What exersize is right?
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Mr Nunchaku
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2001 6:01 am
- Location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
What exersize is right?
I wish to strengthen my chest and stomach muscles. What are some exersizes that do this?
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Bill Glasheen
- Posts: 17299
- Joined: Thu Mar 11, 1999 6:01 am
- Location: Richmond, VA --- Louisville, KY
What exersize is right?
The simple answer is to go in the weight room and do bench press for chest and one of many abdominal exercises (crunches, leg lifts, twisting sit-ups, exercise ball crunches, etc) for your stomach. To really concentrate on the chest, you can do bench, incline bench, and dumbbell flies.
One thing you don't want to do though is concentrate on only one area of your body. Back when I was at UVa, I noticed that there was this bench-and-curl crowd that would always clog the weight room early Friday afternoon. I eventually found out that they were puffing up their chests and biceps to impress the chicks at Graduate Happy Hour (which was at least a third undergraduate women looking for grad/law/med school men). Do this long enough, and you will develop what I call the Big Bird look - big puffy chest and bird legs.
One of the worst things you can do in the training room for martial arts is get your body out of balance. When I first started teaching, I was fascinated by the fact that I had a number of students who could do all kinds of pushups and bench a lot, but couldn't punch their way out of a wet paper bag. As I learned more about kinesiology, it became apparent that these folks had great upper body extensor strength...and that's it. Most athletic motions involve flexor and extensor, upper and lower body, and a good dose of the waist and back.
Another misconception is that you can lose weight in a specific spot by exercising that area of the body. This doesn't work. The best way to lose weight is the following: 1) raise your basal metabolic rate by changing your body composition (more muscle mass), and 2) burn more calories than you consume. Your body - and not you - decides where weight goes on and where it comes off. Your genes pretty much determine that. The only way to defeat that is liposuction.
For every chest exercise you do, add an upper back exercise. For every stomach exercise you do, add a lower back exercise. For every upper body exercise you do, complement it with a lower body exercise. Make sure you do both flexor and extensor motions, and balance the top and bottom half of your strength. Furthermore, start all weight training routine with multiple muscle group exercises (with free weights) FIRST. These exercises are the ones that transfer most readily to the athletic field or the dojo. Everything after that is just cleanup work (muscles at the extremities, muscles that pull easily, waist, etc).
Feel free to ask more questions.
- Bill
One thing you don't want to do though is concentrate on only one area of your body. Back when I was at UVa, I noticed that there was this bench-and-curl crowd that would always clog the weight room early Friday afternoon. I eventually found out that they were puffing up their chests and biceps to impress the chicks at Graduate Happy Hour (which was at least a third undergraduate women looking for grad/law/med school men). Do this long enough, and you will develop what I call the Big Bird look - big puffy chest and bird legs.
One of the worst things you can do in the training room for martial arts is get your body out of balance. When I first started teaching, I was fascinated by the fact that I had a number of students who could do all kinds of pushups and bench a lot, but couldn't punch their way out of a wet paper bag. As I learned more about kinesiology, it became apparent that these folks had great upper body extensor strength...and that's it. Most athletic motions involve flexor and extensor, upper and lower body, and a good dose of the waist and back.
Another misconception is that you can lose weight in a specific spot by exercising that area of the body. This doesn't work. The best way to lose weight is the following: 1) raise your basal metabolic rate by changing your body composition (more muscle mass), and 2) burn more calories than you consume. Your body - and not you - decides where weight goes on and where it comes off. Your genes pretty much determine that. The only way to defeat that is liposuction.
For every chest exercise you do, add an upper back exercise. For every stomach exercise you do, add a lower back exercise. For every upper body exercise you do, complement it with a lower body exercise. Make sure you do both flexor and extensor motions, and balance the top and bottom half of your strength. Furthermore, start all weight training routine with multiple muscle group exercises (with free weights) FIRST. These exercises are the ones that transfer most readily to the athletic field or the dojo. Everything after that is just cleanup work (muscles at the extremities, muscles that pull easily, waist, etc).
Feel free to ask more questions.
- Bill
What exersize is right?
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Bill Glasheen:
Feel free to ask more questions.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
Feel free to ask more questions.<HR></BLOCKQUOTE>
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
Your body - and not you - decides where weight goes on and where it comes off. Your genes pretty much determine that.
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote
Ummmm... recommendations?The only way to defeat that is liposuction.
What exersize is right?
Got any good links to upper and lower back exercises? Something other than equipment, I like the pushup/crunch type stuff.? TIA
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Mr Nunchaku
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Sun Aug 12, 2001 6:01 am
- Location: Memphis, Tennessee, USA
What exersize is right?
Well, I agree with that and all, but my arms get plenty of exersize from pushing my wheelchair and my legs don't need exersize for the same reason. But I have too much of a gut and I really need to do something about that.
What exersize is right?
My favorite lower back & ab excercise is what's sometimes called the "iron bridge"
Dr. Jang Wing-Ming talks about it in his Shaloin White Crane book.
2 kinds of bridges, one face up & the other face down.
1. Face up.
Lie flat with the small of your back against the ground. Pick up your heels and head one inch from the ground -- hold for 30 sec at the start and then up to 5 minutes. WHen you can do 1 inch then do 2 inches, etc until eventually you can hold what looks like the letter "V" with your body.
I like to hold 1 min a 1 inch, 1 min at 2 inches, etc until my lower back burns and my legs shake.
Also for variety you can put your head on one chair and your heels on another -- Dr. Jwing-Ming says when you can do that for 5 minutes you can add weight on your stomach.
2. Face down.
Put your hands down in front of your nose in a triangle position (index fingers & thumbs touching). For forewarms should be flat on the ground. Make sure your shoulders are pulled down to activate the lats. Your hips should be low making a flat back.
When you can do this with your palms on the floor for 5 minutes try out other hand positions. Don't try fingertip right away unless you've trained your fingertips in the past -- don't want to damage any tendons.
Dana
Dr. Jang Wing-Ming talks about it in his Shaloin White Crane book.
2 kinds of bridges, one face up & the other face down.
1. Face up.
Lie flat with the small of your back against the ground. Pick up your heels and head one inch from the ground -- hold for 30 sec at the start and then up to 5 minutes. WHen you can do 1 inch then do 2 inches, etc until eventually you can hold what looks like the letter "V" with your body.
I like to hold 1 min a 1 inch, 1 min at 2 inches, etc until my lower back burns and my legs shake.
Also for variety you can put your head on one chair and your heels on another -- Dr. Jwing-Ming says when you can do that for 5 minutes you can add weight on your stomach.
2. Face down.
Put your hands down in front of your nose in a triangle position (index fingers & thumbs touching). For forewarms should be flat on the ground. Make sure your shoulders are pulled down to activate the lats. Your hips should be low making a flat back.
When you can do this with your palms on the floor for 5 minutes try out other hand positions. Don't try fingertip right away unless you've trained your fingertips in the past -- don't want to damage any tendons.
Dana
What exersize is right?
Love the exercises! Thanks! On the fingertips, I didn't understand exactly what's going on. Are you basically in a fingertip pushup position? with your wrists at a 90 angle to your forearms? Thanks again.
What exersize is right?
Hey, I just turned into a member!
What exersize is right?
TSDguy,
yes, when you move to fingertips (which I haven't yet achieved) you are in a traditional push-up position.
Pay attention to do fingertip and not fingerpad -- very different stress on your hands.
Again, this info is from what I've read and I have no medical background. Use at your own risk.
Dana
yes, when you move to fingertips (which I haven't yet achieved) you are in a traditional push-up position.
Pay attention to do fingertip and not fingerpad -- very different stress on your hands.
Again, this info is from what I've read and I have no medical background. Use at your own risk.
Dana
