Negative focused training. It’s not a term that sounds like it would deliver positive results. However, since I’ve started incorporating negative focused training into my workouts, I’ve not only felt myself getting stronger, but I’ve also noticed my arms are looking less flabby and even my tummy (which is my body part that holds onto the most fat) is starting to show a little definition.
Negative focused training is simply focusing on the lowering part of an exercise. Take a push-up for instance, falling to the floor and then pushing yourself backup isn’t the most effective way to perform this exercise. If you were to do a negative focused push up, you would focus on lowering yourself in a slow and controlled manner before pushing up. You should spend twice as much time lowering yourself to the floor as you do pushing back up.
Focusing on the negative part of an exercise has been proven to improve strength just as much as the lifting part. This is because it ignites protein-synthesis, which is the process needed to build muscle, helping achieve that toned look.
Okay, enough science and more action. To start incorporating negative focused training into your workouts, start in a plank position and take a full 20 seconds to lower yourself to the floor. Pause at the bottom and take another 20 seconds to push yourself back up. Lower yourself to the floor one last time for another 20 seconds. Spending forty seconds lowering yourself and twenty pushing yourself up makes this a killer exercise, which will have your chest aching for days. The good news is that this exercise is so effective that you only need to do a few reps to see results, which means you can get toned even if you’re short on time.