Strengthening Exercises:
The following exercises are extracted from a program designed to increase strength for bowling, but are in no way unique from an ordinary fitness program except for the omission of a triceps exercise, which is added here in keeping with the traditional agonist/antagonist training methodology which is one of maintaining muscle balance.
Lunge - A basic lunge is performed starting in a standing position, with your feet together. Step forward and, at the same time, lower your body until your rear knee nearly touches the floor, and your front thigh is roughly parallel to the floor. Your trunk should remain erect, and your front knee should be approximately above your ankle (i.e., your knee should not project beyond your toes). Now push off on your front foot, and return to the starting position. It is acceptable to do all the reps for your set on one leg, and then switch to the other side, or you may alternate legs. There are about a zillion alternate lunge movements. The front lunge just described works the gluteal muscles (those big butt muscles), quadriceps muscles (front of the thigh), the hamstrings (back of the thigh), and calves. To maximize involvement of the calves, raise up on your toes (only the foot that remains planted), then step forward. Other variations are: side lunges - inner/outer thighs, rear lunges - you step back, rather than forward, walking lunges - you just move forward (alternating legs, obviously). You can increase the intensity of lunges by using steps for the front leg, of by using either barbells (BBs) or dumbbells (DBs). Do 12 reps per side.1-Arm Bent Row - This exercise works the latisimus dorsi muscle of the back (it starts under your arms, goes down your sides, then fans out to where it attaches along the spine), and the arm biceps, as well as the rear deltoid muscles in the shoulders. Start standing next to a bench - perpendicular to it. Put your knee, and the hand from the same side of your body, on the bench - for support. With your other hand extended toward the floor and holding a DB, pull it back toward your upper hip/ lower abdomen. Move your elbow as far as possible above your back. Don't rotate your trunk - keep your back "flat." As you lower the DB toward the floor, reach forward slightly. The up/down movement becomes an arcing movement - down and forward/up and back - to allow a full range-of-motion. Complete 10 reps, then repeat on the other side.
Bench Press (close grip) - The exercise plan from which this exercise was extracted, states the purpose of the exercise to be one of developing upper body thrust; however, a bowling delivery is more of a swing than a thrust, which involves the deltoid and rotator cuff muscles in the shoulder. The bench press is still important as it is involved in both shoulder extension and flexion, and to balance back development from Bent Rows. A separate exercise will be added for the front deltoid (for shoulder flexion (i.e., moving the arm forward).
Begin the Bench Press in a supine position on a bench. If your feet are not flat on the floor, put them on the bench (to keep your lower back from arching up off the bench). Holding a BB (or DBs) above mid-chest level, with elbows fully extended, and hands at, or just inside of, shoulder width; lower the bar until it lightly touches your chest (don't bounce the bar off your chest), pause, then raise the bar to the starting position. That is one rep. Don't snap your elbows into a locked position; exhale as you push, and inhale as you lower the bar; and control the bar at all times. Do three sets of 8-10 reps.
Front Deltoid Raise - Holding DBs with a neutral grip (palms facing each other), with arms extended back behind your buttocks; in an arcing motion, move the DBs, with your elbows extended but soft, in front of your face at eye level. Pause, then lower them in an arcing motion to the initial behind-the-buttocks position, That is one rep. Do 8-10 reps. Note that this exercise can be done in an alternating arms style-10 reps per arm.
Compound Triceps Kickback - This exercise is being added to this program based on an analysis of the muscles used in the arm portion of the bowling delivery, which is first, a shoulder extension/hyperextension (the ball is swung out behind you, followed by a shoulder flexion movement (the ball is swung forward prior to release). The previous exercise took care of the forward movement. This exercise concentrates on the triceps and rear deltoid muscles. The triceps muscle will be statically flexed to keep the arm straight during the backward movement of the ball, and the rear deltoid is instrumental in the movement itself.
This exercise is started from a bent forward position. Keep your back flat, and extend your arms behind you - your elbows should be bent so your forearms are vertical, and your upper arms are parallel to the floor. Now, straighten your arms (only your forearms move). Hold that position and squeeze your triceps, then raise the DBs while keeping your arms straight. Your rear deltoids are now working hard. Pause again, momentarily, and then return to the initial position. Do 8-10 reps.
Stiff-Legged Dead Lift - This exercise, which involves mainly the erector spinae muscles of the lower back, the gluteal muscles that we sit on, and the hamstrings of the back of the thighs, starts from the standing position, feet close together, and holding a barbell (BB), or DBs, down across your thighs (arms are fully extended). Bend forward and lower the weight below your knees (but not too far, your back becomes vulnerable to injury if you overstretch) - your legs are maintained in a relatively straight position (knees are soft and some bending is acceptable), back is flat, arms are straight, and close to your body as you lower and raise the weight, and your neck is in the neutral position. Pause, then stand up. That's one. Do 10-12 reps.
Wrist Curl - This forearm exercise is performed while holding a BB with a palms up (supinated) grip. The most effective way to do this exercise is to rest your forearms on your knees or a bench, with your hands and the bar unsupported. Now uncurl your fingers as you extend your wrists, and let the bar roll down as far as it can without being dropped. When your wrists are ex tended as far as possible, reverse the action. Roll the bar back into your palms, as you flex your wrists. The flexor muscles on the inside of your forearms will most likely scream at you, but ignore them. You have now completed one rep. Do 10-12.
Reverse Wrist Curl - This is exactly the same exercise as we just did, except that our grip is pronated (palms down), and we are torturing the extensor muscles (mainly the brachioradialis) on the opposite side of the forearms. Do 10-12.
Dumbbell Biceps Curl - Let's describe a "screw curl" here, because a bowling delivery can include either a supinated or a neutral grip on the ball. From either a seated or standing position, with the DBs hanging at your sides - neutral grip; raise the DBs to 90∞, at which point you supinate your wrists-maximally at the top of the movement. Squeeze the muscles, then lower the DBs until, at 90∞, you rotate your hands back to a neutral grip and lower them to the initial position. That's one rep. Do 10-12.
Crunch - This abdominal exercise is actually a series, because we exercise the abdominal cavity (except the lower back, because we already covered it with the Dead Lift). We will exercise the upper and lower abdominals (the rectus abdominis muscle), the transverse abdominis muscle which is underneath the lower portion of the rectus abdominis, and the internal and external oblique muscles on the sides of the abdominal cavity. See pages 2-4 in the February 1995 issue of the Newsletter for a thorough description of specific "crunch" exercises, and how to perform them.
A new study was recently reported on a local television newscast. The study was attempting to answer the question: what is more effective for reducing risk of heart disease, exercise or weight loss? I was surprised that such an "either-or" question would be asked, because the two factors are not mutually exclusive. But it was asked, and the answer was weight loss. TV news is, of course, very unreliable as a source for medical news. Maybe a 30 second time slot is allocated for a medical story - not enough time for a thorough story. Just enough for a "catchy" attention-getter. The story, as reported, was neither new, nor without obscuring some important questions; one of which has to do with longevity of the weight loss, and body composition. It is commonly known that a weight loss based only on dieting is transitory, at best. Body composition is an important factor. Weight loss through dieting alone results in significant loss of muscle tissue, which yields a body composition higher in fat; therefore, likely to lead to short term loss, followed by an increase - very often to a higher weight than before. Why this happens is pretty clear. The body responds to calorie restriction as it would to simple starvation. It lowers metabolism in an effort to save potential fuel (i.e., fat). The body wants to save a resource that you want to get rid of. The problem is magnified by the accompanying muscle loss. Muscle cells are densely populated with energy burning furnaces, formally known as mitochondria. So now, well into our reducing diet, our body is trying gallantly to hang onto energy stores (fat), and at the same time, our energy combustion capacity is being reduced.
On the other hand, exercise alone isn't highly effective at substantial weight loss. No matter how many calories you exercise away, if you eat more than you use, you gain fat.
Don't get me wrong, either dieting or exercise alone, can result in weight loss; but substantial loss is typically ephemeral, at best. Long term loss requires both diet modification and exercise (which may be an active lifestyle, depending on the severity of the fat problem, and how vigorously you want to attack it).
Back to the core issue: is risk of CAD decreased more effectively by exercise, or weight loss?. The "either-or" answer is weight loss; but substantial, permanent weight loss without exercise is possibly impossible.
Over the past few months, some exercise information has come to my attention, and I will pass it along to you in a sort of random fashion. First up is a variation on running stadium stairs - an old favorite for many of you, I'm sure. For any of you who are interested in explosive movements for very active sports (like bas ketball), you can convert stadium stair running into a plyometric exercise(*) by hopping up the stairs, rather than running up. Starting at the bottom, feet together, hop-hop-hop one step at a time to the top. Walk back down, then hop-hop-hop again until you have had enough. [Silly thought of the day: this exercise is not recommended for beginners.]
According to Cori Everson (six time Ms Olympia, and sort of a "Big Babe" prototype), women can only increase their muscle mass by about 10%, so weight training shouldn't intimidate you ladies. You don't have to worry that weight training will give you big muscles - only little ones, and they give shape to a body.
For hardgainers (those who have trouble gaining weight: they typically have light frames and hummingbird metabolisms), consume a good quality, high-calorie diet; and adopt a weight training program that exercises each body part only once a week, but intensely. Lack of sufficient rest may be the culprit according to some exercise professionals. More frequent workouts may not allow enough rest for muscles to grow.
Priority training isn't new, I just hadn't heard the phrase until recently. It is a simple concept by which one trains weak muscles first. You ignore the classic big-muscles-first training theory. Train weak ones before they become pre- exhausted (i.e., while they are still fresh).
A modest update to the front deltoid raise is to use a BB. Start with the bar hanging at thigh level, then raise the bar, with arms straight and using a prone grip, until the bar is level with your eyes. The front deltoids and the rhomboid muscles are worked. If the bar is raised to the overhead position, the rear deltoids are activated; however, some shoulders don't like this high position - use caution.
A one-legged lunge is an interesting challenge. It can be done by putting the top of one foot on a bench (behind you), and with the other foot placed out in front of you so that as you lower your trunk, your knee is over your ankle (the normal squat/lunge position). From the lowered position (your thigh is approximately parallel to the floor, and your trunk is vertical), raise yourself to the full standing position, but don't let your back leg provide any assistance. A better way to do this exercise requires a Smith machine (gym gadget). With the bar across your shoulders (below C7), one foot forward, and one foot tthe rear; lower your trunk to the "thigh parallel" position. Keep your back foot off the floor during the entire lunge, especially during the return to vertical. Using this technique forces you to use one leg only. Do 12-15 reps for each leg.
(*) Plyometric exercise is a relatively new name for an exercise system that has been around for quite awhile, mainly in eastern Europe. It is a system designed to build explosive movements, mainly through jumping, hopping, bounding activities. It is considered to be one of the reasons why East Germany, for instance, was able to rapidly become an Olympic power in sports like track and field.
FLASH!! A seriously mutated variety of homo sedentarius has been spotted in the Bay Area. They can be identified by their tendency to move a lot, and on their own volition - they don't appear to be fleeing from any threat. Some can be seen on city streets, but they seem to be particularly abundant on park trails. But they are reportedly harmless, except to themselves. They have been spotted scampering across roadways, and are sometimes involved in traffic accidents.
Exercise time has to be scheduled. If you wait for free time, you won't find any!
(Q) Are dried apricots a reasonable snack food?
D.F., Palo Alto, CA
(A) Yes, they are a source of energy, beta carotene (an anti-oxident), niacin, potassium, fiber, some calcium, and some vitamin C (fresh apricots are a good vitamin C source, but much of it is lost in the drying process).
On the downside, is the fact that dried apricots are very high in sugar (over 40%); hence high in calories. And because of their chewyness they tend to stick to your teeth - a good cavity producer. Also, some processors use sulfur dioxide to help maintain the color, and sulfites cause allergic reactions in some people. Unsulfured apricots are available - usually in healthfood stores. They are identifiable by their brown color.
As long as we are on this subject we may as well address some other dried fruit options. One is dates. There is virtually no difference between the fresh or dried variety. Both are high in potassium. Fresh has the advantage of having no preservatives, and they can last for eight months.
Dried nectarines are another option. When fresh, vitamin A is their main nutrient; otherwise, they are like most dried fruit - high calorie, but more nutritious than, say, Twinkies.
Maybe dried figs are to your liking. Because fresh figs have a very short life-span, about one week, 90% of them are dried. They are high in fiber, and a good source of potassium, iron, and calcium.
As with all dried fruit, figs are high in sugar - a feature of the drying process - which makes for high calories.
Note that fig bars are among the healthiest cookies made - low fat and some fiber. Just don't forget about all those juicy calories.
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