Q&A Video #10: Is it possible to release too slowly out of the movements?

Transcript of video:

Hi guys! Today I’m answering a question that I get once in a while, from students who really like to take it slow and explore the movements really deeply, and that is: Is it possible to release too slowly? In other words, is there a point at which it is not beneficial to release more slowly?

So, first of all, the speed at which you need to release out of the contractions in order to benefit from the movement does vary from person to person. It varies based on how much muscle tension you have. Someone with a high degree of muscle tension can benefit from releasing at fairly moderate pace, as long as it’s taking 100% of their mental focus. As they reduce their resting level of muscle tension, they will need to start releasing more and more slowly in order to keep benefiting; in order to keep reducing their resting level of tension more and more. So, the more relaxed your muscles are, the more slowly you need to release in order to benefit.

But is there such a thing as releasing too slowly? My answer is maybe, and it may depend on the exercise and your body position and what it takes for you be in that position and release extremely slowly. Here’s an example. I got down on the floor to explore this for myself, and I decided to do the Diagonal Curl. To start with, I timed how long it took me to release out of the curl just going at my own pace, with my eyes closed, and releasing at the speed I felt like I needed. It took me 34 seconds. Then I did another repetition, and I was aiming to take about one full minute for the release. I ended up taking 55 seconds. During parts of the release, especially the beginning and middle, I felt like I was doing a little work in order to move that slowly. I was having to do a little extra work to hold my body up so that I could move through that range of motion extremely slowly. As I was doing this, I was thinking, okay, I have my answer, this probably isn’t worth it because other muscles are holding and bracing my body so that my obliques and pectorals can do this really slow release. But then at the end of the movement, my chest and shoulder felt really relaxed and open. Then I got up and went back to my computer, and my right chest and shoulder felt great. Really relaxed and open. And they stayed feeling like that for a long time.

So, like I said before, my answer is maybe. This is something that you need to explore for yourself. You can try my experiment – pick a movement that you like, one in which you tend to really notice that sense of release at the end. You can use a timer on your phone or your watch, and see how long it takes you to release as you normally would. Then time yourself releasing much more slowly, maybe almost twice as slowly.

Notice what you’re feeling in your body as you release that slowly, and then notice how you feel afterward. You may find that you love releasing more slowly. Or, you may find that moving significantly more slowly than you usually do actually creates more tension, because you’re holding and bracing yourself. If that’s the case, then go back to your normal speed, where you feel benefit from the movement.

Explorations like this are always fun, and I encourage you to do this kind of stuff in your daily practice. Don’t worry about doing the movements at exactly the speed I instruct, or the number of repetitions that I instruct. Feel your way through your practice, try different things, and figure out what works best for your body.

I hope that was helpful! Thanks for watching, and I’ll see you next time!