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[R257]Resistance Training Home Gym

by Jeremey Myers, Jer

One of the best things about working out at home is the convenience. Having the ability to work out on your own terms has great benefits, like what you have to wear (or not wear) the type of music you listen to or television you watch. The list can go on ad nauseum. But the largest setback about working out at home is the cost of setting up a worthwhile facility.
For home-gym beginners and veterans alike, one of the necessary weapons in your home-gym arsenal must include core-strength training equipment. Most people immediately think of the balance/exercise/Swiss ball. While this piece of equipment certainly has its merits, core is by no means all-inclusive. With core training becoming more and more vital to proper weight loss and fitness workouts, home-gym afficionados would be wise to invest in body bands which enhances strength in other areas.
Almost all bands on the market (bands are also known as tubing) allow different resistance levels. With the most common types of bands, however, several sets are recommended so that different resistance types can be had. Usually, resistance levels are dictated by different colors depending on the brand, but the true reasons resistance levels exist is that the bands' tubing come in varying degrees of thickness. Sill, it would be wise to invest in several sets so that you have more than one resistance level around, otherwise the bands will join the dusty exercise ball.
Higher-end brands are manufactured with clips. This means one set of grips and a variety of bands so that you change your resistance band from one level to another, or even add several resistance bands to your grips of an ultimate workout. Although having the flexibility to change bands certainly proves to be a benefit, it also allows you to stick with one set of grips for all of your workouts instead of having to switch from one pair to another. This, of course might be nothing more than a personal preference. Here are some other considerations:
Resistance bands have several benefits over free weights. The most obvious is that resistance bands lack the momentum that comes with free weights. Since it is this momentum that leads to injuries with free weights, resistance bands provide a safer alternative. As well, resistance bands increase resistance as they are stretched (this is a characteristic of the elastic). More about this is discussed later.
Bow machines like the Bowflex work in much the same as resistance bands in that resistance increase as they are pulled. However, with bands the resistance is more direct. The best way to describe the importance of direct resistance is to think back to the fitness center where a bodybuilder will avoid the Nautilus-type machines and favor the free weights. This preference might seem superficial, but the one thing the gym machines have in common with the bow machines is that they both rely on fly wheels and pulley systems to "access" the weight. As such, their view is more about purity than preference. In the same way that some prefer weights over machines, most will prefer the direct-ness of elastic resistance bands to the "indirect" resistance of bow machines.
A third and final comparison can be drawn to gravity workouts and systems. While gravity provides great resistance whether with pull-ups, sit-ups, etc., the weight is consistent. In other words, your body weight does not change throughout your set and you will be pushing or pulling the same weight regardless of your range. With bands, the more the tubing stretches, the more the resistance increases. This means that your muscle encounters greater resistance at its weakest point; when it is fully stretched. As a result, with bands you can improve strength and build more muscle.
At FitChimp.com, we endorse the Bodylastics systems. Their packages start as low as $45.95, which includes four bands and is good for up to 44 lbs per side. Their most-expensive package will run you $99.81 and includes two pairs of handles, seven bands and is good for 127 lbs per side. This is a great package if you don't want to share your handles with a partner.

Today the buzz word in the gym is functional training. It has many meanings to many practitioners in the health and fitness industry. My understanding and implementation of functional training has come from a variety of sources including my own training and teaching in martial arts and numerous sports, combined with studying many of the leading experts in the field including Gary Gray (known as the father of function), Paul Chek (who is also known as the man who brought those big Swiss/stability balls to our gyms) and the National Academy of Sports Medicine to name but a few.

Here is a definition of functional training from the National Academy of Sports Medicine:

?All functional movement patterns involve deceleration, stabilisation and acceleration, which occur at every joint in the kinetic chain and in all three planes of motion.? (1)

Confused?

Let's break this definition down, as I believe it is important to know what is at the heart of functional training ? as it is not just a case of doing exercises on balls or on one leg, for the sake of it.

Since most of us drive I will use driving as an analogy for functional movement.

There are muscles that are the brakes, while others are the accelerators, and both are supported by the clutch that helps dictate how fast or slow we will go. The core muscles often take on the role of the clutch as they are where the movement begins. As you know when you are driving a ?real? car: to get it moving you need to first push the clutch to put it in first or reverse. (That's why I don't enjoy driving automatics like using machine weights ? boring and it requires no skill or control). The clutch often sits in the background as it supports the movement, but your effectiveness with it is a big factor in how good a driver you are.

The kinetic chain is merely the link between all the parts if one of the links is broken (e.g. the battery), then you are in trouble and not going anywhere fast.

Three planes of motion is the steering wheel. We can drive backwards and forwards (sagital plane), swerve side to side (frontal plane) and make those circles round the roundabout (transverse plane).

To help you differentiate better, below is a list of terms Gary Gray has designed that describes whether our efforts are functional or non-functional. (2)

Non-Functional - Functional

Isolated - Integrated

Rigid - Flexible

Limited - Unlimited

Artificial - Physiological

Fake - Real

Link action - Chain reaction

Gravity confused - Gravity user

Lab-like - Life-like

Mechanical - Biomechanical

Deceptive - Proprioceptive

1 dimensional - Multi-dimensional

Here are two of these terms explained:

Isolated vs. Integrated

The body only knows movements as it relates to function.

Isolation training gets results in terms of increasing muscle mass and strength because it allows you to fatigue individual muscles, but this often comes at the expense of physical freedom. Have you seen how some body builders walk around stiff and rigid ? this is often the result of a lot of isolated exercises based on training individual muscle groups like a bicep curl. Athletes on the other hand may use isolated training, but will then use integrated training to achieve more effective movement patterns.

Real vs. Fake

Let's look at that machine in the gym that you lie on and then bring your feet to your bum ? the hamstring curl. Where in the real world do you see this movement? However everyday we use some form or a lunge or squat to pick things up.

A helpful way to see functional exercises in action is through what Paul Chek describes as ?Primal Patterns?. Chek calls them Primal as they were the functional movement patterns we used to survive as early man. (3)

Including:

Push
Pull
Twist
Lunge
Squat
Bend

Now to specific functional vs. non functional exercises:

Non-Functional - Functional

Bench press - Push up

Lat pull down - Pull up

Seated triceps extension - Dip

Leg extension - Lunge

Leg press - Squat

Non-functional exercises have characteristics including being performed seated, on machines, involving single muscles in isolation, and not requiring the core muscles to stabilise. You should notice that one of the characteristics of functional exercises is that they involve using your body weight as a resistance. This ability is called relative strength. For example how many chin ups, push ups, squats, lunges, dips you can perform is an indication of your relative strength.

Summary on the benefits of functional training:

Everyday life gains ? integrated training helps you develop your muscles to work together synergistically as a team, resulting in an overall increase in strength, balance, co-ordination, and power
Stronger core muscles ? e.g. a push up will require your chest, arms, shoulders, and those important stabilising core muscles to work. While a seated chest press will allow the core muscles to sleep. Weak core muscles are one of the big reasons for our bad back epidemic.
More muscles used equals more calories/energy burned J
Time saved by working several muscles at once ? one of the biggest reasons I often hear for not exercising is lack of time
Money saved ? you do not need fancy expensive equipment (or even a gym membership), just some basics including your body and a small space

Your 3d Coach
Craig Burton

References
(1) PES online manual, Optimum performance training for the performance enhancement specialist, National Academy of Sports Medicine, 2001
(2) Functional video Digest series, Gray, G., available at www.functionaldesignsystems.com
(3) Chek, P., How to Eat, Move and Be Healthy, Chek Institute, 2004

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Both Jeremey Myers & Craig Burton are contributors for EditorialToday. The above articles have been edited for relevancy and timeliness. All write-ups, reviews, tips and guides published by EditorialToday.com and its partners or affiliates are for informational purposes only. They should not be used for any legal or any other type of advice. We do not endorse any author, contributor, writer or article posted by our team.

Jeremey Myers has sinced written about articles on various topics from Home Gym. Check out Bodylastic Home Gyms. Also, make sure you sign up for your Free monthly. Jeremey Myers's top article generates over 1000 views. Bookmark Jeremey Myers to your Favourites.

Craig Burton has sinced written about articles on various topics from Alternative Medicine, Guided Meditation and Fitness. Article by Craig Burton. Craig is a prominent European based holistic health and fitness coach and founder of 3D Personal Training Systems. Craig is a Sports Science graduate with postgraduate accreditations in nutrition, massage, athletic training, and c. Craig Burton's top article generates over 9900 views. Bookmark Craig Burton to your Favourites.