** ARE YOUR WORKOUTS DOING MUCH? **
https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=vlGZfIgc6Vk
We've all seen it at the gym: that guy or gal burning quickly through their weight lifting sets. Or give a dude a squeezy-springy-grip-handle thingy and he'll squeeze it a thousand times in a minute to show how cool he is.
Eccentric (or release of the lift/contraction) is usually sloppy and relaxed because we're focused on killing the hard part.
When utilizing time under tension (TUT), you use maximum effort to power the weight up/out/down and control the reverse movement to the reset position.
By slowing down the exercises, it creates a ton more resistance and breaks down a lot more muscle fibers (which, when repaired, equate to muscle growth!).
Once I learned this, the gains came quickly. If you've never done this, try it! Your strength will grow exponentially!
Slow your squats down to half-speed. Reverse crunches, count to 5 as you lower your legs.
This is why when folks ask, "How many ____s can you do?" or "How much weight can you ____?" I always feel like I need to qualify my responses...