Slow and steady wins the race… That’s usually how Dr. Ben Bocchicchio feels anyway. This core philosophy is explored in his newest book, 15 Minutes To Fitness which outlines his SMaRT training and diet plan!
Pioneered by Dr. Ben, the SMaRT program is an innovative way to train people of all ages and ability levels to build muscle, burn fat and feel great in only 15-minute workouts!
SMaRT stands for: Slow MAximum Response Training, and focuses on form with slow, precise movements through a range of motions to target specific muscle groups.
Dr. Ben’s workout program utilizes a concept called Time Under Tension, or TUT as it’s often referred. TUT is the amount of time that a muscle is under load, and a longer TUT can lead to more muscle! The SMaRT protocol calls for participants to choose one exercise at a time and perform extremely slow reps which can range anywhere from 45 to 100 seconds per rep! There are a lot of benefits to this style of training which I’ll outline below!
First, moving this slowly allows the participant to make any adjustments necessary to avoid painful areas or fix improper form. If you’re doing a chest press and your shoulder starts to hurt, you can tuck your elbow closer to your body and take some of the strain out of that joint. It allows you to make subtle changes throughout your reps to make you feel better!
Next, it promotes growth in the core of the muscle, rather than putting the strain on joints and ligaments. Often, when you lift free weights or machines, if it’s too heavy it can irritate those connective tissues. Using a lighter weight with a slow, long range of motion will really target the muscle itself, which leads to muscle growth!
Lastly, you don’t need a lot of time! As a fitness professional, time is the number one obstacle I see with my clients, and being able to get a great full body workout in only 15 minutes is huge! Since you’re working the muscle to failure in only 1-2 reps, it doesn’t take long to get a great workout!
The SMaRT program is highly recommended for people that are looking to build muscle without the joint pain, and really want to get a fast workout in their own home!
This workout plan compliments the Total Gym because you’re using your OWN bodyweight that you can adjust by changing the elevation of the glider to increase or decrease difficulty. Check out the video for a great full body workout that you can perform today!
Push/Pull Full Body Workout:
Chest Press – 2 reps for 50 to 100 seconds
Hamstring Curl – 2 reps for 50 to 100 seconds
Lat Pulldown – 2 reps for 50 to 100 seconds
Squat – 2 reps for 50 to 100 seconds
Repeat 3-4 times through!
I hope you’ll try this today, and see the benefits of training SMaRT!
Ridley Fitzgerald
17 Jul 2017It’s good to learn some great exercises for total gym. We are looking at getting one, and it’s great that this exercise would only take 15 minutes! That’s normally how long it takes to drive to the gym.