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What is core strength training? What is core strength training? Most body movements involve several joints and many muscles, either as prime movers, assist muscles, stabilizers, or antagonists. The link, and coordination, among these movements is called the kinetic chain. The key to most linked movements is the core, also called the trunk or midsection. The core consists of the abdominal muscles, deep lateral stabilizing muscles, and the spinal extensor muscles. The core is critical because it transmits forces between the lower and upper body and helps stabilize the spine. Building strength and endurance in these muscle groups is key to most sports movements, to many daily activities, and to a healthy lower back. You can build core strength by forcing the trunk muscles to stabilize the spine while standing, sitting, or lying down. Examples of simple, low-tech core strengthening exercises including sitting on an exercise ball and keeping it from falling over, and holding a push-up position on your forearms for 15 seconds. Whole-body exercises are particularly effective; examples include curl-ups on an exercise ball, side bridges, spin extensions, squats, and standing bench presses on a crossover pulley. Pilates often focuses on the core muscles. The program of strength and stretching exercises for low-back health presented in Chapter 5 of your textbook also features many exercises that help build core strength. Can I minimize the health risks of taking anabolic steroids by taking low doses? Anabolic steroids increase strength, muscle mass, and power. However, like any drug, the side effects of steroids increase with dosage. High doses of anabolic steroids (equivalent to more than 600 milligrams of testosterone per week) increase red blood cells (hematocrit) to dangerous levels, may promote coronary artery disease, accelerate the development of atherosclerosis (arterial disease) and existing cancer cells, promote mental illness in some people, and suppress testicular function. Steroid users often believe that taking low doses of the hormone will provide some benefits with minimal risks of side effects. This is a fallacy. Testosterone supplements shut down normal production of the hormone. People who use moderate doses (200 milligrams testosterone per week), for example, substitute expensive injected testosterone for testosterone their bodies make for free. Dosage presents a serious problem for anabolic steroid users: low to moderate doses shut down natural production of testosterone so that steroids provide no additional benefit. High doses have greater effects on performance and muscle mass but are also linked to severe side effects. And of course, anabolic steroids are a controlled substance, meaning their use is illegal without a prescription and they cannot be prescribed for the purpose of improving athletic performance. In addition, the use of anabolic steroids is banned for athletic competition. Circuit training is an organized series of exercises that are performed consecutively. Exercises for different muscle groups follow each other, providing a well-rounded workout and helping to delay the onset of fatigue. By moving directly from one exercise to the next, you can keep your heart rate in your training zone and train both your muscles and your cardiorespiratory system in the same workout. Circuit training can be done at home using calisthenic exercises and/or exercises with free weights, or circuits can be put together at a fitness center. A circuit may include just strength training exercises or may alternate between weight training machines and cardiorespiratory endurance stations. For example, you may perform a set of bench presses followed by 3 minutes on a treadmill and then a set of shoulder presses. It is important to warm up thoroughly before a circuit training workout and to cool down after. Other safety tips include maintaining proper form for each exercise (not rushing), lifting within the limits of your strength, and keeping your heart rate within your target zone. Does high volume circuit training increase aerobic capacity? In some cases, it can. Weight training has been the ugly stepchild of exercise training for the past 40 years. Professional health organizations emphasized the benefits of aerobic exercise and gave only faint lip service to the importance of weight training. That's changing. Scientists have found that weight training produces important changes in metabolism that can reduce the risk of disease. In older adults, weight training may be the most important form of exercise for improving the quality of life and ensuring independent living. Strength researchers Lincoln Gotshalk, Richard Berger, and Bill Kraemer found that high volume, intense circuit training (performing a series of high volume weight training exercises with minimal rest between exercises) increased metabolism to 50 percent of maximum effort (maximal oxygen consumption), which is the threshold for causing aerobic conditioning. Heart rate increased more during weight training at 50-percent effort than it did during aerobic exercise. Weight training impedes the return of blood to the heart, so the heart rate increases to compensate for decreased output. That's why you cannot use the same target heart rate during weight training that you use during aerobic exercise, such as running or cycling. Source: J Strength Cond Res. 18: 760-764, 2004. How many sets work best for building strength in women? An ongoing controversy in weight training is the ideal number of sets for promoting strength in non-athletes. More than 35 studies have shown that one set provides as much benefit as doing two or more sets per exercise, but other researchers disagree. Dr. Bill Kraemer, in an elegant 6-month study on women, found that they gained strength during the entire study when they did multiple sets per exercise and were supervised by a personal trainer. German researchers, using trained women, found that those who one set per exercise lost strength, while those who did three sets gained strength. The take-home message is that weight training works best when you exercise intensely. Most people only go through the motions when they train with weights. Train hard enough to fatigue your muscles when you work out, and focus on what you are doing. What is whole body functional training? Serious bodybuilders try to isolate muscles to make them grow. Isolation exercises are great ways to build individual muscles but can lead to imbalances that can make the body less functional and cause injury. Muscles create a link between joints that scientists call the kinetic chain. Every joint movement depends on other joints and muscles to provide stabilization or assist in the movement. Whole body functional training helps link one segment to the next. The key to these linked movements is the core—the muscles of the abdomen, side stabilizing muscles, and spinal extensor muscles. These muscles help transfer force from the lower to upper body, which increases power in movements such as throwing a javelin, driving a golf ball, or hitting a forehand. Build the core by doing stabilizing exercises (side bridges, isometric back extensions), whole body exercises on unstable surfaces (Swiss balls, bosu balls), whole body dynamic exercises (overhead snatch, front and back squats, overhead lunges), and functional exercises (Olympic lifts and functional exercises on the Life Fitness Dual Adjustable Pulley Machine). Should you train large or small muscles first? A basic principle of weight training is to do large muscle exercises like bench presses and squats first, followed by small muscle exercises like biceps curls and knee extensions. Small muscle exercises fatigue the target muscles rapidly, which limits their ability to contract during large muscle exercises. Fatigued small muscle limit the ability to build larger muscles during large muscle exercises. Brazilian and American scientists affirmed this training principle. They compared performance in a five-exercise program progressing from large muscle exercises to small muscle exercises (bench press, lat pull, shoulder press, biceps curls, triceps extensions) or the same program progressing from small muscle exercises to large muscle exercises (the same exercises in reverse order). Predictably, performance on large muscle exercises suffered when preceded by small muscle exercises. Performance on a specific exercise suffers whenever it is performed last in a program. You may choose to do curls first in your program, if you're trying to increase arm size. In general, do large muscle exercises before small muscle exercises—unless you want to emphasize and build the smaller muscles. Does hand position affects chest and arm loading during push-ups? How many push-ups can you do? That depends on how you do them. According to scientists from the University of Athens in Greece, arm and foot position during the exercise affects performance and the load on chest and arm muscles. They compared standard push-ups (hands forward, shoulder width apart; leg support on toes) with modified push-ups (hands forward, shoulder width apart; leg support on knees), push-ups with hands spread beyond shoulder width, push-ups with hands together, push-ups with hands forward of the chest, and push-ups with hands behind the chest. Modified push-ups decreased the muscle load by about 15 percent. The pecs were activated more with a wide-arm position while triceps were stressed more during the narrow-arm position. It is important to perform push-ups according to instructions when taking or administering push-up tests because altering arm or foot placement will affect performance. What is the best strength training program for athletes? The American College of Sports Medicine recommends that the average person do one set of 8-10 exercises for 10-12 reps, twice a week. Most studies show that doing more than one set doesn't contribute much to strength in recreationally active people. What about athletes? Arizona State University researchers combined the results of 37 studies of the weight training programs of college, professional, and elite power athletes. The best strength gains occurred at a training intensity of 85 percent of 1-repetition maximum for 8 sets per muscle group, two days per week. The study didn't address the ideal number of reps. Training three days per week provided no additional benefits. Studies using creatine, periodized training programs, and failure training produced the best results but did not alter the basic findings. Experience, motivation, sport, and injury history should all be considered when designing a program for an elite athlete. Does foot position matter during the squat? The squat is one of the most popular exercises for bodybuilders and power athletes. Most sports require movement from a basic athletic position—legs bent slightly, eyes and arms forward. Also, therapists use squats for people with kneecap problems and anterior cruciate ligament injuries. Imbalances in the quadriceps muscles have been blamed for knee joint pain. Researchers from the UK used an EMG (a technique for identifying active muscles) to compare the muscle activation of performing squats with feet placed with toes forward, in, and out. They found that foot position did not change the effect of the squat on activating the vastus medialis or vastus lateralis (different quadriceps muscles). Another cardinal rule of squatting is that the knees should not go beyond the toes during the movement. But biomechanists have shown that it's okay to do that (within reason)—otherwise too much load is placed on the low back muscles. During squats, it is important to keep the back straight and focus on using the muscles of the thighs rather than moving the torso. What happens when you perform squats on an unstable surface? Training on unstable surfaces, such as Swiss balls (resemble large beach balls) or bosu balls (half-ball on platform), is extremely popular in health clubs across the country. Unstable surfaces force lifters to stabilize the trunk muscles—the core, composed of the abdominal, back, and side trunk muscles—during the exercise. Canadian scientist found that doing squats on bosu balls activated core muscles more than normal free weight squats or Smith machine squats. They measured muscle activation by electromyography (EMG), which determines the electrical activity of muscles during exercise. Other studies found that squatting on unstable surfaces decreased the load on the quads and gluts. Exercising on unstable surfaces helps build muscle strength in the trunk stabilizers, but these exercises should not replace heavy lifts performed on good old terra firma (solid ground). What is the best combination of sets and reps for building strength? Which combination of sets and reps brings the best results? A remarkable study by researchers from Arizona State University—led by Mark Peterson—pooled the results of 177 studies and 1,803 different workout programs using a technique called meta-analysis. Training experience determined the response to weight training programs. Untrained people respond best to a training intensity of 60 percent of 1 repetition maximum (1-RM), 3 days per week, with 4 sets per muscle group. Recreationally trained non-athletes respond better to an intensity of 80 percent 1-RM, 2 days per week, with 4 sets per muscle group. Athletes respond fastest to a training intensity of 85 percent of 1-RM, 2 days per week, with 8 sets per muscle group. Trained people respond bet to more intense workouts with greater rest between sessions than untrained or moderately trained people. What is the best weight training program? The answer depends on your goals. Weight training can increase muscle endurance, muscle size (hypertrophy), strength, and power. Each fitness component is developed best through specific weight training programs. Australian researchers summarized the best weight training programs for helping people achieve their fitness goals.
Source: Sports Med. 35: 841-851, 2005. How much rest between sets produces best results? Muscle tension and time under tension are most important for promoting muscle mass and building strength. The capacity to lift heavy weights depends, in part, on your ability to recover from previous exercises in the workout. Arizona State University researchers Jeffrey Willardson and Lee Burkett determined that athletes achieved a greater training volume doing squats and bench presses when they rested 5 minutes between sets compared to resting two or one minutes. Performing intense sets require maximum levels of high-energy chemicals, such as adenosine triphosphate (ATP) and creatine phosphate (CP). Getting enough rest between sets insures restoration of these chemicals and allows you to train harder. What are the benefits of unilateral training? Unilateral training—exercising one side of the body at a time—is a very effective alternative training method. Unilateral training creates more muscle involvement because of bilateral deficit. This means that the total weight you can lift with each limb working independently is greater than two limbs working together. An example is the leg press. The sum of the weight you can lift with each leg individually will often be greater than the total weight you can lift with both legs. Because the weight you lift with both legs is less than each leg lifting a weight independently, you have a strength deficit. In the unilateral leg lift, you have also overloaded your muscles more than you could have using both legs at the same time. Unilateral training also increases the strength of the inactive side. This is a little known fact of neurophysiology. If you do knee extensions with your right leg, your left leg gets a small training effect—without doing anything. Australian researchers found that fast unilateral training had a greater effect on the untrained limb than slow training did. Unilateral training is a good change of pace that may boost you into the next level of performance. How long does it take to increase muscle size and strength? Weight training causes rapid increases in muscle strength and size in some men and women, but has little effect in others. People have been lifting weights for thousands of years, yet we cannot answer simple questions like (1) "How long will it take me to bench press 225 pounds? or (2) How many weight training workouts does it take to develop 18-inch arms? Gains in muscle size and strength depend on your genes, how often and how hard you exercise in the gym, diet, and hormone levels— natural or otherwise. Scientists have been unable to show a relationship between load during resistive exercise and training response (i.e., how much exercise does it take to increase strength, power, endurance and muscle mass). People vary considerably in their response to identical weight training programs, with some experiencing no changes, while others make large gains in muscle mass and strength. Men show larger relative gains in muscle mass, while women show larger relative gains in strength (changes in mass and strength relative to weight) when practicing identical training programs. Some people benefit more from weight training than others. But the health benefits of training are available to everyone who trains. What type of weight training program feels the hardest? Which is harder, doing three reps of an exercise using near maximal weight or doing more reps using a lighter weight? Sports scientists use a tool called Rating of Perceived Exertion (RPE) to judge the intensity of an endurance workout. University of Wisconsin, La Crosse researchers found that RPE is also valid for strength training. They asked people to assign an RPE to their workout following low intensity (50 percent of 1-RM; 15 reps), medium intensity (70 percent 1-RM; 10 reps), and high intensity (90 percent 1-RM; 4-5 reps) weight training. The subjects thought that the high intensity-low rep program was the most difficult, followed by the moderate intensity-moderate rep program, and the low intensity-high rep program. Using more weight in a program is perceived as harder and more stressful than using a lighter weight and doing more reps. Can activities such as yoga and taijiquan be used to build muscular strength and endurance? Both of these forms of exercise involve carefully controlled body movements and precise body positions, so they can help build muscular strength and endurance—although probably not to the degree of traditional weight training exercises. Yoga involves a series of physical postures that stretch, strengthen, and relax different parts of the body. Some forms of yoga are much more vigorous than others, but most emphasize breathing, stretching, body awareness, and balance. Taijiquan (pronounced tie jee choo-en), commonly referred to as "tai chi chuan" or simply "tai chi," is a martial art consisting of a series of slow, fluid, elegant movements that promote relaxation and concentration as well as the development of body awareness, balance, and muscular strength. To get the greatest benefit from these techniques with the least risk of injury, it's best to begin by finding a qualified instructor. Do abdominal machines advertised on television really work? Studies comparing major types of abdominal exercises have found that "ab" machines are less effective than curl-ups and sit-ups for developing the abdominal muscles. There is no advantage to using an abdominal machine as compared to performing crunches—and a machine can cost $50 or more. A 2004 review of abdominal machines by Consumer Reports concluded that no infomercial machine was worth the money and suggested that consumers stick to crunches, possibly with an exercise ball for added difficulty. Can you get an effective workout using medicine balls? Yes. A medicine ball is simply a weighted ball, covered with rubber or leather. Medicine balls are also called fitness balls, exercise balls, and med balls. They are not the same as stability balls, which are inflated with are and support the user during exercise. Medicine balls range from 6 inches to 12 inches in diameter and can eight as much as 30 pounds. They are common in gyms, but they are inexpensive enough for individuals to buy them for home use. (Prices range from $10 to $50, increasing with weight. Balls with built-in handles can cost nearly $100.) Although a medicine ball is an extremely simple workout aid, it can make many exercises more difficult and effective. Medicine balls have many different uses, especially in isotonic or plyometric exercises. For example, you can hold a ball against your chest while doing crunches to add resistance and make your crunches more challenging. This type of exercise is isotonic because your abdominal muscles work against a constant source of resistance as they raise your shoulders off the floor. Medicine balls have become a popular aid in plyometric exercises, in which a muscle is stretched and then suddenly contracted. Passing a medicine ball back and forth with a partner is an example of plyometric exercise that challenges the shoulders, chest, upper arms, and upper legs. Although you can incorporate a medicine ball into many basic exercises, experts advise doing so with caution. Improper use of medicine balls can cause sourness and injuries, especially to small muscle groups. The best way to learn about medicine balls is to take an exercise class that incorporates them into a workout. Professional trainers offer the following tips if you want to start using a medicine ball:
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