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Summary
On episode 156 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan breaks down pause training, a simple way to use pauses inside your lifts to get stronger. He defines the concentric and eccentric phases of a lift, then explains how pausing at the right point turns those movements into a targeted strength-building tool.
Allan explains that a pause held at a sticking point, like the bottom of a push-up where you normally stall, becomes an isometric hold that builds strength right at the range where you’re weakest. He also uses pauses at the bottom of a squat to remove the elastic bounce that lets momentum do work the muscle should be doing.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- The concentric phase is the muscle shortening to move the weight. Allan uses a bicep curl as the example: the bicep shortens and generates more force than the weight requires, which lifts it up. Understanding this phase is the foundation for everything else he covers about pauses.
- The eccentric phase is the muscle lengthening under control as the weight lowers. Slowly letting a weight down, rather than dropping it, still strengthens the muscle even though it isn’t the lifting phase. Allan notes the eccentric phase is actually where you’re strongest, which is why negatives (lowering from a position you couldn’t have lifted into on your own) work as an advanced strength tool.
- A sticking point is where the lift stalls because leverage or strength runs out. Allan says this is common on heavy lifts like the bench press or squat, and it’s exactly why those lifts need a rack or a spotter for safety. Recognizing your own sticking point is the first step to fixing it.
- Pausing at a sticking point works it as an isometric hold. Using a struggling push-up as the example, Allan has you lower to the point where you normally stall, push up just slightly, then hold for 2 to 3 seconds before continuing. Isometric work is one of the most effective strength builders available precisely because you’re pushing against a fixed position instead of moving through a full range.
- Isometrics are best used surgically, not as a general training method. Because an isometric hold only strengthens one narrow point in the range of motion, Allan treats it as a targeted fix for a specific sticking point rather than a replacement for full range-of-motion training. It’s a tool for when you’re stuck, not an everyday default.
- A pause at the bottom of a squat can fix a personal movement issue. Allan sits in the bottom of his squat before working sets to open his hips and calves and get into a better position for the lift itself. That pre-lift pause addresses a specific weakness, his body wanting to lean forward, rather than being a generic warm-up step.
- A pause at the bottom of a lift also removes the elastic bounce that substitutes for real strength. Allan explains that many lifts, like a push-up or squat, get an assist from a natural bounce at the bottom of the range. Pausing there kills that momentum, so the muscle has to generate all the force to reverse direction, which is a more honest test and builder of strength.
- Pause training has two distinct uses, and it helps to know which one you’re after. Allan summarizes the episode as covering two applications: isometric work at a sticking point to build strength exactly where you’re weak, and a dead-stop pause to eliminate momentum and force the muscle to do the full work. Choosing the right one depends on whether your problem is a strength gap or a technique shortcut.
“Isometrics are really one of the best strength builders that we have.”
Coach Allan