that's the way the body compensates.

My clients may get tired of hearing this, but they know it saves the joints and more consistently and effectively loads the muscles if they follow this direction:

As the weights are lowered, there should be no acceleration toward the bottom of the movement. In fact, slowing down progressively to a very smooth stop is best. And then the first inches of the ascent should be super slow and then only slightly accelerate once the weight starts moving, leveling out in speed after the first third of the lift.

When I turned 16 and first started driving with my folks in the car, I used to play a game when we approached stop signs. I would try to stop so gradually that the actual stopping point was nearly imperceptible. That's the dynamic I urge my clients to work toward for maximum safety and effectiveness.

So that's it - soft landing and soft liftoff. Great for a smooth jet ride; great for building strength without injury.