You are probably wondering what TriCon training is. I’m glad you asked. This type of training helps burn fat and grow muscle while reducing strain on your muscles. As we turn 40, lifting weight becomes more complicated as our muscles cannot take much stress, or maybe our health condition leaves us with less strength.
For this reason, if you are willing to start a workout regime and have come across the term Tricon Training, you must be wondering what it’s all about. Let me explain what Tricon training means and how you can get started with it.
What is Tricon Training?
TriCon refers to Triple Contraction, which includes three contraction types in workouts. These are Concentric, Eccentric, and Isometric. Before explaining what TriCon training means, I’ll first explain these three contractions because that’ll help you better understand the type of training.
- Concentric: This type of contraction means shortening the muscle. Bench press would be a perfect example as it requires you to shrink your power at the lowest position of the exercise. If you do a complete bench press rep, you will shorten the muscle while lowering the bar to your chest. The beginning position of the biceps curl is another example of concentric.
- Eccentric: Eccentric means stretching or lengthening the muscle. This type of contraction is just the opposite of concentric. An example will be a bench press, where you need to extend your power at the top or final position of the exercise. When you do bench press, you need to stretch the muscle while pushing the bar upwards.
- Isometric: The third type of contraction is neither concentric nor eccentric. It means that isometric doesn’t require stretching or shortening your muscles. If you consider the bench press an example, an isometric hold will occur when you pause for a little at the midway of raising the bar. Though your muscles won’t stretch or shorten at this position, they will still be contracting.
So, TriCon is a set of these three types of contractions that you can implement in multiple exercises such as bench press, biceps curl, and others. The purpose of TriCon is to work on every muscle belly of the targeted muscle so that it gets stimulated and you shed off stubborn fat quickly while growing muscles.
TriCon sets also help men and women to produce testosterone hormone and thereby maintain their reproduction and bone health.
Check out this awesome video “Best Workout For Men Over 40 (Tricon Training!)”:
Why is TriCon Training Important?
There are multiple reasons for which TriCon training is essential, especially for older women. The main reason is that TriCon helps practitioners burn fat and calories quickly while putting less strain on their muscles. Though it requires a minimum strength during contractions, it ensures better muscle growth than other workouts.
As you lose weight, your body tends to lose muscle health, fats, and calories. If your muscles become lean, it can lead to a lack of power and stamina. Hence, nowadays, contracting muscle exercises are given utmost importance among every other type of workout. TriCon is essential among other muscle-strengthening activities because it’s safer than weight lifting for older people and those with previous muscle injuries.
Read this article next: A Beginner’s Guide to Weight Loss After 40
How Can I Build Muscle At 40 with TriCon Training?
You can essentially build your body muscles at 40 if you try TriCon training. As I’ve mentioned above, weight training has its pros and cons, but TriCon is a reliable option because it requires a medium level of strength. To start with, you can try basic or simple workouts like bench press, which I’m going to explain below:
TC3 Set of Bench Press
A TriCon set is known as TC3, which includes nine reps of workouts. The number 3 in TC3 refers to the number of isometric holds within a set. And for each isometric hold, you need to perform an equal number of explosive reps before and slow reps after it. So, there will be nine total reps, including three explosive reps, three slow reps, and three isometric or static holds. It will complete a TC3 set.
- You need to start with lowering the bar for 3 seconds, which is an eccentric contraction.
- Then, raise the bar above your chest for 1 second, which is a concentric contraction.
- After doing three reps, you need to lower the bar and hold it in the midway for 10 seconds.
- After 10 seconds, you need to lower the bar to your stretched position.
- Now, you need to raise the bar again and stop midway for another 10-second hold.
- You need to repeat the isometric contraction three times.
- After that, you can do three more sets of explosive and slow reps in a controlled manner.
What Precautions Should I Take before TriCon Training?
Though TriCon is suitable for most people who don’t have any severe injury or health issues, it’s better to consult a trainer if you are a beginner. That’s because weight lifting workouts require proper supervision from experts. Otherwise, there are chances of wrong postures and injuries. If you can ensure the same, the chances of any side effects are negligible.
TriCon workouts are highly beneficial to ensure fitness while losing weight. It is one of the scientific ways of exercise for older adults. If you have any previous injuries or are still worried about the ill effects, you can consult your doctor before starting a TriCon session.
During the session, you need to keep sipping water or fluids to keep your muscles hydrated. You can consider reading online journals on weight loss after 40 for women and men for further details.
Conclusion
TriCon training has gained immense popularity among young and older fitness enthusiasts worldwide. Now that you know what TriCon training is all about go ahead and make the most of it. You can do exceptionally well in this type of workout with proper guidance.
However, it’s essential to be regular in your workout session while doing TriCon. Another important thing is maintaining a healthy lifestyle and food habits if weight loss is your fitness goal through TriCon.
