Kelsey Wells is encouraging her followers to slow down their workout routine. In a new social media post the fitness trainer and influencer flaunts her flat abs in a crop top and leggings while exercising and educating her fans. “All my bad*** lifting babes listen up,” she writes in the caption of the Instagram video. “BOTH the eccentric (lowering) and concentric (lifting) phases should be slowww and controlled for maximum benefit— especially in strength training.” How does she approach diet, fitness, and self-care and why should you consider slowing down? Here is everything you need to know.
Concentric Phase
Next is the concentric phase, which is lifting the weight, she continues. “While the concentric phase is typically faster than the eccentric, it should STILL be controlled. This ensures you’re engaging the muscles effectively without relying on momentum, which can help improve muscle activation and prevent injury.”
Eccentric Phase
Kelsey Wells/Instagram
She starts by discussing the “eccentric phase,” which is (”when you’re lowering the weight,” she says. “Slowing down the eccentric part of a lift helps increase time under tension, which can lead to greater muscle growth and strength. It also reduces the risk of injury by ensuring proper control and movement.”
Working Out Slow and Controlled Has So Many Benefits
“Keeping both phases of your movements slow and controlled maximizes the effectiveness of your workouts and helps promote muscle growth and stability,” says Wells. “Also!? When we slow down and focus on form, we can also more easily focus on the mind-muscle connection, and focus on our breathing! Making your movement MINDFUL.”
A Holistic Approach to Nutrition
Kelsey believes “a holistic approach to nutrition is healthiest — this means focusing on balance, consistency, and including all types of food (and treats) in moderation,” she wrote in a blog. “One thing that I will never do is deprive myself of any of the food groups — including desserts! Food should never be a source of guilt, and I encourage you to adopt this philosophy and see how it changes your own relationship with food,” she continued. “If you are considering adjusting the way that you eat, I strongly encourage you to make small, sustainable changes. Remember, it’s what you do often that counts! A restrictive diet will NOT help you to reach your health and fitness goals, and can be mentally unhealthy, too. The most important thing is that you are kind to yourself and allow yourself to nourish your body in the way that best fits into your lifestyle.”
She Stopped Counting Macros
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In March 2024 Kelsey made two simple “yet incredibly difficult” changes to her diet, maintaining that it “drastically” improved her health. The first? “I stopped wearing my Apple Watch/stopped “tracking” my HR during workouts and length/intensity of my sessions,” she wrote in the post. The second? “I stopped counting/tracking ANYTHING I ate (before, even when I wasn’t counting macros, I would often track protein)” she added. “BOTH of these tools were very healthy and helpful for me!! For a very long time. Please understand that I AM NOT SAYING tracking is inherently unhealthy or bad to do— that’s absolutely not the case. But I started to feel familiar triggers creeping in, and I realized needed to take a break from both of these things (for my MENTAL wellbeing). Doing so has honestly been far more difficult to do than I thought, and also? FAR MORE FREEING than I ever imagined. Who knows when/if/how I will return to either of these tools in the future, but for now? I am enjoying movement more organically, and training more intuitively, than I have in a long time. I am yet again re-learning and re-affirming to myself that food is FUEL, and all the beautiful things about TRULY HEALTHY nutrition that I have learnt along my professional career and personal path. Always remember that we no longer can allow our efforts in eating or exercise to be a detriment to our MENTAL and emotional health. Be conscious of your mindset and utilize tools for your benefit— and don’t be afraid to make changes when you feel things start to change.”