Personal trainers Hanover: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Weight training is a common type of strength training for developing the size and strength of the skeletal muscles. It uses gravity to resist the force generated by the skeletal muscles through eccentric and concentric contraction. Weight training uses a variety of specialized equipment (including weighted bars, dumbbells, and weighted stacks) to target specific muscles and types of movements. ™

There are many advantages as well as disadvantages to using free weights when weight training. Here are a few advantages:

• Helps develop better balance. Using free weights for weight training requires that you use more than one muscle group for each exercise. For example, when performing a seated bicep curl, you are not only using your shoulders, but you are also using your abs and your legs for stabilization.

• Conditions muscles used in life situations. Other forms of strength training, like exercise machines, help condition muscles that you will probably only use in the gym.

• Allows for a greater range of motion. When exercising on a machine, the machine guides you through the actual movement performed in the exercise. When using free weights, you must have control in your movements. This is great because is promotes more of a conditioning for the muscles.

There are also some disadvantages to using free weights for strength training. Here are just a few:

• Free weight training is generally for people who are more experienced with strength training. Novices should use machines in order to get the basic strength and conditioning. Then training with these weights should be applied.

• This type of training is not as safe as other forms of strength training. It can be unsafe to perform these exercises without a spotter. If you perform the exercise and use the incorrect motion you may need a spotter to help you so that you can prevent injury.

Free weight exercises are great for those people who want to be fit for life. Most of the top bodybuilders and fitness experts use this type of training in their training programs. This training strategies are great for improving balance and getting that complete range of motion. Free weights are arguably the best form of strength training for the muscles and for life.

Why is there such a mystery surrounding the Bruce Lee workout?

His workouts have been well documented, and he even left notes. Bruce Lee tried just about every piece of exercise equipment that was available in his day. One of them was called the Tensolator.

What is the Tensolator?

Essentially, it consisted of two tubes, one sliding into the other with handles at each end and a steel cable covered by plastic wrapping it. I know it's hard to visualize. You really have to see it, in a moment I will show you what it looked like.

The Tensolator, used a coiled spring to provide resistance and incorporated isometrics into its training program. The creator of the Tensolator, Gert F. kolbel, a German inventor designed this portable home gym after a device that was being used for research in a major German Think Tank.

The Bruce Lee workout included the use of the Tensolator to increase punching power, speed and muscle size. There are pictures of Bruce Lee, using it in place of dumbbells to increase the power and speed of his 1 inch punch.

In the book, The Art of Expressing the Body by Bruce Lee and John Little, he spelled out his Tensolator training program. Even though the original Tensolator only allowed for 24 exercises for the entire body, it was enough for Bruce Lee.

Here is the Bruce Lee workout for the Tensolator according to Bruce Lee's notes:

Chest-

Chest Compression.

Twisting.

Arms-

Bow and Arrow

Vertical Compression

Biceps -- Standing and Kneeling

Forearm

Shoulders-

Behind the Head Compression.

Above the Head Compression

Door Corner Press.

Stomach-

Sitting Pulling Downward

Kneeling Compression.

Oblique Compression

Back-

Kneeling Pulling Downwards

Vertical Compression on Thigh

Behind Buttocks Compression

Lean over Compression.

Dead Lift.

Leg-

Stiff Legged Outward Stretch

Knee Outward Stretch

Standing Calf Press Down.

Knee Squeezing Inward on Grip

Lifting in Step Upward.

Circulation Exercise

Bruce Lee was obsessed with making his body as powerful as possible and no doubt he achieved his goal

Here are some of the feats of strength that he performed:

• Lee's striking speed from three feet with his hands down by his side reached five hundredths of a second.

• Lee's combat movements were at times too fast to be captured on film at 24fps, so many scenes were shot in 32fps to put Lee in slow motion. Normally martial arts films are sped up.

• In a speed demonstration, Lee could snatch a dime off a person's open palm before they could close it, and leave a penny behind.

• Lee could perform push ups using only his thumbs

• Lee would hold an elevated v-sit position for 30 minutes or longer.

• Lee could throw grains of rice up into the air and then catch them in mid-flight using chopsticks.

• Lee performed one-hand push-ups using only the thumb and index finger

• Lee performed 50 everybodyspersonaltrainer.com/personal_trainers_in_hanover.htm reps of one-arm chin-ups.

• From a standing position, Lee could hold a 125 lb (57 kg) barbell straight out.

• Lee could break wooden boards 6 inches (15 cm) thick.

• Lee performed a side kick while training with James Coburn and broke a 150-lb (68 kg) punching bag

• In a move that has been dubbed "Dragon Flag", Lee could perform leg lifts with only his shoulder blades resting on the edge of a bench and suspend his legs and torso perfectly horizontal midair.

• Lee could thrust his fingers through unopened steel cans of Coca-Cola, at a time before cans were made of the softer aluminum metal.

• Lee could use one finger to leave dramatic indentations on pine wood.