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STRENGTH AND POWER TRAINING INFORMATION FOR THE SERIOUS ATHLETE! Dedicated to those who care enough about their good health to actually do something positive on a daily basis to improve it. Permission to use these articles You may use these strength training articles which, unless otherwise noted, were written by Danny M. O’Dell on your web site or in your newsletter subject to the following requirements which must be added to avoid copyright infringement: Web site: Explosivelyfit.com Please send an electronic copy of the article, along Articles written by other strength training coaches express their individual opinion and do not necessarily reflect the training methods or philosophy of the Explosivelyfit Strength Training Gym. They are presented here for your thoughtful consideration. Preliminary note to all of you power athletes: Warm ups that consist of static stretching prior to the power and explosive sports are contraindicated because they are detrimental to the outcome. A dynamic warm up is a key to explosive power. The table of contents lists an abundance of strength training articles. Table of Contents Age appropriate training plans Determining eligibility for entry into the weight classes for the younger students How to strengthen your joints by Daniel Pare NCCP, CSO, CSPS, CSTS Realistic bodyweight conditioning by Adrian Birkby, CSCS MPT Special strength and the athlete Starting the day with flourish Starting the day with a flourish The way you get up in the morning sets the tone for the rest of the day. You can make your day a productive one by simply following a few easy suggestions. As soon as you wake up and before you even get out of bed, think of all the opportunities that lay in front of you for the day. These positive thoughts set the stage for the remainder of your waking hours. As you lay in bed stretch out and make yourself as tall as possible by straightening out your arms and legs. Take in a few deep breaths as you stretch and then relax a second or two between each one. Now move out of bed and get down onto the floor for a few cat and camel motions. In addition to feeling great, they also loosen up the lower back. The cat and camel starts out with you on your hands and knees. Once in this position arch your back as high as possible, now let it sink toward the floor as far as you can without pain. Do this ten to twelve times then get up on your feet. Now, while holding your chest up and at the same time keeping your shoulders back move your arms in wide clock wise circles, then counter clock wise ten times each way. Add more movements by walking tall around your room. With each step you take bring your knees up to your chest or as high as you can without pain. Walk around the bedroom for a few minutes. As you are walking begin a mental review of what you expect to accomplish today. Many people make a list of things to do the night before. This is a good strategy, especially if you are busy like most of us. Incidentally, there should be no discomfort associated with any of these movements. If the morning is the time you have chosen to exercise, these few motions will help with the initial general warm up process and set you up for more vigorous activity once in the gym. Moving around generates increased energy and enthusiasm for the day. Try it and see. You’ll be surprised. This time of year offers unlimited outdoor recreational opportunities in the mountains, skating rinks (in my day we skated on the river and creeks) and our own backyards. However before you go rushing out to enjoy the cold weather take a moment and review your current health status for any of the following symptoms or conditions:
If any of the preceding conditions or symptoms appear then consult with your doctor before heading out and beginning your favorite form of winter sport. If none of these symptoms are apparent then follow a phased exercise plan. Part one-one to three weeks Start by gradually building up your cardio and muscular endurance. If you are unable to walk for thirty minutes then walk for as long as you can without undue fatigue setting in. Build up to at least thirty minutes at a time. As you get into better shape add dynamic and static stretches into your daily routine. Note: if you are male over forty five or a woman older than fifty five check with your doctor before beginning part two. Part two-two to three weeks It’s time to introduce strength training into the schedule by doing one day of cardiovascular exercise and the next with strength training. Emphasize the major muscle groups such as your legs, shoulders, chest, and lower back for a couple of sets of ten to twelve repetitions in these strength sessions. Gradually increase the distance you are walking or running for up to an hour at a stretch. End these periods with selected static stretches as you cool down. After you have become accustomed to this increased level of activity it’s time to move onto part three. Everyone should consider speaking to their doctor before entering part three. Part three the rest of the season Keep up with your exercise schedule but now mix in some specific conditioning exercises for your sport or activity. The better conditioned you are the less the likelihood that you will become a statistic. Be smart when you are outdoors and as the Boy Scouts of America say ‘be prepared’. Sport and lifestyle activity-range of motion exercising Your joints and muscles are meant to function within standardized degrees of movement, commonly referred to as the range of motion (ROM). The stronger you are within these ranges, the better protected you will be in preventing injuries from occurring. Therefore when doing your exercise routine keep in mind the following two guidelines: 1. You gain the most strength within the range of motion (ROM) at which you exercise. 2. The smaller the range of motion you in the joint, the less will be the carry over strength throughout the rest of the movement. The basis of every quality strength training or fitness program relies, in part, on these two premises. As an example, let’s look at the squat while explaining these principles. Many lifters do short range squats, known as high squats, in the gym. They get into a machine or in rare cases under a bar and drop down a few inches and call it good. In many instances this isn’t even to a parallel position, let alone below parallel where they should be before starting back up again. Depending on the load of the bar or on the machine, strength may be increased within this small range of motion but its unlikely this will happen. This range of movement is too little and does not support normal living activities such as sitting down in a chair and then getting back up. If the strength is not developed within a range that is vital to living an active lifestyle then it is not useful. This group of fitness enthusiasts would be better served by going deeper in their squats, thereby getting a transfer of useable strength into their daily lives. This naturally leads in to the second principle. An individual or strength athlete will become stronger when training the full range of motion. This expands the strength curve and transfers more useable muscle activity across greater degrees of the joint angle. Greater degree angles of strength protect the joint from injury, especially at the far ranges of motion. The take home message is don’t cut yourself short with limited range of motion exercises. Childhood obesity-is physical activity an answer to the problem?A parent’s guide to helping their child overcome obesity. In many of the industrialized and underdeveloped countries around the world, obesity in our children is reaching epidemic proportions. This emerging problem is directly attributed to the increased time they spend setting and watching a ‘screen’ of some sort, which automatically results in loss of physical activity. In other words, our kids are on their butts too long and too much. So, what is the answer, short of pulling the plug, which in my estimation should have done long ago? Here it is in a nutshell: Get them active! Pretty simple sounding advice isn’t it. But how, you may be asking, do I go about doing that with my child? Before getting into that aspect of the problem, take a moment to consider these facts and figures. There’s more. Studies taken from the past thirty years clearly show a dramatic increase in the prevalence of obesity, for example in girls aged 6-11 it went up 106 %, in boys of the same age, it was 108%. Taking a snapshot look at the beginning teen years shows an even more shocking trend in the boys aged 12-17. Obesity is up 146%! This is a time when MAJOR neuromuscular functions are developing including agility, balance, coordination and muscular strength. The girls in this age bracket were much lower comparatively speaking at 46%-still too high as far as I am concerned. Now let’s compare the time spent in front of television during these sensitive growing years. This is taken form a study by Gortmaker et al. 1996 (it is somewhat outdated but nonetheless shows the trends beginning even back then.) Obesity was up 10% for those in front of a TV for up to two hours a day, and continued to rise up to about 23% for the children who watched up to three hours a day. It kept climbing higher as the hours setting watching increased. 29% @3-4 hours; 30% @ 4-5 and more than five hours it was nearly 35%. Now how in the world can anyone set for beyond five hours and watch TV? Some of the diverse reasons behind this rise in inactivity by these kids include being made fun of by their peers, being called ugly or thinking, they are ugly. The result is they do not participate in social or sport activities. Team sports requiring running or jumping places the obese child at a distinct disadvantage so they tend to avoid these sports altogether. Often another common dominator are the parents who are also obese and sedentary, thus setting poor examples for their children. This is especially true in the early years of their development-the critical first ten years of their lives. Looking at the total picture we commonly see a lower level of activity leading to greater fat storage, which in turn leads to a less active life style-and the cycle, continues round and round. Most adults know a few of the benefits of greater physical activity. In case you aren’t aware of them here are a few of the most important reasons to begin exercising:
Just knowing the benefits of an active life style may be enough to get an adult moving but it’s not enough to motivate a child. More is needed to get them up off the couch or from in front of the computer screen. Planning a day of fun will get them going, but it has to be fun activity not just exercise. First, make certain they are able to exercise by getting a thorough physical from the doctor or health clinic. After that is done, start a program with your child by following some of these suggestions. For example, go out to the park or walk in the woods next to your home, show them how to skip, or to run sideways, or hop over things. Have them move their arms in opposite directions to one another, jump on one leg for twenty times then switch to the opposite one for another twenty jumps. See who can go the longest without losing their balance. Jump in patterns drawn on the ground, stars, crescent moon shapes or the Milky Way would be a good start. Go on a bike ride or a skating adventure around the block or to the nearest friend’s house, ask them if they would like to go with you and your child. Include some resistance training in the mix as muscle burns calories faster than fat tissue. These must be fun or you will lose their interest and then it’s back to the couch. Not only will it make their muscles stronger it will build their confidence up and give them a sense of accomplishing something they’ve never done consistently in the past. Build the program on their strong points-don’t just hammer away on the negatives, they’ve been hearing that a long time now and don’t need it from you on what should be a fun day. Try a game of touch football, or softball even Frisbee. Give them a chance to throw a heavy ball back and forth or balance on a large stability ball. Find something they are good at and help make them better at it. Go to the local water park and let them swim or paddle around, show them how to jump in the air or run in place in the water. Get them to move their hands through the water using is as the resistance see how many times they can make a complete circle with their arms through the water and back again. Set down and plan out a fun day with your child, get some ideas from them as to what they would like to do-just make sure it’s not a setting activity. Get your child moving. Age appropriate training plans Many young athletes are placed on a single sports track to what they, their parents and coaches believe is the road to success in their sport. However if the coaches and parents were up to date this would not be a one way street; instead it would be on multilane express way going in both directions with turn offs included. Young children need to be exposed to a variety of training methods. This exposure helps them develop, to the utmost, those physical skills necessary to compete at the higher levels. Parents eager to have the next superstar are doing their child wrong by intently focusing in on one and only one sport. Let me explain. Children naturally begin physical activity in a carefully pre-plotted course of normal development. During this transition into adulthood, and at certain periods of their lives, they become more responsive to external training conditions or physical stimulation toward acquiring specific skills. In many cases, girls will reach these stages a year or more before a boy will. I am not saying the child will not develop on their own. I am saying that during these highly sensitive (1) times in their lives they will be more susceptible to larger improvements in ability acquisition. Taking advantage of these times will vastly improve a child’s ability to function on the playing field. For example, the development of motor abilities begins at an early age and continues on through adulthood. For instance, increases in the normal motor development abilities of training for absolute static strength a young girl aged seven to eight may begin training at low intensities while a boy would begin at ages eight through nine. This common age differential holds true almost across the board until each gender reaches their late teens. However, training for explosive strength (the ability of the neuromuscular system to apply maximum force against a resistance in the shortest amount of time) carries with at a degree of danger to the young body. Training may begin with the girls around age ten to twelve with light exercises, but the boys should not start until they arrive at ages twelve through fourteen. This is simply a fact of nature; most girls develop earlier than most boys. It is only at age sixteen to eighteen when the boys can begin explosive strength training in earnest. At this time, their body will be in a receptive condition to make full use of the training. Training for the different components of fitness also has periods of sensitive (2)growth patterns for each sex. Both sexes can participate in and enhance their coordination skills beginning at age five with both being about equal in their ability to make positive improvements. This holds true up and past their twenties. A program containing coordination components is thus necessary throughout all of the training times. The system of feedback between the nervous system and the physical activities is an important factor in the overall development, of and the adaptation, to the imposed training loads. Instituting various training combinations into the plan brings with it the ability to readily adapt to new conditions. These new conditions create new coordination patterns, which are useful in a variety of sport movements. Each combination of load, intensity, movement, and coordination forms the basis for new habits and helps to perfect the cooperation between the different body systems. This not only includes the neuromuscular but the metabolic functions of the body as well. Variety truly is the spice of life, even as we grow up. 1. Children and sports training, Drabik, J. Stadion Press, 1996 Probably The Most Overlooked Exercise What if I were to tell you that there was an exercise which could improve your performance of the bench press; and that this exercise didn’t work your pectorals, triceps or deltoids? Well there is, and what’s more it’it will help to prevent you from getting one of the most common weight lifting injuries: the blown rotator cuff. The rotator cuffs are a group of muscles that keep the humerus (the big bone at the top of the arm) into the glenohumeral joint (the ball in socket joint that attaches the upper arm to the shoulder). The rotator cuff muscle group consists of four muscles, teres minor, infraspinatus, supraspinatus and subscapularis. The subscapularis and infraspinatus are involved in external rotation of the humerus, the supraspinatus is involved in internal rotation and teres minor is involved in external rotation but to a lesser extent. Exercises such like the bench press and the pull down involve a certain amount of internal rotation and therefore exercise the internal rotator cuff muscles. However standard free weight or machine exercises do not exercise the external rotator cuff muscles. This often leads to a muscle imbalance between the internal and external rotator cuffs and can predispose a person to related injuries such as a blown rotator cuff or shoulder impingement. However there are specific exercises you can do to strengthen the external rotator cuffs and for many people performing these exercises has helped them improve their bench press. Here is one of them: External Rotator Cuff Exercise
Muscles worked: Primary: Rotator Cuff Instructions:
Adrian Birkby, CSCS MPT It happens all too often, people want to make a change to their health for the better: loose weight, tone up etc. They invest in a gym membership or some exercise equipment, get a workout from an instructor or a book or magazine, see some initial results for a month or two and then nothing. As the weeks go by and become months motivation dwindles and eventually they give up because they can’t see why they are doing it anymore thinking exercise doesn’t work for them. The most effective way to loose weight and tone up is to build muscle. Each additional pound of muscle burns around 35 – 50 extra calories a day. Muscle takes up one third of the volume that fat does, so anyone can put on an additional 10 pounds of muscle without looking bulky, in would lead to the much sought after toned appearance at the same time as burning up to 500 extra calories a day! This approach is far more effective than doing endless hours of cardio where the body often only burns extra calories during the workout. So what goes wrong? Basically the body adapts as it does to everything. Exercise is seen as a stress, given an appropriate application of stress, the body needs to adapt and become stronger in order to handle it in the future. Building muscle is one way in which the body becomes stronger; however it is not the only way, nor necessarily its first choice. The body can also achieve this by becoming more neurologically efficient and recruiting more of the existing muscle fibres (for most people the body will never use more than half of the existing muscle fibres present in the generation of force), or by change in technique e.g. slightly altering its position to achieve an easier line of force. Growing muscle isn’t easy for the body, it takes a lot of energy for it to synthesise new muscle. Often a new workout can lead to growth in muscle for a limited time, after which the body still appears to get stronger as it lifts heavier weights or performs more repetitions with the same weight. However no additional muscle is built nor is any additional fat lost. After a while even the strength gains slow and stop and the famous “plateau” is hit. The single biggest reason for this plateau effect in exercise programs is the lack of variation within the program. As stated earlier, the body adapts to everything and just changing the weight of an exercise isn’t enough. Trainers often place their clients on the same workout program for 8 – 12 weeks because they are taught to do. The idea being that you won’t see much in the way of results in less than 8 weeks. This is untrue, results can be measured on a weekly or fortnightly basis, even though the differences might be small, its better than waiting for 8 weeks to see if a program actually works. More to the point it has been clinically shown that most people get the most benefit from the same workout as far as within 4 sessions. If a trainer is using exactly the same workout beyond that they either don’t know what they are doing or are just being lazy. Variation within a workout is not something that can be placed into a simple formula. That’s the point! If there were a pattern to it then the body would adapt to it. People often find one thing that works for them (for a time) and stick with it, however for a person with average genetics the effects will be short term. Most people need professional instruction to reach their fitness goals, unfortunately the field of personal training isn’t regulated and there are probably more poorly educated trainers than not! Personal training is also very expensive; however at Alternative Personal Training we offer affordable innovative online personal training programs with real personal trainers rather than the ever automated online training sites! Adrian Birkby, CSCS MPT Heart rate monitoring after exercise Taking your pulse must be done immediately after stopping otherwise the count will not be accurate. If the pulse count is started within six seconds of stopping and not immediately after stopping, you will need to add 10 more beats to the total. Fifteen beats have to be added if the count begins around the 15-second period. Reference: Science of Sports Training, Thomas, Kurz Specialty strength training manuals are available through the book store. You will find something there that will definitely help to increase your strength. Are you testing the results of your strength training program or are you hoping and guessing at the outcomes? Once every four to six weeks a mechanism to evaluate the effectiveness of your schedule ought to be put into effect. Is your squat lift poundage actually going up or are you stagnated? Can you Military press more now than two months ago? Is anything better now? You will not know unless you test. Without periodic tests, you are wasting your time and energy on a potentially non-productive workout schedule. In each training session, a set goal is established or should be established. At the end of the particular series of training sessions in the mesocycle, measurable results should be obtained. If they are not what was expected, then changes to the program are necessary for further progress to be achieved. Building into the program regularly scheduled ‘test days’ gives these direct benefits:
Depending on the mesocycle we test on a regularly scheduled basis all of our lifts. Consider doing so in your program and see how you stand relative to your objectives. Pre-workout self assessment scale of energy level, soreness and world outlook I. I really feel awful “Strength endurance is the specific form of strength displayed in All forms of competition, however, necessitate maximal output over the duration of the event. It is not always the strongest athlete who wins in all cases, rather the one that can sustain the most power over the full term of the activity. Therefore, development of all the various types of muscle fibers benefits the athlete. Predominantly the fast twitch muscle fibers create maximum power output in the explosive sports such as sprinting and weightlifting. Slow twitch fibers are the prime fiber cells used in long distance aerobic events. Combining, and training, these two types of fibers at all speeds and angles produces strength endurance. There are muscle fibers that are not what you would call exclusively fast twitch or exclusively slow twitch. They are a combination of the two not fully fast twitch or fully slow twitch. But, strengthening these muscle fibers will enable a greater expression of strength endurance to occur. Another aspect to this particular strength continuum is dynamic and static strength endurance enhancements can be improved by following proper training schedules. The athletic movements and the muscular tension displayed during these movements distinguishes between these two forms of strength endurance. Endurance is thus a matter of dividing muscle tension into large or moderate magnitudes and the length of time for each. “Dynamic strength-endurance is typically associated with cyclic exercises in which considerable tension is repeated without interruption during each cycle of movement.” It is also apparent in acyclic events requiring maximum power repetitions with short rest periods between such as jumping or throwing activities. These can be further broken down into General strength-endurance and Local strength endurance. Both of which depend upon how many muscle groups are involved in the activity. For example general strength endurance is build around the utilization of large muscle groups to power the activity such as the case with rowing, where for example the quads, gastrocnemius, biceps, triceps, deltoids and the Latissimus dorsi muscles predominate the scene. In local strength endurance, a particular muscle group is targeted for improvement based upon its use during the sport. An example would be the upper body muscles of the chest and upper back, deltoids, and the triceps for a bench press using body weight for repetitions contest. Further examination will lead to differentiations in measurement. Do we measure absolute, static, acceleration, or explosive strength endurance? If measuring absolute strength endurance then the overall result would not consider the level of development of the separate motor abilities. If the object of the measurement is partial endurance then “the level of development of specific motor abilities calculated when the influence of other abilities is in some way excluded.” As a practical matter when determining partial endurance in a strength exercise a weight requiring exertion at a percentage of ones maximum one repetition is used. It must be statically held, (static strength endurance) or moved to failure in a repetitive manner, which indicates dynamic strength endurance. An incomplete index follows if there is either no correlation with maximal strength or a negative correlation between the two tests. Where a person is able to raise the same weight the relationship to absolute strength and maximal strength has a high correlation. To set apart the differences between lifters the load lifted of each one must be divided by the body mass of the individual subjects. Strength endurance is highly specific to muscle activity. Special work capability of strength endurance is expressed mainly in the cyclic events, which are those requiring powerful repetitions in a constant recurring fashion. In the acyclic sports arena the ability to exert powerful muscular motion in the static form is even more pronounced. Take for example, the wrestler holding his opponent, and then over powering him for the point or match win. Forming the base of strength endurance is general endurance. The best way to develop strength endurance is under the most demanding conditions and that is through the simulation of contest conditions or in high volume workouts. This does not however preclude the use of special strength exercises to help build the strength base of the athlete. Here is a brief example of a strength endurance program used with great success by the Soviet athletes prior to the collapse of the Soviet Union in the early 1990’s. 1. Start with three sets of three repetitions at 80%-90% of a one Repetition Maximum (1RM) with rest of two to three minutes. Then drop the weight to 40%-50% 1RM and perform four sets of fifteen repetitions each in a medium to slow pace. As an example of the wrestler’s circuit , these exercises are performed according to the schedule above in a twenty-minute time span. This circuit illustrates a method of improving all strength endurance fibers. The late Mel Siff states an “objective, reliable means of evaluating strength-endurance in sporting activity has not yet been devised.” Keep that in mind as you contemplate the results of the research available in the field of strength and conditioning. References: Supertraining, Siff, M. C. Supertraining institute, Denver, CO. 2000 Explosive squats Maximum power output, as many strength athletes already know, results from using loads in the intensity ranges of 30-40 % one repetition maximum. But the maximal coefficient of reactivity will be obtained by utilizing weight loads in the 30-33 % ranges. Increasing your explosive strength Development of explosiveness Explosive strength as the name implies, is how fast a person can reach the maximum force available. The more force that is developed in the shortest amount of time, the greater the explosive force. Think speed of movement as there is a mind muscle connection. Explosive strength, the ability to display a significant amount of muscle tension in the shortest amount of time, is a key concept when training. Developing this ability to instantaneously increase the force applied to the bar to the maximum is what separates the superior athlete from the so so participant. Starting strength is the maximum amount of force a person can develop IMMEDIATELY at the BEGINNING of the movement. This is usually timed in the first 30 milliseconds after beginning the muscular contractions. As you may have already surmised 30 Milliseconds is pretty darned quick; faster than the click on the channel changer for even the most experienced and advanced male. Graphs drawn of these strength variations show an almost identical initial beginning path regardless of the load! The difference in the paths is in how long it takes the athlete to generate the force needed to overcome the resistance. The resistance encountered has a bearing on how much generated force is necessary. The transition from isometric to concentric muscular action is the clue to how fast power is developed (from the power equation which states P=W/T). Please make note of the fact that none of these various types of strength are closely correlated to one another. But by training each one you will become a stronger and better prepared athlete or a better conditioned individual. There are a few rules that you may consider when training and they come from the highly respected Vladimir M. Zatsiorsky (1) Pre stretch-less training-adding variety to your lifting program Do you want to intensify the results of your lifting program? Here is one way. Eliminate the pre stretch in all of your movements; from the little bounce at the bottom starting point of your sit up to the quick nonstop bench press off the chest. If you stop all of the inertia, momentum, ballistics and other stuff trainees normally do on a regular basis to lift more weight you will notice an immediate reduction in your total. Whoa that’s not what we want is it? Bear with me as I explain the final outcome of this process. It is an accepted scientific fact that pre-stretching a muscle just prior to a concentric movement will increase the force output. This is the way to more power. But can training without the pre stretch set you up for greater lifts once you again use the pre stretch? I think so but the non pre stretch training will need to be done on a periodized cycle to achieve positive after effects. The down and dirty explanation of this pre stretch phenomenon commonly referred to as the stretch-shortening cycle (SSC) or muscle potentiation is actually pretty straight forward in nature. The SSC effect is brought about by the elastic properties inherent within the muscle, mainly the stretching action between the myosin cross bridges and the reaction known as the myotatic stretch reflex. The SSC is a vital component of sports success due to its ability to produce a powerful upswing in power output for the athlete. An example of the potential for increased power may be illustrated by the person doing a touch and go bench press. In the competitions my lifters compete in there is a required pause on the chest during the lift. This brief pause removes the SSC from the lift thus making the lifter rely on their previous strength training to continue moving the weight. The touch and go, on the other hand, takes advantage of the SSC and allows more weight to be lifted. However touch and goes if not done in a controlled manner can be a dangerous way to train as they expose the lifter to greater injury risks. Do them with extreme caution. This type of training brings with it huge rewards when it comes to getting powerfully strong. Regaining Range of Motion after an injury So, you’ve just hurt yourself and are now in physical therapy. The PT keeps repeating, “You have to work on getting your Range of Motion back”. This is a recurrent theme each time you go in for treatment. But, “it hurts”, you keep telling them. Are you being a baby or what? Just what is the big deal about getting Range of Motion back so soon after being hurt? After all, it will eventually come back won’t it? Let me explain, very briefly, why Range of Motion, aka ROM is so important to regain. It is a HUGE part of rehabilitation and without full ROM; your chances of a complete and successful recovery are dim, indeed. For light reading, I was glancing at my newest book, Therapeutic Exercise for Athletic Injuries. It answered this common question. It seems as though flexibility and ROM are kindred spirits and with a few technical differences, both are critical to full recovery. A properly designed rehab program stresses regaining lost flexibility and ROM first and foremost. Two reasons stand out for this push. The first is this; flexibility in the area of injury affects the other parameters of rehab. An example from the book referenced a hurdler with tight, damaged hamstrings. If you cannot bend the knee, then strength and timing will not matter much at all, as you will lack the needed flexibility to clear the hurdle. The same is true for the pitcher who must have full ROM before being up to speed. Think of the handicap they would be under if they did not have the full windup to take advantage of the stretch reflex at the top of the pitch. The second reason cited was the tremendous impact ROM has on the healing process. When an injury occurs scar tissue is laid down and as it matures it begins to contract. As it contracts, it pulls on the surrounding tissues, thereby decreasing the range in which the joint can move. Working on full ROM at this time helps reduce the scar tissue contraction and keeps the joint working to its fullest range of motion. In this healing process “a window of opportunity” exists in which the “ROM can be influenced and changed”. Once this time has passed, the likelihood of ever completely achieving full ROM is greatly diminished. If, during the remodeling phase when the new scar tissue is being formed and attempts to improve ROM is not started, it becomes increasingly difficult to ever have it. Even though other goals are important in the rehab situation, flexibility and Range of Motion are paramount to a successful outcome. The bottom line is this: unless you have the expertise of the Doctor and the Physical Therapist go along with their plan to regain full Range of Motion early on in the rehabilitation process. You will be better off in the long run for having followed their regimen on the path to healing. The Repair phase of your rehabilitation The prevention of excessive muscle atrophy and joint deterioration are the treatment goals of this phase. Keeping a balance between low-stress loads and disruption of the newly formed collagen fibers is essential. Introduction of low stress and active range of motion to the joint takes place. Avoiding overly aggressive resistance loads to the area provides the needed protection to the new tissue formations. But, it also aids in helping the stage following repair, which is that of remodeling. Protected motions of the joint aids in the alignment of the collagen fibers and thus speeds up and promotes mobility in the tissues. Therapeutic modalities are still used in this phase but now they are used to encourage collagen synthesis. Ultrasound, electrical stimulation and ice are each employed to assist in this effort to repair the tissues as quickly and efficiently as possible. As before, the necessity of maintaining the other body functions in peak form is essential to the outcome of the rehabilitation process. Continue to work the cardiovascular, strength and ROM in the rest of the body. Strategies of exercise in this portion of the rehab consist of isometrics, as long as it is pain free and permitted by the health care professional. Of course, sub maximal contractions are advised. Another option is an Isokinetic machine, which provides movement at a given speed. Since strength training is velocity specific the level of resistance can be adjusted to match the individual’s needs. Proprioception is next on the treatment agenda. Proprioception provides a sense of joint location and movement. It lets the body know where, in relation to the surroundings the joint is at the time. It is the body’s ability to react to changing conditions and situations. Generally, after an injury the proprioception capabilities are impaired. Regaining them is an important aspect of a full recovery to normal status. Setting, standing, walking and running on unstable surfaces all help in regaining this function. Naturally, the progression transitions from stable to unstable, standing to walking to running. The continuum is from easy, to difficult, to hard. Remodeling phase of injury Optimizing the tissue function is the goal of this final phase. Range of motion is first on the list. This topic has been addressed in many other papers so will not be repeated here. Needless to say, if the ROM is not present the rest will be in vain. More tissue strengthening occurs during this phase. The earlier rapid laying down of collagen is decreased dramatically. This allows the tissue to improve its structural integrity, which in turn improves the strength and function. Correct increases of load encourage the hypertrophy of the tissue. These stronger tissues are also aligning themselves toward the lines of the imposed stresses. As they become thicker and now better aligned, the fibers are becoming more useful to the injured persons return to the previous activity. Joint angle strengthening, velocity of the sport and closed and open kinetic chain actions are included in the rehab protocol. The natural progression of strength training is from general to sport specific exercises. Not only is strength emphasized, speed of movement is addressed at this point. If an athlete is strong but the speed of movement is no longer present, the athlete is not fully rehabilitated for their sport. Playing speed, reaction times, and cognitive thinking processes are just a few of the skills that have to be one hundred per cent before returning to action. Even though the new tissue is significantly stronger, it will more than likely never become as strong as the original tissue it is replacing. This is a dangerous time for an eager athlete simply because the tissues are not completely strong and are not functionally ready to take on a competitive load just yet. However, the feeling in the body tells the person they are at full strength. A re injury is the normal result of beginning an activity too soon. Closed kinetic chain exercises precede open sports specific actions. Closed chain exercises are beneficial due to the increased joint stability, and movement patterns mimicking the sport. Open chain exercises take over in the latter part of rehabilitation due primarily to the fact they are more typical of the actions on the field. These are a succession of several joints acting in concert to move the body in a coordinated manner. This remodeling stage can last from 2 months up to 4 months. Be patient and your body will function as it should is what the athlete needs to hear AND to take to heart. In summary, the body will take care of itself but with good therapeutic interventions, it can and will heal better. Therapeutic Exercise for Athletic Injuries by Houglum, Peggy A.; Human Kinetics Publishing; copyright 2001 Lab tests of body composition levels Strength training results in more than just becoming stronger. It increase will increase your lean muscle mass at the expense of fat tissue. Getting an accurate measure of the fat in your body is another matter though. Hydrostatic weighing is a standard by which all others are measured against due to the validity and reliability of its results. This method works by estimating the total body volume that is displaced in the water compared to the body’s volume. It is based upon Archimedes’ principle that weight loss under water is directly proportional to the volume of water that is displaced by the volume of the body. Air displacement plethysmography measures body volume and density using air displacement instead of water to estimate volume. This is a quick test and doesn’t demand extensive technical expertise to administer. This method does require a whole body plethysmograph such as the Bod Pod system. In essence this is a totally contained unit the individual sits in while the test is being conducted. If you are claustrophobic this may not be the best choice for you. The Dual Energy X-Ray Absorptiometry is steadily gaining acceptance in the field as another reliable method of conducting body composition research. This machine, as did the air displacement plethysmography mentioned in the previous paragraph, requires minimal client and technician skills to conduct. The dual x-ray absorptiometry devices are NOT standardized throughout the industry so the results will vary between manufacturers. If you have a test done make sure it is with the same type of machine and this holds true if you are having an osteopenia or osteoporosis screening baseline test. Field tests of body composition The skin fold method if conducted by a knowledgeable and experienced person is quite accurate. It is a good measure of subcutaneous fat and the results are similar to the results from a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) machine. Just as other methods rely on a large population specific data base so does the skinfold chart. Men are different from women and children are different from adults. Make certain the charts your examiner is using are appropriate for your activity, age, and gender. Bioelectrical impedance method (IA). The assumption made at the beginning is the body is shaped like a perfect cylinder-which we all know is false. Other possible built in errors are the initial set up of the instrumentation, client factors such as eating or drinking within four hours of the test and technician skill. Prediction equations currently in use with the BIA for determining fat free mass (FFM) are suspect, especially if different machines are used. In some cases these can cause a difference of FFM readings of up to 2.1 kilograms or over four and a half pounds. Anthropometric methods These tests rely on body measurements of circumference or the skeletal diameter of specific body parts. These readings are then compared to large volumes of data to determine the size and proportion of the subjects’ body. Indices such as those that help determine body mass index, waist to hip ratios, waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter are each used to help identify those who are at risk for disease. The premise behind the use of circumference measures lie in the fact that fat mass, muscle mass and skeletal size are all affected by and related to fat mass and lean body mass. Anthropometric methods are more closely predictive of body fat in obese people than are those conducted with skin calipers. An additional advantage of the circumference method is the measurements can be taken more accurately than with the skin fold instruments. The body mass index is useful as a classification tool for identifying those individuals who are over weight, obese or under weight, at risk of suffering from an obese related disease, or to help monitor body composition changes in a clinical population. The major downfall of this testing method is that it does not take into consideration muscle mass. Other issues in the use of the BMI are age, body builds, ethnicity and frame size-none of which are taken into account so the readings can often be highly misleading. The commonly used waist to hip ratio (WHR) is used as an indirect measure of lower to upper body fat distribution. Caution needs to be used when measuring women who are menstruating as the waist to hip ratio is affected by the menopausal status. Prepubertal children and those who are increasingly fat per the normal charts will not show a correct reading and this test should not be used for these reasons. Bear in mind that hip circumference is by subcutaneous fat whereas waist circumference is affected by both subcutaneous and visceral fat deposits. Measuring the waist to hip is not as simple as one would think it to be as there are no universally accepted standards for exactly where to measure the waist. Essentially for all measurements the waist to hip ratio is found by dividing the waist circumference by the hip circumference in centimeters. Health risk is very high for those young men exceeding a waist to hip ration of 0.94 and for the young women who measure out greater than 0.82. If you are between the ages of 60 and 69 the critical numbers are 1.03 and 0.90 for men and women respectively. In recent times the emphasis has shifted from the WHR to the waist circumference measurements. Waist circumference measurements are gaining in popularity due to their ability to predict regional adiposity especially in the abdominal area. Coupling the BMI with a waist measurement increases the ability of predicting health risks than with just one measurement alone. The national cholesterol education program suggests a cut off of greater than 102 cm for men and greater than 88 cm for women in determining obesity. Other researchers set the limits at 100 cm for men and 95 cm for women when determining those with a high risk of developing cardiovascular disease. Look over the chart to see where you fall in the risk category.
Chart adapted from the ACSM 2005 guidelines for exercise testing and prescription 7th edition, Lippincott, Williams and Wilkins Sagittal abdominal diameter is an excellent indirect measure of visceral fat. Once again though, this test, like many before it has its limitations. In this case the test is better suited to those who are lean to moderately overweight rather than the obese. This test carries even greater predictability for cardiovascular and metabolic diseases in both men and women. But the procedures of measurement have not been standardized. Since this is the situation, if you have one of these tests performed then make certain the follow up tests are measured at the same location with the same or equal equipment, i.e. the tape measure. Near-infrared interactance method Indirectly assessing tissue composition (fat and water) utilizing optical density measurements that determine the amount of absorbed and reflected light at specific body sites is the domain of the Futrex, Inc. manufacturing corporation. The downfall of this method thus far is the lack of validation for the results. There are large prediction errors in the estimation of body fat levels. Most have been underestimations of the fat carried by the client being tested. Summary Body composition is a major component of health and physical fitness because total fat and the distribution of the fat are leading indicators of disease risks. Classifications of fat levels determine the classification category an individual will fit into. If you decide or are asked to be tested for your percentage of fat make certain the comparison charts fit your age, gender, and activity levels otherwise the results will be skewed and not always in your favor. Elaborate lab tests are useful in gathering precise measurements but the waist to hip ratio, waist circumference and sagittal abdominal diameter are accepted industry wide as being accurate and sufficient for most peoples needs. If you are trying to control your fat level with exercise, keep in mind there is no such thing as the ‘fat burning zone’. That is a myth presented by trainers who unaware, due to a lack of knowledge, that your metabolism increases with intensity and not from doing long boring non productive cardio sessions. Those are a waste of time in the long run for fat burning purposes. High volume short term training It is a commonly accepted point of view that working out for an hour or so each day is the only way to become physically fit. Many people find that time is a premium and they don’t have it in great enough abundance to spend an hour or more in the gym. A lot can be accomplished with only twenty to thirty minutes of workout time. In order to provide a stimulus to the cardio-neuro-muscular systems do high repetitions with minimal rest periods between sets. Here is a short fifteen minute sample of just such a series of exercises. Warm up the entire body with jogs in place, rope skipping or bike riding, anything to raise the temperature and increase the pulse. Do this for two minutes. Warm up the shoulder area by doing circular motions at the shoulder joint, both clockwise and counterclockwise. Straight-arm flying motions up and down and around front to back. The exercises Perform each of these exercises in order for twenty repetitions for the first set, fifteen for the second set and ten for the last set. Do them without a break between the exercises unless your pulse is above 80% of your target heart rate. If this is the case then rest until it slows down to 60% and then hit it again:
Bodyweight exercises If you don’t have the equipment necessary to do these then try a body weight circuit with the same sets and reps as the previous series. The exercises Squats Do the following 8-10 times with perfect form for 5-20 seconds each Side bridges Exercise sessions that are short and sweet work well. Strength training has become a very popular approach to training, but it still a very misunderstood concept. Should kids train to become bigger or stronger? Before we go into details let’s review some basic facts. There are two kinds of muscular hypertrophy. 1) Sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is the increase in size of the muscle or bodybuilding-type training. The common approach with sarcoplasmic hypertrophy is higher repetition sets. An example would be sets of 3 x 10. Such an approach to training will indeed produce a muscular pump, therefore, an increase in size of the muscle. This approach to training does not relate to strength training, but to a bodybuilding-type approach. Since the focus is on strength training and kids, I will refer to myofibril hypertrophy. Parents so often wonder or inquire about their kids getting involved in an exercise program and a few concerns are likely to arise such as; is lifting weights dangerous? What is the best age to start? Could lifting weights stop their growth? Lifting weights can be dangerous for young athletes, if it is not approached knowledgeably. Young children should be encouraged to get involved in a strength-training program, which will emphasize on the sports skills earlier-mentioned. For the most part they are involved in some sort of sport or physical activity, so encouraging them to get involved in a strength-training program regularly, 2 to 3 times weekly, is actually to their benefits. As far as the best starting age is concerned, at what age is the average kid start getting involved in sports? The age should not be so much a factor of concern, but the approach to training! You will say that a kid as young as 7 years old is way too young! That is where knowledgeable coaching ought to take place. Learning athletic skills and or performing those same skills is essential as the young athlete is growing up. A strong anatomical foundation needs to be taking place and for that, here an example of what I call the B.A.S.S. principle: 1- Balance drills: Drop snatch, overhead squat, clean & snatch dead lift shrugs. The above drills must be integrated to the young athlete’s program in a way, which does not become too overwhelming. A progressive challenge is the key. Kids will not build muscular bodies, so making them do biceps curls and bench-presses all day is quite frankly, not the way to go. Teaching proper body positioning while strengthening the whole body is more in line to what we want to accomplish. The instructor/coach should instruct the young athlete to position his/her hips (center of power) in line of duty or commonly called ‘The Athletic Stance’. Every move you attempt the hips should get in position instantly. That is what we are after and it should be the first one to be mastered by the athlete. Training with free weights and focusing on multiple joints exercises specifically is fun and challenging. The young athlete will learn proper positioning and coordination, which relates to the position of the hips in regards to the body. Learning multiple joint exercises as early as possible is, a great investment towards their health and athletic performances for present and future years. Why would strength training – “Lifting Weights” - be considered dangerous for kids? 1) Wanting or encouraged to lift heavy too soon without the proper coaching. What needs to take place is a sound approach to strength training (Myofibril hypertrophy), which will strengthen tendons, ligaments and muscles. The training sessions must be fun and challenging, and closely monitored by a knowledgeable instructor/coach. The main focus must be on learning proper technique and that alone will take a while. For young kids we are looking at an anatomical adaptation of several years. That is how long it takes to build a strong foundation. The strength training sessions should focus on the following; dynamic warm up and a more active stretching. There are no static sports or physical activity, so do not focus so much on a static stretch approach. The heart/core of the strength-training program should be aimed towards multiple joints exercises exclusively like the squats, deadlift's, clean and press/jerk, snatch and mid section exercises involving their own body weight and or a light med ball/exercise ball. Another concern is the fear that the young athlete will or might experience a stop in growth… nothing is farther from the truth. There are no evidence of such negative results and quite frankly, the young athlete will, indeed, blossom from being involved in a strength-training program. Below is a list of multiple joint exercises you can select from. Exercise: Athletic skills *When doing the squat, make sure the lower limbs are tracking in line eg: the knees with the toes, the elbows are not pointing too far upwards when doing the back squat. The elbows should be pointing straight ahead in front of you, or upper arms parallel with the floor when doing the front squat. This only means that the barbell will sit on the clavicle and not the palm of the hands. In both cases, the feet are properly positioned, not too wide and not too close, slightly wider than shoulder width is ideal with the toes slightly pointing out and the hips under the shoulders. Do not forget to keep your torso straight and tight, not vertical when squatting (see pictures). As the young athlete becomes more aware of what he and she can do, and their technique is regularly monitored and is improving, the instructor/coach will add a little challenge like a local competition. This way the athlete can actually make some ground and see where he/she is in regards to the performance of other lifters. A local competition is highly recommended for several reasons and here are a few positive aspects. -Builds a sense of direction Remember that the exercises presented in this article do not require a high repetition range. The ideal is 3 to 5 repetitions. 3 repetitions for the more technical exercises like the snatch and the clean, and 5 repetitions for the ones aimed to build strength like squats and pulls. We are in the learning phase, so the emphasis must be towards proper form and technique and not heavy weights and high repetitions. The young athlete must learn to move not only quickly, but with coordination and proper timing, so higher repetition range sets should be avoided, due to muscular fatigue, which will force the athlete to lose form too quickly. In closing; before beginning an exercise program make sure that the ankles, the knees, the hips, the shoulders, the elbows, eh wrists and the neck are moving through a full range of motion. If the athlete has tight ankles it will be impossible to do the squat properly and many other exercises. He/she will be forced to squat forward, on his/her toes, and therefore, using the quadriceps instead of the glutes and hamstrings. If your idea of teaching the squat is to use a plate under the heels I suggest you emphasize on stretching the calf muscles, which will increase the flexibility of the ankle and allow the athlete to perform the squat properly with the hamstrings and the glutes. Special strength and the athlete We all know that not everyone is born with the same capabilities to display awesome strength. It’s a fact of life that some of us just don’t have the right combinations of fast twitch to slow twitch fibers. However, each of us can make a difference in our strength levels through proper training schedules. How we go about setting up these training regimens is the topic of this article. There are minute differences in each muscle fiber type, and these differences make up the ability to run long distances or to lift heavy weights. Some are nearly all fast twitch with nary a hint of a slow twitch characteristic in them. At the other end of the spectrum are the slow twitch fibers with an amazing ability to keep on keeping on. Somewhere in the middle lay the in-between fibers the type two ‘a’ and ‘b’. Not quite all out fast twitch and not fully slow twitch either. Determining the precise ratio of fast to slow twitch fibers is in the realm of the scientists but a few easy to follow tests may give an astute coach a clue as to the direction the training program would realistically follow. Dr. Fred Hatfield, also known as Dr. Squat, came up with a useful gauge for program planning based on the individuals’ fiber makeup. Here’s the test. Determine the one repetition maximum, without equipment, in the lifts of your choice. Now take eighty percent of that one rep max. Do as many repetitions as possible with this weight. If you are able to do four to six repetitions, and no more with good form, then you are more than likely genetically gifted with a larger amount of type two fibers-the fibers that produce high force but wear out quickly due to their lack of endurance. These fibers operate within the rapidly consumed ATP/CP energy sphere. They fatigue easily, have fewer mitochondria and few capillaries supplying them with fuel. If on the other hand you are able to do more than fifteen then you probably, have an abundance of type one fibers. These contain a greater percentage of mitochondria, a higher aerobic enzyme capacity and much more dense capillary concentrations. They allow you to go longer but the force output possibilities are lower. In the middle of these two extreme rep ranges, we have the seven to fourteen ranges. These individuals will have predominance of in-between fibers. Not that many fast twitch and not that many slow twitch fibers. So what do you do with this information once you’ve found it out? If you know your trainee is a fast twitch sort of person then design the program around this aspect. Keep the reps low and the sets higher. Two to six reps for ten to four sets respectively. Keep in mind that performing four sets of six reps will be physiologically harder on the system than doing twelve sets of two reps. If they lean more toward the slow twitch end of the continuum then have them doing higher repetitions and fewer sets. Now that you have a brief idea of the direction you will be going with your training plans, don’t forget to add in a few higher and intermediate reps and sets schedules for those who have the majority of fast twitch fibers. Take advantage of your trainees’ strong points but don’t overly neglect the rest of the points either. Engram development; the vital component to success Exercise technique is something most professional trainers preach. But does anyone ever wonder why? After all it is common knowledge that more weight can often times be lifted if it’s ‘cheated’ up, and more reps can be performed if some of them are ‘cheated’ at the end of the set. So what is the big deal about technical proficiency? The big deal is this: ability, longevity, and injury free movements result from learning and practicing good habits. Instructing and practicing proper form in all aspects of exercise will enhance an individual’s ability in the long term. Technically correct exercise movement patterns decrease the risk of injury due to poor body mechanics, and improper muscle substitutions. ‘Practice makes perfect’ only if it is truly perfect, consistently, time after time. With proper instructions from the coach/trainer, the activity should become more accurate as the athlete makes the adjustments in form. The effort used to complete the movement tends to decrease and there is “less chance of overflow to the wrong muscles”(1) in the process. However, this pattern must be repeated many times to establish the neuromuscular pathways. A technically correct and repetitive exercise movement effectively develops a pattern of movement called an ‘Engram’. By definition, “an Engram is an effect or performance that is imposed upon the Central Nervous System through repetition.”(2) The advantage of developing these pathways translates into the activity becoming an automatic unconscious process. Exercising under a heavy load without having to think about ‘how to lift’ allows the subconscious to take over when the going gets rough. The athlete no longer has to think where their feet are placed, how to begin the move, when to breathe, which muscles to tighten and which ones to loosen in order to make the lift. It is automatic IF the Engram has been previously developed. (1) Therapeutic Exercise for Athletic Injuries Houglum. P.A. Human Kinetics 2001 (2) Ibid Our bodies are comprised of several joints and we all need to understand that a joint cannot become strong if the muscles surrounding it are not strong. High repetitions sets will actually weaken those muscles, making a joint more vulnerable for injury. Why? The muscles get tired and cannot do what they are supposed to be doing. Proper form and technique are jeopardized then, the joint begins to suffer. In order to strengthen the shoulder joint for instance you need to know which muscle (s) is or are weak. A strong muscle and a weak muscle will be determine by the way they work when you are exercising. For strengthening the shoulder joint, basically every muscles located at the back will need strengthening. An example of that would be the rear deltoids, the rhomboids, the infraspinatus just to name a few. So, pay attention to those muscles and spend little more time strengthening them. You think that you are going to lose strength by doing that! You are already losing strength by not strengthening those muscles! It is the same approach for the knee joint, which is by far, one of the most complex joint. The knee joint needs great attention, because it is a weight bearing joint. Most training programs prioritize quadriceps work (front of the leg). Over time, the hamstrings become weak and shorter and with that your low back is likely to give you some issues. How to strengthen the shoulder joint and the knee joint? First you need to train so that you do not make things worst. Do only what is needed. An example of that would be to prioritize pulling exercises over pushing exercises. The seated row then the bench-press. Instead of leg extension opt for the most beneficial one, the squat. For the squat, you must focus on a full range of motion. Squatting full depth will engage the hamstrings completely. I strongly suggest no more than 5 reps per set and between 3 to 5 sets at best. The more sets you do the less exercises you need. The more repetitions you persist on doing with heavy weight the weaker the muscles will become and this situation makes a joint extremely vulnerable to injuries. You want results! Train at the level at which you remain strong. Make sure you are approaching your exercise program properly and seek the help of a professional. Daniel Pare, NCCP, CSO, CSPS, CSTS. Realistic Bodyweight Conditioning by Adrian Birkby, CSCS MPT Bodyweight exercises have been getting a lot of attention lately, and of course with that a lot of the self proclaimed bodyweight gurus have been promising us the world with outlandish claims such as “double your strength in 30 days”. But what can they really do? Are they better than free weights or machines like the so called experts say? Years ago when I took up rock climbing, I tossed aside my free weights telling myself I only wanted to lift one weight and that was me! After that began my quest for the ultimate bodyweight conditioning routine, I tried programs from all over the place, old school, new school, eastern culture, western culture, martial arts, military. I remember when I first bought a copy of combat conditioning; I had never seen anything like hindu push-ups (nor felt anything quite like them either!). They are a great exercise but they didn’t double my strength in 30 days like the author promised. My ability to perform hindu push-ups may have doubled in that time but that’s no indication of my strength doubling. I simply developed proficiency for performing hindu push-ups and increased my endurance for them. The author like other purveyors of bodyweight programs stated that it would build real strength and not bloated or fake muscles like weight lifting and bodybuilding produced. What exactly is this real strength they speak of? One would think the ability to lift a heavy barbell is real strength, if the strength wasn’t real the barbell would never leave the ground! So what can bodyweight exercises do? Increase strength, hypertrophy, endurance, or nothing at all? It all boils down to the individual. Bodyweight is a form of resistance, the effect of utilizing that resistance is dependant on the same factors as lifting weights. The body will use one of its three energy systems which is determined by how great the demands of the exercise are. If a person is capable of doing very few reps of a particular exercise, say a one arm push-up and is unable to perform the a set longer than 30 seconds then the phosphocreatine system is being used/taxed for energy to power the exercise and it is predominantly a strength building exercise. In the same manner if a person is performing several or more pull-ups with a set lasting for 50 – 80 seconds then the anaerobic glycolysis system is being used and it is a hypertrophy exercise. Finally, if an exercise is performed for more than two minutes the oxidative glycolysis system is being used and the exercise is aerobic e.g. bodyweight squats. It doesn’t matter what the exercise is, its effect is dependant on how hard the body has to work to perform it. If you can do push-ups for more than two minutes it is an aerobic exercise. I don’t care how macho being able to perform 100 push-ups sounds; if you can do that you’re doing aerobics! Within the boundaries established above it is possible to develop strength, and grow muscle, beyond that they are great endurance builders. However, no matter what is being trained they are not superior to free weights or machines. They are an alternative, something that is preferred by some and not others. As regards progression and the principle of overload given that a persons bodyweight is fixed the only way to progress and overload the body is to increase reps or alter the leverage of the exercise (by changing position of hands, feet, eliminating limbs etc). This comparative lack of variation in comparison to machines and free weights in general leads to plateaus in training sooner. The same results can often be achieved on machines or weights quicker as there is the added variation of load. Also once an exercises’ time under tension becomes too extensive in relation to a muscles rate of fatigue (which is dependant on its fibre types) it is easier to add load and maintain reps than perform an extra rep. In spite of their limitations bodyweight exercises are a tried and tested means to get fit. The fact that they require little or no equipment, little space and can be done virtually anywhere allow them to be easily integrated into a persons lifestyle. Once they’re limitations and boundaries are recognized they can be utilized as best as possible in any fitness plan. Adrian Birkby, CSCS MPT Determining eligibility for entry into the weight classes for the younger students Each school district should consider placing a premium on the physical education opportunities of the students. In order to make use of the facility in the most efficient manner all areas need to be examined. Numerous studies have clearly shown that resistance training is appropriate for students as young as five and six years of age. In fact, studies conducted in the former Eastern Block countries demonstrated the effectiveness of such training beginning as early as six years of age.(Grosser, M., Starischka, S. and Zimmerman, E. 1983, Konditionstraining. Munchen:BVL Sportwissen; Sharkey, B. J. 1986. Coaches guide to sport physiology. Champaign Illinois, Human Kinetics Publishers) Resistance training of children at the age of six through eight may raise red flags for some readers and coaches but the training can begin by using body weight and doing flexibility exercises. These sessions can last for fifteen minutes up to three times a week at this early age. This is a great time to answer questions they may have concerning the equipment in the room. Raising the energy levels of fitness may be accomplished by utilizing simplified team games with the emphasis on PLAY and not competition. Such a method gets them involved without the specter of formal training methods. This activity may take place for up to four hours per week without untoward consequences to the student. Beginning a weight training class for youngsters aged seven through eight will help them to become accustomed to being in the room and will allow you to demonstrate the use of the light (not over ten pounds for most of them) dumbbells. This also the most sensitive time for them to learn these movements. The boys will be most susceptible to balance training from the ages of 10-11 and the girls from 9-10. Balance reaches its fully matured state around 12 and 14 years. Movement choices to complete the task has its greatest pace of development between 8 and 13. It is generally considered that the greatest time for this development to take place is between the ages of 9-12 for both boys and girls. These times are important for other physical learning processes as well. For example, the short relative window of ability to be able to correctly estimate differences in form, distances, timing and the amount of strength necessary to perform specific movements (known as Kinesthetic differentiation) begins at age 6 to 7 for both boys and girls. It opens again at ages 10-11 for both sexes, so why not take advantage of this in the weight room. Explosive strength training can begin as soon as 10-12 years old for the girls and 12-14 for the boys. I am NOT talking about ballistic training here, that is reserved for a fully matured body and not a ten year old. Some pre conditions must be in place before beginning a full-fledged weight training program. There are more examples that could be discussed here but the point is this: Young students can and should be allowed into the weight rooms of our schools. Why wait until the critical learning times have passed before teaching them correct resistance training techniques? Begin each session with a dynamic warm up incorporating at least four of the listed exercises. Do each one ten to fifteen times. Practice the balance and Proprioceptive training for as long as the form remains PERFECT. Once it falters; stop and move onto the strength movements previously mentioned. Work on your strength for eight to ten repetitions for two sets working up to four sets. Cool down with static stretches of your choice for your legs and upper body, with an emphasis on the hamstrings and quads. Hold each stretch for fifteen to twenty seconds as you breathe normally. Move only to a point of mild discomfort. The stretch should not hurt. Exercise soreness; the good and bad of it In the gym I expect my trainees to become fatigued and some what sore as they exercise. These conditions will resolve themselves shortly after the sessions are finished. This is the good soreness that indicates progress is being made in the conditioning process. It is a pleasant experience, if you are used to exercising and follows these guidelines. On the other hand the soreness that appears the day after and continues to get worse as the day grows longer and then carries over the next day is not a good thing to experience. This is called Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness (DOMS) and can be very painful until the pain subsides, usually 24-48 hours later. Cindy, not her real name, is an avid and active fitness enthusiast. She comes into the Explosivelyfit Strength Training Gym in Nine Mile Falls a minimum of three times a week for 50-60 minutes of resistance training. During these sessions her schedule varies according to the Periodized plan she is working on at the time. She starts out her general warm up by skipping rope. For brief periods, up to several minutes at a time, during this phase of her training she will be on a pace of 180-185 skips per minute! This overall body warm up lasts anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes or until she has skipped at least a total of 1200-1500 hops. Next she comes inside and starts out with a few core exercises consisting of weighted sit ups on a steep incline, followed by back extensions again with weight and then she finishes this off with a series of 5-10 side, prone and supine bridges held in the static position for 5-15 seconds each. If we are beginning with an upper body series of exercises she will move to the punching bag for two to four minutes of general upper body loosening strikes on the bag. After which is a series of four shoulder movements designed to increase the range of motion and strength output. The upper body is followed with a lower body regimen consisting of and depending on the goals set, squats, leg curls, calves standing and seated and hamstring movements. There are many other lower body exercises we use but these are the mainstays as they produce the best results. These vary by sets and repetition ranges according to the plan previously set up. After a brief cool down she is set to head out the door and off to her job. We generally don’t do many stretches during the cool down as her time is so jammed up with her personal and professional life. Most people would wither under this conditioning program-she thrives on it and as a result is a highly toned and physically fit woman. Rarely does she encounter pain and soreness the day after one of her sessions in the Weightroom Gym. Now compare her home activities and see the difference. When she sets out to do lawn work it is all or nothing until it is completed. This includes the mowing, weeding, raking and then carting all this debris off to the dump. Some of these tasks could and probably should be broken up into a few days worth of work instead of all at once but needless to say she is extremely goal driven. As a result of this continuous and repetitive twisting, pulling, pushing, carrying, and lifting of the lawn waste she is fatigued at the end of the day. But the unusual muscle actions and movement patterns she has performed over the immediate past ten to twelve hours has left her vulnerable to DOMS. And she will be paying dearly for her intense but uncommon activity in her lawn the day before. The next morning when she wakes up her upper and lower back are beginning to feel a bit tight ant sore. As soon as she gets out of bed her thighs and hamstrings are already telling her this is going to be a long day. She realizes that some of her muscles haven’t been used in this manner for quite some time, probably since the last episode of intense lawn care the previous season. As the day progresses so does the pain in her body grow stronger, the classic signs of DOMS. So what can she do to some what alleviate this situation? It’s too late to say don’t do it, so that is not an option at this point. Dynamic warm ups prepare the body in a manner that is conducive to preventing injury. Functional movements that mimic the actual playing conditions of power output in the gym, on the field or the court are replicated in this type of warm up. Preparing the neuromuscular system for explosive action is the key to a successful and productive warm up. Static stretching relaxes the body and the joints by confusing the nervous system into a reduced state of readiness to produce power. A general dynamic warm up involves gross limb movements that place an emphasis on coordination of the limbs of the upper and lower body in conjunction with the torso. This is followed by a specific warm up that entails movements that are particular to the sport such as light bench presses, squats or dead lifts in power lifting. Dribbling the ball in soccer or basketball, shooting at the goal with lower intensity than in actual playing conditions helps to groove the patterns as it warms up the body for action. Examples are listed but not explained, as most are in common use throughout the sports world.
Beneficial strength Exercises
Balance and Proprioceptive training
Exercise description Securely attach a length of tubing hip height in front of the athlete
For added challenge and difficulty, follow this progression:
Change the pull from front to side to rear Additional balance and Proprioceptive exercises:
For added challenge and difficulty, follow this progression:
Progressive exercise schedule
Cool down with static stretches of you choice for your legs and upper body, with an emphasis on the hamstrings and quads. Hold each stretch for fifteen to twenty seconds as you breathe normally. Move only to a point of mild discomfort, the stretch should not hurt. Brief history The premise asserts there is a connection between the mind and the subsequent neuromuscular reaction. Taking the thought further this process happens without conscious awareness between the conception and the execution of the act. This concept of the mind muscle connection is evident in the Electromyographic (EMG) analysis of muscle engagement and movement. Four groups of athletes were studied. The first did the task, the second group imagined the task through to completion, the third performed eye movements only while the last passive control subjects received no training at all. After the tests of speed accuracy were completed it was determined that mental training promotes the skill of the visualized physical movement. The research has demonstrated and produced data that shows the brain can initiate motor movement without actually moving muscles. So clearly the link is there. But just what is mental imagery and how can it help you become stronger? Simply put it means using your imagination to create powerfully realistic perfect scenarios of future athletic events as a rehearsal for the actual competition. It can also be used to recreate past successful activities to either promote a higher level of emotional engagement or to lessen pre start energy nervousness. Imagery provides the athlete with extra intensely focused training time-in their head. Your athletes, or maybe even you, probably already use mental imagery. It comes naturally. What doesn’t come naturally is doing it in a systematically purposeful fashion. Skills develop through practice by perfecting precise movement patterns. Mental training is much the same. It has to be trained in a systematic and correct manner if it is to become productive. Some athletes shy away from these types of exercises because it’s too hard or they don’t believe in its effectiveness. Either way these individuals are not living up to their physical potential. Mental imagery training is useful to an athlete in a number of ways:
Seeing success Motivation Long periods of training sometimes induce a lack of motivational intensity within the athlete. Imagining past successes and high level competitive results can be a help in maintaining the persistence to continue the programs present cycle. Managing energy levels Use calming images to relax and high energy ones to raise or psych yourself up. Learning and perfecting the sport skills Perfecting a sport skill through mental imagining allows an additional form of practice and this practice can be made perfect; in your brain. This training helps correct technique mistakes or errors of skill execution during the competition by going over step by step every movement. Reducing these patterns and slowing them down into manageable parts allows analysis and corrections to be made of the various segments. Refocusing Distractions surround an athlete both in training and competition. Minimizing those that come up allows for a more complete focus on the task at hand. Developing a reference point will often get the trainee back on track by gently reminding them of what is important at the moment. Preparing for an event Mental preparation is a vital as the physical conditioning. According to Dariusz Nowicki ‘when two athletes of equal physical skill and ability compete with each other, the one who is better mentally prepared is the winner. It even happens that an athlete perfectly prepared physically loses against a physically weaker but mentally stronger opponent’. In the case of preparing for a meet visualization allows the athlete to be in the environment, rehearsing the moves, techniques and skills necessary for success and then reinforcing the key elements that will take place during the contest. Even unexpected situations that may appear in the meet can be prepared for by imagining what to do at these moments to successfully deal with them. Training your visualization skills Find a quiet place to practice, later on you can go into different situations and continue to develop these skills under varying conditions. To begin with follow these suggestions in order to get the most from your mental training sessions. Take these training suggestions one at a time until they become second nature to do.
Stay strong mentally and physically, and remain passionately committed to your hearts chosen path. Danny M. O'Dell, MA. CSCS*D Providing medical advice is not the intent or purpose of this site. We assume no liability for the information contained in these pages if it is taken as medical advice. Always consult with your primary health care provider before beginning any new exercise program. |
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