Today, I thought that it would be fun for me to ask you a few questions. Enjoy!
1. True or False? For most people, for most exercises, elastic straps are a productive method for providing resistance for training strength?
2. Which mode of exercise best qualifies for sessions of stamina? Swimming, biking, running, none, all.
3. If you could only perform a single exercise for your lower body, which one is best? Calf raise, hip adduction, leg extensions, leg curls, dumbbell squats, or frog squats
4. Is it a good thing to be flexible enough to touch your toes? Yes or no.
5. In my book, which is better, overhand grip pull-ups or underhand grip chin-ups?
6. What is the single most super source of sustenance? Protein shakes, raw quinoa, nuts and seeds, fresh sprouts, water.
7. Where should you go tonight to learn the myriad benefits of eating more plants and less meat?
1. False. For most people, for most exercises, elastic straps are probably ineffective, at best, and possibly injurious, at worst.
Imagine standing on one end of an elastic strap and grabbing the other end with your hand hanging down by your side. When you lift your arm out to the side, the muscles become gradually biomechanically weaker. But, the elastic strap becomes gradually stretched, which provides more resistance. This is inverse to the muscle’s natural strength curve and is completely opposite to what you need. Elastic straps accentuate the negatively-inverse relationship between resistance and strength. Booey!
Also, with elastic straps, you never know exactly how much resistance is being placed on the muscle during the exercise, so it’s impossible to replicate the resistance on the other side, or during another workout. It’s a lopsided exercise; up and down, side to side, day by day.
2. Swimming, biking, and running are all great, but there are also dozens of other qualifying modes of stamina. As long as a movement utilizes the largest muscles in the body, in a rhythmic manner, and can be continued for at least seven minutes, it qualifies. It is always best to perform as many modes as possible, if possible. Just do your best.
3. The gluteus maximus is the largest and most metabolically-active muscle in the body. In addition to providing shape and structure, it is also responsible for burning tons of body fat. Squats are one of the simplest and most functional movements, also engaging the quadriceps, hamstrings, adductors, and calves.
Holding dumbbells is even better in terms of the sheer volume of muscle mass utilized, increasing the production of natural growth hormone which creates even more muscle. Squats burn fat everywhere and build muscle everywhere. So, now you know — squat!
4. Being able to touch your toes is a good thing while seated, with both legs straight out in front of you, and slowing reaching for your toes with both hands. This means that your lower back, hamstrings and calves are flexible enough to provide sufficient range of motion at the hip joint.
Bending down to touch your toes from a standing position, on the other hand, can place undue stress upon the intervertebral discs and muscles of the lower back. Also, be sure to avoid the “hurdler’s stretch” (like they used to teach in gym class). Having one foot back behind you is an accident waiting to happen, as the medial collateral ligament on the inside of the knee is particularly susceptible to damage in this position.
5. Using an underhand grip puts the biceps muscles in a stronger position, which allows you to work your back muscles longer and more effectively. If the biceps are placed in a biomechanically-weaker position (such as pull-ups with an overhand grip), they fatigue more quickly, which means that the back muscles are worked less effectively. Once the biceps are fatigued (the “weak link” in the chain), you can no longer work the larger muscles of the upper back.
6. The single most super duper source of Sustenance is fresh sprouts, as they are one of the only food sources which are actually increasing in nutrient density at the time of consumption. There are many varieties, and adding a little sesame tahini, hummus, avocado, or nut butter give them some zing!
7. Go to the Art Walk in Old Kapa‘a Town (first Saturday night of each month) to speak with Matt and Stephanie in front of Calabash Wearable Wood, near the ABC store. Bring your brain and and open mind.
•••
Doug Jones earned his Master’s Degree in Exercise Physiology from the University of Maryland and has served professionals and personalities as a concierge fitness trainer for decades. As a resident of Kaua‘i and Connecticut, he has helped millions of people learn the secrets of fitness and fat loss, both online and in person. To submit your questions, or for more information, call (808) 652-6453 or visit www.DougJonesFitness.com
