Exercise Talk
+5
KapitanScarlet
tgII
quicksilvercrescendo
seraphim
Flames
9 posters
Page 5 of 6
Page 5 of 6 • 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6
Re: Exercise Talk
More equipment added to the access
10kg Weighted vest - Makes taking a walk a little more strenuous, also adds to hindu squat exertion etc
Recumbent Electronic Exercise Bike - For the cold dark nights , lots of programmable auto workouts available in comfort
10kg Weighted vest - Makes taking a walk a little more strenuous, also adds to hindu squat exertion etc
Recumbent Electronic Exercise Bike - For the cold dark nights , lots of programmable auto workouts available in comfort
Re: Exercise Talk
Flames, i havent tried goblet squats , will put these on the menu for fresh change
Yeah , those cycles are superb for burning some serious energy and tuning up the leg muscles in comfort with music or podcast on
REgarding the weighted vests, i was thinking , in the current climate of paranoia, do not wear these in urban public areas lest you might find yourself with a swat team around you
Yeah , those cycles are superb for burning some serious energy and tuning up the leg muscles in comfort with music or podcast on
REgarding the weighted vests, i was thinking , in the current climate of paranoia, do not wear these in urban public areas lest you might find yourself with a swat team around you
Re: Exercise Talk
I want one, or two, or three in varied weights. Flames, can you box
them up for me and send a set POD?
As it stands now, I use improvised children's plastic baseball bats filled
with stones and a resin to keep them 'solid.'
them up for me and send a set POD?
As it stands now, I use improvised children's plastic baseball bats filled
with stones and a resin to keep them 'solid.'
tgII- Posts : 2431
Join date : 2009-11-17
Re: Exercise Talk
The Best Exercise To Burn Off The Belly Fat
By Cassandra Forsythe-Pribanic, PhD, RD, CSCS
Q) I've heard that strength training increases my metabolism. How does it do that and will that help me lose weight?
A) Strength training, which involves using weights, bands, kettlebells, or other forms of resistance that challenge your body to work harder than it does in everyday life, definitely does increase your metabolic rate. However, so does endurance exercise (such as running). The difference is how long and how much these activities boost your metabolism that really has an impact on your overall ability to lose body fat and/or decrease your weight.
Just so we’re all on the same page, let’s talk about the components of our metabolism:
First we have our resting metabolic rate, or RMR. This is the energy needed (quantified in calories) to keep our bodies alive – our heart beating, our lungs breathing, etc. Your RMR makes up about 60 to 80 percent of our total metabolic rate. The variation in RMR is due to individual differences among people, the foods we consume, and the activity we engage in, which can directly change RMR.
Second, we have the Thermic Effect of Activity, or TEA. The more active you are, the more your total metabolic rate will be increased. TEA includes all activity from mowing your lawn (with a push mower, that is), to playing basketball, to walking across the room. It’s not just structured activity, but also the activities that we engage in every day to live our lives.
Third, we have the Thermic Effect of Feeding, or TEF. This is the amount of energy expended to eat and digest food and use those nutrients to create more energy.
So our metabolism is known as total energy expenditure (TEE) = RMR + TEA + TEF. Each component is different for each person, resulting in unique metabolic rates.
Strength training increases our TEE by elevating the amount of calories expended in activity (TEA). The harder you strength train, the greater the amount of calories you burn through exercise. In turn, if your food intake does not highly exceed your needs and consists of quality choices, you will lose weight and body fat.
Interestingly, strength training also increases the amount of calories expended in your RMR. The way it does this is by increasing the amount of lean muscle mass you carry, which requires more energy to maintain and repair than fat tissue.
Both strength training and endurance exercise will increase your energy expenditure at the time of activity, and for a few hours afterwards, when they are conducted at the same intensity (you all have experienced that increase in hunger after a good workout, whether it be strength or cardio work).
However, strength training is unique in that if you perform multiple sets of a challenging weight to failure, scientists have shown that the energy expended afterwards, known as EPOC (excess post-exercise oxygen consumption) can be elevated for 24-36 hours. Some people call this the “Afterburn” effect of serious strength training.
Overall, strength training can boost your metabolism, but it has to be more challenging than activities you do every day. You can’t expect 3lb dumbbells to make much difference to your metabolic rate if your children (that you carry around) weigh more, or your grocery bags are heavier. Your body needs to remember that strength training requires “strength” so you have to load your exercises accordingly. Otherwise your body won’t get the challenge it needs to build muscle, lose fat
Re: Exercise Talk
i noticed a lot of cold / flu symptoms in my area recently, its that time of year again , they want people queuing for their jags in fear
Regarding exercise flames, yeah it can certainly get difficult to keep up as a regular routine, i guess in my own concern . thats why I'm always buying new stuff , changing types of exercise etc to try and keep it interesting , even talking about it with different people definitely stimulates inspiration , and also the S realm can stimulate the need to keep in optimum condition
Regarding exercise flames, yeah it can certainly get difficult to keep up as a regular routine, i guess in my own concern . thats why I'm always buying new stuff , changing types of exercise etc to try and keep it interesting , even talking about it with different people definitely stimulates inspiration , and also the S realm can stimulate the need to keep in optimum condition
Re: Exercise Talk
Just opened a bottle of 2007 French Cabernet Sauvignon; that's
enough exercise for one day for me...
enough exercise for one day for me...
tgII- Posts : 2431
Join date : 2009-11-17
Re: Exercise Talk
October is a popular month for colds and flu start kicking in.
Change of season and when that first cool breeze starts to kick up, perhaps the defoliation of the trees and plants as winter approaches.
Things getting kicked up in the wind coupled with a chill on the skin.
If you haven't been eating a more alkaline-forming diet earlier in the year, but an acidic-forming one...then the likelihood is increased in the autumn.
Especially with consuming a lot of sugars.
I try to start making and eating a lot more homemade soups in the first week of October that include root vegetables.
The root vegetables of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, pumpkins, celery root, parsnips, beets and the like. This is the season where they would be naturally harvested and they give yang to the body...whereas most of the shit we shouldn't eat puts us in an overly yin state.
Also chicken soup with added brown rice, carrots, celery and onion. I make the soup from scratch by boiling down a whole chicken and making a good batch of broth.
Change of season and when that first cool breeze starts to kick up, perhaps the defoliation of the trees and plants as winter approaches.
Things getting kicked up in the wind coupled with a chill on the skin.
If you haven't been eating a more alkaline-forming diet earlier in the year, but an acidic-forming one...then the likelihood is increased in the autumn.
Especially with consuming a lot of sugars.
I try to start making and eating a lot more homemade soups in the first week of October that include root vegetables.
The root vegetables of potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, squash, pumpkins, celery root, parsnips, beets and the like. This is the season where they would be naturally harvested and they give yang to the body...whereas most of the shit we shouldn't eat puts us in an overly yin state.
Also chicken soup with added brown rice, carrots, celery and onion. I make the soup from scratch by boiling down a whole chicken and making a good batch of broth.
quicksilvercrescendo- Posts : 1868
Join date : 2009-12-01
Location : The Here & Now
Re: Exercise Talk
I'm in; what time is dinner?
Just last night had a soup with ingredients including sweet potatoes
of a particular Japanese type popular during this time of year including
carrots, something called koguniaku and a host of other common
vegetables - lot's of yang material thrown in for good measure
with a fermented miso base.
Everyone's invited; we serve dinner around 6:00pm.
Just last night had a soup with ingredients including sweet potatoes
of a particular Japanese type popular during this time of year including
carrots, something called koguniaku and a host of other common
vegetables - lot's of yang material thrown in for good measure
with a fermented miso base.
Everyone's invited; we serve dinner around 6:00pm.
tgII- Posts : 2431
Join date : 2009-11-17
Re: Exercise Talk
In Vino Veratis
i have been slacking recently and fallen in to an acidic status because i have this pattern of having to come down a little in order to go back up , just having to use manual willpower backed up by physical exercise and good sleep to alter course back towards more alkali balance
I can see how things like crisps and fizzy drinks like doctor pepper and certain lagers seem to have ingredients in them that fool the body into thinking it needs more, certain chemicals must tamper with the glandular senses in the body , shutting them down whilst simultaneously arousing the hunger craves
these fast food creators now are analogous to software designers where they are designing chemical ingredients to create particular effects in the human sensory department
i have been slacking recently and fallen in to an acidic status because i have this pattern of having to come down a little in order to go back up , just having to use manual willpower backed up by physical exercise and good sleep to alter course back towards more alkali balance
I can see how things like crisps and fizzy drinks like doctor pepper and certain lagers seem to have ingredients in them that fool the body into thinking it needs more, certain chemicals must tamper with the glandular senses in the body , shutting them down whilst simultaneously arousing the hunger craves
these fast food creators now are analogous to software designers where they are designing chemical ingredients to create particular effects in the human sensory department
Re: Exercise Talk
Alright tgII, hope you enjoy every bite! How about some garlic that's yang. And adding vit. d to the diet.
Kapis, you might want to do just a little baking soda, aluminum free to get alkalinized.
Kapis, you might want to do just a little baking soda, aluminum free to get alkalinized.
seraphim- Posts : 1180
Join date : 2009-11-18
Re: Exercise Talk
Kapis is a slacker...
Good call on the sodium bicarbonate, saraphim; good friend ordered
me several packages of Bob's Red Mill aluminum free baking soda and
arrived last week.
Good call on the sodium bicarbonate, saraphim; good friend ordered
me several packages of Bob's Red Mill aluminum free baking soda and
arrived last week.
tgII- Posts : 2431
Join date : 2009-11-17
Re: Exercise Talk
Alright tgII
I'm reading about this here. Oxygen cleansing.......80 to 90 percent of how good the immune system is depends entirely on the gut......
I'm reading about this here. Oxygen cleansing.......80 to 90 percent of how good the immune system is depends entirely on the gut......
http://www.cleansingproductreview.com/oxygen-colon-cleansing.htmlAnother major health benefit to make note of, is that the oxygen that is created has the ability to reach all of your organs. Therefore, it can provide benefits to not only the entire digestive system, but also to the rest of your body. This is something that an herbal cleanser could never achieve!
http://www.coloncleansecentral.com/oxygen-colon-cleanse.htmlSo is it true? Can you really clean your colon with oxygen? In a nutshell, yes, it can be done. Pretty much what these products do is rely on these cleansers to kind of melt away the compacted fecal matter that is in your colon. This is, of course, done by an oxidation reduction reaction. These kinds of products come in both a powered form and a pill form. Inside those pills are specialized ozonated magnesium oxides. This is used to reduce the solid toxic mass that lays within your colon, and it then turns that solid into either a liquid or gas. Either way, you are going to get the waste to leave your body. Whenever you take these pills, they cause oxygen to be released and, of course, transported throughout your body. The great thing about this is not only does it clean out your colon, but it delivers much needed oxygen to other parts of your body that really need it.
seraphim- Posts : 1180
Join date : 2009-11-18
Re: Exercise Talk
I'll have a look; always thought disease and sickness is directly related
to the condition of the colon...still do...what the hell is so difficult to
understand that it's essentially a sewer pipe that gets clogged up?
Well, as far as oxygen is concerned, without laying out big money for
more supplements, I've gone to this primitive diet, what do they call it,
oh yeah, a 'paleo diet' re slabs of bacon, meat, the serious artillery
fucker-uppers...so I'll give this a try and see what happens.
...also thinking about picking up some good organic tobacco cigarettes
less all the carcinogenic chemical shit as additives...understand that
nicotine increases brain power significantly and ability to concentrate...no
wonder it's taxed and chemicals are added...anyone have a good source?
...down to the river for sprints to oxygenate the blood, no really, full out
sprints interspersed with squats and pushups. It's my understanding
most people use only the top one-third of their lungs when they breathe
so I've made it a point to breath deeply whenever I am aware of just
sitting and breathing...
...hey, this will blow your mind...I had coffee at an outdoor cafe along
the river close to where I live in Tokyo with an old friend I haven't seen
in about two years. His Japanese wife died last year...a very lovely 82
year-old man who is American-Jewish...he was telling me the wonderful
story last night about when in 1954 he went on a double date with Marilyn
Monroe...said she went into the ladies room and was in there for forty
minutes...when she came out, all this friend of mine said was that Marilyn
Monroe asked him: "How do I look?"
...they went to see the first run of the movie Moby Dick with Gregory Peck...
after that they went to a preview of a movie Marilyn Monroe's friend was in...
think he said it was called The Fighting Priest...ever hear of it?
to the condition of the colon...still do...what the hell is so difficult to
understand that it's essentially a sewer pipe that gets clogged up?
Well, as far as oxygen is concerned, without laying out big money for
more supplements, I've gone to this primitive diet, what do they call it,
oh yeah, a 'paleo diet' re slabs of bacon, meat, the serious artillery
fucker-uppers...so I'll give this a try and see what happens.
...also thinking about picking up some good organic tobacco cigarettes
less all the carcinogenic chemical shit as additives...understand that
nicotine increases brain power significantly and ability to concentrate...no
wonder it's taxed and chemicals are added...anyone have a good source?
...down to the river for sprints to oxygenate the blood, no really, full out
sprints interspersed with squats and pushups. It's my understanding
most people use only the top one-third of their lungs when they breathe
so I've made it a point to breath deeply whenever I am aware of just
sitting and breathing...
...hey, this will blow your mind...I had coffee at an outdoor cafe along
the river close to where I live in Tokyo with an old friend I haven't seen
in about two years. His Japanese wife died last year...a very lovely 82
year-old man who is American-Jewish...he was telling me the wonderful
story last night about when in 1954 he went on a double date with Marilyn
Monroe...said she went into the ladies room and was in there for forty
minutes...when she came out, all this friend of mine said was that Marilyn
Monroe asked him: "How do I look?"
...they went to see the first run of the movie Moby Dick with Gregory Peck...
after that they went to a preview of a movie Marilyn Monroe's friend was in...
think he said it was called The Fighting Priest...ever hear of it?
tgII- Posts : 2431
Join date : 2009-11-17
Re: Exercise Talk
Hi TgII, no way........animal fats do not clog your arteries.
It is the vegetable oils that do that and are in so many products, once that happened cardiovascular disease became the number one killer in America. Mixed in with the poison sugar and it's a lethal combination. As for the sewer pipe it would be healthy if it wasn't for all these not so good foods around.
I'm so glad you are doing the paleo diet. A lot of guys trying to build muscle really see results with that. I don't eat much animal products though, I eat eggs and fish and raw milk if I do nowadays. You might want to do some seaweed for your thyroid okay.
I haven't heard of the fighting priest, I will look into though, thanks for sharing your story!
I have nothing against natural tobacco and it will increase focus, all plants have something about them. Use in moderation of course Oh yeah, glad you are doing better Flames.
It is the vegetable oils that do that and are in so many products, once that happened cardiovascular disease became the number one killer in America. Mixed in with the poison sugar and it's a lethal combination. As for the sewer pipe it would be healthy if it wasn't for all these not so good foods around.
I'm so glad you are doing the paleo diet. A lot of guys trying to build muscle really see results with that. I don't eat much animal products though, I eat eggs and fish and raw milk if I do nowadays. You might want to do some seaweed for your thyroid okay.
I haven't heard of the fighting priest, I will look into though, thanks for sharing your story!
I have nothing against natural tobacco and it will increase focus, all plants have something about them. Use in moderation of course Oh yeah, glad you are doing better Flames.
seraphim- Posts : 1180
Join date : 2009-11-18
Re: Exercise Talk
So do you sprint down to the store to get that pack of smokes?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_American_Spirit
...for those who don't want any additives with their cancer.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natural_American_Spirit
...for those who don't want any additives with their cancer.
quicksilvercrescendo- Posts : 1868
Join date : 2009-12-01
Location : The Here & Now
Re: Exercise Talk
TgII, I was going to mention Natto? Is that the fermented food the Japanese eat. I think it has some potent enzymes to clear any fibrin or particles in the blood. And if you do smoke it may prevent stroke.
As for colonics... I don't get why so many guys are scared of their own Ass.
Who knows what's going to happen to anyone in the future, wonder what kind of creatures will be around then. If folks will be transhuman. These days organs are just accessories and the human body degraded, the spirit completely forgotten. The psycho who creates AI organs will make it big time.
As for colonics... I don't get why so many guys are scared of their own Ass.
Who knows what's going to happen to anyone in the future, wonder what kind of creatures will be around then. If folks will be transhuman. These days organs are just accessories and the human body degraded, the spirit completely forgotten. The psycho who creates AI organs will make it big time.
seraphim- Posts : 1180
Join date : 2009-11-18
Re: Exercise Talk
An article for consideration to any gym users
The 7 WORST Exercises to NEVER Do
These 7 exercises are popular with most workout enthusiasts, but they could actually be HARMING your body!
by Dr. Kareem Samhouri - CSCS, HFS
Exercise is meant to help you, right?
Unfortunately, there are certain “exercises” in the gym that cause more harm than good. I’d like to take a strong look at the 7 most prevalent injury-causing exercises in most gyms. The worst part is that these exercises are pretty much useless when it comes to building strength or losing fat. There really isn’t much of a point in doing them, whatsoever, and yet they can destroy our results.
It’s time to put an end to the worst exercises on Earth. I’m here to help you understand how your body moves, why it responds to exercise the way it does, and how to minimize your risk while you maximize the effect from every exercise you do.
As a side note, I think it’s important to mention that the last thing I want is for you to feel discouraged; rather, it’s important that you feel inspired to know you have eliminated the negative from your exercise program. Now, you’ll be able to safely rely on the fact that “you’re doing it right” when you exercise. Plus, I think you’ll be shocked to realize how much you’ve learned about your body’s ideal positioning and muscle recruitment strategies with exercise.
The main reasons that an exercise would qualify in the following list is one or more of the following:
Creates muscle imbalances
Has zero functional benefit
Winds up joint into unsafe position
If an exercise creates muscle imbalances, this can lead to joint deterioration all over your body and even blunt fat loss. You see, once your joints are out of position, your body has sub-sensory pain signals taking place all over the body. These pain signals tell your brain to shut down the muscles in the area in order to avoid “pulling on the injury” and causing more damage. The end result: no muscle contraction and weaker muscles.
We exercise to be stronger in our daily lives and live a longer/higher quality of life. If an exercise has no true benefit in either or both of these categories, then what’s the point?
Just because someone tries an exercise in a gym isn’t a reason to make this part of your routine. The gym is full of mostly amateurs, including several of the personal trainers at big name gyms. After all, that’s where many of us started out at one point or another...
“Winding up your joint” into an unsafe position involves increased pressure on the labrum or capsule of a joint while performing an exercise. Simultaneously, it’ll be likely that a muscle is being overstretched while being recruited to contract. This is a recipe for disaster. Instead, let’s find a position of rest for the joint and then exercise it. This will assist the natural delivery of nutrients to the joint and joint capsule.
Also important to mention, we should consider these two terms in understanding the benefits/consequences of an exercise:
Active Insufficiency - this is when a muscle is over-shortened and you try to use it. An example is if you “make a muscle” with your biceps and then see how strong you are. The muscle is already short, so you’re not as strong as you are in the middle of the movement.
Passive Insufficiency - this is when a muscle is over-lengthened and you try to use it. An example is if you tip your wrist back all the way and then try to curl your fingers. Because your wrist flexors are over-stretched, your muscles are having a hard time contracting. Again, you’d be much stronger if your wrist were in neutral, or halfway in between.
Lastly, I’d like to discuss the difference between open and closed chain exercises, and how this will affect the functional carryover in a particular exercise:
Open-chained exercise: Fixed proximal segment, moving distal. Proximal means closer to your heart and distal means closer to your fingers and toes. So, in this case, it would be our hand moving towards our elbow (biceps curl), foot moving towards our buttocks (leg curl), etc.
It’s important to note that open-chained exercises are very effective for sculpting muscles in the final stages of bodybuilding, or isolation training for rehabilitative purposes; although, they do create much more torsion into the joint and generally only exercise one muscle at a time. Due to these being isolation type movements, the metabolic effect of open-chain exercises is generally much lower than closed-chain movements.
Closed-chain exercises: Fixed distal segment, moving proximal. This is just the opposite, so your foot would be fixed as your body moves closer to it (squat/deadlift), or your hands would be fixed as your body moves closer to them (push up, pull up.)
Likewise, it’s noteworthy that closed-chain exercises are very effective at building balanced joints, spiking metabolism, and increasing functional gains in daily life while reducing or eliminating risk of injury. Closed-chain exercises have a higher metabolic effect because more muscle groups and joints are being used.
Ok, you’ve already got a great background for judging exercises and their quality, or lack thereof. Now, let’s dive in and take a look at the 7 worst exercises:
1) Leg Presses
These are awful. Here’s why: Creates muscle imbalances, zero functional benefit, winds up joint to unsafe position
Muscle Balance Perspective:
Quads are generally stronger than hamstrings; this reinforces the problem.
When your quadriceps overpower your hamstrings in deep knee flexion, there is increased torsion placed into the meniscus, increasing the likelihood of knee injury.
Quads and glutes should be used as a pair. In this case, they are not being used effectively.
When your glutes do not fire while using your quads with a great level of force, there is increased risk of low back injury.
An imbalance between your quadriceps and hamstrings can quickly result in a number of knee issues, including patellofemoral (kneecap) and meniscus damage. Even worse, when your quads overpower your hamstrings, it’s not uncommon to develop restrictions in these muscles as your body attempts to even things out. These restrictions lead to increased pull on the top of your pelvis, tipping it forward, and placing pressure in your low spine.
This all sounds complicated, but let’s make it easy. Just stand up and lean backwards. If your hip flexors are tight, you’ll feel a stretch in the front of your thighs. It’s a good bet that we should get you training in more functional abs positions. You may already be spending too much of your day in this pre-shortened position, causing ‘active insufficiency’ to take place.
Functional Benefit Assessment:
In most cases, people aren’t coming down to a full 90 degrees of knee flexion, which is needed for getting in/out of a chair.
Even in these cases your abs are so pre-contracted (active insufficiency) and low back extensors so overstretched (passive insufficiency) that it’s tough to use your quads with any abdominal or low back support.
Since your abs and low back are out of the picture, this exercise loses a lot of its functionality.
Metabolic Effect:
The metabolic effect of this exercise is less because the number of muscles used is less than similar weight-bearing (closed-chain) exercises. Ultimately, the number of muscles and joints you use in a given exercise determines the metabolic effect of that exercise.
2) Leg Extensions
Muscle Balance Perspective:
Quads are generally stronger than hamstrings; this reinforces the problem.
Quads and glutes should be used as a pair. In this case, they are not being used effectively.
Interestingly, if you are having a hard time contracting your vastus medialis oblique (VMO) in your knee, the last 15 degrees of this movement can be helpful, but careful with the torque into your knee joint.
Again, only for the last 15 degrees until your knee is totally straight, and this can often cause more damage than good.
Functional Benefit Assessment:
It can also be argued that this exercise may help if you are a soccer player, but power lifting has been demonstrated to improve sprinting and kicking ability much more than any variety of leg extensions.
When you walk, you use your quads and hamstrings; here, it’s just quads.
This comes down to torque. Think about a long screwdriver and a short screwdriver. It’s easier to use the long one, meaning you don’t have to turn it as hard. This is a result of the force of you turning the screwdriver x the distance to the end of the screwdriver. That’s how torque is calculated.
In this example, we are exercising above our knee, but the weight goes on our ankle. Think about that distance... that’s a lot of torque into our knees with a lot of weight!
Metabolic Effect:
Low. This is a single joint exercise that is isolation-based. By definition, there will be a low metabolic effect. Instead, choose more compound movements such as squats, deadlifts, or lunges for an increased metabolic effect with this muscle group.
3) Machine Leg Curls
Muscle Balance Perspective:
Majority of force placed through distal hamstring, rather than proximal. This results in increased pressure behind the knee.
Requires change of position to recruit medial hamstrings and glutes on this exercise, which should be used as a muscle pair.
Functional Benefit Assessment:
I can’t think of a moment in time where I need to perform this movement in daily life.
However, if I ran hurdles, this may help, but again deadlifts and power lifts seem to improve sprint capacity at the same time and provide greater benefit.
This is a question of torque into the knee again. Also, in this case, the hamstrings tend to cramp a lot, which isn’t necessarily a good thing, or necessary at all.
If you have a Baker’s Cyst behind your knee, that’s a lot of pressure. For others, it’s really pulling the posterior horn of your meniscus, while missing your proximal (closer to your butt) hamstring altogether.
Metabolic Effect:
Low effect, as this is a single joint exercise.
4) Biceps Preacher Curls
Muscle Balance Perspective:
Forward shoulder position leads to increased stretch (passive insufficiency) on the rotator cuff and biceps tendon.
An imbalance between your pecs and lats/shoulderblade stabilizers results in a forward shoulder position. This leads to rotator cuff tendonitis, biceps tendonitis, and increase risk of tears. Also, this limits the amount of growth of both your pecs and lats, due to the sub-sensory pain stimulus, as well as the actively insufficient pecs and passively insufficient lats (see above for definitions.)
This is true for your shoulders and neck. In this forward position, you are at risk for injury. Also, like many people who perform this exercise, you may be placing excessive weight into your armpit, which is where your brachial plexus is. This is the bundle of nerves that controls your arms.
This all sounds complicated, but let’s make it easy. Just stand up tall and place your hands straight up into the air. Now, bend your elbow out to the side until your shoulder and elbow are both at right angles. If you already feel a stretch, your pecs are super tight. You may already be spending too much of your day in this pre-shortened position, causing ‘active insufficiency’ to take place. This will limit your strength and fat loss gains, while also increasing your risk of injury.
Position also leads to increased pressure on the anterior and posterior capsules of the shoulder. Any pain signal or pressure will reduce the recruitment of your delts and shoulder stabilizers.
Biceps are being shortened in an over-shortened position for your pecs, reinforcing a common imbalance.
The elbow is only safe when balanced. You need to train your brachioradialis (hammer curls), biceps (curls), and brachialis (reverse curls) in order to hit all elbow flexors.
Functional Benefit Assessment:
This is an artificial movement, in an abnormal position. It’s only purpose is to build biceps, and there are better ways. For example:
The biceps is an elbow flexor, but it’s also a supinator (meaning it turns your palm up). Preacher curls only work on elbow flexion, which means you’re missing 50% of the muscle’s action. Whoops!
Evening out all of your elbow flexors has more carryover effect.
Metabolic Effect:
Low effect, as this is a single joint exercise. In fact, it may be detrimental due to the likelihood of the sub-sensory pain stimuli going off in the shoulder girdle, preventing some of the neurological signal from reaching the muscle.
5) Smith Machine Squats
Muscle Balance Perspective:
Your hamstrings are basically off in this exercise, meaning that it is totally quad dominant.
Simultaneously, it’s very hard to properly recruit your glutes when the weight is not directly loading your spine. Without glute support, you are weakening your core, ultimately increasing risk of injury and slowing fat loss.
Functional Benefit Assessment:
Since your hamstrings and glutes don’t really have to work here, you’re not squatting like you would in real life.
Actually, here, it’s unsafe for the opposite reason, interestingly enough. Check this out...
When you squat with your arms overhead, you tend to lean forward, or your knees come forward, or both. Controlling for this is the controlling inter-related segments so they can get stronger and more mobile together. These segments need to work together to prevent injury, so squats that are not on the smith machine tend to limit you to the correct weight selection, while these squats do not.
Metabolic Effect:
Low to medium. Since you are using your ankle, knee, and hip joints, the metabolic potential goes up slightly. However, it’s important to remember that muscle imbalances lead to all sorts of situations that lend themselves to a metabolic crash.
6) Overhead Tricep Extensions With Dumbbells
Muscle Balance Perspective:
Overstretched proximal triceps in this position, causing increased tension on the triceps tendon by the elbow.
Internal rotation, targeting the medial triceps head, can lead to shoulder impingement and more serious issues.
Functional Benefit Assessment:
This is another movement that never happens in daily life. When are we overhead forcefully extending our elbow like this. It’s kind of silly, if you think about it.
You may be arching your back while doing this, which could cause a lot of strain and take your abs out of the picture, altogether. Bad idea!
Metabolic Effect:
Low to none. Since we are only really working our elbow joint and a small muscle group, we aren’t gaining much of a metabolic effect whatsoever. Also noteworthy, this is an open-chained exercise that produces a lot of torque into the shoulder and elbow.
7) External Rotation with a Dumbbell, Standing
Functional Benefit Assessment:
Since this exercise actually is working brachioradialis against gravity (the dumbbell is weighing me down, against gravity, not side to the side), it’s only adding to the muscle imbalances I may already be experiencing.
Holding a dumbbell in my hands and moving it side to side is not placing tension on the external rotators of my shoulder, just my elbow flexors. This issue is not being resolved.
The only weight being placed into the shoulder is the torque from your hand, which is holding the dumbbell, through your elbow, and up to your shoulder.
So, all in all, it’s causing a very small amount of damage with no benefit.
Re: Exercise Talk
I would agree with this information regarding weight lifting exercises.
The leg press machine, in my opinion is good only as an alternative or supplementary exercise to safe and properly done deadlifting and squats.
The leg press machine is basically trying to simulate the squat in many respects.
But it is the machine that makes the difference.
Sled type leg press machines are not good and most on the market will cause problems with the body's joints over the long term.
The only machine I would ever consider using for leg pressing would be the Isolateral Leg Press by Hammer Strength.
And this would never be done to achieve maximum lifts, but only with a moderate amount of weight and intensity.
Also utilizing the alternative leg motion of this machine, rather than pushing with both legs simultaneously, mimics the walking motion a bit and helps to work the muscles in a more coordinated way between the quadriceps and hamstrings of each alternating leg.
But the alternating use of the legs with this machine also means one should and only has to use less weight....which is also good because that would minimize knee and low back strain common to this exercise. You can of course, with the machine adjusted properly for your individual use, use both legs to extend outward as well should you desire it.
But for myself, if I am to use both legs, then I would reserve this for my regular squats.
Also the Isolateral Hammer Strength leg press machine has two adjustable angled foot rest platforms to make the angle more suitable toward your anatomical uniqueness.
http://www.lifefitness.com/commercial/hammerstrength/plateloaded/lowerbodytorso/isolaterallegpress.html
http://muscleventures.com/video/2006/09/hammerstrength_isolateral_leg_1.html
Here is a common mistake for the leg press...
In the following video I would recommend that you never lock out or relax the knee as they are doing on most of their repetitions. But you actually keep enough bend in the knee when you extend the legs out to keep the tension constantly in the leg muscles. When these two people extend out they actually allow the tension to ease off their leg muscles and then allow the knee joint to straighten completely or lock out many times. That is a mistake and over time will not be good, and it makes the exercise less productive. The range of motion should be reduced to avoid straightening the knee or allowing the leg muscles to not maintain tension while pressing against resistance...a tight motion throughout all repetitions...almost to lockout of the knee but not quite...maybe ten-fifteen degrees still bent while extending the legs outward. There should remain a constant tension on your muscles controlling the resistance throughout all repetitions of the exercise. And when you are pushing out with your knees up toward your chest position those knees should not be bent more than ninety degrees, if they are then you need to move the seat back...so that your starting position has your knees bent at ninety degrees or more than ninety degrees if you want to even minimize knee shearing even more (if rehabilitating an injury or just wanting to be conservative with the motion and gentler on your joints). But never less than a ninety degree bend in the knee, with your knees crammed into or toward your chest because the is profound knee, and low back disc, strain.
I have some formal education in resistance training to give some advice.
...I would not use this machine to do any below parallel work as they attempt to do toward the end of the video. Below parallel is done with regular free-standing squats first without weights, only bodyweight, and then slowly progressive poundages with weight. Below parallel can be avoided by those with a history of knee problems or low back injuries if they need to avoid the movement. Bodyweight only below-parallel, or with low poundages, may be all one needs if they are not specifically training for a specific sport or athletic event. The people in this video do not strike me as specialized or elite athletes so below parallel could be done much more conservatively and by not having to use a leg press machine.
This following is an excellent book...you don't need to buy any of his other books because they are mostly older versions leading into this more recent edition...many authors have now come out with books like this on conservative resistance training and there may even be some other really great ones...but this is one of the best beginning to intermediate books out there...most highly recommended if you want to lift traditional weights...I never had a trainer at a gym give me this type of advice...
http://lookgreat.hardgainer.com/
I will also add that based upon my professional experience, and something I have not found in any training book, is that when you do squats, leg presses, deadlifts whether with weights or without...one must incorporate a very small non-weighted exercise into the routine to allow the vastus medialis, or VMO, to integrate with the quadriceps synergistic movements. This is to keep the patella tracking properly in a functional way. As to develop strength in the legs without working this small area and exercise will eventually cause a slight imbalance that could, potentially, create patellar tracking syndrome and a later condition called chondromalacia patella. It is a very simple, easy movement that is really no strain at all as it is designed to restore or maintain neuromuscular firing sequences and contracting sequences in a synchronistic way in relation to all the quadriceps working together as a kinetic and kinematic chain or "linkages".
Again, this exercise on this machine is a good moderate weighted supplement to squatting when the machine is adjusted properly and with proper technique.
It best used for rehabilitation from injury or weakness so you can get back into sound squatting.
Some people's body's are more ideal for squatting than deadlifting or vice versa. The book I recommended goes into this and why.
If, for some reason you cannot squat, then this is a good substitute. Hack squat or Smith machine squats I do not do, nor do I recommend them.
Safer squatting and deadlifting can be done with the rhombus bar. You stand within a rhombus and do the movements...and if you put the weight on stands at knee level rather than lift the weight off the floor or lower it below the level of your knees you make the exercise a lot more conservative and safer for the back and joints. Again, all of this is in the recommended book and you can also search most exercises and equipment on youtube or the net....but they are not always done with correct technique on youtube as I pointed out. I own and use a rhombus and lift and lower the bar onto a stand or rack that is adjusted just below my knee level. So the first rep I never have to round my low back just to initially pick the bar and weight up off the floor...as that position is the biggest no-no for your low back. I also bought a rhombus bar that has a bit of a larger rhombus shape for me to stand within...because the classical version is a bit smaller and more cramped to lift within. Check out youtube...which can also be done with just a heavy set of dumbbells....really not much difference, but the bar lets you use large plates and more weight differently. But if you are not squatting over three hundred pounds and just want to hold pairs of dumbbells then that will be about the same.
I also own a very convenient set of dumbbells that take up minimal space in my home gym and dogo. There are many adjustable-selectable dumbbell sets out there, but the powerblock are the best in my opinion considering options, design, durability and expandability...they can be a bit bulky on the ends so you have to decide if that will interfere with any exercise or movements you may have in mind with them...they also make an adjustable kettle-bell apparatus...best to try them in a local gym before buying...
http://www.powerblock.com/
I can actually work every exercise for every bodypart with a pair of powerblocks with its holding stand and a mediocre workout bench. The powerblocks, firm workout floor mat, and adjustable workout bench were my first pieces of equipment. Then the rhombus bar, large rubber coated plates and squat-power rack were next. Using the Hardgainer book by McRobert is really all you need to understand everything else from there. Good technique to prevent injury and to maximize gains is key...along with a decent diet and good sleep.
McRobert's advice is key when he focuses on increasing weight without increasing it too much. For most people who are not genetically blessed...progressive poundages to get stronger are key, but if you add on too much weight too quickly you can slow and hamper your long-term progress. In many instances, instead of throwing an extra twenty pounds on the bar...you may need to add only five or even two pounds. Take it slowly and over the long course of a year, or two, or three years...you will actually gain more in strength and physique than being more overzealous than your physiology can take or adapt to. Very conservative advice for genetically average non-competition individuals looking to get benefits of resistance training. Minimal use of machines is also part of that philosophy...which goes against may commercial my norms. And at most commercial gyms people drop out after six months or a year...or have minimal results because most common advice is not the best advice. Good book.
I just don't do machine leg presses because I can squat just fine and many gyms just don't carry this piece of equipment.
I also look at the naturalness of the movement, especially when considering using a more complicated apparatus or machine to help apply resistance. And when as a nomadic hunger gatherer or later a cultivator would this type of movement ever have been necessary? What sport or activity in your daily life would call on you to sit on your ass and use your legs to push so much weight? Biomechanically your legs support your upper body and the resistance to the leg muscles is applied from the top...down. Doing machine leg press the resistance comes up from the feet...a less natural feeling for me. It is for these reasons that I make my resistance training exercises all variants from the standing position squat and deadlift motions...and the less complicated machinery involved the better so your body naturally tracks the weight rather than some machine doing it for you. This also helps with balance and neuromuscular signals from the mechanoreceptors in the feet. Sitting in a machine doing presses, quad extensions and leg curls may apply for specific athletic endeavors or physical rehab because you are not able to do squats or deadlift motions.
My favorite way to squat...with a Safety Squat Bar and rack...having the option to hold handles on the power rack is a plus...
http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/im-0210.html
But when I squat...I don't do it like most bodybuilders or weight lifters...but put my martial arts background into the exercise and how it is executed. Rather than focus on so many reps and again taking stress off the muscles when you stand up straight...I keep constant tension on them...focus resistance on certain phasic activations of the muscles groups during the movement and make one rep feel like ten reps to minimize friction through repetitive motions to reduce injury and increase recovery time. I find this gives me more of the resilient tendon strength that I desire over bulking up my muscles for size....or a high strength to weight ratio.
The leg press machine, in my opinion is good only as an alternative or supplementary exercise to safe and properly done deadlifting and squats.
The leg press machine is basically trying to simulate the squat in many respects.
But it is the machine that makes the difference.
Sled type leg press machines are not good and most on the market will cause problems with the body's joints over the long term.
The only machine I would ever consider using for leg pressing would be the Isolateral Leg Press by Hammer Strength.
And this would never be done to achieve maximum lifts, but only with a moderate amount of weight and intensity.
Also utilizing the alternative leg motion of this machine, rather than pushing with both legs simultaneously, mimics the walking motion a bit and helps to work the muscles in a more coordinated way between the quadriceps and hamstrings of each alternating leg.
But the alternating use of the legs with this machine also means one should and only has to use less weight....which is also good because that would minimize knee and low back strain common to this exercise. You can of course, with the machine adjusted properly for your individual use, use both legs to extend outward as well should you desire it.
But for myself, if I am to use both legs, then I would reserve this for my regular squats.
Also the Isolateral Hammer Strength leg press machine has two adjustable angled foot rest platforms to make the angle more suitable toward your anatomical uniqueness.
http://www.lifefitness.com/commercial/hammerstrength/plateloaded/lowerbodytorso/isolaterallegpress.html
http://muscleventures.com/video/2006/09/hammerstrength_isolateral_leg_1.html
Here is a common mistake for the leg press...
In the following video I would recommend that you never lock out or relax the knee as they are doing on most of their repetitions. But you actually keep enough bend in the knee when you extend the legs out to keep the tension constantly in the leg muscles. When these two people extend out they actually allow the tension to ease off their leg muscles and then allow the knee joint to straighten completely or lock out many times. That is a mistake and over time will not be good, and it makes the exercise less productive. The range of motion should be reduced to avoid straightening the knee or allowing the leg muscles to not maintain tension while pressing against resistance...a tight motion throughout all repetitions...almost to lockout of the knee but not quite...maybe ten-fifteen degrees still bent while extending the legs outward. There should remain a constant tension on your muscles controlling the resistance throughout all repetitions of the exercise. And when you are pushing out with your knees up toward your chest position those knees should not be bent more than ninety degrees, if they are then you need to move the seat back...so that your starting position has your knees bent at ninety degrees or more than ninety degrees if you want to even minimize knee shearing even more (if rehabilitating an injury or just wanting to be conservative with the motion and gentler on your joints). But never less than a ninety degree bend in the knee, with your knees crammed into or toward your chest because the is profound knee, and low back disc, strain.
I have some formal education in resistance training to give some advice.
...I would not use this machine to do any below parallel work as they attempt to do toward the end of the video. Below parallel is done with regular free-standing squats first without weights, only bodyweight, and then slowly progressive poundages with weight. Below parallel can be avoided by those with a history of knee problems or low back injuries if they need to avoid the movement. Bodyweight only below-parallel, or with low poundages, may be all one needs if they are not specifically training for a specific sport or athletic event. The people in this video do not strike me as specialized or elite athletes so below parallel could be done much more conservatively and by not having to use a leg press machine.
This following is an excellent book...you don't need to buy any of his other books because they are mostly older versions leading into this more recent edition...many authors have now come out with books like this on conservative resistance training and there may even be some other really great ones...but this is one of the best beginning to intermediate books out there...most highly recommended if you want to lift traditional weights...I never had a trainer at a gym give me this type of advice...
http://lookgreat.hardgainer.com/
I will also add that based upon my professional experience, and something I have not found in any training book, is that when you do squats, leg presses, deadlifts whether with weights or without...one must incorporate a very small non-weighted exercise into the routine to allow the vastus medialis, or VMO, to integrate with the quadriceps synergistic movements. This is to keep the patella tracking properly in a functional way. As to develop strength in the legs without working this small area and exercise will eventually cause a slight imbalance that could, potentially, create patellar tracking syndrome and a later condition called chondromalacia patella. It is a very simple, easy movement that is really no strain at all as it is designed to restore or maintain neuromuscular firing sequences and contracting sequences in a synchronistic way in relation to all the quadriceps working together as a kinetic and kinematic chain or "linkages".
Again, this exercise on this machine is a good moderate weighted supplement to squatting when the machine is adjusted properly and with proper technique.
It best used for rehabilitation from injury or weakness so you can get back into sound squatting.
Some people's body's are more ideal for squatting than deadlifting or vice versa. The book I recommended goes into this and why.
If, for some reason you cannot squat, then this is a good substitute. Hack squat or Smith machine squats I do not do, nor do I recommend them.
Safer squatting and deadlifting can be done with the rhombus bar. You stand within a rhombus and do the movements...and if you put the weight on stands at knee level rather than lift the weight off the floor or lower it below the level of your knees you make the exercise a lot more conservative and safer for the back and joints. Again, all of this is in the recommended book and you can also search most exercises and equipment on youtube or the net....but they are not always done with correct technique on youtube as I pointed out. I own and use a rhombus and lift and lower the bar onto a stand or rack that is adjusted just below my knee level. So the first rep I never have to round my low back just to initially pick the bar and weight up off the floor...as that position is the biggest no-no for your low back. I also bought a rhombus bar that has a bit of a larger rhombus shape for me to stand within...because the classical version is a bit smaller and more cramped to lift within. Check out youtube...which can also be done with just a heavy set of dumbbells....really not much difference, but the bar lets you use large plates and more weight differently. But if you are not squatting over three hundred pounds and just want to hold pairs of dumbbells then that will be about the same.
I also own a very convenient set of dumbbells that take up minimal space in my home gym and dogo. There are many adjustable-selectable dumbbell sets out there, but the powerblock are the best in my opinion considering options, design, durability and expandability...they can be a bit bulky on the ends so you have to decide if that will interfere with any exercise or movements you may have in mind with them...they also make an adjustable kettle-bell apparatus...best to try them in a local gym before buying...
http://www.powerblock.com/
I can actually work every exercise for every bodypart with a pair of powerblocks with its holding stand and a mediocre workout bench. The powerblocks, firm workout floor mat, and adjustable workout bench were my first pieces of equipment. Then the rhombus bar, large rubber coated plates and squat-power rack were next. Using the Hardgainer book by McRobert is really all you need to understand everything else from there. Good technique to prevent injury and to maximize gains is key...along with a decent diet and good sleep.
McRobert's advice is key when he focuses on increasing weight without increasing it too much. For most people who are not genetically blessed...progressive poundages to get stronger are key, but if you add on too much weight too quickly you can slow and hamper your long-term progress. In many instances, instead of throwing an extra twenty pounds on the bar...you may need to add only five or even two pounds. Take it slowly and over the long course of a year, or two, or three years...you will actually gain more in strength and physique than being more overzealous than your physiology can take or adapt to. Very conservative advice for genetically average non-competition individuals looking to get benefits of resistance training. Minimal use of machines is also part of that philosophy...which goes against may commercial my norms. And at most commercial gyms people drop out after six months or a year...or have minimal results because most common advice is not the best advice. Good book.
I just don't do machine leg presses because I can squat just fine and many gyms just don't carry this piece of equipment.
I also look at the naturalness of the movement, especially when considering using a more complicated apparatus or machine to help apply resistance. And when as a nomadic hunger gatherer or later a cultivator would this type of movement ever have been necessary? What sport or activity in your daily life would call on you to sit on your ass and use your legs to push so much weight? Biomechanically your legs support your upper body and the resistance to the leg muscles is applied from the top...down. Doing machine leg press the resistance comes up from the feet...a less natural feeling for me. It is for these reasons that I make my resistance training exercises all variants from the standing position squat and deadlift motions...and the less complicated machinery involved the better so your body naturally tracks the weight rather than some machine doing it for you. This also helps with balance and neuromuscular signals from the mechanoreceptors in the feet. Sitting in a machine doing presses, quad extensions and leg curls may apply for specific athletic endeavors or physical rehab because you are not able to do squats or deadlift motions.
My favorite way to squat...with a Safety Squat Bar and rack...having the option to hold handles on the power rack is a plus...
http://www.newyorkbarbells.com/im-0210.html
But when I squat...I don't do it like most bodybuilders or weight lifters...but put my martial arts background into the exercise and how it is executed. Rather than focus on so many reps and again taking stress off the muscles when you stand up straight...I keep constant tension on them...focus resistance on certain phasic activations of the muscles groups during the movement and make one rep feel like ten reps to minimize friction through repetitive motions to reduce injury and increase recovery time. I find this gives me more of the resilient tendon strength that I desire over bulking up my muscles for size....or a high strength to weight ratio.
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