A Proper Understanding of Exercise in 1000 Words

1. Never perform so called explosive movements. Sudden movement in any form of exercise greatly increases the chance of injury.
   
   
2. If properly performed, then very little exercise is required to produce the highest possible level of strength In exercise, at least - , more is certainly not better, and is usually worse. When a muscle is exercised so much or so frequently that it does not have time to totally recover between exercise sessions, then losses in strength will be produced rather than gains. When in doubt about the amount of exercise that is required, the first thing to be tried is doing less - not more, less.
   
   
3. Exercise for the purpose of increasing function, strength and muscular endurance should never be performed more than three times weekly, and better result will sometimes be produced by only two weekly workout.
   
   
4. Split Routines are usually a step in the wrong direction. Split routines are utilized in the belief that different muscle groups should be worked on different days. In almost all cases, split routines quickly lead to a state of overtraining. While your muscles may recover from daily workouts, the overall system, if meaningful demands are placed upon it, will not recover so quickly - may take up to 72 or 96 hours to recover! The body responds best when trained as a unit. Do you feed or rest certain body parts one day and other body parts the next day? Of course not! You feed and rest the body as a unit. Work your body the same way! Common Sense!
   
   
5. The Best Kind of Exercise - dynamic exercise with variable resistance (MedX Nautilus.) Variable resistance, because strength varies throughout any full range movement, sometimes varies by several hundred percent from one position to another within the same range of movement. If the level of resistance remains constant throughout the movement (Free weights), you would be limited by strength in the weakest position, and resistance would be too low in stronger positions.
   
   
6. Repetitions. For most people, resistance should be low enough to permit at least eight full-range movements, but high enough to prevent more than twelve. When twelve repetitions can be performed, the resistance should be increased by about five percent. Some people may stimulate greater results performing lower repetitions (6-10). Other people may prefer to keep repetitions in the 12-15 range. However, very high repetitions performed with light resistance soon deteriorate into aerobic activity which in this instance will stimulate little or no functional or structural (muscle-bone) benefits.
   
   
7. Working to Failure - For a healthy individual, regardless of the repetition scheme, the exercise should be continued until a full-range movement is momentarily impossible without jerking the weight. This level of fatigue is all that is required to stimulate following strength increases.
   
   
8. Style of Performance - A proper style of performance requires a relatively slow speed of movement. Too slow provides all the benefits and none of the potential problems, while too fast avoids some benefits and does produce problems, problems resulting from high levels of impact force.
   
   
9. How Many Sets? One. Additional sets usually serve no purpose and may produce a state of overtraining with some subjects.
   
   
10. Firmer, Harder Body - Remember, in order to get firmer, you must get stronger! This is not an opinion, it is physiological fact!
    
    
11. Muscular Soreness. All we know about muscular soreness is that the term is misnamed. It is not the muscles that get sore as a result of exercise. It may be connective tissue, fascia, etc. Some exercises make you sore, some do not. Some stretches make you sore, some do not. Do not judge results of your work by the soreness produced, judge results by your progression of lifting more resistance with the correct (slow) style of movement.
    
    
12. Purpose of Exercise intending to increase strength (and thus firmer, stronger, harder muscles and bones) is to fatigue a muscle throughout its full range of movement; to fatigue it to a certain level but not much if any beyond that level... exercise that does not produce enough fatigue will not stimulate results and exercise that produces too much fatigue will not permit results or may even produce losses in strength. The logical conclusion is - TRAIN HARD AND TRAIN BRIEFLY!
    
    
13. Keep Accurate Records - Record your resistance and repetitions each workout and strive to show improvement
    
    
14. Workout Pace - By moving quickly from one machine to the next, you are able to sustain a pulse rate that stimulates improved heart and lung endurance. This workout is more efficient! (Careful break-in to this type of workout is strongly advised). In this type of workout you are working your muscular system anaerobically, while you are working your cardio-respiratory system (heart-lungs) steady state (aerobically.) For most healthy individuals, this is probably the best way to train.
    
    
15. Sequence of Exercises- Workouts should start with the largest muscle groups and proceed to the smallest. Working the largest muscles first causes the greatest degree of overall body stimulation. For best results, the sequence should be as follows: hips, legs, torso, arms abdominals, lower back*, and neck* (*need specific, isolated exercise to be worked directly - exercise provided by MedX testing and rehabilitative exercise equipment which can be utilized at Main Line Medical exercise, our physical therapy facility on the third floor of the Main Line Health and Fitness Building.)

Example of Proper Sequence and a Meaningful Workout

• Hip Extension (Gluteal group, Hamstrings and Low Back)
• Leg Extension (Quadriceps)
• Leg Press or Squat (Gluteal Group and Legs)
• Leg Curl (Hamstrings)
• Abductor (Hip Abductors)
• Adductor (Hip Adductors - Inner Thighs)
• Calf Machines (Gastroc-Soleus)
• Pullover (Upper Torso, Shoulders, Trapezius and Abdominals)
• Torso Arm or Row (Upper Torso, Shoulders and Arms)
• Arm Cross or 10 degree Chest (Chest and Shoulders)
• Chest Press or Dips (Chest, Shoulders and Arms)
• Lateral Raise, Rowing Back or Shrugs (Shoulders and Trapezius)
• Overhead Press (Shoulders, Arms, Upper Torso and Neck)
• Biceps or Assisted Chins* (Biceps and Upper Torso*)
• Triceps or Assisted Dips* (Triceps and Shoulders* and Chest*)
• Abdominals, Torso Flexion or Torso Rotation (Abdominals, Hip Flexors and Obliques)

This routine consisting of 16 exercises will, in most cases, be too much work. There will be a tendency to work at a lower level of intensity in order to complete the workout. Thus, we recommend reducing this workout to 12 exercises and substitute several exercises from one workout to the next for variety. As a rule, 4-6 exercises for the lower body and 6-8 exercise for the upper body works best. Remember, It Is Not The Amount Of Exercise That Stimulates Results, It Is The Intensity (With Proper Form) Of Effort. There are many variations of this workout. There is no need to "anguish over the perfect workout".

16. A Word About Eating - The most efficient way to burn fat is to eat less food! The biggest problem in this country is not so much what we eat, as how much we eat. Eating a wide variety of different types of foods in smaller quantities will, in most cases, offer a well-rounded balanced diet as recommended by the National Research Council. Most recent research indicates a diet somewhat generous in complex carbohydrates with moderate to lower levels of proteins and fats.

Example #1, Female

• MedX Hip Extension or Original Hip & Back
• Leg Extension
• Leg Curl
• Leg Press
• Abductor
• Adductor
• Pullover or Behind Neck Torso
• Torso Arm or Row
• Arm Cross
• Chest Press or Dip
• Abdominal or Rotary Torso or MedX Torso Flexion

Example #2, Female

• MedX Hip Extension or Original Hip & Back
• Leg Extension
• Leg Curl
• Leg Press
• Pullover or Behind Neck Torso
• Torso Arm or Row
• Lateral Raise or Rowing Back
• Overhead Press
• Next Gen. Assisted Chins or Biceps
• Next Gen. Assisted Dips or Triceps
• Abdominal or Rotary Torso or MedX Torso Flexion

Example #1, Male

• MedX Hip Extension or Original Hip & Back
• Leg Extension
• Leg Curl
• Leg Press
• Pullover or Behind Neck Torso
• Torso Arm or Row
• Arm Cross
• Chest Press or Dip
• Biceps or Assisted Chins
• Triceps or Assisted Dips
• Abdominal or Rotary Torso or MedX Torso Flexion

 

Example #2, Male

• Leg Extension
• Leg Curl
• Leg Press
• Pullover or Behind Neck Torso
• Torso Arm or Row
• Lateral Raise, Rowing Back or Shrug
• Overhead Press
• Biceps or Assisted Chins
• Triceps or Assisted Dips
• Abdominal or MedX Torso Flexion
• Rotary Torso or Lower Back