Just the facts! YOUR strength training utilizing MedX & Nautilus resistance equipment is the MOST IMPORTANT component of your overall health & conditioning program. Why? Because, properly performed strength training stimulates response/results in all components of functional ability- strength (muscle & bone), cardiovascular ability & flexibility ALL IN THE SAME WORKOUT! In order to be beneficial, a properly performed exercise program must stimulate a physiological response. And, it must stimulate that response, safely. It is not relevant in respect to stimulating the desired response that exercise programs be recreational, leave your muscles sore or demand more than a limited amount of time. What IS important is that you can measure results by recorded improvements in strength (1). Strength training should be the “core” of everyone’s overall program.

Get Results with 2 Overall Body Workouts a Week

It is imperative to understand that exercise stimulates a response, but it is the rest following the workout that allows that response. Daily routines that exhaust the body’s limited recovery ability eventually lead to chronic over-training leaving you vulnerable to injury, systemic depletion, exhaustion & sickness. Empirically, two progressive overall body workouts per week seem to yield optimum results for most trainees. A few people will respond best to three whole body workouts per week & some trainees will respond best to one workout per week. The proper dose of exercise is the routine that enables the trainee to progress on a consistent basis. You can & should expect results from every workout, either by increasing resistance, repetitions or both. If not, the problem usually results from too many workouts within a given time period or workouts lacking the proper intensity of effort. You have two choices – brief intense workouts stressing progression in every workout or longer, less intense efforts without regard towards measurable strength increases.

Train the Body as Whole Unit, Then Let it Rest

Split routines which emphasize working different muscles on different days & workouts that incorporate multiple sets per exercise inevitably lead to more work, less intensity, eventual burnout & potentially serious orthopedic consequences down the road. The body is fed as a unit, rests as a unit & should be trained as a unit. While individual muscles may recover somewhat quickly from a stimulus, the overall system, including the nervous system, immune system, liver & kidneys, etc. does not. Common sense dictates that the workout should consist of the minimal amount of exercise that stimulates the desired result. The Main Line Health & Fitness workout meets all of the requirements for a near perfect form of exercise & does so in a medically sound environment. The workout will work for everyone! It should be followed concisely. The only variable will be the intensity of effort, which will vary depending upon determination, objectives, age & overall health. Healthy trainees should work each set to muscular “failure” – the inability to perform another repetition in good form. The goal is fulfillment of one’s physical potential.

THE MAIN LINE HEALTH & FITNESS WORKOUT – THE GUIDE TO SUCCESS

Exercise # 1 Hip Extension

The gluteus group (buttocks etc.) is the largest muscular structure in the body. Thus, they are worked first when the trainee is fresh & strongest. The primary function of the gluteus maximus is to extend the hip. The MedX or Nautilus hip extension is, under most circumstances, the first exercise in everyone’s routine. Women, empirically, are more coordinated than men in this movement & have little difficulty learning the exercise. Performed correctly, with a 1-2 second pause in the contracted position, this unique movement will strengthen these muscles quickly, improving everyday functional activities. Men, however, as a rule, are not very coordinated in the hip extension & in many instances are more inclined to delete this exercise from their routine. This is acceptable as these large muscles can be worked well indirectly (though not as effectively) through other, more user-friendly exercises that will be described within this text. Trainees who want a substitute for the Nautilus or MedX Hip Extension may utilize the Nautilus “low back” machine, which because of a lack of pelvic restraint is actually a hip & thigh machine. This machine if utilized may be preformed first in the workout.

Exercise # 2 Leg Extension

The quadriceps is the second largest muscular structures in the body. The function of the frontal thigh muscles is to straighten the leg with (variable) resistance throughout the full range of movement. Strong thigh muscles will help move the body efficiently & support the largest, least efficient joint in the body – the knee. This exercise is imperative to keep a healthy knee strong or rehabilitate an injured knee.

Exercise # 3 Leg Curl

Full range of movement of the rear thigh muscles will help keep these muscles strong & will help prevent hamstring injuries. Main Line Health & Fitness is fortunate to have three different MedX hamstring machines. Alternating all three will provide variety in the workout & will enhance overall strength in these vulnerable muscles.

Exercise # 4 Leg Press or Squat

The leg press (position #3 of the MedX leg presses is actually a squat) is the most demanding movement in the overall workout. If performed correctly, the leg press will also stimulate great cardiovascular response & leave the trainee breathing hard since he or she will be stimulating all of the large muscular structures in the lower body including the gluteus group, hamstrings, frontal thighs, the lower back & other smaller muscles in this dynamic movement. The leg press is performed last in the hip-thigh routine for several reasons: (a) The previous three exercises in the routine being single joint, so-called isolation type movements allow the trainee to utilize the pre-exhaustion principle. (b) Training the leg press last in the sequence ensures that less resistance will be needed since the previous exercises have fatigued most of the involved musculature. Thus, the intensity will be higher (due to muscle fatigue & cardiovascular requirements of the previous exercises) & the forces involved in the leg press (resistance used) will be decreased. The result is a harder but safer exercise – an important consideration.

Exercise # 5 Pullover

After exercise involving the largest muscles in the lower body (leg press/squat), it is extremely advantageous to immediately & directly work the largest muscles of the upper body. Performing the pullover (major function of the latissimus torso muscles) immediately following the leg press (or squat) will stimulate the heart/lungs, muscles/bones to a degree that must be experienced to be fully appreciated. Conventional exercise (free weights, calisthenics etc.) prevent direct exercise for the large upper back muscles since they necessitate involvement of the upper arms, a much smaller muscle which will invariably fail before the major torso muscles are worked sufficiently.

Exercise #6 Torso/Arm Exercise or Rowing Exercise

Performing a torso/arm or rowing movement IMMEDIATELY, without rest, after a pullover, allows the torso muscles to be worked harder & more efficiently than in any other manner of training. By bringing in the fresh muscles of the upper arms, the torso/ arm or row exercises the torso muscles worked to fatigue by the pullover, into a deeper inroad, safer & far more efficiently than performing set after set of pull downs or rows which fatigue the same smaller percentage of fibers over & over, necessitating more work, less intensity & diminished outcomes.

Exercise # 7 Primary Chest Exercise (Arm Cross, Men’s or Women’s Chest, 10 degree Chest)

The function of the pectorals is to bring the humerus (large bone in the upper arm) down & across the torso. The primary chest movements performed correctly, slow smooth repetitions throughout a full range of motion to failure, will thoroughly strengthen & ensure a high degree of flexibility around the pectorals & the related deltoid structures.

Exercise # 8 Any Chest Pressing Exercise or Dipping Movements

By IMMEDIATELY performing a chest press or dip after a primary chest movement, the pre-exhaustion principle is again efficiently utilized by assisting the fatigued chest muscles with the fresh triceps muscles which for a very brief time are stronger than the larger but now fatigued chest muscles. The pectorals are trained harder, safer & more efficiently than in conventional training methodology.

Exercise #9 Lateral Raise

The lateral raise & exercise # 10 are in some cases best performed every other workout in lieu of the primary chest machines & chest presses (or dips). Many trainees will find that all four movements in the same workout result in over-training these muscles since all four movements revolve around & fully involve the entire shoulder girdle.
The lateral raise is the primary function of the medial deltoid – to abduct the humerus of the upper arm. The lateral raise is the primary single joint movement in the shoulder routine since the frontal deltoid & posterior deltoid will, in most cases receive adequate stimulation from primary chest machines, pressing movements & rowing movements.

Exercise #10 Overhead Press

Utilizing pre-exhaustion, the overhead press will stimulate a deeper inroad into the fatigued deltoids by IMMEDIATELY bringing in the triceps that are momentarily stronger than the exhausted deltoids. Overhead pressing movements improperly performed can cause or exacerbate shoulder problems. MedX machine engineers recognized this problem & built pressing machines that are actually high incline presses, which lessen impingement of the larger shoulder muscles & the smaller rotator cuff muscle group.

Exercise #11 Any Bicep Machine or Chin-ups

The biceps of the upper arms can be worked directly from a stretched position to resistance in the position of full muscular contraction by utilizing any one of the available MedX or Nautilus machines. Free weight exercises, by contrast, work only the mid-range position of the movement & provide no stretching or resistance in the contracted position. Chin-ups provide a valuable alternative. Although not a direct exercise for the upper arms (by necessity involving larger torso muscles), assisted chin-ups allow trainees (especially women) to perform productive exercise that without machine assistance was previously, in many instances, impossible to perform. FOR TRAINEES WHO SEEK HARDER BICEPS WORK, YOU MAY TRY A SET OF ANY DIRECT BICEP EXERCISE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A SET OF CHIN-UPS.

Exercise #12 Any Triceps Machine or Dips

The various triceps machines available at Main Line Health & Fitness allow full range of motion with balanced variable resistance, necessary for strengthening the entire muscle. Dips provide a valuable alternative. Although not a direct exercise for the upper arms (by necessity involving larger torso muscles), assisted dips allow trainees (especially women) to perform productive exercise that without machine assistance was previously, in many instances, impossible to perform. FOR TRAINEES WHO SEEK HARDER TRICEPS WORK, YOU MAY TRY A SET OF ANY DIRECT TRICEPS EXERCISE IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWED BY A SET OF DIPS.

Exercise #13 4-Way Neck Machine

The MedX 4 way neck machine is the only machine available that isolates & strengthens the very vulnerable muscles of the neck. At the present time, January 2004, Main Line Health & Fitness is the only facility in the United States utilizing this important piece of equipment. The cervical muscles have seven functions. The 4 Way Neck addresses four of these functions – extension, flexion & lateral bending left & right. Arguably, the most important function in most cases is extension & where applicable should be an integral part of a trainee’s routine. Weakness of the cervical extensor muscles potentially places undue stress on the adjacent trapezoid muscles. Strong extensor muscles are especially relevant to trainees who are weak & carry stress in that area & properly performed exercise can lead to new levels of structural integrity, functional strength & continual long term relief of chronic pain.

Exercise #14 Any Abdominal Machine &/or Torso Flexion

The function of the abdominal muscles is to shorten the distance between the sternum & the pubic bone. Properly performed abdominal exercises will be felt right above the navel. Exercises performed for the “lower abdominal” are in reality exercises that flex the hip. The abdominal muscles are actually a vertical musculature. The term “lower abdominal” is miss-named.

Exercise #15 Lumbar Extension or Rotary Torso

The most vulnerable area of the body is often the lower back. The function of these disused muscles is to extend the back while anchoring the pelvis to restrict gluteus & hamstring involvement. “Lower back” machines found in other fitness centers DO NOT meet the requirements of isolated lumbar function & should be referred to as hip & thigh machines. These machines will offer benefits for these larger muscle groups but WILL NOT stimulate meaningful strength in the lumbar extensor muscles. The MedX Lumbar Extension Machine is for many trainees the most important exercise in the workout. It is the only exercise that isolates & specifically exercises the muscles that extend the lumbar spine. The MedX Torso Rotation, with its similar restraint system, as well as the direct abdominal machines available at Main Line Health & Fitness are valuable to insure a strong “core” of spinal strength.

The Main Line Health & Fitness Workout

1. Hip Extension
2. Leg Extension
3. Leg Curl Machines
4. Leg Press/Squat * May be performed before Leg Curl
5. Pullover
6. Torso Arm or Row
7. Primary Chest Machines
8. Chest Press/Dips
9. Lateral Raise * May be alternated with Primary Chest
10. Overhead Press* May be alternated with Chest Press/Dips
11. Biceps
12. Triceps
13. 4-Way Neck
14. Abdominal &/or Torso Flexion
15. Lumbar Extension/Rotary Torso (Alternate Workouts)

Related Facts:

1. Refer to the article “Ten Ways to Get the Most from Your Workouts & Realize Your Potential” which is available for specific points relating to this workout.
2. Exercises that work smaller muscular structures such as direct calf work, forearm work, rear deltoids, shrugs, abductor/adductor may be added or substituted. DO NOT lengthen the program to the extent that your intensity of effort deteriorates.

A Personal Opinion

This workout is not meant to be “the perfect workout.” Anguishing over “the perfect workout” is futile. However, insofar as MEDICALLY SOUND EXERCISE FOR EVERYONE is concerned, our program has no competition! Quite the contrary, most health clubs/fitness centers have NO philosophy, yet alone a passion to “do it right, safe & sensibly.” People who have trained at Main Line Health & Fitness know better. We offer 27 years (as of January, 2004) of results. At Main Line Health & Fitness, you will find a full complement of MedX (Medical Exercise) machines, equipment that you WILL NOT FIND ELSEWHERE. It is simply a matter of integrity. And, we will never back down!

BE YOUR BEST. DO IT SAFELY & SENSIBLY WITH MEDICALLY SOUND EXERCISE PRINCIPLES.

We will be there for you every step of the way!

(1). It is not possible to accurately measure the strength of a muscle. To do so, would involve severing the related tendon & attaching a strain gauge to the ends of the severed tendon, which would destroy the muscle that you are intending to measure. Instead, we can only accurately measure torque (force around an axis).

~Arthur A. Jones, Spine & Strength Symposium, 1988~

The following, “What to look for,” in choosing a gym is based on thirty-years (30) experience in owning and operating Main Line Health & Fitness. Though the reader may infer a bias in my opinions, I can state proudly that Main Line Health & Fitness is recognized by Men’s Health (Dec. 2005) as one of “America’s Top 20 Gyms” and awarded “Best Workout.” Questions regarding the following points of information can be directed to Roger@MLHF.com

The following questions are pertinent when seriously selecting a gym!

1. What is the philosophy of the gym that interests you?

Although most “Top 10” gym-related questions presented in many other “how-to” guides make no mention of philosophy, it may be the most important consideration. Is the program medically sound? Is the program based on physiologically sound principles or the latest trend? Carefully note who is on the training floor…Are there more Trainers or more Salesmen? Many commercial gyms have up to ten (10) or more Salesmen and few to zero (0) Trainers! If the gym has a sound philosophy, the Trainers should be able to easily explain it. That means that they should be focused and passionate about their workouts and be fully able to discuss what they practice and why.

2. Are the workouts safe?

A potential member owes it to him or herself to find out. In the strength training area, (The most important area for overall conditioning) are Trainees moving the resistance slowly and smoothly, under control? Or is it a helter-skelter, free for all? Potential members should also look for a variety of cardio-equipment, which will be appropriate for deconditioned clients as well as very conditioned clients and athletes. Ask if a cardio orientation is part of the membership. This is important since members with orthopedic or cardiac considerations may require different equipment and programs than would a healthier clientele.

3. Where is the motivation and passion?

A structured exercise program can be a daunting challenge. It is important to understand that exercise is strictly the means to an end. The end is of course, your quality of life. There is a sufficient quantity of empirical evidence and scientific literature supporting sensible exercise as a means to prevent injury and lead to a healthier life. It is your responsibility to take an intelligent approach to exercise before you join a gym. What are your realistic goals? Can they be achieved? It may not sound sexy or trendy, but that goal of exercise should be improved functional ability-more stamina, strength and flexibility. Be motivated to be the best you can be. Results can be life changing for the better! However, the price you pay to get there is always a serious, direct approach. Be very clear-fun fitness is an oxymoron. The fun comes from being in shape, feeling good about you and enjoying life. Be smart and train smart! The gym of your choice should teach you structured strength training, which when properly performed will get your muscles and bones strong, (strict reps, perfect form, hard work) get your heart strong (less rest between exercises) and improve your flexibility (stretching and contracting muscles throughout a full range of motion on medically sound exercise equipment). Work cardio exercises on your off-days from strength training and if your wish, integrate accessory activities like Yoga, Pilates or Spinning etc. as time permits. Rest and recover! If you are working out everyday, you are substituting quantity for quality, which is always a mistake!

To absolutely look your best and get the most of your gym experience, train with the intent to get strong (muscles/bones and heart/lungs). That strength will keep you firm. Your discipline and regulating the amount of food you consume will keep you lean.

Structural exercise in your gym is a great step forward. With motivation and passion, you will never look back! ”Don’t just do it, do it right!”

- Roger Schwab

My personal interest in spinal injuries began somewhat abruptly, merely several years into serious strength training. Aside from several on-field contact sport related injuries, the most intense of my spinal and various joint-related injuries were the result of my misuse of a barbell. If any readers of this article trained in the 1960′s, you will recall that much of the training philosophy centered around the so-called Olympic lifts-press, snatch and clean and jerk. Subsequently, a great deal of attention shifted to the three powerlifts-bench press, squat and deadlift. These “power-movements” are to this day the “core” of many training routines of body builders everywhere. With no formal instruction at the time and a limited number of peers interested in serious weight training sessions, I struck out on my own, read whatever was available and worked hard two or three days a week in the Pennsylvania State University weight room, which facilities at the time were limited to many Olympic bars, a platform and several flat and incline benches. Though a major football powerhouse, the University’s lifting population was sparse. My approach to training consisted of the “basic” heavy exercises, combining Olympic and powerlifts, with an emphasis on substantial warm-ups and what I believed to be proper technique. This training seemingly paid off in exceptional (at the time) collegiate performances including a 365 lb. bench press with a two second pause at the chest, a 225 lb. squat snatch (I was one of the first lifters to vary from the then standard split snatch) and a 415 lb. full squat (below parallel with a pause) at 180 º lb. bodyweight. Nevertheless, though I instinctively proceeded cautiously, my choice of exercises caused structural damage that would manifest in long term chronic pain. Advanced spinal pathology at 20 plus years old! Disc herniations throughout my neck (cervical spine) C3-C7, a reversal of my lordotic curve and spinal stenosis at C-7. My lower back suffered severe degenerative change as well with disc herniations at L4-5 L5-S1. And as most enthusiasts will tell you, when your lower back hurts, along with muscle spasms of adjacent body parts, with numbness and “tingling” down your limbs resulting from nerve impingement, you think of little else and your quality of life deteriorates rapidly. Only after experiencing the experience, trial and many errors did I finally learn for myself what to practice and what to avoid while training to get strong, safely. It is worth considering by every trainee, that what you “think” you can handle in your 20′s will ultimately catch up with you later in life. Joint stress accumulates silently. Injuries that you suffer from later in life may have been caused by today’s mistakes. Sadly, but unmistakably, the same mistakes that I made 35 years ago are still being made today in gyms throughout the world. Plus, many newer mistakes that I never made. Rather than finding out for themselves what does and does not constitute safe, result- stimulating exercise, trainees are being taught training regimens that are outright dangerous and lack the fundamentals of common sense. Regrettably, strength training and “sport conditioning” in the year 2010 are, in many instances, fields in which common sense is anything but common. Well thought out strength training programs (of which I was obviously not a product of in my 20′s) in all cases, should strengthen the muscles, improve function and never damage the skeleton.1

Not everyone who trains with weights gets hurt. But many do. This is unfortunate since proper strength training should prevent injuries, not cause them. Football linemen, in their post-career years, inevitably show immense structural degeneration primarily caused by being exposed to high levels of repetitive impact force. Football, by its very violent nature, may cause life-long disabilities even for strong, naturally large conditioned athletes.

Empirical and anecdotal evidence is often (read: always) dismissed as inconsequential by the exercise science community, bent on peer reviewed scientific studies. However, make no mistake that “experts” espousing ballistic movement under load and fast heavy lifting are, in my opinion, dismissing common sense and ignoring a less than herculean bone-makeup in a majority of today’s weight training enthusiasts. After too many years of repeated mistakes, I finally “woke-up” to the fact that if anyone is going to lift weights to improve functional ability and build stronger muscles, do so in a slow, deliberate focused manner. Choose exercises wisely. Follow sound routines that emphasize quality rather than quantity and which do not leave the overall system depleted and ripe for muscular or skeletal injuries. Fast movements do not build fast muscles no matter what any “expert” might tell you. Even if fast lifting did build fast muscles, it would never be worth the risk of injury. You can probably never move resistance too slowly, but you can easily move it too fast. If you don’t believe that, you may find out for yourself the hard way, which may then be too late. And while you are finding out, ask the “experts” to demonstrate to you fast movements under load directly working the neck and lower back. The neck has seven functions-extension, flexion, lateral bending left and right, rotation left and right and shoulder elevation; the most practiced, arguably extension. Violently extending the neck under load once might be your last exercise! Similarly, the function of the muscles of the lumbar spine is to extend the spine with the pelvis anchored. Lumbar extension can and should be part of every trainee’s workout and can be performed in a safe and extremely beneficial manner. Weekly exercise on the lumbar extension machine will go a long way to substantially strengthen the lower back muscles while preventing many lower back injuries. Instead, most bodybuilders and strength trainees are going in a potentially dangerous direction.

Some trainees’ spines can handle several hundred pounds of barbell weight compressing the entire spine. Many more cannot! Regardless of where on the neck or shoulders the barbell is placed. At one time or another, probably every bodybuilding magazine and every physique champion has declared the squat to be the “king of exercises” and fundamental. Fundamental to whom? Everyone? If, and that’s a big if, you are a large-boned athlete with heavy, thick trapezius development, the properly performed squat (slow and deep) can and will stimulate great overall systemic muscular response. However, for the vast majority of people who train with weights, who are neither heavily-boned or massively muscled around the neck and lumbar area, squats can be dangerous and trainees should be cautious. Trainees who are tall and lean with long legs should weigh their options carefully. You have other choices to build hip, leg and overall strength. Hip extension exercises are rarely practiced, yet serve safely as an important foundation of any routine when performed correctly. Leg press machines, manufactured by companies who take orthopaedic considerations seriously, along with hip extension exercises can form a core for safe, sensible hip and leg strengthening routines. If you are determined to squat, the best way to include them in training routines is the following sequence. Start the workout with hip extensions, followed by leg extensions and leg curls all trained to muscular failure. Then, immediately begin squatting. This order of exercises, performed properly, will keep intensity high and force low, since squatting last will necessitate using less resistance without compromising intensity. (Actually, the order of exercises ensures far greater intensity.)

Though there are many differing viewpoints these days regarding what constitutes “the best way to train for strength”, there is virtual unanimity on emphasizing the “big, compound movements.” However, contrary to the status quo, common sense dictates both single joint and compound movements in all trainees’ workouts at various times. Furthermore, I would strongly suggest incorporating weekly direct exercise for two of the most vulnerable areas of the body, the neck and lower back. These are the “weak links” that are too often neglected. Remember, like a chain you are only as strong as your weakest link. Direct exercise for the neck and lower back, trained smartly and intensely will thoroughly strengthen these often disused or abused areas quickly, safely and sensibly. The results being greater muscularity and function with a lower risk of spinal injury.

A commitment to safely strengthening the neck and lower back will go a long way to improve functional ability, keeping trainees strong, active and injury free late into life. It is the logical approach to preventing spinal pathology, in many cases brought on by the onslaught of ballistic exercise under load, violent forms of plyometrics and other forms of insanity which fly directly in the face of medically sound exercise.

Some wise man once spoke that “the more things change, the more they remain the same.” In the vast, expanding field of fitness and sports/medicine, the significance of this insight has become a double-edged sword. The consequences of which will be the subject of this viewpoint. Opinions on every facet of our “sport” seem to run rampant to the extreme. Much of this opinion is presented as empirical evidence while even more is cloaked as “scientific” and presented as fact. The new millennium is ripe with brave new concepts, readily accepted as credible. In the forefront are the high tech sounding “sport specific functional skill training,” “unstable environment training” etc. with its own widely endorsing advocates. Alas, I can only offer to you opinions based on personal interest and observation over the past thirty-five years. And, my initial opinion is that the studies in the exercise science field that I have witnessed, some close up, some from a distance leave a great deal to be desired, yet alone to be accepted as fact. It is also my calculated opinion that the immediate results (if any) of current training practices will grossly pale to the subsequent ramifications. For example: the May of 2001 edition of Sports Illustrated Magazine offers insight into a phenomenon that should be of optimum interest and concern to legitimate strength and conditioning trainers and trainees all over the globe. The cover article written by William Nack examines the twilight years of athletes who previously played in the National Football League. The article offers a chilling documentary to anyone who has ever played the game, sought to play the game or spent Sunday’s watching the game. Closer to home, it makes a bold statement to anyone of us who has spent hours in the gym, training to get strong, which at least in this aspect identifies us with those who played the game. Football, arguably, is the paramount test of man’s structural integrity colliding head-on with imposed force. Mr. Nack concludes that Mr. Unitas, Stanfill, Jacoby, Marsh, etc. finished a poor second in the eventual outcome. Chronic degenerative arthritic disease limiting function and irreparably reversing quality of life forges a common web linking these former champions.

Reference is made to “the weight room works its own form of wickedness. Hoisting iron, players’ rupture the patella tendons in their knees, put enormous strain on their lower backs and cause ligament injuries to the lumber spine. They also damage their shoulders by doing something the joint was not designed to do; bench pressing huge weights.” I AM NOT ATTEMPTING to make the case that orthopaedically questionable training routines are solely responsible for chronic long term structural degeneration. I fully realize that the inherent game itself is quite responsible for both acute and chronic injury. However, I do strongly believe that productive strength and conditioning should always strengthen muscle, connective tissue and bone and never damage the skeleton. Yet, contrary to common sense, many if not most football training rooms throughout the country at every level – high school, college and professional, base their programs on power cleans, jerks, heavy, low repetition barbell squats with many hundreds of pounds compressing the spine and numerous other types of ballistic, explosive movements. All offered under the guise of football sport specific training which its advocates claim will enhance functional ability and/or build “bigger, faster and stronger” muscles.

It should be remembered that the “quick lifts,” snatch and clean and jerk were practiced by Olympic lifters long before being adapted by football related conditioning coaches. And, if any readers go back that far in time, they will no doubt have flashes of acute injuries that once visualized will never be forgotten (ref. Bob Bednarski). No accolades should be lauded on the individual who introduced “quick lifts” as football compatible. And, less accolades should be heaped upon the shoulders of these “trainers” who make explosive exercise the cornerstone of their program today. It is the ultimate cop-out to state that explosive exercise is just one of a number of techniques in the “bag of tricks” at the disposal of the athletic trainer.

The real underlying problem, the whole “guts” of this discussion is the chronic, life-long disabilities which manifest years later and are a direct or indirect result of medically unsound weight lifting routines practiced by thousands of sincere young men (and women) who are being taught, in this strong opinion, that here are the “keys” to functional improvement.

Does anyone wonder why lifting programs focusing on competitive athletes requiring overall muscular skeletal enhancement should be different from any serious non-competitive trainee? We all want to strengthen the same muscles – safely! Of course, there will always be one variable – individual intensity of effort! The exact exercises, performed focused and safely, should and will strengthen virtually everyone.

Does an exercise such as dumbbell presses performed on a physio-ball in order to build strength and balance and those key buzzword “stabilizer” muscles in an unstable environment strike you as common sense? How about dropping a heavy barbell plate and catching it in mid-air? What happens when force exceeds structure? What happens over the course of time, acknowledging that joint stress accumulates silently? Maybe, the answer “hits closer to home” if spoken by Johnny Unitas, Joe Jacoby or Earl Campbell.

Someone once said, “instead of seeing how much exercise we can tolerate, why not seek the least amount necessary to stimulate the desired results.” That appears to be medically sound advice. Stimulating a beneficial systemic response from exercise and the time necessary to allow that response strikes a delicate balance. Joints of the body have only so much tolerance for repetitive overload imposed. Too much of a good thing can result in an overuse syndrome, which can spiral out of control and can hasten rather than prevent degenerative change. The resultant change may alter body mechanics directly affecting adjacent body parts. See how rapidly, for example, a diseased neck, in order to protect itself contributes to spasms of related muscle groups hastening atrophy in the involved areas, i.e. trapezoids, rhomboids and rotator cuff musculature. Have you ever questioned explosive advocates about the outcome of directly working the neck and lower back ballistically? Or do you take for granted, your control over your arms and legs? Is it somehow safer to train the rest of your joints in such a ballistic manner? Or is common sense starting to hit home? I find no justifiable reasonable explanation for any athletes to subject themselves to medically questionable weight training and conditioning programs compromising health and long term quality of life. The contact sport, itself, is usually capable in itself of fulfilling that destiny. It is the primary goal and responsibility of the training program to improve function while simultaneously helping to prevent injury. No exceptions! The required skills of the specific sport will be realized on the playing field.

For readers interested in specifies, which apply to anyone who trains to improve function and safely realize physical potential, don’t stray too far from the basics:

Train for the purpose of getting stronger, through a full range of motion-safely. Try to increase resistance and/or repetitions every workout. This concept will be less daunting if sufficient time is permitted between workouts. In practice, this equates to one or two weekly workouts. Or, in some cases three workouts over the course of two weeks. Don’t anguish over infrequency of workouts. If you are continually getting stronger, you are on the right track

Train your whole body every workout. Choose one or two exercises, per body part. Pre-exhaust is most efficient, demanding and safest. Perform a compound movement directly after a single-joint movement i.e. machine pullover followed by lat pulldown, chin-up or row.

Perform all exercises slowly and smoothly especially accenting the “turnarounds”. In full range movements, (single joint) pause one or two seconds in the fully contracted position. Keep focused on every repetition and do not rush through the set to make your goal.

Keep repetitions and time under load in a safe range. Trainees who seemingly are more “fast twitch” subjects and respond best to fewer repetitions may ultimately conclude that the orthopaedic risk will outweigh the potential functional benefits of keeping repetitions in a vulnerable low rep range, especially in heavy hip and leg exercises.

Finally, but forcefully, I would advise trainees who are concerned with lean, muscular appearance to achieve their goals by getting as strong as safely as possible and regulating their body-fat levels by their consumption and expenditure of calories. The biggest problem today in this society weight wise, is not so much what we eat, rather how much we eat.

I strongly question the concept that increased frequency of training rather than increased muscular strength is the primary contributor of muscular hypertrophy. Rather, increased frequency might be a factor in hastening long term degenerative change.

Train hard, train briefly, keep attention to proper form. Work each exercise over a full range of motion when possible and watch your calories.

As some wise man once spoke, “The more things change, the more they remain the same”.

If the concept of explosive exercise and its supposed benefits have been “peer-reviewed” and supported by any bona fide study, justification of the entire scope of exercise science must be seriously questioned. Explosive exercise and the “considerable evidence” of benefits as cited by the authors are far outweighed by common sense. Injuries in exercise are for the most part caused when force exceeds the structural integrity of the involved musculo-skeletal system. Since the limit of this breaking strength is an unknown until exceeded, thus too late and producing injury, it is common sense to utilize exercise with the minimum force necessary to stimulate the desired result.

It took nearly three quarters of the Current Comment on explosive exercise before the authors finally and inevitably surrendered to the ultimate truth, suggesting an exercise program which has a rate of injury associated with it. This conclusion renders their position paper worse than worthless, a dangerous self-serving opinion which should never have weaved its way into the web of the American College of Sports Medicine. Conley and Stone find the need to explain to the reader that “injuries from strength training including explosive exercise, are rare with rates of occurrence and severity far lower than many sports…adequate safety measures and quality instruction should always be enforced.” In this opinion, the above is an admission of the obvious, a before you try it warning that what is being touted here is potentially dangerous to anyone and everyone who does try it, athlete or non-athlete. Common sense dictates that exercise programs designed to build strength should seek to reduce, if not eliminate, injuries. If you have ever witnessed an injury in an Olympic lift, it is almost always instantly obvious, painful to look at and severe. And we’re not talking novice here, but experienced world class Olympic lifter. Conley and Stone do not mention that proper exercise, exercise which can and should be performed by everyone, should strengthen the muscles, connective tissues, and bones, and never damage the skeleton. The authors entice the reader to ignore this common sense: If force exceeds structural integrity, injury must occur. And in almost every corner of the athletic arena, from the head-on collision we call football, the battle under the boards in basketball, to the ultimate check in hockey, serious injuries are produced by the high levels of impact force imposed on the musculo-skeletal system of the athlete. (Exceptions being over use sports related injuries brought on in part by athletes perpetually fatigued by training programs stressing high volumes of work which fail to allow overall system recovery. Also, disuse atrophy especially of the neck and lower back brought on by failure to include specific cervical and lumbar exercise. And by the way, do the authors suggest explosive exercises for the neck and lower back? If so, the paper further deteriorates to utter insanity.) To suggest that fast, ballistic or plyometric movement under load in the weight room will produce faster athletes, sufficiently and safely strengthening them in order to optimally compete on the field or play is simply dangerous advice. Fast movements under load will more likely produce injured athletes. It is not fast movements that make you faster, it is stronger muscles. It makes far more sense for any athlete (or non-athlete) to strengthen his or her major muscular structures in the safest way possible which most definitely is not high speed, high impact force “speed-strength” exercises. Working major muscular structures intensely throughout the greatest possible range of motion with controlled, smooth movement for a series of 10 plus repetitions will stimulate strength increases for anyone in a safe manner. Build strength safely in the weight room. Practice skill specifically on the athletic field. Though we cannot alter the forces on the playing field, we can certainly improve structural integrity safely through lower force, higher intensity training to withstand these forces. Even if explosive training somehow “appears to increase a wide range of athletic performance”, which it almost certainly does not, the potential orthopedic cost would be far greater than the improvement in functional ability.

Can one really believe that athletes should be performing jump squats with a barbell loaded on the cervical spine? Power cleans? Squat snatches? All of these exercises, according to Conley and Stone, should be taught properly to prevent injury (which in itself is incongruous, since explosive exercise produces rather than prevents injuries.) Those who by into this thinking usually have a background in Olympic lifting and its inherent dangers, the root of the problem.

Why the intensity and strong opinions of this rebuttal? Perhaps it is my background as both an Olympic lifter and powerlifter. I practiced both during a four year Collegiate career at Pennsylvania State University from 1964 through 1967, setting school records in both activities including a successful 365 pound bench press at 180 1/4 pounds bodyweight with a two second pause at the chest and without the use of a “benchpressing” shirt or any other aids. Squatting was performed in competition with 400 plus pounds. These squats were not partial squats as is the norm today when squats are performed. Rather, these were full squats (competitions dictated lifts below parallel). I also successfully competed in the Olympic “quick lifts”; personal bests including a 240 pound snatch and a clean and jerk of 305 pounds. Not national caliber lifts, but very competitive at the college level in 1964-1967. However, X-rays performed due to nagging neck and lower back pain revealed disc herniations at C3-C7, osteoplytes at every level, a reversal of my lordic curve and narrowing of my vertebral canal (spinal Stenosis) at C7. My lumbar spine showed similar disc disease at L4-5 L5-S1. Major degenerative change at 24 years old! Strong reasons to take a serious look at exercise protocol.

And what did I learn from this? Well, for starters, maybe the spine was not meant to support 400 pounds or that “throwing” a barbell overhead from a pre-stretched position will greatly compromise muscles and connective tissues as will “catching” this barbell on the way down. The cause of my problems was not the barbell, it was my misuse of the tool, a misuse that is at the heart of explosive exercise.

Remember, trainees get older and joint stress accumulates silently. The exercise sins of athletes in their twenties, may not surface until their thirties, forties and even later. When they start falling apart later in life, athletes (and non-athletes) may not realize that their problems were produced by misguided priorities and training principles practiced at an earlier age, injuries that never had to happen if safety in exercise was never compromised.

Conley and Stone are right that athletes and not-athletes can realize their potential utilizing the exact same training program – however, not the training program that these “scientists” advocate.

My advice is that anyone who has ever considered utilizing progressive resistance exercise as a stimulus to improving functional ability and/or performance in sports should carefully read the July 1999 Current Comment from the American College of Sports Medicine. Read it again and then proceed in your own workouts to do precisely the opposite.

“Explosive exercise” is the antithesis of sports medicine, leading to short term nagging injuries and long term chronic disasters. It can not be part of a well rounded training program.

If the American College of Sports Medicine ever achieved any dignity, that moment in time is now gone. And with it dies “Sports Medicine”, the catchy phrase once recognized and trusted as the prescription for a safe, sensible medically oriented approach to the field of exercise, a field now adrift in myth and confusion.

The benefits??? of explosive exercise have now been told – told officially on the letterhead of the American College of Sports Medicine. Shame on you.

Flip through the pages of any fitness magazine, men or women’s, and the obvious overtone quickly rises from the glossy pages. Usually in bold print, the words scream out with the “latest and greatest” new workout for optimum results. Strong words with catchy titles -”Tae Bo,” “Power Yoga,” “Sergeant’s Program,” “Pilates,” and anything involving kick boxing or the martial arts — each discipline, some of value, others questionable at best, none essential, promising its “true believers” the next level of fitness along with serious attitude and slight measure of “fun” as an added kicker. The latter, a 90′s necessity because exercise, whatever the form, must have some component of “fun,” or “we” just won’t do it — period! Whoever “we” is?

If the fitness magazine is your initial venture towards determining just what it takes to get into shape, some initial interest is possibly stimulated, as it was for me albeit almost 35 years ago. Those years ago, the words and hype in the magazines were, of course, different, yet the message was virtually the same. Always, it was “the latest, the best way to exercise” until the never mentioned next “best way’ was revealed in the following month’s issue. At the risk of bursting your bubble or shattering your hopes, it is this view that any worthwhile information published by fitness-related magazines was exhausted years ago and present day pages are merely filled with “fluff’ in order to keep the written word alive. A cynical viewpoint? Maybe. But the actual facts ultimately prove otherwise; at least the facts necessary to comprehend an optimal improvement in functional ability; the not so glamorous term for realizing your physical potential — the cornerstone to overall “quality of life” in the physical and psychological sense. A “win-win” on both levels because once grasped, understood, and practiced, the self-evident truth passes every conceivable test; never bends or breaks to the everlasting onslaught of opinions, fads, trends, or commercial biases.

Here are facts that stand on their own; laws of basic physics not subject to opinion — yours or mine. Muscles have functions, move the body and support the skeleton. Without a simple understanding of muscles, the mere mention of which turns off members of both sexes by stirring both fear and ignorance, there is no understanding of exercise, of any kind. Deny the word and thus the existence and you are denying any movement of the living body for any purpose whatsoever. All of your favorites -all dance, sports of all varieties, “spinning” and each of its companion group trainings, everything active — takes at least a basic understanding of your muscles, their functions and development. Grasp this and you are well on your way to understanding the core of exercise, the essential “means to the end” which enables everyone who is physically capable to participate optimally (with the requisite specific skill requirements) in their chosen activities culminating in everyone’s own definition of quality of life.

Muscles have functions all muscles, large and small. And of what importance is this knowledge. Just everything regarding human performance. Know the major muscles and their functions and you immediately have the information necessary to strengthen a particular muscle through its full range-of-motion, a big step in realizing optimal performance in any and every activity. An example? The largest muscular structure on the body is the gluteus maximus and the development and strength of these large muscles are largely responsible for the performance in many sports necessitating great power and strength. Obviously knowledge with great potential of importance, yet for the most part totally ignored. Not anymore! The function of the gluteus maximus is to draw the legs in line with the torso. Simply stated, to extend the hip. Working these muscles directly against resistance will go a long way in improving the performance of every athlete in every sport.

And how do you directly strengthen these muscles? I’ll give you a hint. You won’t find the answer in an aerobics class whatever the class — power yoga or any form of yoga, outdoor exercise, or even free weight exercises. The answer is utilizing equipment that strengthens these and all powerful muscles throughout their full range of movement — equipment that offers full range, direct and variable resistance, all necessary because the strength of a muscle changes, sometimes dramatically throughout its range-of-motion. A resistance that is correct in one position of movement will be incorrect, either too light or too heavy in another position of the movement — and thus the need for equipment. Machines, dreaded and under-appreciated by those who don’t understand their necessity or just don’t like machines. There is no other way to potentially work a muscle thoroughly and completely. Accept it. The facts are there to prove it. And the same is true for every major muscular structure of the body.

The function of muscles dictates the design of worthwhile equipment (MedX, Nautilus). Understand the function and the equipment and you will know how to exercise the muscle in its most efficient and safe manner. No arguments. No exceptions.

Here is a list of the major muscular structures and their primary functions:

• Gluteus maximus – extend the hip
• Quadriceps – extend the lower leg
• Hamstrings – bend the lower leg and extend the hips
• Hip Abductors – hip abduction
• Hip Adductors – hip adduction
• Calf – heel elevation
• Latissimus – draw the humerus down post the torso
• Pectorals – draw the humerus down across the torso
• Deltoids – abduct the humerus
• Biceps – supinate the hand, bend the arm, and elevate the elbow
• Triceps – straighten the arm and rotate the elbow to the rear of the torso
• Cervical Spine – extend the neck, flex the neck, rotation left and right, lateral bending left and right
• Trapezius – elevate the shoulders
• Abdominals – shorten the distance between the sternum and the pubic bone
• Lumbar Spine – extend the spine while anchoring the pelvis

Now you know the function of the major muscular structures of the body. Now, logically, you can identify and formulate an exercise routine that will sensibly and safely strengthen these muscles from stretch to full contraction, full range exercise with the guesswork removed.

Now you know the philosophy at Main Line Health and Fitness, a passion for learning and understanding the truth and sharing it.

We recommend the following full range, direct exercises (indicated by an *) and the best conventional compound, multi-joint exercises; a routine which will stimulate results for virtually anyone. This is the necessary “means to the end” strength building routine, which will enhance functional ability at any level of human performance in the ultimate quest for maximal, everyday “quality of life” for every participant.

The Workout – Essential Exercises
Directly working the Major Muscular Structures of the Body

• Hip Extension (gluteus maximus)
• Leg Extension (quadriceps)
• Leg Curl (hamstrings)
• Hip Abduction (hip abductors) Optional
• Hip Adduction (hip adductors) Optional
• Leg Press or Squat (gluteals, hamstrings, quadriceps, and calves)
• Pullover (latissimus and related torso musculature)
• Torso Arm, Rows or Chins (biceps and latissimus)
• [Arm Cross (pectorals, deltoids)
• [Any Chest Press or Dips (triceps, pectorals, deltoids)

Alternate the above two bracketed exercises with the following two bracketed exercises in the following workout:

• [Lateral Raise (deltoids, pectorals)
• [Any Shoulder Press or Dips (triceps, deltoids, pectorals)

• Biceps Curls (biceps) Optional
• Triceps Extension (triceps) Optional
• Abdominal Machine (abdominals) Optional

or

Rotary Torso (obliques) Optional

or

• Torso Flexion (hip flexors) Optional
• Four-Way Neck (cervical muscles)

or

• Shrugs (trapezius)
• Lumbar Extension (lumbar extensors), if available

Important Notes

1. Follow the exercise order, working the largest to smallest muscular structures.
2. The exact same workout will work for everyone. We all have the same muscles. The only variable will be the intensity of effort.
3. Perform each exercise slowly (for optimal strength, flexibility, and safety). However, move from one exercise to the next as quickly as possible (for optimal cardio-respiratory benefits).
4. Perform 7-15 repetitions (your choice within this range). Every exercise should be taken to momentary muscular failure — your inability to perform another repetition in perfect form.
5. Perform exercises at most twice a week. Your goal is to get stronger on every exercise and out perform your previous workout, raising resistance when repetition goals are achieved.
6. Perform one set of each exercise. Increasing the amount of sets or exercises in this workout is the worst mistake you can make.
7. Monitor the amount of food that you eat, not the amount of exercise you perform to regulate your body fat.
8. Improved functional ability, physical development, and realistic aesthetic goals will be directly related to your intensity of effort, systemic recovery between workouts, and may ultimately be realized within the defined limits of your genetic potential.

The facts and common sense presented in this position paper reflect integrity, purpose, and the commitment to understanding and sharing the truth.

For trainees who have undergone lymph node dissection during treatment of breast cancer, there is potential for swelling or lymphedema (fluid retention) caused by trauma to the lymphatic system. This swelling is usually confined to the limb (arm) on the side of the body in which the surgery has been performed.

Main Line Health and Fitness has demonstrated that medically sound exercise, in this instance, machine-based resistance training that works a muscle through its full range of motion with variable resistance, will stimulate a physiological response thoroughly and safely. Often, injured areas have decreased blood flow supply. Direct, isolated exercise increases blood flow to the area.

It is imperative to understand that proper exercise has the potential to stimulate a physiological response, but it is the rest following the workouts that allows the response to take place. Daily routines that exhaust the body’s limited recovery ability lead to chronic over-training, leaving the musculo-skeletal system vulnerable to injury, systemic depletion, exhaustion and sickness. Two overall body workouts per week seem to yield optimal results for most trainees with lymphedema symptoms. The body is fed as a unit, rests as a unit, and should be trained as a unit. While individual muscles may recover somewhat quickly from the stimulus, the overall system, including the nervous system, immune system, lymphatic system, the liver, kidneys and other vital organs, does not! Thus, a whole body workout is a necessity.

Main Line Health & Fitness has concluded, and we believe further research will verify, that there is an exercise paradigm to be followed for patients suffering from symptoms related to lymphedema and those patients trying to prevent it. Specifically, we strongly recommend safe-specific medically sound exercise that strengthens muscles and bones, increases blood flow supply, enhances flexibility while minimizing impact forces. This is best accomplished during machine-based resistance training that emphasizes slow, smooth controlled movement of 10-15 repetitions. We do not recommend, and are critical of the following: high impact exercise, including resistance training utilizing fast ballistic movement resulting in high impact forces being placed on the muscles and connective tissues, traditional “high-impact” aerobic classes, jogging or running. When force exceeds structural integrity, injury must occur! As far as lymphedema, specifically, the inherent risks with these activities far outweigh any potential benefits, period!

The “Lymphedema” workout works all of the major muscular structures of the body from largest to smallest. The body functions as a unit. Training the whole body will speed rehabilitation of an injured limb through a process known as the “indirect effect”.

THE EXACT WORKOUT
Follow the specific order. An asterisk (*) indicates direct work for lymphedema affected areas

1. Hip Extension- The gluteal group (buttocks etc.) is the largest muscular structure in the body. Thus, it is worked first when the trainee is fresh and strong.
2. Leg Extension- quadriceps
3. Leg Curl- hamstrings
4. Leg Press- gluteal group, quadriceps, and hamstrings*
5. Pullover- Latissimus dorsi, upper torso
6. Torso-Arm (Lat Pulldown) or Row- upper torso and arms
7. Arm Cross- primary function of the pectorals
8. Chest Press- pectorals, deltoids and arms
9. Lateral Raise- primary function of the deltoids
10. Overhead Press- deltoids, pectorals and arms
11. Bicep Machine- upper arms
12. Tricep Machine- upper arms
13. 4-Way Neck Machine- neck function
14. Abdominal or Hip Flexion Machine- abdominal and hip flexors
15. Lumbar Extension or Torso Rotation Machine- Isolated exercise for the vulnerable muscles of the lower back and muscles that rotate the torso

The cardio equipment was comprised of mostly elliptical machines and treadmills.  Nearly every machine was in use, ONLY by females!  At the far end of the room, the free-weight  area was, as expected, purely male.  And to the right, the weight-stack strength training machines, a complete line of Nautilus “Nitro,” stood empty.  It should be understood that the Nautilus “Nitro” line of machines is NOT a “high-end line of equipment.” It is not near the quality of the MedX machines at MLH&F, yet alone the one-of-a-kind MedX Medical Machines that isolate the very vulnerable spinal muscles.  However, used properly, these machines will stimulate dramatic results.  Not once were these machines put to use by ANY student in the hour visit.

It was a totally segregated arena-girls to one side, boys at the far end, nobody on the other side.  That was only one problem-the minor one.  The real problem, a total disaster, was the apparent ignorance of every participant.

My critical (cynical?) observation is that the state-of-the-art of fitness in this country is marching steadily backwards.  It is as if nobody has learned anything of substance about what type of exercise STIMULATES RESULTS-positive results, valuable to everyone.

Let’s break this down logically and physiologically.  My speculation, supported by an on-the-job involvement in fitness of nearly fifty years, is that women for some baffling reason are shackled by myths and misconceptions concerning progressive exercise, and the life-changing value therein.  Endless hours are spent on any and all aerobic exercise, often culminating in skeletal related injury BEFORE cardiovascular or weight loss benefits are realized.  This is NOT an intended condemnation of aerobics, per se, but of the exorbitant amount of time given to one phase of fitness, which inherently over-stresses one or two major joints of the body- the hips, including the most vulnerable muscles of the body, the muscles that extend the lumbar spine (lower back) and the least efficient joint on the body, the knee.

In the free-weight area, approximately 15-20 young men were picking up barbells, “spotting” each other, and consumed in conversation between sets.  Equally remarkable and sadly pathetic was that every male was performing some variation of a bench press.  Not a single student was working his lower body and hips, the strongest, most powerful body parts.  Why?  I will leave that opinion to you.  But, I will offer a hint.  Lying down on a bench is far EASIER than squatting down or pulling up with a heavy resistance.  Weights were being thrown around with such explosion that one could only conclude that these students spend little or no time in physics classes learning the relationship of force and structural integrity.  At MLH&F, for 30+ years, we have stated loudly and accurately the obvious.  If force produced exceeds structural integrity, injury MUST occur.  Young people, both female and male, will ultimately learn the hard way that “joint stress accumulates silently.”  What we “get away with” at 20 will haunt us at 40 and throughout the balance of life.

This leads us to the Nautilus machines sitting empty and seemingly labeled with the “scarlet letters”- “No Respect!”  Females stuck in aerobics, males opting for free weights, attitudes that are both perplexing and defy common sense.  For females, it is the weights (both machines and free weights) that raise metabolism, strengthen bones, firm muscles, (which in turn firms fat) while NOT building large muscles.  A generation of young males, bowing to commercial interests, has collectively come to the conclusion that ONLY free weights build muscles, as if the nervous system can actually differentiate the overload placed upon it.  Please!  Two conflicting sex driven ideologies, BOTH WRONG, which leaves the BEST result-stimulating tool, Nautilus machines, as the “outcast”, of no value.

Unlike the parallel universe described above, the real truth should be obvious to anyone seriously seeking it.  In order to get the greatest value (RESULTS) from exercise, the ultimate goal must be to improve functional ability-greater strength, cardiovascular ability and flexibility, safely and efficiently.  This can and SHOULD be the result of ONE all-inclusive workout.  It has been the signature statement at MLH&F for over thirty years.  Using MedX or Nautilus machines, choose 10-14 exercises, starting with the largest muscular structures of the body (hips and thighs), and work down to the smallest.  After a “break-in” period of time, your goal is to move quickly from one exercise to the next, working each exercise to the point of momentary muscular failure, the inability to perform another repetition in good form.  Though you are moving quickly from one exercise to the next, the movements themselves are performed slowly and smoothly-no jerking the resistance, thus, no injuries.  This is the ULTIMATE way to exercise!  Training intensely in this manner will build the strength necessary to participate in all of life’s demanding activities.  Moving quickly from one machine to the next will take the heart rate up and keep it there; thoroughly working the WHOLE BODY without the impact forces inherent with many aerobic activities.  Utilizing MedX or Nautilus, unlike free weights that offer little or no stretching, will greatly increase flexibility and range of motion.

In summary, it is my guess, that somewhere along the line the “culprit” told us that exercise “has to be fun or else we won’t do it”!  Someday, the truth will win out (somehow, it always does).  Exercise, real exercise that simulates RESULTS is NOT meant to be fun.  It is merely the means to the end.  The end is your quality of life!  Aren’t you worth it?

Post cathartic comment: On the record, there WAS a single female trainee, who teaches law, who DID work hard on the ignored Nautilus circuit.  She drew many curious stares from everywhere with her “game face” on, and no-nonsense approach.  And on the same record, there was one other undeniable fact: she was the best-built athlete in that room, merely two months after delivering her second baby!

I was particularly interested in my performance since it had been nearly one year since I had even set foot on a treadmill at Main Line Health and Fitness.  ALL of my training had been confined to twice- a- week circuit-type training on the third floor or at On2Fitness.  The protocol followed was the “branded” Main Line Health and Fitness concept of working the major muscle structures of the body, utilizing MedX and Nautilus machines, in a nearly non-stop manner through a one-half hour training session.  Unlike standard cardiovascular type workouts which place emphasis on repetitive movement around the hips and is performed on “cardio” equipment (treadmill, bike, elliptical) or traditional aerobic classes (spinning, step, high impact dance etc.), the strength training circuit paradigm works ALL of the muscular structures of the body, from the largest to the smallest!  The concept is to improve functional ability-strength, cardiovascular ability and flexibility ALL IN ONE WORKOUT!  Training in this fashion takes the heart rate up significantly within the first several minutes and keeps it elevated for one half hour while simultaneously strengthening all of the muscular structures and if utilizing machines as opposed to free weights,  works the muscles through their full range of motion stimulating greater flexibility. (Note:  This is the EXACT strength training routine that Todd Carmichael utilized to train for his world record solo trek across Antarctica in Nov-Dec. 2008!)  A second prime benefit of such circuit-type training is that it ELIMINATES the high level of impact force on the joints that is indigenous in running-type programs, which programs are often counter-productive for increasing overall strength and flexibility.

THE RESULTS OF THE STRESS TEST

At nearly sixty four years of age, 5’11” and 175 pounds, with a body fat level of approx. 8%, my results as related to my response to exercise induced stress, were in the top 1% of my age group.  With a resting pulse of 58 beats per minute, my heart rate climbed to 170 beats per minute after 15 minutes of intense treadmill work and returned to normal within the recommended protocol, as did my resting blood pressure of 125-70.

These results DO NOT indicate that I am immune to heart disease.  Stress tests are merely ONE indicator of healthy heart function.  However, I DO believe that this test identifies that the specific training protocol that we recommend at Main Line Health and Fitness can be an effective stimulus for a safe, medically-sound paradigm for improving strength, cardiovascular ability and flexibility in one all-inclusive workout.

THE EXACT WORKOUT

1. LEG EXTENSION OR MEDX MEDICAL KNEE MACHINE
2. LEG PRESS OR SQUAT
3. LEG CURL (SEATED, SIDE OR PRONE)
4. HIP EXTENSION OR MEDX MEDICAL LUMBAR EXTENSION MACHINE
5. PULLOVER
6. TORSO/ARM
7. LATERAL RAISE
8. OVERHEAD PRESS
9. ROW
10. ARM CROSS, 10degree OR WOMEN’S CHEST
11. CHEST PRESS OR DIP
12. BICEP
13. TRICEP OR DIP
14. ABDOMINAL, OR MEDX MEDICAL TORSO ROTATION, OR MEDX MEDICAL CERVICAL EXTENSION

NOTES

• If attempting this workout, there should be a careful “BREAK-IN” period.  DO NOT initially move quickly from one machine to the next.  Eventually, this program can and should be completed in approximately 30 minutes.
• Though, there should be little rest BETWEEN the machines, the repetitions should ALWAYS be performed in a slow, smooth manner.
• Train no more than twice a week on this program.  If desirable, you may incorporate traditional cardio exercise between workouts.  However, if you are not getting progressively stronger or if you feel “depleted”, tired or lack energy etc, you are not recovering from the stimulus.  Remember:  Exercise DOES NOT produce results!  Exercise STIMULATES results.  It is the REST following the stimulus that ALLOWS results.
• Staying lean and hard is most efficiently attainable by training hard and eating a well balanced diet comprised of complex carbohydrates, lean proteins and healthy fats.  If you are adding body fat, you are eating too many calories!