Re: and machines machine/ Lawrence Fisher question

[Guest guest]

I thank the group for their comments on the machine. I am writing an

article on this

topic for Fitness RX for men. Here is a part of the paper that refers to a

comment by

Stuart McGill on the limitations of the machine:

" Stuart McGill is a professor of Spine Biomechanics from the University of

Waterloo in

Canada and is considered the leading expert in the world on the prevention and

treatment

of back pain. Dr. McGill thinks the machine places too much stress on the

knees

and back. He said that the machine locks the body into the machine's groove and

prevents the body from determining its own groove. Standing with the feet

underneath

the bar exaggerates knee flexion, which places excessive stress on the knee

joints.

Placing the feet forward reduces knee flexion but rounds the back and puts the

lower

back in a weak position. There is additional stress on the knees as the feet

want to slide

forward but don't because of the friction from the floor surface.

He concluded that the machine squat may give an illusion of safety

compared to the

barbell squat, but in reality it's a bad exercise. Sure there are degrees of

" bad " depending

on the specific form used and the individual, but it's still a bad exercise.

Rather than

trying to minimize the problems with a bad exercise, why not just stick to

exercises that

have far better potential for building strength without injuring the knees and

back? Of

course, even the " safe " alternatives (i.e., squats, lunges, and step-ups) can

cause injuries

if not done properly, so it is best to stick with movements that have good

potential. "

I did a literature search on the machine but didn't find too much, so the

young

biomechanists have their work cut out for them.

Tom Fahey

Dept Kinesiology

Cal State U, Chico

>

> > Question for the biomechanists in the group:

> >

> > Does the machine ( machine that allows simultaneous vertical

> > and horizontal movements) overcome the limitations and dangers of the

> > standard machine when doing squats and bench presses?

> >

> > machine website:

> > http://www.beyondmoseying.com/bodycraft-jones-machine.html

> >

> > Tom Fahey

> > Dept Kinesiology

> > California State University, Chico

> > discusdoc@... <discusdoc%40aol.com>

>