| |
| |
|
Exercise Information |
| Site Map | Privacy Policy |
|
|
|
When Exercising Right Looks Wrong II
Enter any health club and a concept is very apparent, the same exercise performed again and again. Crowded floor space taken up by machines designed to make exercise easier, and a thought process called 'gym science' which involves no science at all. My last article touched on some of the thought processes or lack of thought that goes into proper exercise. With the advent of the computer exercise science has changed drastically. Particularly needle EMG (electro myo-gram) testing, this is where a hair thin needle is inserted into a muscle and its electrical and contractile properties are measured. The results of these studies have drastically changed how we exercise. Exercises that we did in the past have been proven ineffective and better exercises have been proven more efficient and effective. So what is right and what is wrong?. It depends on what you are training for and your personal fitness and wellness goals. An athlete should almost never train sitting down. Sports are played standing, involve balance, agility, speed and multi-joint movements. There is no basis for training sitting down for a non athlete either. We spend too much of our lives sitting in the car at the computer and on the phone. Yet we go to the gym and contort ourselves into a machine that basically forces us back into a rounded seated posture and now forces us to move according to the machine, not according to how your body wants to move. Lets begin with everyone's favorite body part, chest. Chest must be trained first in the week, ever notice that all the guys train chest on Monday. The chest is an accessory muscle that aids in glenohumeral stability and arm movements, but we love to isolate and enlarge the chest. This actually interferes with athletic performance secondary to altering arm mechanics. I could go on a rant about the only way to have a strong chest is to first build a strong and balanced back, but I will save that for another time. The problem with training chest is it is horrible on the shoulder and elbow, we are not designed to lay on our back and hold a bar with weights, sometimes a lot of weight. Read a great article call 'big bench bad shoulders' by Paul Chek. Try a single arm chest press while standing at an adjustable cable machine, think that is easy, now try it while on one leg. Perform the press slowly with a weight you can handle, press from your chest not your arm/elbow and by all means do not lean your body weight into the movement. When was the last time you did a push up?. Still a great exercise. Works chest, triceps, abs and spine. Keep you glutes tight, head up and be gentile on those elbows please, don't lock out. Do push ups with your feet on a stability ball, one foot only on the ball. How about placing your hands on the stability ball and feet on the floor and now doing a push up, hello stabilizers and abs. What about pushups on a medicine ball, alternating from arm to arm. Speaking of balls, a single arm dumbbell chest press lying on a stability ball activates almost every muscle in the body. The exercise variations for a safe and efficient chest workout are beyond the scope of this article, but hopefully this got you thinking. The bottom line is that single joint isolation exercises only lead to joint damage and injury. Multi-joint exercises not only protect joints but stabilize them as well, multi-joint exercises also activate the majority of the core and pelvic musculature. The bottom line is the more muscles you can activate the more efficient the exercise is and the more calories you will burn in less time with less effort. Mechanical efficiency, global stabilization, agonist / antagonist muscular balance, concepts to know and train by. Stay tuned for my next article tackling what's wrong with back exercises. Bryan Fass, BA, ATCL, CSCS, NREMT-P Bryan Fass holds a bachelors in sports medicine, is a Certified / Licensed Athletic Trainer, Nationally Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist, Nationally Registered Paramedic. Bryan is also a highly skilled soft tissue and Myofascial Release therapist, And has over 10 years of experience in clinical and fitness settings. Specialties in Spine and postural re-education. Precision Fitness is an advanced personal fitness, corrective exercise, post-rehabilitation, and sports performance facility with locations in Cornelius and Mooresville. http://www.lakenormanfitness.com
MORE RESOURCES:
Exercise - Google News |
|
|
|
RELATED ARTICLES
Sets And Reps - The High And Low Weight Workout Big weights! Wicked pump! I always get caught between two minds whenever I hit my workout at the gym. One side of me says to lift heavy to get big and the other says that form should matter more than my weight poundage. Want a Flat Stomach? - Heres the Best Exercise The best exercise for the stomach is probably not the one you're thinking of. It's not the traditional sit-up or ab crunch. 3 Steps To Starting a Successful Fall Exercise Program Ah, the crisp cool breeze, the invigorating feel of the outdoors as the leaves start to turn colors, the sound of kids laughing on their way to school.Fall is the time for new beginnings. 5 Mistakes People Makes When Doing a Workout Program When you start out with a workout program - whether the purpose is weight loss exercise or another - you have started a training process that hopefully is going to last for a while. It is important that you are aware of some factors that can decrease your motivation for the exercising or even damage your health - while you are executing your training program. What is the Right Home Exercise Program for You? What do you want to get out of the exercise program?What you want to achieve as a whole fitness program has to do with the kind of program that will work for you in the long run. You may want to ask yourself what you want to accomplish, do you want to lose weight, do you want to stay in shape. Weight Loss and Exercise in Tough Environmental Conditions Working out is working out, right?Wrong.Depending on the environmental conditions where youlive, there may be extra precautions that you'll want to consider when trying to lose weight by following a healthy diet and weight loss program. Tone Up While at Work I know better than anybody that sitting at a desk all day can take a toll on your body. You don't get much movement and you can get what I like to call "spread butt"Here is how you can Tone at your Desk1. Overcoming Resistance to Exercise Are You Destined to Sit on the Couch?If someone mentions exercise do you think, "I hate to exercise. There's no way I'm doing that. Exercise and Heart Health: A Life Giving Marriage Most people get their health out of a bottle these days, be it a bottle of vitamins or pharmaceuticals. However, with a little effort and dedication you really can get a hold on your life, turn it round and live it to the full!If you've been diagnosed with heart disease or are at risk of developing heart disease regular exercise is essential for the health of your heart, body and mind. Forget Exercise - Go Play Can't seem to get the energy or motivation to exercise? Forget exercise - go play. For most of us exercise is a chore. Great Exercises To Tone & Tighten Your Butt A question I am frequently asked by females is, "What is the best exercise I can do for my butt?" In my opinion, there is nothing better you can do for your butt than lunges. They target your glutes, hamstrings and quads, and can easily be modified for beginners to advanced exercisers. Recognize Your Motivation to Exercise The positive effects of exercise have been documented and reported through every media outlet available. You can probably walk up to anyone on the street and ask them the positive benefits of exercise and they can most likely list them. Exercise Equals Fun! Getting America's children to exercise has never been more difficult as the new boob-tube generation slouches in front of TVs, or sits for hours, mesmerized behind shoot-out video and computer games.However, it is possible to foster a regular exercise pattern for children from an early age, with simple activities that are more "fun" than "exercise. The Truth About Lactate and Exercise For years exercise scientists and physiologists have preached that lactate/lactic acid build-up in the muscle is the direct cause of muscle fatigue and a decrease in performance. It is proposed that lactate builds up in the muscle cells during intense exercise and literally "poisons" them, essentially shutting down activity biochemically by reducing the pH or increasing the acidity level. Yoga Yoga traditionally conjures up images of long hair, loin cloths and incense burning in a darkened room with strange music playing! It had an almost cultish persona. Nowadays your gran is quite likely to tuck her Yoga mat under her arm and head on down to the local gym for an hour of Yoga and meditation. Core-Principles: The Function of Functional Training Okay?okay?okay! Enough already!!! It seems like with every new term, every new invention or just about anything that is seemingly not "Everyday" that we all become flustered and assume we know nothing, which is both a testament to our lack of faith in ourselves and also a reflection of our ever-growing dependence on externals to give us a little reassurance where our natural instincts should be in high gear.My intention with this article is not to offend anyone especially those that whom, without their continual support I would surely be seeking a new line of work, and yes I am referring to my clients, so please don't feel like I'm bashing "you" if I ever refer to any particular individuals or events, no names will be mentioned though. Should You Train Before Bedtime? A Japanese study found that if you exercise at night you will be less tired the next day. Apparently it increases testosterone levels. Arthritis Exercise for All Levels Exercise can be very beneficial for arthritis sufferers, often relieving stiffness in joints, strengthening muscles thereby reducing stress on joints, keeping bone and cartilage tissue strong and healthy, and increasing flexibility. A recommended 30-minute minimum of daily activity is the norm. How to Keep Your Body Fit Fitness is just as imperative as health. As a matter of fact, fitness is linked directly with your health. STRETCHING; Why Should I? This short article looks at some of the tips, tricks and helpful hints you can use to help prevent sports injury and do-away with stiff, aching muscles & joints. It's been put together to answer some of the more common questions we get regarding stretching and sports injury, and details a number of useful sports injury prevention techniques.
|
| © 2005-2006 |
