Health tip for week Feb 21st

Open and Closed Kinetic Chain Exercises

This week’s health tip is about learning to choose exercises.

The selection of exercise should be based on movement patterns rather than individual muscles or muscle groups.  Movement patterns or exercises can be classified as occurring in an open or closed chain kinetic chain.

What is open and closed chain exercises?

Open Chain Exercises:

1. Distal segment moves in space.
2. Independent joint movement; no predictable joint motion in adjacent joints.
3. Movement of body segments only distal to the moving joint.
4. Muscle activation occurs predominantly in the prime mover and is isolated to muscles of the moving joint.
5. Typically performed in non weight-bearing positions.
6. Resistance is applied to the moving distal segment.
7. Use to external rotary loading.
8. External stabilization (manually or with equipment) usually required.

Closed Chain Exercises:

1. Distal segment remains stationary (fixed in place)
2. Interdependent joint movement; relatively predictable movement patterns in adjacent joints
3. Movement of body segments may occur distal and/or proximal to the moving point
4. Muscle activation occurs in multiple muscle groups, both distal and proximal to the moving joint
5. Muscle activation occurs in weight-bearing positions
6. Resistance is applied simultaneously to multiple moving segments
7. Use of axel loading
8. Internal stabilization by means of muscle action, joint compression, and congruency and postural control

For example, looking at the photo below.  The movement is the same but the left picture (a squat) is closed chain and the right picture (leg press) is open chain.

All movements can be open or closed chain.  The key is to train what is functional to you.

Let’s bring back the example above.  The squat is more functional because most individuals will be doing this movement everyday.  You sit down.  You pick something up from the floor.  Every time you go to the bathroom, you squat first to sit on the toilet.

And now let’s examine the leg press. How does the leg press exercise carry to real life situation and how often?  Perhaps, sitting down and pushing an object away.  This will probably happen once a week.

In this example, you will want to pick the squat as part of your exercise routine.

Most upper body movement will be open chain exercises and lower body will be closed chain exercises due to functionality.   Therefore, pick exercises based on movement patterns and make sure they are functional.

If you are still confused about open and closed chain exercises, come to our “Strength Training Integration” seminar this coming weekend Feb 26^th and 27^th at AF Performance Center.  We will be discussing in detail the kinetic chain, practicing all of the exercises you can think of, and going over exercise programming.

To sign up, go to http://www.evo-performance.com/seminars.htm or call at (310) 895-5385.

 

New Video

Hello everybody-

I have a new video.  Check it out.  It’s on the website www.afperformancecenter.com and in Youtube.com

or click below:

What is Functional Training?

I have been asked this question a lot recently.  Let me try to answer it in a simple way so that everybody can understand.

Functional training has been around for centuries; however, it has been mislabeled by many coaches as “sport specific” training because, in general or by definition, functional training is training body movement patterns rather than specific muscles BUT it is not about training your body in specific movements according to what sports you play. To best describe it, functional training is training “general movements” whether it is sport purpose or not. Functional training has a great carryover to everyday life such as walking and running. Don’t we all bent over and pick something up from the ground?  Well, it’s the same movement as a deadlift.  Everybody should be training according to how their body functions and their goals. Since each individual is unique on its own way, what is functional for that individual may not be functional for another person.

Machine-based training which guides a body through a fixed movement (especially the smith-machines) is not functional at all for anybody. There have been arguments that training with smith machines results in fewer injuries in training, but the lack of stabilization and sense of your body’s whereabouts will more than likely lead to injuries while playing a sport or when a person goes for a simple run.

Everybody needs some sort of functional training because it improves our balance, speed, strength, and power. Body movement patterns like squats, lunges, deadlifts, chin ups and bench press (to name a few) are all functional movements but they are not all functional to everybody. Each category has its variation movements, in other words, under the squat category, there are back squat, front squat, single leg vertical squat, Bulgarian squat. Depending on each person’s goal and the way their body moves, a certain squat is preferred and better over another. For instance, the back squat is terrible for someone who has upper and lower cross syndrome posture (which most Americans have) because the loading puts too much stress on the spine and therefore can seriously result in lower back injuries. It is not worth the risk. I will give the back squat exercise to those who trains for Olympic Weight Lifting because back squat is a must for them or for those with different posture who can handle such loading on the spine. For most Americans, the front squat or Bulgarian squat is far more beneficial and effective. For athletes, they need lots of single leg exercises to improve their stability and balance. For runners, they need lots of glute exercises to stabilize the hip which then stabilize the knee.

Functional training uses many concepts and different type of exercises (ie. Flexibility, core, plyometric, strength, metabolic, etc) to improve speed, strength and power and thus improve their performance while going for a simple run or playing sports and at the same time reduce incidence of injury.

It is important to understand how your body moves and functions before starting any training; therefore, going through an assessment first is essential.  At AF Performance Center, we provide a very comprehensive assessment to all clients.   This is the first thing we do when each person signs up to join our gym. Besides, the assessment will give an indication to what type of functional training program an individual needs.

If you are still confused or have any questions, you may email me at afperformancecenter@gmail.com.

Thanks,

Alicia Fong

Updates on my studio

Hi everybody-

I apologize for not updating my blog.  It has been awhile.  After I found the location, I have been so busy setting up the studio.  I want this studio to be one of kind in Santa Monica.  The studio is called AF Performance Center.  I want a studio with all of the functional training equipment you can think of, from basic tools for beginners to hard core gadgets for training strong-man and professional athletes.  I already have most of the equipments in the studio but I still have more to come by the end of this year.  I already have or will have the following:

1. Kettlebells including competition Kettlebells,
2. Elite Power Rack (a good looking, hard core rack, the only one in Los Angeles) with a multi-grip chin-up bar,
3. Functional Keiser (a sweet, smooth, air compressor equipment for strength, power and functional movements),
4. Sled (to be pushed and pulled on my 75-foot indoor track),
5. Slide Board (a fun tool for intervals, you slide side-to-side like hockey players or roller blading)
6. Olympic Platform with half rack to do Olympic Lifting,
7. Indian Clubs (great for training your upper body especially strengthening the shoulder complex),
8. Climbing rope,
9. Jungle gym (looks like gymnastic rings but with different handles)
10. Keiser spinning bike (for metabolic training),
11. Lots of plyometric tools like the Hurdles, Ladders, Cones, Boxes, Steps and many more.
12. Free weights like dumbells, chains, Olympic bars (the same ones used at the 2008 Olympics) and bumper plates,
13. Resistance and correction bands,
14. Reebok Core Board and ab wheel (to get 6-pack abs).

Go to www.AFPerformanceCenter.com and check out some pictures.  I’m very excited and I hope people like what they see and decide to drop by for a visit and become a member.

I love to train everybody like an athlete.  It’s fun and a different kind of workout unlike the usual machine-based fitness program given at all commercial gyms in LA.

I have clients coming from Pasadena (that is a long drive especially during traffic hours) and one person from Riverside.  They love the training and don’t want to go back to commercial gyms.  I’m working on getting testimonials from my clients for my website.

This is it for now.  I personally invite you all to come and visit my studio.  See ya!!!