movements not muscles

[Guest guest]

Wayne,

Actually, I wouldn't dream of having a novice client perform a single-leg

deadlift. What I meant by SLDL is stiff-legged deadlift--in your terms,

romanian deadlift. Some also refer to it as " hip hinging, " since this

movement requires flexion at the hip with little or no movement of the

spine/back. In fact, my training sounds similar to yours, in that I stay

away from most physio ball activities, and prefer to work more with

" functional " movements using bodyweight most of the time, especially for

beginners.

Matt Stringer

San Diego, CA

Wayne Boesmans wrote:

>>Matt,

interesting thoughts on th movement not muscle discussion.  Something

else caught my eye that reminds me of an article once published at

protrainer online, a website of ISSA.  You mention using an SLDL with

novice PT customers.  Assuming an SLDL is a single leg deadlift and

these working with novice people wouldn't it be better to leave the

advanced exercises such as an SLDL to advanced trainees, and with

novice trainees focus on the basics such as perhaps machine based

exercises or as I prefer more functional exercises such as squats,

deadlifts, rows, etc.  With novice people I get them to perform these

exercise without resistance, just moving against gravity.  As you so

nicely mention babies why don't take a look at them and see how they

learn to move.  Don't they crawl before walking and running.

The article I mention was on stability ball training and how it was

taking over the mind of the personal trainer.  It called for Swiss ball

sanity, and these days I cannot help but think the same about

functional training. 

My basic training comprises squats, Romanian

deadlift, calf raise, bench press, row, shoulder press, bicep curl,

tricep extension, and two rotational core exercises.  Depending on the

client I will have them perform these with only gravity/bodyweight,

dumbells or barbells.  Once they can do that, sure let them have

" functional training. "    Some favorites: kneeling on stability ball

perform a single/unilateral snatch, or start in push-up position with

feet on stability ball, lift 1 foot to increase difficulty, move

hands onto 2 dumbbells, perform pushup.

http://www.protraineronline.com/past/march2000/protrainer1.cfm

http://www.protraineronline.com/past/may15/fitpro.cfm

Wayne Boesmans, NSCA-CPT

Vilvoorde, Belgium <<

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Dr. Siff wrote:

><<1.  Bodybuilders in their posing routines are able to " flex " various

>muscle groups without moving any joint or limbs.  They can " bounce "

>their pecs,  tense their quads and calves, select parts of the abs

>and tense them alternately without any trunk action.  In short, by

>focusing specifically on certain muscles they eventually gain a large

>measure of control over certain muscle groups without the need for

>any limb motion. >>

>

>Roy Palmer wrote:

>

><Is it possible that to control a muscle in this fashion we think

>about performing a movement that would normally involve it but then

>refrain from executing the movement? >

Matt Stringer wrote:

>Actually, I think it makes sense to say that our capability to think in

>terms of muscles simply demonstrates a greater level of coordination, which

>comes AFTER we've learned to produce movement.

>

>I get this from working with people who have never done any resistance

>training before (or when thinking of babies or children in similar

>situations).  They can push and pull in approximately the right directions,

>but asking them to " feel " a certain muscle contraction or to even induce

>contraction in a specific muscle is often far beyond their abilities.  When

>I work with such a novice and I'm describing correct posture and

>positioning for any given exercise, I might say something like, " In order

>to maintain the natural curve in your lower back during the SLDL, pretend

>that you're trying to touch your stomach to your thighs, " rather than,

> " contract your erector spinae isometrically before and during the SLDL to

>maintain your lumbar curvature. "   The latter would leave many people lost,

>even if they knew what muscles I was talking about.

>

>On the other hand, most of us on this list have been training for quite

>some time, all the while learning how certain muscles feel as they

>contract, thus gaining the coordination to manipulate some of them as

>desired.

>

>I think it's interesting, though, that we are only able to consciously

>contract certain muscles.  Or maybe there is someone who has total control

>of all of them?  I know I sure can't intentionally contract my sartorius

>without thinking about knee flexion, external rotation, and hip flexion. 

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