The importance of ramp-down time is often overlooked.

It’s great to be able to get “amped up” for a lift, but the entire workout is much less effective if you’re unable to quickly get back to baseline once the lift is done.

The next set begins the moment the previous one ends.

We can’t recover effectively when we’re gasping for quick breathes and our heart is beating out of our chest. We have to be able to come down from our elevated physical state.

That’s what gives our body the space it needs to prepare for the next set, when we do it all again.

The interesting thing is that this skill – the ability to calm down our physical responses – translates well to mental activities as well.

We don’t think clearly when our body is prepared for battle. We jump to conclusions, speak quicker than we can think, and lose big-picture perspective.

Which is why it’s critical that we can calm our body when we’re in a high-stress situations.

Difficult discussions, important meetings, and big presentations naturally make us nervous. Our heart starts beating faster, our breathing quickens, and we lose our ability to think clearly – just like after a tough physical activity.

Which is when the practice of calming down between sets in the gym really pays off.

-Brandon