Improve Physical Performance by Training Movements... Not Muscles
5880
Health & Fitness > Fitness Training
Mar 1, 2007
Eddie Lomax
Improve Physical Performance by Training Movements... Not Muscles
Training movements through compound exercises, single limb and alternating limb exercises will bring about the greatest real world performance improvement... Not training muscles through Isolation exercises.
For performance improvement you can actually use in the real world, you must train movements that are multi-planar and multi-jointed.
People in movement almost never isolate muscles or joints... so why train that way?
Favor compound exercises over Bodybuilder type isolation exercises.
Remember, Bodybuilding programs are specifically designed for muscle growth, not muscle performance... and are definitely not for training the body to work as one complete unit.
Compound exercises use multiple muscle groups in unison to perform the movement... much like we move in sport, work and life activities.
Let's take a look at the worst possible combination... isolation exercises on machines.
First of all I would like to say that I am not completely against the use of machines under certain circumstances.
For example, I believe that the use of machines for physical therapy and rehabilitation can be very helpful.
If one isolated muscle needed to be rehabilitated due to injury, using a machine that isolated that muscle would be a very productive, safe and controllable way to improve that muscles performance.
The goal of the therapy would be to bring the injured muscle up to the performance level of the rest of the body... allowing it to contribute to compound exercises and multi-planar, multi-jointed movements.
But what happens after the muscle has been rehabilitated and functions equally with the rest of the body... would you continue to isolate it with the hopes of further improving performance?
I think not... you would move on to some other type of training to use the healthy muscle in conjunction with the rest of the body to improve over-all performance... such as compound exercises.
Does this mean that the vast majority of commercial gyms believe your fitness level is so bad that you must use rehabilitation methods?
It is definitely something to think about.
I believe that the reliance of machines in the fitness industry comes from trying to develop a system of physical training that can be used for the greatest cross-section of the population with relative safety... but this does not mean that it is the most effective training method.
Now, just because I have focused on machines does not mean that I am in favor of isolation exercises done with free-weights or any other method.
The reason I do not favor isolation methods is that it leaves gaps in your strength... whereas compound exercises train the body to perform as one complete unit.
Let's say that you train the bicep curl and military press separately... what happens when you have to curl and press an object in one fluid motion?
The transitional period of the movement between the end of the bicep curl and the beginning of the military press would rob the movement of strength since that movement had never been trained.
I am assuming that the purpose of your physical training is to optimize your performance for sport, work and life... and not just improve performance in the controlled environment of the gym.
You will perform how you train... so train the same movement patterns that you actually use in the real world by using compound exercises, single limb and alternating limb movements.
Compound exercises, single limb and alternating limb exercises most closely mirror how we perform in nature... so it would stand to reason that the greatest amount of usable, real world performance improvement would be made by training these exercises.
I would further contend that the majority of activities in the real world are done with the feet planted firmly on the ground... therefore, for the greatest amount of functional improvement your training should take place in this fashion.
Unless there is some specific reason you need great amounts of isolated strength while seated or lying down... concentrate your physical training on compound exercises, single limb and alternating limb exercises where your feet are in contact with the ground.
For performance improvement you can actually use in the real world, you must train movements that are multi-planar and multi-jointed.
People in movement almost never isolate muscles or joints... so why train that way?
Favor compound exercises over Bodybuilder type isolation exercises.
Remember, Bodybuilding programs are specifically designed for muscle growth, not muscle performance... and are definitely not for training the body to work as one complete unit.
Compound exercises use multiple muscle groups in unison to perform the movement... much like we move in sport, work and life activities.
Let's take a look at the worst possible combination... isolation exercises on machines.
First of all I would like to say that I am not completely against the use of machines under certain circumstances.
For example, I believe that the use of machines for physical therapy and rehabilitation can be very helpful.
If one isolated muscle needed to be rehabilitated due to injury, using a machine that isolated that muscle would be a very productive, safe and controllable way to improve that muscles performance.
The goal of the therapy would be to bring the injured muscle up to the performance level of the rest of the body... allowing it to contribute to compound exercises and multi-planar, multi-jointed movements.
But what happens after the muscle has been rehabilitated and functions equally with the rest of the body... would you continue to isolate it with the hopes of further improving performance?
I think not... you would move on to some other type of training to use the healthy muscle in conjunction with the rest of the body to improve over-all performance... such as compound exercises.
Does this mean that the vast majority of commercial gyms believe your fitness level is so bad that you must use rehabilitation methods?
It is definitely something to think about.
I believe that the reliance of machines in the fitness industry comes from trying to develop a system of physical training that can be used for the greatest cross-section of the population with relative safety... but this does not mean that it is the most effective training method.
Now, just because I have focused on machines does not mean that I am in favor of isolation exercises done with free-weights or any other method.
The reason I do not favor isolation methods is that it leaves gaps in your strength... whereas compound exercises train the body to perform as one complete unit.
Let's say that you train the bicep curl and military press separately... what happens when you have to curl and press an object in one fluid motion?
The transitional period of the movement between the end of the bicep curl and the beginning of the military press would rob the movement of strength since that movement had never been trained.
I am assuming that the purpose of your physical training is to optimize your performance for sport, work and life... and not just improve performance in the controlled environment of the gym.
You will perform how you train... so train the same movement patterns that you actually use in the real world by using compound exercises, single limb and alternating limb movements.
Compound exercises, single limb and alternating limb exercises most closely mirror how we perform in nature... so it would stand to reason that the greatest amount of usable, real world performance improvement would be made by training these exercises.
I would further contend that the majority of activities in the real world are done with the feet planted firmly on the ground... therefore, for the greatest amount of functional improvement your training should take place in this fashion.
Unless there is some specific reason you need great amounts of isolated strength while seated or lying down... concentrate your physical training on compound exercises, single limb and alternating limb exercises where your feet are in contact with the ground.
Article Source: http://www.articlerich.com
Coach Lomax is a strength, conditioning and fitness coach dedicated to building better humans for sport, work and life. Learn more at Optimum Physical Training or take his FREE Tabata Calisthenics Workout Mini Course.
Write a Review
Add to My Favorite
Refer it to Friend
Report Article
Other links owned by this user
When I look at the physical fitness industry today it is painfully obvious that the industry is ore concerned with axiizing specific skills than building better huans. Basically, the fitness industry has been divided into two fields...
Category:
The choice to use supplements is personal... But in my opinion the greatest amount of performance improvement is still made by proper physical training. Have you ever looked at a Muscle/Bodybuilding magazine or website to get workout
Category:
Sometimes I think that there is an underlying confusion in the fitness community that ultimately leads a great deal of people failing meet their goals. This confusion stems from not having a clear understanding of your fitness goals
Category:
Train all 10 physical skills of cardiorespiratory endurance, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, accuracy and toughness for physical fitness excellence... Not just one or two abilities creating unbalanced fitness
Category:
Training movements through compound exercises, single limb and alternating limb exercises will bring about the greatest real world performance improvement... Not training muscles through Isolation exercises. For performance improvement you
Category:
Concentrate on quality training and proper technique and then increase the quantity of your training... Leave your ego out of your workout program. Eliminating your ego from your workout program and concentrating on quality
Category:
As controversial as what physical g methods to use is the topic of physical g frequency. Physical g frequency is how often you should physically train to get optimum performance improvements to reach your fitness
Category:
You want real strength, conditioning and fitness exercise benefits that can be applicable to everyday activity... Not ridiculous, absurd promises and fantastic, unbelievable claims. You don't need me to tell you that there are physical and
Category:
Train Muscular Strength, Muscular Power and Muscular Endurance for Functional Strength Performance... Not Muscular Size for "Appearance". Training for muscular strength, power and endurance will bring about more functional improvements
Category:
Train the c, c lactate and aerobic energy pathways for superior conditioning performance... Not just one energy pathway for "specialized" conditioning. To develop superior conditioning you must train the c,
Category:
Other links at Health & Fitness > Fitness Training
As controversial as what physical g methods to use is the topic of physical g frequency. Physical g frequency is how often you should physically train to get optimum performance improvements to reach your fitness
Category:
Around the House 1. When you go outside to pick up your morning newspper, tke brisk 5-minute wlk up the street in one direction nd bck in the other. 2. If you're housebound cring for sick child or grndchild, hop on
Category:
Fitness equipment can be split into 2 basic areas, first there is aerobic or cardio fitness equipment which is gned to give you a fitness workout to burn off calories & loose weight. Secondly there is strength/muscular fitness equipment which is
Category:
Bodybuilding by weightlifting if done wrongly is a sure recipe for injuries. Sometimes even painful and permanent injuries that will derail your bodybuilding program. This article will address the common injury prone mistakes bodybuilders make in their
Category:
Copyright 2006 Adam Kessler Alright, so the New Year is upon us and this is the year that many people will make the fitness changes stick. If you are starting to workout and have no clue what you are doing, then I suggest you hire a
Category:
Site Sponsor
Directory Statistics
Articles: 68285
Categories: 501
Yahoo Entertainment
