If for some reason you can only train with light weights, you can still improve your strength and gain muscle mass. You just need to perform the repetitions of the exercises more slowly. Scientists from the University of Tokyo came to this conclusion.
Strength training is the cure for all diseases! But not everyone can handle traditional schemes. 20% of people over the age of 70 develop problems with joints and muscles when working with maximum weights, and doctors also consider increased blood pressure and heart rate during traditional strength training in people with cardiovascular diseases to be harmful.
In this case, the working weights should not be 80% of the maximum, but 50% will be enough. However, we know from textbooks that such training will not be very effective. It’s not without reason that bodybuilders train with a weight of 80–85% of the maximum.
According to the results of a study by Japanese scientists, an alternative could be to work with short rest between approaches - no more than 30 seconds. Research shows that this type of training will also lead to increased strength and muscle mass. Another alternative would be the super slow method, where 10 seconds are allotted for the flexion movement and 4 seconds for the extension movement. This has also been proven by research.
Another alternative could be “Kaatsu” - strength training by limiting blood flow to muscle groups under load. Researchers treat this method with caution, since its use requires clear knowledge and skills that cannot be acquired by reading a couple of articles on the Internet.
The researchers looked at another training method that involved working at a slow pace and building muscle tone. The training takes place with a weight of 50% of the maximum, but the speed of movement is selected such that you can do no more than 8 repetitions. According to the study, for this you need to spend 3 seconds on flexion and 3 seconds on extension.
The experiment involved 24 students who performed leg exercises in exercise machines 3 times a week for 12 weeks. The students were divided into 3 groups.
The LST group worked out using the “Slow tempo with the creation of muscle tone” method (3 s rise, 3 s lower without stopping at the beginning and end of the movement (static dynamics. – Editor’s note). The weight used was 50% of the maximum.
Group HN was the control group, which studied according to traditional scheme, performing 8 reps at 80% of your maximum weight (1 sec up, 1 sec down, 1 sec rest between reps).
The LN group was the second control group, which performed 8 repetitions per set, at the same tempo as the previous group, but with a weight of 50% of the maximum. This group did not perform the exercises to failure (1 sec raise, 1 sec lower, and 1 sec rest between reps).
The experiment showed that gains in strength and muscle mass were approximately the same in the LST and HN groups. The maximum increase in strength in the LST group was 28%, in the HN group this figure was slightly higher at 32%, and in the LN group the increase in strength was 16%.
Muscle mass increased in similar proportions in the LST and HN groups. Students in the LN group did not show any increase in muscle mass.
During the execution of the approaches, the amount of oxygen in the muscles decreased significantly in the athletes of the LST group. Despite the low working weight, this was most likely caused by a high concentration of lactic acid. The level of acidification was similar in the LST and HN groups.
Scientists suggest that oxygen deficiency in muscle cells leads to muscle enlargement. This is not the only, but significant factor of growth. Oxygen deficiency leads to an increase in the level of lactic acid in the blood, which in turn leads to the synthesis and secretion of anabolic hormones such as somatropin and testosterone. Oxygen deficiency also causes an increase in the number of free radicals in
muscle cells, and as a result, such compensatory training leads to an increase in muscle mass.
The scientists concluded: “Low-intensity training with light weights, slow reps, and building muscle tone is effective for building strength and muscle mass. Since this exercise does not involve lifting large weights, it can be recommended for initial stages sports training and during rehabilitation after orthopedic injuries.”
We translated from scientific language in humans, several important knowledge that will help you grow muscles as effectively as possible.
We believe that almost everyone who reads fitness texts understands that exercise can increase both strength and muscle size. However, there is a clear difference between strength training and training aimed specifically at increasing muscle size.
How muscles grow
Weight training itself does not cause muscle growth. But the load received during training causes fatigue and stimulates physiological mechanisms, which, mainly during rest, cause the muscles to increase. Growth occurs as a result of an increase in the thickness of muscle fibers and the volume of fluid in muscle cells.
The ability to gain muscle mass depends on gender, age, weight training experience, genetics, quantity and quality of sleep, nutrition and fluid intake, and even stress levels can affect the ability to gain mass. For example, work overload or insufficient sleep can significantly reduce muscle growth, despite proper training and nutrition.
Mechanical and metabolic stress
There is no doubt that if you regularly and correctly lift iron, this leads to an increase in muscle volume and strength, however, scientists still have not decided what exactly causes muscle growth.
Training causes two specific types of stress: mechanical (micro tears in the muscles - read more: “”) and metabolic (launching chemical processes recovery due to energy expended by the muscles), and they both can provide the necessary stimulus for muscle growth.
The challenge for research is that both mechanical and metabolic stress act in tandem, and isolating the effects of each separately on muscle growth is not easy.
“Slow” and “fast” muscle fibers
To design an exercise program to maximize muscle growth, you need to understand physiology.
There are two main types of muscle fibers: slow-twitch and fast-twitch. Fast-twitch fibers are larger in diameter than slow-twitch fibers and, accordingly, occupy a more prominent place in your muscles.
“Slow” fibers are also classified as aerobic, due to their high oxidative abilities, which enable them to contract over a long period of time. They are best suited for long-term activities that require minimal effort (such as long-distance running).
Fast-twitch muscle fibers have a high excitation threshold and high speed conducting signals and are better suited for fast efforts (which is why sprinters look like athletes compared to stayers). In other words, these are the fibers you need to successfully jerk a heavy barbell.
Repeated effort method. If you want to grow, do sets to failure
It's not enough to just lift weights at high reps unless it causes muscle failure. The body stores and uses energy very efficiently, so repeating exercises with a constant load can limit the amount of mechanical (roughly speaking, they will tear badly) and metabolic stress (little growth hormones will be released) on the muscles and minimize the results of the workout.
Simply put, to maximize muscle growth, it is advisable to do exercises until muscle failure (I can’t do it anymore!)
3 types of training
Scientists Zatsiorsky and Kremer in 2006 identified three fundamental types of training: the maximum effort method, the dynamic effort method and the repeated effort method. The first two methods are good for their purposes, but are not the most effective for muscle growth.
1. Maximum effort method
This method uses significant weights to increase the activity of “fast” muscle fibers (which we wrote about in more detail above). Roughly speaking, the maximum effort method is associated with lifting the maximum possible weight (and therefore not large quantity repetitions per set).
The main stimulus from the maximum effort method is mechanical (aimed at creating micro-tears in the muscles), myofibrillar hypertrophy with a significant increase in strength and a moderate increase in muscle mass.
The maximum effort method is effective for developing strength, but not the most effective remedy increasing muscle mass.
2. Dynamic force method
When training using the dynamic effort method, no Weight Limit, where the emphasis is on moving the weight as fast as possible to stimulate the motor units.
This method is most effective for increasing the rate of force development and contractile power required in many sports or dynamic activities. However, it does not provide enough mechanical or metabolic stress to the muscles needed to stimulate growth.
3. Repeated Effort Method
The repeated effort method does not involve maximum loads, but the need to do exercises until muscle failure occurs (when it is no longer possible to perform any further repetitions in the set).
The last few repetitions, which have to be done through the burn, can involve all the fibers in the target muscle into contraction and cause significant overload. When using the repeated effort method, slow motor units are activated at the beginning of the approach, and as they tire, the “fast” muscles will also be activated.
The repeated effort method of performing an exercise to failure is most effective for muscle growth, says science. It is important to work until failure. If the load is insufficient or the approach is not performed to failure, stimulation of the “fast” motor units (as you read above, they are the ones that mainly give volume to the muscles) does not occur or the necessary metabolic conditions that promote muscle growth are not created.
Sleep and recovery are just as important as training and nutrition itself.
Rest is the most underrated element of training. No matter how long you endured the pain of those last reps or how diligently you sourced protein and calories from your diet, it's not as important as the time it takes for nutrients and hormones to promote muscle protein synthesis after exercise.
Exercise and food are an important part of the muscle growth equation, but they're not the whole story. Adequate recovery is very important - it is necessary to give the muscles enough time to replenish glycogen reserves and undergo the processes of reconstruction and creation of new muscle tissue.
The recovery required for muscle growth is 48–72 hours between training sessions for a particular muscle group. This scientific argument, by the way, speaks in favor of split training - when each muscle group receives the main load, for example, once a week.
Inducing mechanical and metabolic stress during your gym training will only make sense while the hormones and substances necessary for muscle growth are released during REM sleep. This means that a full night’s sleep is important for muscle growth after training. Inadequate sleep and recovery will ruin your efforts in the gym and beyond. dining table. Moreover, lack of sleep can increase adrenaline and cortisol levels, which can also reduce the ability to form new muscle tissue.
Lack of sleep, poor appetite, long-term illnesses, and loss of growth as a result of exercise are all symptoms of overexertion that can significantly impact a person's ability to achieve their fitness goals.
“Underrecovery” is another reason to think about overexertion. “To promote muscle growth, rest time is necessary ( active rest), providing the opportunity to fully recover,” says Schoenfeld (2013).
Training program for gaining muscle mass
Number of repetitions
Science suggests that for maximum muscle growth, select the weight so that you do 8-12 repetitions until muscle failure - it’s good that almost every trainer in the gym seems to know this simple fact. True, now, unlike you, not everyone knows why exactly.
Amount of rest between sets
Short to moderate rests between sets (30 seconds to 2 minutes) can cause significant metabolic stress.
Number of approaches in each exercise
According to scientists, performing 3-4 approaches provides the most effective mechanical tension for all muscles involved.
Travel speed
Scientists recommend performing movements with maximum effort faster - 1-2 seconds (for example, lifting a barbell), and the eccentric phase of the exercise (for example, lowering a barbell) for a longer period (2-6 seconds). Slower execution of the eccentric phase is necessary to ensure sufficient mechanical tension - it is this “easier” phase of movement that is most important for muscle growth. “From a hypertrophy perspective, eccentric contraction has a greater impact on muscle development. In particular, eccentric exercise has been associated with greater increases in protein synthesis” (Schoenfeld, 2010).
Free weights or machines
Scientist Schoenfeld claims that each type of weight plays its role in optimal growth Muscles: “Free weights, which involve a large number of muscles, help increase muscle density, while the stabilization provided by machines allows individual muscles to be targeted more.”
Preparing for serious training
When training for muscle growth with a large metabolic and mechanical effect, it can cause serious muscle damage and is recommended for people with at least one year of training experience.
It is necessary to start with a dynamic warm-up, loading the core muscles (abs, stabilizer muscles and others) to prepare the muscle tissue for the stress of high-volume training.
Exercise order
It is preferable to start training with complex movements with free weights to engage the maximum number of muscles (for example, squats with a barbell, deadlifts are best done at the beginning of training), and during the course of the session gradually move on to machines that affect individual muscles.
Extreme exercise
The last exercise in each workout must be performed in a weight-loss machine: after all repetitions of the approach to failure, the weight is reduced and the maximum possible number of repetitions must be done with it until failure.
Weight loss approaches can cause significant mechanical and metabolic stress, as well as significant discomfort, and should be performed at the end of the session.
It is important to dose the load that is necessary for you, because “overload” can be no less harmful to muscle growth than “underload.” For example, in the program recommended by scientists for muscle growth (see below), cardio load is limited. According to Schoenfeld, "too much energy expenditure can reduce muscle growth."
The exercise program presented below is based on the latest scientific research related to increasing muscle mass.
Attention: RM – repeated maximum
Day 4. Rest or low-intensity cardio exercise
The result of the workout depends on the speed of performing exercises in bodybuilding and fitness. Maximum muscle growth is the result of optimal speed and type of movement.
Tempo of weight training
For beginners, it is best to choose a slower pace of exercise - a couple of seconds to lift the weight, and then four to lower it. This way you will protect yourself from the risk of injury. In addition, it is useful to stretch out the repetition time. These figures, of course, are arbitrary, but still, it is worth adhering to the scheme, according to which 2 times more time is allocated for lowering the projectile. You can even track your first time using a stopwatch. Over time, your own internal account will appear - you will develop a subconscious habit. Additionally, a tempo of 6 seconds will help you feel the muscle work. If you don't learn this, it will be difficult to organize decent muscle stimulation training in the future.
Low speed of exercise
If the weight on the apparatus approaches one hundred percent of the athlete’s one-time maximum, then it is unlikely that it will be possible to quickly perform the movement. And even with a relatively small load, it is best to deliberately reduce the speed of performing exercises in bodybuilding and fitness as much as possible.
If you choose a slow pace, then the articular-ligamentous apparatus receives more load. In order to continue working with serious weights, it is necessary to strengthen it. In order to focus on working on the ligaments, it is best to carry out static pauses, literally a few seconds long.
A leisurely pace will help to saturate the muscles being developed to the maximum with blood during pumping training. The nutrients will influence further muscle growth.
High speed of exercise
Fast twitch muscle fibers provide explosive strength. This result is possible with a fast pace of exercise in sports. Among the classics, it is worth highlighting weightlifting snatches. The same applies to the clean and jerk, athletics throwing disciplines and strikes.
To conduct training at a fast pace, you should use weights that do not exceed 60 - 70% of the bodybuilder's one-time maximum. The speed of the projectile should increase throughout the entire amplitude of movement of the exercise - lift the projectile to the maximum upper point by the force of inertia.
Thanks to high-speed training, it becomes possible to quickly and impressively develop fast muscle fibers, which have maximum growth potential and explode the overall growth of muscle tissue in a bodybuilder.
High-tempo training is only appropriate for basic exercises for those who have already managed to strengthen their ligaments as much as possible.
Average speed of performing exercises in bodybuilding and fitness
This is the most popular type of training in bodybuilding. During such training, it is possible to use a maximum of muscle fibers of all types - fast and slow, intermediate.
This type of training involves an uneven speed of performing exercises during different phases when working with a projectile. The descent is a couple of times slower than the ascent. It is very important that the weight is controlled and not just thrown down. After all, in this way muscle work is reduced, which leads to the risk of injury.
Medium speed training is good for working with a wide range of weights ranging from zero to ninety percent of your maximum. Thus, it is possible to use this type of training in various training programs that are designed for a particular number of repetitions in a set.
Types of Power Movement Tempos
- Positive- in this case, the weight is raised more slowly than lowered.
- Negative- it’s the other way around, the weight drops slower.
- Static- in this case the weight is held without any movement.
The speed of performing exercises in bodybuilding and fitness is the subject of serious research. We can say with confidence that the optimal pace for these sports is a tempo with equal time for the positive and negative phases. Other tempos, where the emphasis falls on one or another phase of the movement, take place exclusively over a short period of time.
Here only specific goals are pursued, such as increasing strength and muscle mass. In addition, in this way it is possible to combat stagnation of results.
Increasing the time the weight is held during peak muscle contraction has a negative effect. As a result, blood circulation in the muscles slows down, the capillary system grows to compensate for this phenomenon, but the capillaries themselves become tangled, with different lumen.
Bodybuilders should know the main rule of this sport - the growth of strength indicators must outpace the growth of mass. This is the only way the principle of constantly increasing loads works. Thanks to the increase in strength, it becomes possible to increase training weights. This leads to an increase in muscle mass. Therefore, it is very important to be attentive to the positive phase of the movement. Main source muscle strength - overcoming gravitational resistance. This is the only way you can move forward.
In order to develop a subjective sense of time, you should pick up a small weight and try to perform the exercise with it, paying attention to the time. Remember the rhythm of the movement, and then, after 2 weeks of such training, you will be able to work without the help of a watch. Do not forget that the speed of performing exercises in bodybuilding and fitness is very important point for athletes.
The pace of the positive phase is protracted
Unlike the negative phase of the movement, during the positive phase it is spent more energy. In addition, more oxygen is consumed. As a result, strength indicators increase and the athlete becomes more resilient. With such movements, the central nervous system is more effectively involved, which means that the connection between the brain and muscles works better when performing such exercises. Now you have the opportunity to get stronger without increasing muscle size.
We have reached an unnatural situation where part of humanity does virtually no physical work, while others are overloaded with heavy, exhausting labor.
Once you think about it a little, it becomes clear that the countless diseases that have afflicted humanity as a result of the decline of the vital force in people are the result of unnatural living conditions.
Every day an ordinary Western employee commits a crime against his health. However, the number of adults who exercise and exercise at least once every two days is very small.
It is easy to understand that in the hustle and bustle of modern life, those of us who devote ourselves to mental work hardly have time for sports.
We live in a daily mental “routine” and do not give the body what it needs.
Our exercises consist only of a walk associated with the movement to work and home, which is reduced by the intensive use of trams, buses, trains, subways, cars, and even in the manipulation of a knife, fork and spoon when eating.
And it is not surprising that such a degenerative lifestyle reduces vitality so much that it can no longer resist disease.
Our knowledge workers live by physical inertia and easily fall prey to numerous diseases.
It is a well-known fact that regular exercise can free people from poor condition in the afternoon due to the lack of energy that occurs after lunch, and which people carefully fight against.
However, for people who are engaged only in physical labor, the one-sided nature of physical activity is fraught with great disadvantages.
A factory worker, a mason, does physical work from morning to night, but has neither good muscles nor true health.
Physical work can develop the body and increase its vitality only when it has different variations, as if we were playing a game in which every muscle must participate.
Naturally, physical exercise and an instinctive craving for sports games- human heritage.
While a person is in natural conditions, nature makes sure that every muscle and part of the body develops and strengthens.
Both work and play are part human life, but not the kind of work that is now being done by millions of workers. The current job brings nothing but exhaustion.
All Western sports can develop the body, but they should not be used very intensively.
All sports put a lot of stress on the heart, and the athlete's heart is usually dilated.
To this, with rare exceptions, it should be added that various sports provide only one-sided muscular development.
The fencer develops strongly right hand and right leg, a tennis player - his right arm, and a speed skater - his leg muscles.
On the other hand, if we want to develop all muscles harmoniously, then it is necessary to engage in various sports at the same time. But where to find time for this?
With the help of an ancient Indian method, anyone can develop a symmetrical, muscular body without expensive gym equipment or a lot of wasted time. The only thing we will need is a mirror and 15 minutes of time every day.
With the help of a system of slow exercises, which consists of playful movements combined with strong mental concentration, it is possible to develop strong muscles in very a short time. And everyone can do this sport at home.
The oldest Indian system of muscle development - the dhandalibhiaska exercises - differs from Western gymnastics in that it does not consist of meaningless repetitions of exercises, but contains exercises performed with great interest.
During exercise, straining our will or imagination, we observe the muscles moving and send a flow of prana into them.
By doing the exercises consciously and purposefully, we use our imagination and subconsciously overcome our doubts and skepticism.
If, for example, we bend our right arm slowly, continuously observing this movement, and imagine that at this moment a large amount of prana is flowing into our biceps, and blood is strongly supplying the entire arm - we have already achieved success!
After several weeks of persistent practice of this simple physical exercise, combined with mental concentration, we will suddenly notice that the muscles in our arms have grown as much as if we had been doing hard work for several months.
The creative power of consciousness gives the muscles the shape and size that we hold in our imagination.
Let us try this method on other parts of the body: if we use our imagination to send vital force to different parts of the body, constantly increasing strength, and if we observe the work of the muscles during exercise or observe them in the mirror, we will soon build the body we have in mind and which God allowed us to build.
The secret of the “great effect” of slow exercises on the muscles and the entire body lies in the creative work of consciousness.
The tiny nerve endings that permeate all the tissues of the body are charged with power consciously, by our will.
During exercise, these tiny reservoirs are filled with a certain amount of prana, and muscle building continues not only during the exercise, but also after, even during sleep; obedient to the dictatorship of our will, the nerves form the shape of the muscles drawn by our imagination.
In children and even in adults, the power of consciousness can transform even the skeleton in accordance with desire, almost without limitation. This can be understood by those who have tried to do this not only in theory, but also in practice.
After a short period of practice, we can feel the creative power of consciousness throughout our entire body.
As the result of mental influence, these exercises, performed through self-hypnosis and concentration, bring greater benefits to the muscles and body than any athletic exercise performed mindlessly.
The Indian system of slow exercises, if we practice persistently every day, produces miracles. No equipment is required as yoga provides simple, natural movements.
Javelin throwing (Trident of Shiva).
We clench the fist of our right hand, as if we were grabbing a dart or spear.
Standing, legs apart, stretched out left hand to the side, we tilt our whole body back, as if about to throw a spear.
We move our right arm back and slightly bend our torso back. This is the main point.
Now we go through all the movements of throwing a javelin until the last phase, when the right hand holding the javelin is extended forward and the left hand is behind.
During the exercise, we bend our knees, first the right and then the left.
We must move continuously, smoothly, rhythmically, plastically, gracefully.
Active movement is carried out as follows. We take the basic javelin throwing position in front of a mirror and, straining every muscle to the limit, we move through each phase of the exercise as slowly as if we were watching ourselves in a slow-motion movie.
The movement should be so slow that an exercise that takes two to three seconds would take at least 30 seconds. up to 1 minute.
After performing the movement, we remain in the last phase of the exercise for a minute and then slowly return to the main position.
The exercise is repeated 2-3 times.
At the end, by quickly shaking the muscles, we relax those muscles that participated in this exercise.
The exercise ends with several deep breaths.
Many Western athletes and coaches will laugh at this exercise. However, before expressing any opinion, they should have done it themselves for at least a week to achieve the effect of the slow exercises.
They would see amazing results. There is no organ, for example, weak lungs, which would not respond to these conscious exercises and would not show signs of development, even in adults.
The second exercise that should be performed daily is archery (Arjuna).
Standing with our legs apart, we turn slightly to the side, as if we were holding a bow in our left hand.
Standing firmly, we tense the muscles of our thighs and arms, extend our left arm, draw the bow with our right hand and then release the string.
The entire exercise should take about a minute.
We finish the exercise by shaking the muscles and taking several full breaths.
Shepherd boys stick fencing.
We take the position of a fencer. Holding the sword in our hand, we move forward and backward, striking right and left, but all this very slowly, at a snail’s pace.
Lifting weights (Hanuman lifts Govardhan).
Bend forward, grab an imaginary heavy weight with both hands and lift it to shoulder level.
Bending our knees under the weight of the weight, spreading our legs, we finally lift our weight above our heads with outstretched arms.
We perform this exercise slowly so that it takes a full minute.
Finally, as before, we shake our muscles to relax them and take a full breath.
Chopping wood (for your own cremation ceremony).
This is one of the most important simple exercises.
Standing with our legs apart, we raise our hands in front of the mirror, imagining that between two hands clenched into a fist there is the handle of a heavy ax, which we slowly raise over an imaginary block.
We stab slowly so that each stab takes one to two minutes.
At the end of the exercise, relax the muscles and take deep breaths.
Pushing stones (building a bridge to Lanka to save Sita).
We are running after Krishna, but we cannot catch up.
We go through all the runner's movements without leaving the original place.
We breathe slowly and consciously direct prana to all the muscles that are involved in the exercise.
We finish the exercise by shaking the muscles in order to relax them and take several full breaths.
We defeat Kamsa.
Standing in front of the mirror, we take the position of a boxer, deliver several blows with the right and left hands to an imaginary opponent in the head and body.
All this is done as slowly as possible, with full concentration of all our attention and with full tension of all muscles.
We finish the exercise with relaxation.
Swimming in the Yamuna.
The exercise corresponds to the swimming training drill given in Europe.
Lying on your stomach on a low bench, we perform swimmer’s movements, constantly thinking about regulating breathing.
Then we lie on our back and perform the movements of a back swimmer.
The importance of swimming natural look sports, has already been noted in connection with pranayama.
Here we once again emphasize that of all the physical exercises, swimming should be performed by everyone for half an hour a day.
We cut grass for the cows.
An excellent exercise for developing the muscles of the back and sides and maintaining the elasticity of the spine. Moving left and right stimulates the nerves coming out of the spinal cord.
We go through all the movements of the mower to the right and to the left, then we lean forward, “cutting the short grass with a sickle.” It's all very slow.
We finish the exercise by relaxing the muscles and taking a few deep breaths.
Climbing a tree to get bananas for Krishna.
A very important exercise for building the body. It may have several variations. Its goal is to imitate the natural exercise of climbing a tree trunk. It's extremely simple.
If we perform it outside, under trees, we grab a thick branch above our head.
If we do it at home, we grab the door frame. First, we hang without moving for several seconds, then, after resting a little, we again grab a branch or frame and hang for as long as we can.
Crawling on all fours. We are Hanuman's monkey warriors.
Civilized adults may consider this exercise beneath them. However, it is very useful.
Crawling on all fours for at least five minutes has the same effect. beneficial effect on blood circulation, brain and endocrine gland system, as well as asanas with inverse body position.
When crawling on all fours, we should, of course, not crawl on our knees; but we must move on outstretched arms and legs so that our head is down.
We should walk for one or two minutes with our legs as unbent as possible; then slowly on bent arms and legs; The exercise should be completed by crawling on your elbows.
This is the so-called “Indian crawl”. If you practice this exercise for a few minutes, it has an excellent effect on muscle development.
Getting water from the sacred well (Sanatana Goswami at the Madana-Mohana temple).
We take out water from the well while standing, legs apart and slightly leaning forward.
We slowly go through the motions of pulling out a rope holding a heavy bucket of water.
We grab an imaginary rope with both hands alternately, pulling it out so that when the left hand is bent and near the chest, the right one reaches the floor to grab the rope as low as possible. Then we pull out the rope with our right hand and lower our left hand down.
We finish the exercise by relaxing the muscles and taking several full yogic breaths.
Let's pull Rathayatra. We are taking Krishna back to Vrindavan.
Standing with your legs apart, in front of the mirror, stretch out your right arm, grasp an imaginary rope and pull it with all your might, bending your torso to the right. Then we repeat the same movement with our left hand.
This alternating movement is one of the best for the back muscles.
We should not forget that this movement must be performed as slowly as possible in order to accompany each phase of the movement with concentration of consciousness.
Our movements must be completely harmonious.
Rope climbing for coconuts for Krishna.
This exercise is performed in the same way as the previous one, but with an imaginary rope hanging vertically. So we go through the motions of a man climbing up a rope.
Fighting with wrestlers in the Kamsa arena.
We fight an imaginary enemy. In this exercise, slow movements are especially important.
We relax all the time between different grips.
You should never hold your breath for more than 7 seconds in this exercise.
Conclusion.
Hindus perform the exercises “d h a n d a l i b h i a s k i ” simultaneously with their teacher. By concentrating, the student can observe the impressive play of the muscles of the beautiful symmetrical body of his teacher.
The subconscious mind of the student registers the body picture of the teacher who has built his body through such exercises. High degree associations and concentration of prana can only be achieved when we perform the exercises with such a teacher.
This is not always possible in the west, and the mirror in this case is a substitute, although we should try to imagine the beautiful forms of Lord Krishna and Lord Balarama.
This unparalleled system of ancient exercises, which combines faith, desire and imagination with physical movements, is worthy of serious attention and careful study by physical education teachers and coaches in the West.
How do I do this?
I have at home large mirror. There is tantric music that is pleasant to my ears. There is a whole paradise of the living exotic plants. And sometimes I can find half an hour of quiet time to study.
There are several strict rules for performing the “Miracle of Slow Exercises”. mandatory conditions that must not be violated.
1. A mirror is a must.
2. Quiet, smooth music that is pleasant to the ear is required (it may not be really music). They could just be mantras. The main condition: harmony of sound for perception and pulse
3. It is necessary to give a strict warning to your relatives - not to disturb you during this half hour. It is better to hang a sign on the door reminding “Knock only in case of fire!” This is very important condition: During exercise there is a high load on the body. Such loads are completely safe in a state of harmonious trance. But a call, a knock, or a cell phone ringing can suddenly “push” you out of the trance, and then there will be muscle pain. Least. Therefore, your Universal peace for half an hour is a mandatory condition.
4. You should not exercise after coffee, after alcohol, or after a fatty, heavy meal.
5. Before classes you must undress naked. The exercise is carried out only naked. Only alone. Only in front of the mirror.
Turn on the music. Take off your clothes. Look at yourself carefully in front of the mirror. Spin randomly to the music. Contort yourself arbitrarily. You are alone, no one can see you. No one will smile when looking at you. Strip yourself of all internal correspondences. Give up all your social masks for half an hour. Become simply a Human Body.
Try to “enter” the sounds of music. Try to listen to yourself, to your body. Try to continue any movements that are born by your Body. Look after yourself in the mirror and like yourself. Your breathing can be arbitrary. But quite complete, not superficial. For lovers of pranayama, you can breathe. But this is for the love of the exotic. In terms of meaning - not necessarily.
When you enter a calm, harmonious state, stand in the archer’s pose.
Attention!!!
Now very slowly, while maintaining deep, measured breathing, tense all the muscles of your body and, looking at your loved one in the mirror, slowly, slowly, pull the bowstring, take aim and fire the “shot.” Slowly. Smoothly. Like a very, very slow motion movie. Without reducing the tension! Put your hands down. The first exercise is completed. And now you can catch your breath.
In a client's gym workouts, we see everything from outright quirks to proven principles that they believe they should follow. Clients implement many of the assumptions about strength training promoted by experts and beginners alike. And the debate about the “best way” to work muscles continues.
Tortoise or hare?
Slow, controlled resistance training is based on a single concept: long duration of impact on the muscle (time under load), without sudden movements. Some people claim that extremely slow repetitions are the safest and most reliable way increasing strength and mass.
Director of the Virginia Tech Center for Health Behavior Research and publisher of the Master Trainer newsletter, Dr. Richard Winett explains the benefits of slow rises based on personal experience. “I've actually found that it's more fun to go slow because it requires incredible concentration and intensity and is different from my past workouts,” he states. "But greatest benefit– joints do not become inflamed.” To comply with this, a person needs to understand the mechanics of such movements.
Accounting for Variables
The situation with slow repetitions affects a whole series interrelated factors:
- the difference between demonstrating and increasing power;
- the role of intensity in gaining strength and mass;
- muscle fiber response to intensity;
- ways to increase intensity.
First, we need to mention the confusion about the difference between demonstrating and increasing strength. In competitions such as weightlifting, when strength is demonstrated, power is also demonstrated. A weightlifter's performance depends on technique, as well as significant momentum, not only to lift the barbell off the floor, but also to throw it overhead from the shoulders. The better his technique and the greater the impulse, the higher the result. In fact, the point is to benefit from technique, momentum, and neuromuscular learning that facilitates movement.
Power is defined as work done per unit of time. Thus, we can come to the conclusion that the faster an athlete performs a movement with a large weight on the Olympic bar, the more power he demonstrates. But will training be in such an explosive way? the best way increase strength?
Physics? In the gym?
From a physics perspective, a process using technique and momentum does not necessarily stimulate a muscle group with high intensity. In fact, when a movement combines technique and momentum, the effect is exactly the opposite: the intensity decreases. Even though we are witnessing the lifting and throwing of enormous weights, with high level effort (mass x acceleration), this does not necessarily mean intense stimulus and high muscle tension. High effort is significantly different from high intensity.
This a great opportunity show the key role of intensity in increasing muscle strength and mass. Based on research, it can be assumed that neither the frequency, nor the volume, nor the number of repetitions in the set are critical at high intensity. The intensity is determined by the state of muscle failure. Provided failure is achieved properly, there does not seem to be a significant difference in results between two or three sessions per week, or maybe just one session. It is also believed that it does not matter whether the athlete does two or five sets of movements, six or twenty repetitions in each of the approaches.
According to the size principle, muscle fibers are activated in order of their size. Simply put, this means that small slow-twitch muscle fibers are activated before large fast-twitch fibers. As small fibers tire, more muscle fibers become activated. However, once a fiber is activated, it remains active. Thus, over time, the muscle produces less and less force until the athlete completes the exercise.
There is a widespread misconception that speed is the determining factor. While this is intuitively appealing, it is actually incorrect to assume that only slow-twitch fibers are active during slow movements, while fast-twitch fibers are activated only during fast movements. It is generally accepted that the only challenge is determining the intensity level at which the muscle fibers are sufficiently fatigued to produce the desired muscle adaptations.
New options
There are slow reps and very slow reps. Ken Hutchins developed the ultra-slow method in 1982 while working with a group of elderly, frail women. These women took part in osteoporosis studies conducted at the University of Florida. According to the protocol, the women lifted the weight in two seconds and lowered it in four. It was observations of the unstable form of the subjects that prompted Hutchins to develop a new approach.
The point of super-slow reps is to push the muscles to failure, keeping them under load throughout the movement. “Our assumptions were based on action theory,” says Hutchins. “As a rule, we train our muscles when we put them under load, so that the muscle, starting with fresh strength at the start, goes after a few repetitions to a state where you cannot move the weight. At some point during the exercise, the muscle gradually becomes fatigued and crosses a threshold at which the body receives a signal to increase strength and muscle growth.”
Hutchins goes on to note that the ultra-slow rep method targets the body's skeletal muscles, which he calls the "mover of the body." These movers work very hard, resulting in a lot of heat production, more energy consumption, and more blood flow than other muscles in the body. Hutchins suggests that the athlete determine how much he is lifting, and then reduce the load by 30%.
On the other side of the barricades
Dr. Patrick O'Shea is a proponent of lifting weights at a fast pace. The doctor devoted most of his life to weight training and became a professor emeritus of Exercise and Sports Science at Oregon State University. His position is also logical and scientifically based. He reminds us that power = force x speed Based on this key idea, a typical force-velocity curve clearly illustrates the relationship between force and speed.
Only an increase in intensity, implying an increase in force (weight) and/or speed, has an effect on strength and power; most likely this will be accompanied by hypertrophy. Here we just need to note that muscle hypertrophy is influenced by many factors: type of training, intensity, nutrition and heredity.
Slow execution also includes a danger that does not exist with fast execution - holding your breath. Simply put, rising slowly and carefully impairs blood flow to and from the heart. When the force of muscle contraction reaches 80% of the maximum possible, almost complete obstruction is observed. The degree to which the heart can work when lifting heavy objects is primarily determined by blood pressure blood necessary to facilitate blood flow to muscle tissues with the most severe contractions.
Therefore, performing continuous, powerful lifts of weights potentially increases the pressure in the muscle tissue, requiring very high pressure to perfuse. This reaction is part of a cascade that subsequently causes a significant increase in pressure and a decrease in blood return to the heart. Insufficient venous return during lifting not only impairs blood supply to the heart, but, due to the inability to perform anaerobically, also causes a decrease in stroke volume (the amount of blood ejected with each contraction) due to insufficient filling of the chambers of the heart.
A study funded by the National Institutes of Health (NIH) found results indicating that a low-intensity-high-volume protocol may provide a similar, if not better, stimulus for muscle adaptation than a high-intensity-low-volume protocol due to greater time under load, power, and effort. and work, when comparing the total volume of load.
It's time to figure out the pace
To develop slow twitch fibers, a person needs to train aerobically. This means lifting weights that are large enough to perform 12 to 20 reps per set, and resting 60 to 90 seconds between sets. Conversely, to stimulate fast-twitch fibers, you need to train anaerobically.
This can be achieved by working with weights that allow you to perform only four to six repetitions per set, with rest intervals of three to five minutes. To achieve a balance between strength and endurance, to develop both types of fibers, an athlete with correct technique you need to perform eight to twelve repetitions per set and rest for two to three minutes.
Here are four values that determine the pace of the exercise:
- duration of lowering the weight (“negative” or “eccentric” movement);
- transition from lowering to rising;
- duration of weight lifting (“positive” or “concentric” movement);
- duration of the repetition completion phase.
Summarize
Over the course of four weeks, the nervous system and muscle tissue adapt to the normal training program. Most experts would agree that to prevent performance plateaus, you need to make changes to your training.