Hi I’m Lee Labrada your Lean Body Coach, and thank you for joining me today.

Getting older doesn't have to stop you from enjoying a great workout. While you may experience a few more aches and pains than you did when you were younger, there’s a lot to be said for the benefits of training that is not only intense but safe as well.

No matter what your fitness goals are, there are many ways to increase training intensity such as increasing the weight you use, shortening the rest periods between sets, or super-setting two exercises just to name a few.

While these methods are tried and true, they obviously have their limitations. We can’t increase the weights every workout indefinitely, for instance, as the body just isn’t capable of that - not to mention there’s a progressive increased risk of injuries such as muscle strains, or joint issues.

What we’re really seeking is an answer to this question: “What’s the best, most efficient, safest way, long term, to create a stimulus for muscle growth and conditioning?”

We want techniques that are effective, sustainable and those that have low risk of injury. And we want maximal fiber recruitment in muscles to create the contractile stimulation and the metabolic effects that forces the muscle to adapt and grow.

To be clear, answering this questions is not a “one-size-fits-all” proposition. There are a number of ways to accomplish this, but for this segment I want to focus on a technique that checks all the boxes and has a great track record for producing results.

This technique allows us to train with lots of intensity and with minimal stress on joints or connective tissue. This technique is often called continuous tension.

When we look at muscle physiology, muscle contraction is all about the cross-bridging of two key proteins, actin and myosin. When training, we want to stimulate as much cross-bridging as possible in the targeted muscle in order to stimulate growth.

By moving the weights very slowly in both the positive and negative parts of an exercise, you will create incredible intensity while at the same time keeping the risk of injury at a minimum. Try this, working to failure for a set and you’ll see what I mean!
It improves mind-body connection!

But remember, when training intensity goes up, training duration should go down. While this is not a “one-set-to-failure program”, it does mean that you will need to reduce workout volume significantly because you will be tired. A couple of sets per exercise, with a few exercises per bodypart, can yield amazing results.

One final word: Remember that the goal of training is to create a stimulus for growth and conditioning. Once that stimulus has been delivered, get out of the gym! Growth and recovery happen outside the gym, not in the gym.

Eat a high protein diet and have a Lean Body shake right after your workout to provide your muscles with amino acids to support growth and recovery.

If you give it a try, ’m sure you’ll agree that using the continuous tension technique will take your training to new heights.

Stay strong!

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