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Machine of the Month – B1
Strong legs and stable knees provide essential support throughout life. When we do the B1 – leg extension – we target the quadriceps muscles in each thigh (m. quadriceps femoris). Because the muscles being trained are isolated, the knees are protected.
This exercise is included in almost all programmes for newcomers. It is simple to do and so beginners can concentrate fully on doing the exercise correctly and smoothly.
At the start of the exercise, the legs are bent. To do the exercise, straighten the legs fully. During the entire exercise, keep the legs rotated outwards slightly by 20° – 30° with toes pointing towards the knee. Hold this position for 2 seconds – for muscle strengthening this is particularly important. We rarely use the muscle in this position and so it is often weaker at this point. At the same time, this phase also extends the antagonists, i.e. the biceps muscles of the thigh (m. biceps femoris).
In terms of effective training, it is important to continue this exercise until you can no longer complete a full repetition.
Expert’s Tip
During the first 20 training sessions, the main aim is to get used to doing the exercises and so increasing the weight is not paramount. Here we gradually attune muscles, ligaments and tendons to the load and getting used to doing the exercise correctly.
During this phase, the 60 – 90 second period can be exceeded as you are not yet training at full intensity. Even when you first start, try to avoid giving help to the muscles being trained, i.e. don’t wriggle or turn/swing the body and make sure that all other muscles are relaxed. This applies particularly to facial, neck and hand muscles – as they are all too keen to take part in every single exercise.
Many newcomers to training ask about breathing during the exercise. The rhythm of your breathing does not have to be the same as the rhythm of the exercise. The two important things to remember are to continue breathing and to avoid forced exhalations.
During this phase, the main aim of training is to correct the so-called strength curve for the main joints and to restore full range of motion.
Ulrike Reitmann, Research Department Kieser Training
Back strength – the key to life without pain
We need strong muscles for everything we do – whether it is laughing, climbing stairs or going shopping. However, of particular importance are muscles that we use in daily life but of which we are often unaware: our lower back muscles. These muscles ensure that we can stand up and walk. If they are weak, the spine loses its main support. The result is back problems that are sometimes extremely painful. The study “Kieser Training works” involving 531 participants demonstrated that Kieser Training effectively strengthens this important muscle group. After training for six months, participants had increased the strength of their lumbar muscles by an average of 24%.
The study measured the strength of lumbar muscles, i.e. the back extensors. The results were compared with norm values calculated by the University of Florida adjusted for age and gender. The comparison showed that within six months, the percentage of those with “below average” or “significantly below average” strength had dropped from 68.3% to 44.0%. After training for 6 months, more than half of the cohort displayed strength levels above the norm for their age and gender.
A more detailed look at the distribution showed that the percentage of those with “significantly below average” strength levels had more than halved during the period of the study. In other words, the number of participants with a very high risk of pain had declined by 55%. In contrast, the strength levels of those in the control group who did not train remained the same during this period.
The results were no surprise. Back in 1995, Nelson et. al. conducted a study involving 600 people, which showed that strength training on therapy machines not only strengthened lumbar muscles but also reduced back pain in the long term. 79% of patients recorded a reduction in pain.
However, once we have achieved those initial training gains, it’s important that we don’t then neglect our muscles. If we do not continue with regular training, we gradually lose the positive effects of training. Having completed Medical Strengthening Therapy, it’s important to train independently twice a week to ensure that muscles remain strong and are not a barrier to an active, pain-free life.
5 questions ... about strength
What is strength?
In physics, strength is mass x acceleration. In terms of training practice, strength is the ability to a contract a muscle against a resistance, i.e. to ability to generate muscle tension.
A resistance can be lifted (dynamic strength), held (static strength) or lowered in a controlled manner (eccentric strength). In our everyday life, we rarely do just one of these in isolation. We mix them. This is what happens with Kieser Training: we lift, hold and then lower the weight.
Does a muscle always produce the same strength?
A muscle is unable to produce a constant strength throughout any given movement. Muscle tension varies depending on whether a joint is being flexed or extended. For example the biceps muscle: when the arm is almost fully extended, the maximum level of strength is low; as we bend the arm, strength gradually increases and is at its maximum when the elbow is roughly at right angles. After that, if we continue to flex the arm, tension in the biceps declines. Most people have a strength deficit in the final phase of the contraction. We can test strength to identify individual weaknesses and then display them in what is known as a strength curve.
Is there more than one type of strength?
In principle, there is only one type of strength: maximum strength. However, in the science of training, a distinction is made between maximum strength, explosive strength and strength endurance. For explosive strength and strength endurance the time under load plays a role: strength endurance is the ability to hold or move a heavier weight for a longish period, i.e. not to fatigue too quickly. In contrast, explosive strength is the ability to develop strength as quickly as possible, i.e. to do an explosive movement. Both types depend upon maximum strength.
So what is maximum strength?
Maximum strength is the highest possible tension that a muscle can generate when working against a resistance. In order to obtain useable measurements for scientific and medical purposes, we need to do a static test of maximum strength. In the Medical Strengthening Therapy used by Kieser Training, we measure the maximum strength of say the deep back extensor muscles in 7 different positions. This produces a strength curve showing where the muscles are weak. It allows a comparison between ACTUAL and IDEAL strength levels so that we can also measure training gains.
Is the strength limit the same?
No: if you train, you gradually increase your maximum strength. Your strength limit is your personal limit. This is determined by genetic factors. If the weight is increased regularly, providing an adequate training stimulus, maximum strength will continue to increase. However, after regular training over 18 – 24 months you will reach your final strength level. After that, you only need a limited amount of training to maintain that level of strength. You should not confuse an increase in strength with an improvement in coordination: Training improves the interaction between individual muscles and the interaction between individual fibres within the same muscle. Both increase the achievable strength.
