Do you actually relax muscles when doing push ups, squats, or sit ups in Systema?

[ForGranted]

Systema people doing bodyweight exercises seems so effortless and they don't even look fatigued. How can they even do that? I heard about relaxing the muscles but I cannot quite get it, are the muscles actually relaxed?

 

[Badhabits]

Well, that's how exercise looks when you're in shape. Relaxed muscles- you relax all muscles except the ones actually needed to perform the exercise you're doing. Activating unneeded muscles drains energy.

 

[Buka]

Well, that's how exercise looks when you're in shape. Relaxed muscles- you relax all muscles except the ones actually needed to perform the exercise you're doing. Activating unneeded muscles drains energy.

Hit the nail on the head right there.

 

[Simfers]

Hit it in a very relaxed fashion, I would add.

 

[Prince_Alarming]

There's also a thing called 'greasing the groove'. There's a long, complicated explanation but essentially if you do regular sets of an exercise to much less than failure, your nervous system becomes much more efficient at the exercise

 

[Badhabits]

There's also a thing called 'greasing the groove'. There's a long, complicated explanation but essentially if you do regular sets of an exercise to much less than failure, your nervous system becomes much more efficient at the exercise

Hooray! Karate training just got much easier!

 

[Prince_Alarming]

Hooray! Karate training just got much easier!

In theory...

 

[HighKick]

Systema people doing bodyweight exercises seems so effortless and they don't even look fatigued. How can they even do that? I heard about relaxing the muscles but I cannot quite get it, are the muscles actually relaxed?

Because the do the exercises a LOT! Seriously, it is a process. A person should relax through most exercises, but there are factors that make it difficult. Fatigue being the big one. Start adding weight to the movement and it can get very challenging.