Sunday, April 27, 2008

ISOMETRIC EXERCISES (PART 1)

Hello everyone and welcome to isometric exercises. Anyone can benefit from isometrics...builds speed and strength. And if you play or compete in sports, these exercises will enhance your performance.
TIPS:
1) perform about 5 minutes of light stretching (arms or legs) before starting.
2) have a watch handy
3) do not strain...only 60-70% of your strength
LEGS:1) tie one end of the band around an immovable object, place your right foot inside the loop with your back to the immovable object. Make sure no slack exists in the stretch band. Lift your right foot about 12 inches off the floor and then extend your right leg forward (your knee is not quite waist high) and hold for 10-15 seconds. Your leg may tremble...that's normal. Now do the same with your left leg. 3 sets each leg. 2) Lie on your stomach with feet pointed toward immovable object and with right foot in the loop and knee staying on floor, flex right leg up and hold for 10-15 seconds. now the left leg. 3 sets each leg. 3) Now facing the immovable object, standing, place right foot inside loop..no slack in stretch band, and extend right foot back about 6 inches and hold for 10-15 seconds. Now the left leg. 3 sets each leg. You have now completed exercises for your quads and hamstrings

Next week...arms.
Reference: www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com
SPRINT444@HOTMAIL.COM

HAVE A GREAT LIFE EVERYONE! JIMMY O

Sunday, April 13, 2008

ISOMETRIC TRAINING

HELLO EVERYONE!

Hope you are ready to get started! Build strength, energize your body, get in shape and tone your body in less than two minutes a day and without weights. How you ask? Read on! "Iso" means equal or the same and "metric" means length. Isometrics in this reading pertains to muscle, involves tensing muscles against other muscles or against an immovable object while the length of the muscle remains unchanged. Perhaps isometric training can best be defined as "sustained contraction" of a muscle over a certain period of time where the length of the muscle remains unchanged. Because of the number of new training products and techniques in the market today, the use of isometrics is overlooked. For any of us to gain an appreciation for the benefits of isometric training, we must understand the basic principles of muscular contraction. Skeletal muscles consist of three major fiber types.
1) Slow twitch fibers...for strength and endurance of a muscle.
2) Intermediate twitch fibers...possess qualities of both slow and fast twitch fibers.
3) Fast twitch fibers...responsible for the speed of muscular contraction.
All of these fiber types are arranged into groups known as "motor units."
With isometric exercise, a muscle opposes some form of resistance and is contracted to a certain length and held for a certain period of time..usually 10 to 15 seconds.There are no repetitions required as in weight training. Usually resistance training involves weights, etc. With isometric training we use the stretch exercise band. OK, but how does it work? When you stretch a rubber band and then release one end, the band contracts back to you with great speed. NOW WHEN YOU TAKE A LARGE RUBBER BAND THE ELASTIC PROPERTIES THAT EXIST WITHIN THE RUBBER BAND ARE BEING "DOWNLOADED" OR "TRANSFERRED" DIRECTLY INTO THE MUSCLE THAT IS OPPOSING IT. SO YOU ARE TRAINING YOUR MUSCLES TO RESPOND EXACTLY LIKE THE RUBBER BAND. MUSCLES CONTRACT WITH GREAT SPEED WHEN STRETCHED...THE REASON...MUSCLES ARE ELASTIC IN NATURE AS WELL. So next week have your stretch (resistance) band ready for the isometrics exercises.

Reference: www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com
e mail...sprint444@hotmail.com

Have a great life everyone...Jimmy O

Sunday, April 6, 2008

THE "PORTABLE GYM" (part 4)

Hello Everyone! Over the past two weeks we have talked about the the exercise ball and the folding chair and today we will focus on the stretch band...all three are intergal parts of the "portable gym." There two types of stretch bands and both are color coded. Color determines the amount of resistance. There is not a "standard" regarding color with respective manufacturers. Start with a light to medium resistant band. You can select a band with a hand grip on each end (stretch cord) or without hand grip. Cords being round and bands being flat. My suggestion...one of each. Let's get started!



  1. Standing position...tie one end of the band to an immoveable object (door or table leg) and grip the other end with one hand. Make sure you take the slack out of the band or cord . Now put some added tension on your band or cord with arm out in front of you, elbow and wrist locked, now move arm from the front of you in an outward motion. In slow motion perform this exercise ten times. Now reverse the motion, standing sideways to to stationary object with your arm going across your body. Arm and wrist still locked. Change arms in each position of exercise. When using the cord slide one handle between door and frame, then close door. When using band tie one end around handle.

  2. Sitting position...you can do the same exercises. From a sitting position. You can use the floor, chair or exercise ball. Using the exercise ball while doing arm or leg exercises you will also develope balance and strengthen your core muscles.

  3. While standing, or sitting you can work your legs and arms. You will also be working your shoulders and your back. From a standing position or sitting , grip each end with your hands and standing on the band or cord raise both arms up to shoulder height or above your head . You can do the same thing from a seated position. Make sure you have enough tension on the band or cord. Legs can be straight or knees bent.

Each exercise is designed to be 3 dimensional...straight arm or bending at the elbow , Straight legged or bending at the knee.

Once you get the "hang" of it, the "portable gym" exercises can take up to 60 minutes. A great workout for anyone. The length of time is up to you.

Next week...Isometric workout!

Reference...www.secondwindfitnessfilm.com

email...sprint444@hotmail.com

Have a great life everyone! Jimmy O