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Power Ups Exercises - Build Both Fast & Slow Twitch Muscle Fibers

If you are looking for a new way to spice up your training you may want to lighten the weight a bit and try some power ups! You can increase the weight as you get a few weeks into the workouts but start a bit lighter until you get used to the form, speed and movements. Always concentrate on form and learning the move you are doing, the speed of the move and just allowing yourself time to practice the move without weight first. If in doubt when it comes to the form, use a mirror.

Power ups are a way to add drive to an exercise. Working both fast and slow twitch within the same exercise can be tricky but this exercise does just that. Increasing the push on the exertion phase of an exercise will stimulate the muscle fibres in a different way forcing adaptation which equals strength, tone, shape and muscle. When you add this type of shock or change to a workout you can expect results will follow. You will burn extra calories due to the intensity and newness of this work which in turn brings fat loss.

For the return phase during power up reps, you will keep it twice as slow as the speed in your power up. This will enhance the 'negative' aspect of the exercise and really challenging the muscles. Your power up timing will be a second or 2, while your negative will be twice or longer the speed. This makes form even more important than usual to ensure no injury. I also suggest using bodyweight if you are a beginner.

Stick with lower reps and light weight until you are able to increase both slowly, reps then weight, then weight then reps, it's all up to you. I would suggest go with increasing reps then when you reach 20, increase weight and lower reps until you get to 20 with the new load. Repeat this process.

Some of the ideal exercises for this program are to use compound exercises which are ones which use multiple and large muscle groups. This is safer for the joints and much better for fat burning as well.

Squats would be my first choice and first on the list to train in order. You can use back or front squats, single leg squats with support on rack or use machines like the hack or smith.

Chest press on one of the various machine choices and calve raises are 2 of the next great choices. If you need more rest but are crunched for time you can super set these 2 exercises for time efficiency.

Pullups can be great for this purpose if you can do them; otherwise you will need to use a chair under the feet to assist your power up. The negative should be easily attained without assistance.

Crunches work wonderful and the power ups add a new twist the traditional. Solid core muscles can be built using this type of discipline.

Try this out for a month and do it again for a break in a few months. I would do it 2-3 times per year for a month or 2.

By Linda Cusmano