Shush It

Grunting or shouting can sometimes help you power through a tough exercise. Grunting and shouting can also be super embarrassing. That’s obviously not the case for everyone, but for those of us who are a little reluctant to raise our voices, there might be a softer alternative: the “shhh”. 

The reason loud exclamations have become so popular among exercise enthusiasts is that they contract the body’s core muscle groups, strengthening muscles in the extremities. Replacing a grunt or shout with a prolonged “shhh” sound accomplishes the same thing, but in addition to being much quieter, also prolongs the contraction throughout the whole of the repetition. This can allow you to lift more weight, or perform more reps if preferred, and push your workout to new heights. 

You may feel a little bit like a cranky librarian, but the benefits are absolutely worth investigating.