Can Tai Chi REALLY develop strength?

There are many ways to develop strength in the body. There are also some myths that should be reviewed in the context of this discussion.

FALSE Myth: You have to use weight training to build muscle.
If you want to "Bulk up" then yes, the more weight you use, the bigger your muscles can become. Keep in mind that if you stop lifting the heavy weights, for even a short period of time, those muscles will reduce in size very quickly. Layoff training for 6 weeks and you can lose up to 40% of that developed muscle. As an alternative, you can use less weight, add more repetitions and gain muscle tone, but the same holds true, walk away from that training routine for a little while and you will return to your normal muscle density and size.

Why do we "deflate?"
Our bodies are geared for survival. If we were stranded in the jungle with little food, our bodies would adapt to that environment by becoming more efficient in many ways. We would lean out and become more adept at conserving our energy. If we had to climb trees to get food then our muscles would develop to make that task easier. Over time, our typing muscles would become weak and feeble. ;-) From a survival perspective, large muscles are inefficient. It is like driving a Semi Truck in a fuel conservation race. The bigger and bulkier we are the more fuel (calories) we need to maintain our energy levels. So in an effort to be more efficient, as soon as the body no longer feels a demand for all that muscle mass, it begins to reduce it for the sake of efficiency.

How then do you build lasting strength?
Consistent, reasonable demands. No matter what training you choose being reasonable and consistent are keys to maintaining your strength. Anything you do consistently will build up the necessary muscles. Look at Professional Speed Skaters, huge thigh and large glutes are hallmarks for the demands of their sport. Soccer players have strong legs but are lean, built for quick stops, starts, bursts of speed and hard accurate kicks. You get the picture.

So Why does Tai Chi work to build strength?
The beauty of Tai Chi is in its gentle, consistent nature. It is gentle enough to do every day and yet produces a consistent demand for strength on our bodies. Moving slowly does several things for your body. It activates and maintains a dynamic tension in the muscles, as you move slowly from form to form, you are forced to actively transfer the dynamic tension to other muscles groups which they do not like. ;-)

Soft Knees, consistent height...
All Tai Chi forms begin with a sinking movement which effectively sets the height at which you are to perform the entire collection of movements. By keeping the knees soft, your feet stable and your posture tall you maintain a very active core. There are serveral muscles groups that make up our core, some of which do not activate unless the demand is consistent and prolonged. Tai Chi effectively provides those muscles with the stimulus they need to become active, thus creating a deeper core strengthening opportunity.

Deep breath, and a smiling heart = A relaxed body and more strength
One of the wonderful things about Tai Chi is that it places a consistent demand for relaxation on the body. Who does not need that! ;-) Think of it in terms of an 80/20 Rule for strength. Let 20% of the muscles do 80% of the work and those 20% will get stronger. The beauty of this concept is that the 80% group, while relaxed, increases circulation, releases joint tension and stretches the tendons and ligaments in the associated muscles. BONUS! 500 points!

The deep breathing and smiling heart serve to aid the body's work towards relaxation. It is a known fact that deep breathing releases chemicals that help muscles relax. The aerobic (with air) aspect of Tai Chi is often overlooked but is a critical part of effective training. Additionally, it also helps us to build our endurance without all that pesky cardio. ;-)
The smiling heart, my favorite and THE most challenging part of Tai Chi training is equally important in strengthening the body. In working with my students to illustrate this point, I have a neat little exercise we do. We start out with small Tai Chi Walking steps and they are instructed to add 1" to each step they take across the training floor. Typically, by half way across the floor they are winded and exerted. It is at this point that I have them turn inside and meditate for a moment on something that truly warms their heart. Consistently, they find that once they have this mental and heart energy in place, they can continue almost effortlessly with the long, challenging step; when just a moment ago they could not imagine another challenging step. The feedback on this exercise is very often the same, (aside from the grumping about it being hard) ;-) they each tell me that the smiling energy made a huge difference in reducing their level of tension and in decreasing the effort necessary to make their steps.


My students often laugh at the comment I make "If it is easy, then it is not Tai Chi".