1/11/2013 0 Comments 3 strength training conceptsI have 3 strength training concepts which I corporate in my workouts all the time.
0 Comments
1/11/2013 0 Comments 7 principles of conditioningPrinciples of conditioning
‘High performance sports conditioning” by Bill Foran (2001) discusses about the 7 principles of conditioning. It may be of relevant interest to athletes, coaches, trainers, physical educators and fitness enthusiasts. It gives us a simple and comprehensive explanation on each principle and how to apply it practically. I have summarized the 7 principles as close as possible to the actual intention of the author and also add in some of my own views. Please read the book for further explanations. 1. Body reaction to stress a) Reaction to acute bout of exercise (acute stress) - e.g. , running for the bus, random running - Takes place anytime, regardless of level of fitness b) Reaction to particular bout of exercise repeatedly with regular frequency on different days (chronic stress) - e.g. regular running - considered to be training as it is done purposefully - A desirable training effect takes place which leads to new fitness level 2. Predictable rate of improvement - Exercise at a higher level of stress leads to higher level of fitness - Rate of reaching this new level is not linear - Diminishing returns set in until the new level is reached - Further training at this new level of stress will not lead to further improvement in fitness level - To further improve the fitness level, continue to increase level of stress (intensity, frequency, volume, recovery etc.) 3. Limits to improvement - Individuals has different limits to how much improvement and level of performance he/she can achieve - May not improve given a certain time frame (current season) - However, he/she may improve only in the next season 4. Diminishing returns - At a certain point of point, as stress of training increases, benefits of training become lesser. The greater the rate of stress, the lesser the rate of benefits - If increasing training stress does not lead to better performance or even lead to worse performance, athletes should re-evaluate and may need to back off from training for the time being 5. Accelerating setbacks - Relatively minimal training stress is associated with few problems (such as injuries or overtraining) - But at some point of increased stress, even a small amount of additional stress leads to greater chance of problems occurring 6. Specificity of training - Part of body that is stressed is the part that stands to benefit from that stress - Training specifically towards your goals without sacrificing your functional fitness 7. Ease of maintenance - States that once an individual achieves a certain level of fitness, the degree of stress necessary to maintain it is not as great as was necessary to reach that level in the first place + Due to elevated level of confidence + Due to physiological adaptations - Athlete can then emphasize more on other possible weaker aspects of his/her fitness without losing that level of fitness i.e. using lesser stress level - For e.g., if the athlete is competent in performing 20 pull-ups, he can use lesser amount of training to maintain this quantity. He could then spend more time and effort on improving his push-ups References Bill Foran (2001). High Performance Sports Conditioning. Chpt 10.Pg 199-203. Human Kinetics. 1/11/2013 0 Comments EDIP principleThe EDIP principle is a useful teaching method for personal trainers, PE teachers, and sports coaches to teach skills, drills and exercises to their clients.
E - Explanation Explain to the client clearly before the start of the exercise on some of its background information, the pros and cons if any and some brief instructions and requirements. Keep it short and simple so as not to confuse or distract the client. Continue to explain as you carry on to the demonstration. D - Demonstrate Demonstrate the exercise slowly and in good form to the client. Make sure that the client can easily see and hear you. Avoid long explanations and pauses during the demonstration so that the client can focus on observing the entire movement. I - Imitate Get the client to imitate the exercise by mirroring and copying, so that the client can better understand its execution. Break down the exercise into several sequences for easier learning if necessary. Give necessary feedback to correct the execution. P - Practice Get the client to practice the exercise till a reasonable form is achieved before advancing to the exercise proper. Note that it would not be reasonable to demand a high level of execution at this stage as this would take more practice and time. Continue to give corrective and affirming feedback to encourage the client to practice the exercise in good form. References http://EzineArticles.com/946003 1/11/2013 0 Comments Push-up variations part 21/11/2013 0 Comments Push-up variations part 1Doing push-ups is not restricted to the schools or the armed forces. It is an excellent body-weight exercise to improve your upper body’s muscular size, power, strength and endurance. Unlike pull-ups where you need a bar, push-ups can be done anywhere without any equipment. If the weather or schedule forbids you to go to the gym or outdoors for your workout, you can simply perform push-ups at home or even in your office or school.
I read it somewhere that you support around 60% of your body weight during a push-up. For a 60 kg person, he is in fact pressing a load of 36 kg (similar to a bench press of the same weight). For those who quit doing push-up, the main reason would probably be that it is too "easy". It does not contribute much to adding muscle mass or strength. Of course, if you keep doing the same kind of push-up (for e.g. basic push-up) over and over again, eventually it will not be challenging enough to achieve your goal even if you can hit a couple of dozens or hundreds. A rule of thumb: If you can perform 10 reps comfortably, it is time for you to increase the challenge level. You can simply add weight by wearing a weighted vest or bag etc; or more practically, switch to a more challenging version. The videos posted below are some variations which you may find suitable. 1/11/2013 0 Comments Post-activation potentiationAccording to an Australian study, while performing bench press with chains, speed (power) of reps increased by 10%. The mechanism involved is known as “Post-activation potentiation”. The nervous system gets “charged” to contract the muscle with greater power and strength before the actual rep.
How it works: During the lowering of the bar, the bar is lighter as majority of chains rest on the floor. Since nervous system is expecting the full weight that it experienced at the top, your muscles contract with more power and strength. This results in driving the bar up faster. Application: Use strength bands instead of chains as it is not easy to find heavy chains. It can be used for exercises such as squats and presses. Reference Joe Weider’s Flex, April 2011, pg 88 Read an article in the July issue of FLEX magazine which talks about using the right focus on training for size or strength.
Hypothesis: How you focus during each rep can have a big impact on your results. Findings: When focused on contraction while doing curls, muscle activity of biceps increased by 20%. When focused on moving the weight, muscle strength increased by 10%. Application: On heavy sets, focus on moving the weight. On lighter sets, focus on contraction of muscle My personal take: For those who want to increase muscular size and definition, the emphasis should be on the "feel" of muscle working during a set i.e. varying the speed of rep to maximize stimulation of muscle. For athletes, emphasis is on moving the weight; lifting as fast as possible or rather mimicking the skills that he/she is training for. For example, a thrower trying to improve his throwing power should perform explosive movements in his lifts such as bench press, shoulder press and even triceps and biceps curl. This would be more specific to his goals. Reference: Joe Weider’s Flex, July 2011, Pg 82 Resistance Training for Children and Youth:
A Position Stand from the Australian Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) 2007 The paper discusses about the use of resistance training by children (6-12 years old) and youth (13-18 years old) and gives its position stands. Recommendation of training loading intensities and exercise selection strategies Level 1: 6-9 years of age - Modified bodyweight exercises and light resistance (brooms and bands etc.) - Perform in the range of >15 reps Level 2: 9-12 years of age - Simple joint exercises with dumbbells and appropriate machine exercises for children - Perform in the range of 10-15 reps Level 3: 12-15 years of age - Include more free weight exercises. Complex lifts such as cleans, snatches, deadlifts and squats should be done only if properly taught by a competent strength coach - Perform in the range of 8-15 reps Level 4: 15-18 years of age - Moving towards an advanced adult programme involving split routines with appropriate and complex multi-joint movements, provided sound technique has been developed by a competent strength coach - Perform in the range of 6-16 reps This paper provides sound arguments and useful information & advice on this hotly debated topic. I strongly encourage readers to download and read through it. One advice that the paper mentions is the use of Repetition Method (RM) instead of 1 RM testing to determine appropriate training loads or to monitor training progresses. Personally, I use the RM method in my trainings as well. 1 RM method may be confusing and not as effective for young beginners as they may be unable to find their true 1 RM in the test. Causes may be lack of experience and unable to push to their limits (stopping before they reach temporary muscular fatigue) etc. If you are performing a straight set, for example, 3 sets of 10 reps, find a load that you can perform for only 10 reps and perform 3 sets of the same load. Progressively increase the load in subsequent sessions For pyramid set training, for example, 3 sets of 15, 10 and 8 reps, adjust the load accordingly for the given number of reps. Lower reps = higher loads All these can be done through trial and error till you become proficient and experienced enough to accurately estimate the load required for a particular rep range. References Website of the Australia Strength and Conditioning Association (ASCA) http://www.strengthandconditioning.org/content.aspx?clID=/default.aspx&ID=195 Website of Australian Sports Conditioning http://www.australiansportsconditioning.com/articles/?article15/australian-strength-conditioning-association-s-position-stand-resistance-training-for-adolescents-and-youth 1/11/2013 0 Comments Tips on stretchingTips on stretching
Joe Weider’s Flex (Nov, 2010), pg 274-280 |
Terms of useAll information presented on this site is meant for general purposes. It is not meant to replace health and medical advice from healthcare professionals. CategoriesAll Aerobic Body Composition Equipment General Nutrition Recovery Strength Stretching Training Archives
March 2017
|