Phase One of Fitness

I noticed this guy on 'ezinearticles' and having checked him out through some of his other writings, I thought I'd share a few with you as these are all interconnected and make a lot of sense. This one here offers some good solid advice and guidance on establishing your routines and ensuring your stick with them just temporarily before moving onto a new routine, so that your body doesn't become over familiar with what's next, but always ensure that your technique is right for fear of doing yourself unnecessary harm. Sourced at http://EzineArticles.com/8745818 and written by Phillip Schiefer (http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Phillip_J_Schiefer).



If you were to build a house out of straw and the roof out of brick, the foundation wouldn't be strong enough to support the weight of the roof. The same theory applies to our bodies. Our muscles are broken down into two main groups. The movers and the stabilizers. The movers are the muscles that are the primary moving force during a movement or exercise. The stabilizers are the muscles that support the movers during the movement. During exercise, it is critical to train both muscle groups.

Break your exercise program into phases. Each phase should last about eight weeks. Progress to the next phase when you feel you are ready, not when the eight weeks are up. Only the first phase will be discussed, which is balance and stabilization.

To increase your balance, you can perform unilateral exercises and stand on unstable surfaces while you exercise. Try a single leg step up with a five second hold.

Building a strong foundation, will allow you to gain strength and to move your body more efficiently. Planks, wall sits and back bridges are great examples of stabilization exercises. The key to building is holding the position for an extended period of time. Work on holding a plank for thirty seconds, then build on that number each time you train. Another way to activate these muscles is to place your body in an unstable environment. Lying down on the floor is stable, lying down on a Swiss ball is not stable. Your body has to activate more muscles to keep you balanced and steady on the ball. Try a ball bridge with a fifteen second hold, when your back is held parallel to the floor. You can add some weights and perform a bench press in that same position. Use these examples to build a program that will force your body to provide the stabilization for you.

During this phase, avoid using machines. They provide stability for you so your body does not. Your superficial muscles, the prime movers will strengthen while your stabilizers will not. Not training your stabilizing muscles can lead to altered movement patterns and muscle imbalances. It is important to build your body up properly from the start. Even though you may notice results, weight loss or strength gain, you may be causing further damage to your body if the exercises are not executed correctly. Moreover, correct any postural imbalances in the first phase, prior to progressing to the next phase. At this point, you will be building a brick roof on a brick house.

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