| the first of a series of articles that will look to the | | | | sure that the resistance we are using is traveling |
| science of physics to help us make our training more | | | | straight up and down. There are many machines that |
| effective. In this article we will look at the simple law of | | | | use pulleys to lift a weight stack up and down against |
| gravity and how this effects lifting weights. | | | | gravity even though you may be moving in a circular |
| Gravity is defined as - The natural force that causes | | | | motion, if you workout in a gym where these are |
| objects to be pulled towards the center of the earth, it | | | | available - make use of them. |
| causes objects to have weight. | | | | But even if you train in a home gym you can still use |
| Because the earth is round, no matter where you are | | | | these principles to build more muscle. Let's take bicep |
| on it the center is always straight down. Thus, in order | | | | work for example, do some close grip pull-ups with the |
| to have continuous tension on our muscles while | | | | palms toward your face, this strongly works the |
| training we must make sure the actual resistance we | | | | biceps and the resistance (your own body and any |
| use travels a path that is straight up and straight down. | | | | extra weight you add) is moving straight up and down, |
| an example of this is the military press, the weight is | | | | it also give you the added benefit of peak contraction |
| pushed against the force of gravity in a straight line up | | | | at the top of movement. Or instead of regular barbell |
| until the arms are locked over your head, then it is | | | | curls try body drag curls, take a shoulder-width grip |
| lowered slowly resisting gravity, in a straight line to | | | | and start from the regular curl position drag the barbell |
| about shoulder level. | | | | against your body up to your throat while keeping your |
| In all of the big basic exercises (deadlifts, squats, bench | | | | elbows back. |
| press, military press, rows, etc.) the bar always travels | | | | For your triceps, nothing beats dips with extra weight |
| straight up and straight down, this keeps the muscles | | | | added by mean of a belt you can hang plates on to. |
| being worked under a constant load. The basic | | | | For deltoids, notice that the shoulder joints do the |
| exercises produce the best results because they | | | | exact same motion when doing military presses as |
| stimulate growth in more then one muscle at a time, | | | | doing lateral raises, so you don't even need to really do |
| but we also now know that they provide continuous | | | | the lat. raises it's just more of the same. |
| tension in the muscles involved - this is the secondary | | | | You may ask "But what if i want to do some |
| reason why they are so productive. | | | | pre-exhaustion, I would have to do some lateral raises |
| There are a group of exercises called isolation | | | | then, wouldn't I?". No, you don't try this instead - do a |
| exercises these tend to work only one muscle or | | | | set of upright rows immediately followed by a set of |
| muscle group at a time, these exercises are not very | | | | military presses. It works this way, the upright rows |
| efficient at producing overall body mass as the basic | | | | fatigue the biceps and shoulders but leave the triceps |
| exercises. The reason for this is they don't stimulate | | | | fresh, now on the presses the strong triceps push the |
| growth in many muscles at once, but also secondarily | | | | already fatigued shoulders even harder really making |
| because most of them don't provide continuous loading | | | | them grow. This is what I call the pull/push method of |
| of the muscles. | | | | pre-exhaust, it can also be used for other muscles of |
| In most isolation exercises the bar travels in arcs | | | | the torso. |
| where only the middle of the movement approximates | | | | In conclusion, there are many ways to make gravity |
| a pull against gravity. Take the barbell curl for example, | | | | work for you in weight training, now that you know the |
| The bar is lifted from the upper thighs in a circular path | | | | theory of this article you may come up with some |
| towards the chin, at the beginning of the movement | | | | new and interesting exercises or exercise |
| the bar is traveling more horizontally then vertically, it is | | | | combinations. |
| only when the bar is in the middle position that you are | | | | Paul Becker is a natural (steroid free for life) |
| pulling it upwards against gravity, then as you move | | | | bodybuilder and fitness consultant. For more |
| into the top position of the movement you are once | | | | information on Bodybuilding and Bodybuilding |
| again moving the bar in an almost completely horizontal | | | | Supplements visit his website at trulyhuge. |
| direction. This is why curls tend to be easy at the | | | | Report this article |
| beginning, hard in the middle and the easy again at the | | | | This article is free for republishing |
| end. | | | | Source: |
| Other examples of this type of exercise are, lateral | | | | Republish this article |
| raises, flys, tricep extensions, pullovers, etc.. Any | | | | Ask a Question About this Article |
| exercise preformed with a barbell in which the | | | | >> Are there any websites available where you |
| resistance doesn't travel straight up and down, will | | | | can print at least a miniature version of the glycemic |
| cause a loss of continuous load on your muscles. As a | | | | food index for the use of diabetic patients? |
| side note, preacher curls done with a barbell are even | | | | >> Are body shaping underwear garments |
| less effective because it make almost the whole | | | | comfortable to wear? |
| movement horizontal, the only benefit is the elimination | | | | >> How does hyperthyroidism affect the body's |
| of cheating by benefit the upper arms from moving. | | | | metabolism and ultimately body weight? Can it be |
| Ok, so how do we use this data to make our training | | | | reversed without treating the hyperthyroidism? |
| more productive? We make sure that we have | | | | >> Is the Gabriel Method of dieting based mainly |
| continuous tension on our working muscles by making | | | | on ... |