Ten Requirements for a Properly Performed Exercise
Everyday people walk into a gym and perform the latest
exercises they see in a fitness magazine. Unfortunately many of
these exercises do not produce much in the way of a thorough
inroad into the muscle, which is needed to produce a stimulus
intense enough to spark the muscular growth mechanism.
It is vitally important when choosing the exercise or tools
you use to lift weights, that you consider the following ten
requirements for a properly performed exercise:
Positive Work
This is the most obvious and most easily understood concept in
strength training. The tools used to exercise must provide positive
resistance meaning that your muscles must have resistance applied to
them while they move. Positive work is referred to as the concentric
phase of the movement.
Negative Work
The eccentric portion of the exercise is the opposite of the concentric
portion. In order to maximize the potential of a given exercise it must
provide negative resistance. The recent use of hydraulic machines
in some facilities does not provide this portion of the movement. The
common cover-up for this gross resistance deficiency is “double
positive.” For example, the arm machine that addresses elbow
function provides resistance to the triceps upon extension and then
resistance to the biceps upon flexion, thus permitting either structure
to rest during its negative phase.
Full-Range Exercise
An exercise is considered full range if there is resistance in the
extended or starting position which is important because it provides
pre-stretch and increases flexibility. Likewise it is important to have
resistance in the fully contracted or ending position. If an exercise
lacks resistance in either of these two positions it is not full range.
The only source of full range exercises is selectorized machines.
Pre-Stretch
The pre-stretch technique is a short range, sudden movement in the
opposite direction of positive contraction. This brief twitch invokes
a reflex arc that alarms the muscle to activate higher contraction
intensity. This technique is then immediately followed by a smooth,
continuous muscular contraction of assumably higher intensity.
Resistance in the position of Full Muscular Contraction
An exercise must provide resistance at the point of full contraction. In
order to understand the importance of this requirement, let’s look at an
example. When performing a bicep curl with free weights, the bicep
relaxes in the fully contracted position due to the gravitational pull
being in line with the position of the arm. Inherently the exercise can
no longer be considered intense if the target muscle can relax during
the exercise. A properly designed selectorized machine does provide
resistance in the fully contracted position therefore machines are
superior to free weights because they can provide this very
important requirement.
Unrestricted Speed of Movement
One of the most debated and misunderstood concepts is repetition
speed. This debate has, and will go on for years and will be better
explained in later articles. It is necessary however to understand
that in order to properly inroad a muscle it is necessary to have
unrestricted speed of movement. The speed of motion in a given
exercise greatly depends on the tool one is using during the exercise.
Tools, whether machines, barbells, etc., should not be of such poor
quality that you are forced to speed up movement to smooth out
friction and compensate for poor design.
Rotary Resistance
Rotary form exercises are those that are performed using a single joint
and move in a rotational fashion such as a bicep curl. It goes without
saying that an exercise that provides resistance through the entire
range of motion would be more effective than one that does not. As
we compare the use of a dumbbell or barbell curl and the use of a
selectorized machine it becomes obvious that the dumbbell or barbell
does not provide constant resistance at the point of full flexion or
extension. The machine however, due to the use of properly designed
cams, does provide resistance at these points.
Direct Resistance
In many barbell exercises the amount of resistance that can be used is
limited by the strength of weaker intermediary structures, preventing
the targeted muscular structures from being loaded as meaningfully
as possible. In a properly designed machine, the resistance can be
applied directly to the target muscles without going through a weak
link, which allows them to be inroaded more efficiently. A good
example of this would be a leg press vs. the barbell squat. The weaker
link in the barbell squat is the low back, which is removed from the
equation via the leg press which loads the resistance through the hips
and gluteals.
Variable Resistance
A person’s usable strength changes from position to position during
any movement due to the effects of friction, myofibril congestion,
virtual cam effects resulting from the changes in tendon insertion
angles and other factors, as well as changes in leverage resulting
from the changing angles of the involved bones during multi-joint
movements. This is referred to as ones strength curve. The resistance
provided by free weights or machines can also vary over the range
of motion of an exercise due to changes in leverage or torque. This
change in resistance over the range of motion is what is referred to
as the resistance curve for that exercise. In order to maximize the
effectiveness of an exercise these two curves should match as closely
as possible which can not be accomplished with the use of free
weights due in part to the lack of rotary resistance.
Balance
It is often thought that the need to balance a barbell, dumbbells or the
body during free weight exercises requires greater muscular effort
and results in greater strength or growth stimulation to the body.
This is not true, however, since very little muscular effort is required
to balance something. The need for balance during free weight
exercises is actually a disadvantage, since the skill of balancing an
object or the body requires a certain amount of focus which detracts
from one’s ability to concentrate on contraction.
Spring Newsletter Vol 2. April 2009
Free Personal Training!
by MimiVanderhaven
With the new S.L.E.D. Personal Training System at RPFitness in
Merriman Valley, you get the benefits of your own personal trainer—
without paying for one.
Studies show that one of the main reasons we join health clubs—
then don’t go—is because we’re intimidated. On any given day,
we’re not sure what kind of workout we should do. We don’t know
how much weight to employ or even which notch we should use to
achieve a proper and safe seat setting on each machine.
To be honest, we don’t even know what all those exercise machines
are for.
As a result, we skip the resistance training and do a little cardio
instead, rewarding ourselves afterward with a Diet Coke and a
doughnut.
Now, imagine the confidence that comes from walking into a
spotlessly clean exercise facility and knowing the ins and outs of all
22 world-class machines. Imagine picking up your own personal
exercise chart, which reveals that day’s specific exercise routine,
proper seat settings, and amount of weight. You simply jot down the
number of reps you do during each pre-planned routine and return
your chart to the front desk to be evaluated and updated by your
personal trainer. A new and different exercise routine is planned for
your next workout and is indicated on your chart.
Photography by Benjamin Margalit / Margalit Studio
RPFitness member Michele Hardman confidently utilizes the S.L.E.D. Personal Training System.
RPFitness Staff Spotlight!
Tara Schweitzer,
MuscleFlex Intructor
Tara Schweitzer obtained her group
exercise certification in 2005. After
enjoying her own workouts from
great instructors for over nine years,
she decided she wanted to share her
love of fitness with others. Tara has
also been a legal secretary for over
12 years and is employed at the law firm of Hill Hardman Oldfield,
LLC in Akron. She enjoys starting each morning with spinning or
running before she heads off to work. Tara has recently found
a new passion for trail running and enjoys the obstacles of the
outdoors. She occasionally appears with a few scrapes and
bruises to prove it! Tara is willing to try just about anything and
diversifies her workouts with many of the other classes offered at
RP to build strength, endurance and prevent injury. In her spare
time, she enjoys family gatherings, dancing and sipping a martini
or two with friends (and sleep!). Her favorite quote: Challenges
are what make life interesting; overcoming them is what makes
life meaningful.
No
boring routines. No doubts. No intimidation. No charge.
This new program is called the S.L.E.D. (Strong Leaner Every Day)
Personal Training System and has been implemented by Matt
Probst, the owner of the newly remodeled RPFitness in Merriman
Valley. And it’s free with your $39-per-month membership.
“The number one goal of most of our clients is weight loss,” Matt
explains. “But contrary to what people believe, you cannot
lose fat through cardio alone. The key is to build up muscle. Muscle
takes three times as many calories to maintain than fat does. The
more muscle you have the faster you burn calories. The average
person would have to run 35 miles to burn off a pound of fat.”
The key, then, is resistance training, which most of us tend to avoid
because we’re not sure how to properly train our muscles. “The
S.L.E.D. System takes all of the guesswork out of getting a great
workout by giving you the ongoing assistance of a personal trainer,”
Matt says. “I’m your personal trainer.”
Many services and amenities offered at RPFitness are available
to all members at no additional charge, including 34 fitness classes
each week, an indoor track, a leading edge cardio theater, a
racquetball court and saunas in the men’s and women’s locker rooms.
Onsite daycare is also available for a small fee. RPFITNESS
1653 Merriman Road
Akron, OH 44313
(continued on pg 2)
4
1
330.867.2399 (p)
330.867.1928 (f)
www.rpfit.com
Free Personal Training!
Resistance Training & Pregnancy
(continued pg 1)
by M. Doug McGuff, M.D.
When you join RPFitness, you’re immediately entitled to three
complimentary detailed sessions with their wellness staff:
a session with a personal strength trainer in our private training room;
a session with a personal trainer to learn the S.L.E.D. System;
and a third session with a registered dietitian. These sessions are
designed to help you understand the crucial connection between
a proper diet and exercise and to help you become 100% confident in
your ability to successfully lose fat and gain muscle.
“Although muscle makes us look good and makes us stronger,
there are often many other less understood health benefits,” Matt
informs, “like the elimination of back pain and the prevention of
diabetes and osteoporosis.”
RPFitness owner Matt Pro
bst and trainer Shelle Sha
nklin help clients meet thei
goals with their new S.L.
r fitness
E.D. program.
Vegetarian Black Bean Soup
“The S.L.E.D. System takes all of the
guesswork out of getting a great workout
by giving you the ongoing assistance of
a personal trainer.”
Ingredient List:
1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 pinch black pepper
4 cups vegetable broth
4 (15 ounce) cans black beans
1 (15 ounce) can whole kernel corn
1 (14.5 ounce) can crushed tomatoes
In fact, chronic back pain led Matt into the fitness business.
A weight training program developed by a physical therapis
strengthened his body, eliminated his back problems—and changed
his life.
“I was interested in exercise all my life, but after I started studying
it carefully, I realized how much I didn’t know,” Matt
admits. “Frankly, everything I had read was either selling a product or
a gimmick.”
Matt’s research convinced him that there are tremendous benefits
associated with proper resistance training for men and women of all
ages. “The correct training increases bone density, which reduces
the chance of getting osteoporosis,” Matt reveals. “In fact, one of my
diabetic clients lost 60 pounds and is no longer dependent on insulin.
Building muscle appropriately through the S.L.E.D. System has health
benefits that you wouldn’t think of. It can even improve your posture.
And long-term, it can keep you out of a nursing home.”
Directions:
Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Sauté
onion, celery, carrots and garlic for 5 minutes.
Season with chili powder, cumin, and black pepper;
cook for 1 minute. Stir in vegetable broth, 2 cans of
beans, and corn. Bring to a boil. Meanwhile, in a
food processor or blender, process remaining 2 cans
beans and tomatoes until smooth. Stir into boiling
soup mixture, reduce heat to medium, and simmer
for 15 minutes.
“The average person would have to run
35 miles to burn off a pound of fat.”
Of course we cannot achieve these health benefits—nor the slim
figure and racing metabolism associated with muscular
fitness—if we lack the knowledge to even adjust the seat on a
machine. And that’s why RPFitness’ new S.L.E.D. Personal Training
System is becoming so popular.
Members receive the confidence-boosting benefits of a
knowledgeable personal trainer—without paying for one.
Servings : 4 -6
Nutrition Facts
Calories 401
Protein grams 22
Carb grams 73
Fat grams 5
Fiber grams 24
2
The first thing we must understand is
that a pregnancy is, in a biological sense,
a parasitic infestation. The fetus occupies the mother’s body and
takes all it needs to sustain itself at the expense of the mother. There
is no physical benefit to the mother to qualify this as a symbiotic
relationship. The fetus will have all of its needs met even to the
detriment of the mother. Like a parasite, the only biological concern
the fetus has for the mother is not to kill its host. The mother can
subject herself to all kinds of abuse and the fetus will do just fine. I
often laugh at mothers who will not have a single glass of wine for
fear of causing neural tube defects. The “crack babies” who we
thought were going to have horrible cognitive defects are doing as
well or better than their cohorts with normal gestational backgrounds.
Any meaningful exercise in and of itself must be considered a
negative event physiologically. However, the adaptations as a result
of proper exercise have much to offer expectant mothers. In terms
of high intensity exercise bringing harm to a fetus...that concept is
simply laughable. There are conditions where resistance training
would be contraindicated (such as placenta previa, pre-eclampsia,
and other high risk conditions), but during a normal pregnancy high
intensity exercise should pose no threat.
Resistance training literally has more to offer the expectant mother
than it has to offer any other type of athlete. Not only will the mother
benefit from the general conditioning that resistance training
provides any athlete, she will also acquire some “sport specific
skills”. The expectant mother will get to experience first hand the
exertional discomfort that accompanies high-intensity muscular
contraction. Proper instruction will teach her proper breathing
technique that will break the Val-Salva/Sync association (the
tendency to hold your breath, and push against a closed
glottis as muscular contraction becomes severe). Lamaze classes
attempt to teach this technique without the accompanying exertional
discomfort....this is like trying to practice leg press by breathing hard
and fast. With resistance training the expectant mother will have
multiple rehearsals at deep concentration, following of instruction
and proper breathing in the face of intense muscular contraction
and severe exertional discomfort. We as trainers hear many of
our female clients proclaim “this is just like labor”. Ideally, the
expectant father could start his own program and the couple could
be taught to instruct each other. This would make the father a much
more effective birthing coach. The mother could also be afforded
the opportunity to coach the husband, putting him in the throws of
exertional discomfort while she attempts to coax proper behavior.
Empathy from both sides of the fence will improve cooperation and
performance of the husband and wife in the birthing suite.
The physiologic demands of pregnancy on the mother are
considerable and labor is probably the most demanding activity
a mother will ever go through. If an athlete knew that the most
demanding event of their life was approaching in 8 or 9 months
don’t you think that she would prepare for that event through proper
conditioning. During labor a woman will experience high-intensity
muscular contractions and extreme exertional discomfort. She will
be asked to avoid val-salva, relax her face and ventilate through
these intense contractions. The ease of her delivery will be directly
proportional to her muscular and metabolic condition. Poor muscular
conditioning is the most common cause of non-progressive labor,
fetal distress and need for emergent C-section. Sadly, most women
do not condition well for pregnancy, in fact most women avoid
exertion of any type and become grossly deconditioned during
their pregnancy. Such a situation makes labor much more risky for
the mother and the neonate and makes it almost impossible for the
mother to re-acquire her pre-pregnancy figure.
RPFitness Staff Spotlight!
Pamela Chatman, CPT
Pamela Chatman graduated from
Choffin Career Center with a Managing
Cosmetology License in 1983. She
has managed her own business for
18 years and worked at Modeling
Resistance training is not only “OK” to perform during pregnancy;
in my opinion it is the perfect preparation for pregnancy. It is so
well suited to prepare for pregnancy that I feel it should become
the “standard of care” for pre-partum and perinatal preparation.
In certain exceptions such as pre-eclampsia or preterm labor
resistance training would have to be discontinued; but in the vast
majority of cases it is neglectful to not do resistance training. To
go into pregnancy not availing yourself of this prenatal care, in my
opinion, is much worse than having the occasional glass of wine or
cup of coffee. The risk to the fetus and mother from a difficult labor
as a result of poor muscular condition are much greater than the
risks that all mothers currently take much more seriously. Someday I
hope it will be considered medically and socially unacceptable to not
perform resistance training in preparation for pregnancy and labor.
Agencies over the course of 15 years. Pam has taught hair
and make-up as well as diet and exercise in Columbus at
Model Talent Management for 4 years. Pam’s interest in
Fitness began early in youth and taught aerobics and strength
training at Living Wells and Bally’s Total Fitness out of High
School. She decided to take her fitness a step further and
began to compete in the Figure NPC show landing a 1st place
in Masters class and 2nd place in the overall show and hopes
3
to earn her her pro card soon. Meanwhile she just finished
the nine week RPFitness certification program for High
Intensity Resistance Training and looks forward to having
an opportunity toward further advancement utilizing her
background and experience. She is also studying for the NCSF
certification. Pam looks forward to helping people reach there
maximum fitness potential.