2009 October | Body Weight Exercise Online

Archive for October, 2009

The No Gizmo Workout

Written by thegang on October 29, 2009 under body weight exercise

The benefits of body-weight exercises
By Perry Gil S. Mallari, Reporter

In the realm of physical culture, there are practitioners who prefer the exclusive use of body-weight exercises to condition their bodies and to gain strength. By definition, body-weight exercises are physical workouts that use the weight of the practitioner’s body as resistance in training the muscles.

The greatest advantage of body-weight exercises over other fitness programs like weight lifting is that it requires zero equipment and it can be done almost anytime and anywhere.

There are certain things that body-weight exercises can and can’t do. While it is capable of building and increasing muscle mass, body-weight exercises can only do such task on a limited basis. Since the body weights of full-grown adults are more or less fixed, the intensity of the resistance cannot be increased. So if the goal is continuous build up of muscle mass, a person is better off using weights training where the intensity of the resistance could be adjusted as desired.

Body-weight exercises have a long and honorable history. Warriors and combat athletes have used it through the ages because of two reasons: potency and practicality. A good example is the training regimen of wrestlers of old India. Physical culture is part and parcel of Indian tradition for thousands of years. India was known for traditional physical training implements such as heavy Indian clubs, gadas (maces) and nals (stone weights). But a staple in a traditional Indian wrestlers training program were two body-weight exercises: the Hindu pushup or dand and the Hindu squat or baithak. The execution of the dand is different from the simple upward and downward movement of a regular pushup. The Hindu pushup is done with a downward scooping motion that ends with a backward arcing of the spine. Its purpose is to build upper body strength and endurance. On the other hand, the baithak is meant to develop leg power and cardiovascular stamina. The Hindu squat is characterized by an upward and downward squatting motion coordinated with the raising of the heels and circular swinging of the arms.

Both the dand and the baithak were part of the training regimen of the legendary martial artist and actor Bruce Lee.

The Great Gama (Ghulam Muhammad), known as the greatest of the Indian wrestlers, was said to crank thousands of repetitions of dands and baithaks on a daily basis. If his professional record would be the sole basis, then it looks like body-weight exercises worked pretty well with Gama. With a career spanning 50 years, he is the only wrestler in history to have died undefeated.

People whose dwellings have limited space for exercise equipments and professionals who travel frequently can benefit a lot from body-weight exercise. Demanding only a few square-feet of space to practice, one can achieve muscular and cardiovascular conditioning with body-weight exercises. As in any other fitness program, a doctor’s evaluation and prudence are essential for safety in practicing these exercise routines.

Original article at: http://www.manilatimes.net/index.php/lifestyle/4770-the-zero-gizmo-workout

Core Training That Matters

Written by thegang on October 28, 2009 under Uncategorized

Marla Arndt

Special to the Mercury

The term “core training” often prompts confusion. Every movement you make originates in the core, whether brushing your hair, pushing a grocery cart or running after the kids.

Your body’s core is the midsection, from your groin to your shoulders. The core includes the pelvis, abs, back and chest muscles. It is this core that offers stability, balance and flexibility. If the core is not properly conditioned it will limit your physical abilities. Core training supplies a solid base for strength, stamina, correct posture and top form in most sports. Simply put, core training strengthens the muscles of the torso, pelvis, and back, allowing them to work together creating a strong physical foundation. From the power of that centre, the arms and legs can move fully and freely without additional strain. That’s core strength.

The muscles involved start with the abdominals: the rectus abdominis—the “six pack”; the obliques—running diagonally toward the pubic bone; and the transverse abdominis—deep below the six-pack.

The back contains a crucial stabilizing musculature: the spinal erectors—dual muscular columns on either side of the spine; the trapezius and rhomboids—to stabilize the shoulder blades; and the latissimus dorsi—“lats” to you—which involve arm movement.

In the pelvic area, there are the hip flexors that allow you to raise your leg, as well as hip rotators. The hamstrings, abductors, and adductors provide an important pelvic-leg connection. And finally, there are the gluteals, which allow for powerful backward kicking—and much, much more. The saying you are only as strong as your weakest link holds true in the case of your core.

Abdominals get all the credit for protecting the back and being the foundation of strength, but they are only a small part of what makes up the core. In fact, it is weak and unbalanced core muscles that are linked to low back pain. Weak core muscles result in a loss of the appropriate lumbar curve and a swayback posture. Stronger, balanced core muscles help maintain appropriate posture and reduce strain on the spine. Training the muscles of the core also corrects postural imbalances that can lead to injuries.

There are a variety of exercises and equipment available for core training. The most important exercises—in my opinion—are body-weight exercises. They are very effective for developing core strength, and can be done anywhere.

Bridges are a great example of a perfect core exercise. Here are three examples to try on a floor mat:

Prone bridge: In a prone position—face down—balance on the tips of the toes and elbows and maintain a straight line from your head to your feet. This makes the front and back muscles of the trunk work together.

Lateral bridge: In a sideways position, balance on one elbow and the side of one foot. This requires a co-ordination of the abs and the pelvis.

Supine bridge: Lying face up, raise the hips so that only the head, shoulders, and feet touch the mat. This strengthens the glutes.

Push ups, squats, hip lifts, lunges and back extensions are all great exercises to help develop a strong core.

Using Equipment

A variety of exercise equipment is available that can be used to train the core. Some of the best products for developing core strength include medicine balls, kettle bells, stability balls, bosu balls, balance boards and dumbbells. These types of fitness equipment create instability needed to engage the core muscles to maintain balance. They are challenging, fun but gentle. You will be amazed at how quickly you feel the muscles being used.

Pilates and yoga are two forms of exercise that will help develop core strength. The biggest benefit of core training is to develop functional fitness—that is, fitness that is essential to both daily living and regular activities.

Good core strength is important at every age and fitness level. Whatever your goals, find a way to incorporate body-core conditioning into your routine to reduce fatigue, avoid muscle strain and improve your strength and mobility.

Guelph-Based Personal Trainer Marla Arndt Owns and Operates Frameworks Fitness Studio. She Can Be Reached Via Her Website at Www.Frameworksfitness.Com. Her Column Appears Every Other Week.

Bodyweight Lunges with Dumbbells

Written by thegang on October 28, 2009 under body weight exercise

Here is a great instructional video of a dumbbell walking lunge.

‘Boot Camp’ style workouts gaining popularity in fitness world

Written by thegang on October 27, 2009 under body weight exercise

By Randy Young, Chapel Hill News Columnist

“Shock and awe ” is a military term for rapid domination of an adversary, a strategy employed in the confrontation in Iraq based on a doctrine espoused by the National Defense University.While its efficacy over the past decade has been debated, the use of such aggressive tactics where our physical complacency is concerned — our vegetative states, the monotonous hum of our repetitive workouts, and the soothing ease of “sameness” — is gathering fervor.

No fitness professionals pretend to offer the demanding routine of the armed forces’ actual physical training, but many are emulating a few of the military’s tactics in America’s war on obesity.

The product of this amalgamation of gleaned wisdom has been gaining more and more popularity under the banner of boot camp-style training.

“Everything we do is slightly different,” said Rod Clayton, owner and personal trainer for Basic Training Fitness, which offers classes through the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough. “It’s almost always body-weight exercise, where one’s own body weight is the resistance. Much of it is really play: we’re moving the body, we’re running, we’re climbing, and we’re jumping. We also do some plyometrics, which uses explosive body weight exercises.”

“It’s simply exercises that are based on those used by Navy Seals,” said Kelly Sikes, Triangle SportsPlex’s executive director of sales and fitness development. “It’s a great idea, and I guess it’s a little like the P90X workouts … on steroids.”

Confound The Enemy

Like the P90X system, military physical training tends to confuse different muscle groups through widely varied exercises, introducing new moves and routines so as to keep the muscles guessing, thus shocking the body off of its comfortable plateaus.

What’s new to fitness center menus is old news on military training sites, however.

“I ran across an old book about Navy PT Training and started doing it, and I had a great time,” Clayton said. “I got a couple more friends doing it, and it was recommended that I start a class … about 10 years ago. The first class, we maxed out.”

The workouts are based on exercises from BUDS — Basic Underwater Demolition Seal –the Navy version of boot camp for specialists, Clayton said. He also incorporates from other Special Forces operators, like parachute jumpers, who’ve given us ideas on water exercises we can do.

“We’re always looking for new ways to challenge people. I’ve been in fitness for more than 20 years, and this is probably the most effective workout I’ve ever seen,” he said.

Clayton strongly emphasized the difference between military-style workouts and actual military training, renown for its rigorous methods of focusing the mind and reshaping the body.

“This is nothing at all like that. This is purely about fitness,” Clayton asserted. “We try to concentrate on the positives without any harassment or negative things.

“We do get some people who come in and expect a military-style program, and it’s not that. We even get some folks who tell us, ‘Hey, you need to yell more.’ I suspect many of our people would leave if we did.”

Clayton re-emphasized that the image of the derisive drill instructor does not translate into fitness center settings.

“No, because, after all, they are paying us,” he said, chuckling. “This is a workout, not a true boot camp.”

Too Early

Jordan Albertson, of UNC’s Ram’s Head Recreation Center, said the notion of a pre-dawn run with 40-pound packs isn’t on the agenda through UNC Recreation’s boot camp fitness workouts, either.

“With our program, it’s not the time of day,” Albertson said. “We did offer a boot camp style workout at 6 or 7 a.m., and it was really poorly attended.”

“It’s more about the style of the workout,” he added. “I’m sure that someone who had been in the armed forces would say that this training is not much like their training. … It’s just a lot of back-to-back exercises without much rest.”

“Hey, we’re not here to kill you or make you sick,” Sikes said. “We’re here to make you better and to push you to where you don’t think you can go.”

With the derisive element excised from exercise, “boot camp” style fitness has become wildly popular over the past decade.

“It actually still seems to be gaining popularity,” Albertson said. “The program filled quickly the first time I taught it, and this semester it filled up super quick.”

One of the major reasons for the popularity of the basic training-style workouts is their efficiency.

“In four weeks, people will drop 5 to 6 percent body fat, lose up to 10 pounds, and reduce their mile time sometimes by two minutes, according to www.WebMD.com.

Human Nature

Another reason for the popularity with fitness centers and instructors is the low overhead involved. Whereas some fitness regimens use weights, equipment or large amounts of space, boot camp workouts use participants’ own body weight as resistance and competition with fellow participants as motivation.

“It’s human nature to challenge yourself against other humans,” Florida fitness coach Tom Rayhill told WebMD. “Not everybody is athletically inclined, but by hanging out with those more driven people, you’re naturally going to want to do better.”

Still, without a challenge, the system falls flat, results fall short, and popularity falls off. As such, workouts must be sufficiently rigorous.

“Typically, the people coming in are already in pretty good shape, and that’s how we market it,” Albertson said. “We tell people it’s going to involve tough workouts. It’s a fairly advanced class. It works out the entire body. There are a lot of body-weight power exercises involved, and that drains the system a lot.”

“It’s a hardcore course,” Clayton said. “We bill it as being for people of medium to advanced fitness. It’s not for the faint of heart, and we see everyone from cancer survivors who are battling back to athletes who’ve been to the Olympic trials.”

An elevated challenge makes for an elevated sense of accomplishment and self-esteem.

“I think the challenge itself is the reason for the popularity,” Clayton said. “We started our class before the real boot camp craze, and what we’ve heard from the start is that participants found themselves doing things they didn’t think they could do.”

“We get a lot of triathletes doing all-season training,” Clayton added, “and it’s the perfect complement. We also get a lot of former athletes who’ve been sitting at a desk for too long and need a program to get them motivated again.”

Tours Of Duty

Trainers see participants translating that sense of accomplishment into other areas. Rayhill said the classes also offer a way to reconnect with others from within lifestyles that are increasingly separated.

“Most of what we do all day is very isolating,” Rayhill said. “We’ve got iPods, cell phones, and computers. We’re not connecting with other people. No computer can make you feel better. No, not like the connection to other people.”

For those interested, basic training style classes are offered locally through fitness facilities including UNC Recreation and the Wellness Center at Meadowmont, as well a three-month tour of duty running from November through the Holiday season into January at the Triangle SportsPlex in Hillsborough.

“It’s in keeping with the idea of ‘maintain, don’t gain, ‘ through the holidays,” Sikes said. “People can get off schedule during that time of year, so we offer a choice of just one month (December) or for all three months.”

The SportsPlex classes will be offered twice weekly during the mornings and twice more during evenings, with an 8 a.m. Saturday session as well. The program, administered by Clayton’s Basic Training Fitness ( www.basictraining.biz) begins Nov. 2 and runs for 12 weeks. The cost for SportsPlex members is $60 per month or $160 if paid in full in advance. Non-member rates are $75 a month, or $200 if paid in full in advance.

“Our motto is, ‘don’t limit your challenges; challenge your limits, ‘” Clayton said. “That’s really what it’s all about. The challenge is not just physically, but to mentally go past where you thought your limits were.”

However shocking the tactics may be, most fitness experts are agreeing that the results have been nothing short of awesome.

Randy Young at chnsports@nando.com

Original article can be found here: http://www.chapelhillnews.com/sports/story/53007.html

Bodyweight Exercises Do Bodybuilding Good!

Written by thegang on October 27, 2009 under body weight exercise, Bodybuilding

By Hugo Rivera

Bodybuilding training is composed mostly of weight training exercises. For the best results possible, your bodybuilding training should be composed of mostly free weight exercises that use dumbbells and barbells for resistance. However, I often get asked the questions: “What about bodyweight exercises? Are these useful for bodybuilding?”

Truth of the matter is, that bodyweight exercises are the best exercises for the fastest bodybuilding results! Examples of such exercises are the pull-ups, chin-ups, push-ups, dips, squats, lunges and calf raises. Any exercise where you have to move your torso through space and that can be done just by using your body as the resistance is a bodyweight exercise.

These exercises provide the best bodybuilding results because you have to activate the most amount of muscle fibers (since they provide the most neural stimulation) and use several stabilizer muscles (in addition to the main muscles being targeted) to accomplish the task of moving your body through space. In addition, these exercises are excellent for creating functional strength; in other words, strength that can be used to any task in your daily life.

As you get stronger, resistance can be added by using a weight belt for exercises like the pull-ups, chin-ups and dips, while barbells and dumbbells can be used for the squats, lunges, and calf raises. For push-ups, you can have a partner provide you with the resistance.

So be sure to incorporate plenty of bodyweight exercises in your bodybuilding routine and watch your bodybuilding results soar!