Omni-Contraction Training

                                             

An advanced HIT technique that is very effective for increasing the intensity of your training is the omni-contraction variable. It is an established fact that the most productive portion of an exercise is the negative, or lowering phase. To maximize the effectiveness of an exercise we need to find a way to place a greater emphasis on the negative portion. One way to do this is to slow the negative motion to an effective speed. A great way to do this is to use the omni-contraction variable. 

To do this with the bench press:

• Lower the bar to the chest
• Pause one second then press the bar up to the position prior to lockout.
• Lower the bar one third of the way and hold for 10 seconds. During the hold you should try to reverse the direction of the bar but this should be impossible if enough weight is being used.
• Lower the bar to mid-point and hold for 10 seconds
• Complete the exercise by lowering the bar until  it is four inches from the start position and hold for 10 seconds.

Repeat for the desired number of repetitions.

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