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E2 – Lateral rise
Small weight but big effect: The E2 machine is one of those machines that constantly surprises you as to how strenuous it is. No wonder, just one muscle is responsible almost “single-handed” for lifting the weight when the exercise is done properly: the deltoid muscle. It raises the arms to the side and gives the shoulders their beautiful form. Admittedly, when you do a lateral raise, the deltoid quickly reaches its limits. The reason: The higher you raise the arms, the less strength the shoulder muscle can develop. However, the sophisticated design of the E2 machine ensures that the muscle copes with the weight. The machine has a cam, which means that the weight is heaviest at the start of the exercise and becomes lighter as the arms are raised. If shoulder mobility is limited, you simply limit the range of motion so that the shoulders blades remain in their lowest position throughout the exercise. A useful tip: Consciously pull the tip of the shoulder blades back and down throughout the exercise. This reduces the stress on the shoulder joints. Stress on the joints can be reduced further if the handholds are adjusted to position 4 or 5. Rotate the arms outwards and continue the movement over the head – this stimulates the neck muscles and the muscles that secure the shoulder blade. It may be a small measure, but it‘s the source of great relief.
Expert’s Tip
Anika Stephan
Research Department Kieser Training
Using momentum often makes things easier. However, with strength training it is counterproductive: As you build up momentum, you produce more muscle tension than is desirable and in the momentum phase you produce less. The braking phase can also cause undue strain. For example, let’s look at the B1 (leg extension): In this case, it’s often the final moments of leg extension that are the most difficult. If you use momentum to achieve full extension, you “spare“ your muscles at the precise point where they are at their weakest. In addition, you have no control over the movement as you reverse the direction. This means that you absorb the training weight when your legs are almost straight. That does not sound a good idea, does it?
BWatch yourself critically: are you using momentum during the exercise? If so, reduce the speed at which you do the exercise and just use your strength to complete it. German fitness expert, Axel Gottlob, even recommends an “artificial pause“ at the critical point before continuing slowly with the exercise.
Latest research – Strength training for Type 2 diabetes
Sport not only keeps you healthy but makes you well again. This has long been common (albeit very helpful) knowledge in the field of sports medicine thanks to numerous studies. Admittedly, until now strength training has just been a side issue in medical research with scientists tending to focus on endurance training as it was seen as particularly beneficial to health. The same applied to earlier research into Type 2 diabetes mellitus: cardiovascular training and dietary changes were regarded as the ultimate in the treatment of so-called late-onset diabetes.
However, in recent years an increasing number of researchers have turned their attention to muscle training and have recognised its value as a therapy. We now know that patients with diabetes can exert a positive influence on muscle metabolism, energy balance and bodyweight through sport and dietary changes, physical fitness and trained muscles. A more active lifestyle, particularly in the early stages of the disease, can have far-reaching effects and diabetics can reduce the impact of the disease and delay or even avoid medication.
What’s new is that recent studies have shown that the benefits of strength training are almost equal to those of endurance training. Muscle training also reduces insulin resistance and improves glycaemic metabolism and body composition. A primary indicator in determining the benefits of this type of therapy is long-term blood sugar level – known as HbA1c. Strength training can reduce HbA1c by an amount equal to that achieved by endurance training. The most effective therapy for Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a combination of cardiovascular and muscle training.
The Diabetes Associations in both Germany and the United States recommend strength training. Patients should strengthen major muscle groups three times a week. The ideal interval between sessions is every other day as the one-off effect on insulin resistance from training is limited to 48 hours. The reward for this effort can be found in blood sugar levels: the higher the level of exertion, the greater the effect on the metabolism. For that reason, intensity should, wherever possible be moderate to high.
Tales from the Training Floor ... the strength of camaraderie
Ramón Bernaus (second from right), Kieser Traing customer in Barcelona, prepared his 100 km run
with Kieser Training.
The best stories come from real life – or from training. Life does not simply grind to a halt when the thousands of Kieser Training customers are training. Quite the opposite, life goes on around them. Tales from the Training Room is the name of our series. This time we meet Ramón Bernaus, a customer in Barcelona who shows how strength, team spirit and a good idea paid off.
It‘s 09.00 hours on the 7th May in Santa Maria de Palautordera in Barcelona Province. 808 competitors are about to complete 100 kilometres on foot in a maximum of 36 hours. They compete in teams of 4 – but does that mean that each team is competing against the others? Not quite, because all are walking for the same good cause. “We are walking to fight poverty,“ explains Ramón Bernaus. “Each team has to collect a minimum of 1,500 Euros before they can start“.
The event is the Oxfam Trailwalker, which is held 15 times each year in 12 different countries, including, Australia, United Kingdom and Germany. This year, Spain joins them for the first time. “Often, people living in developing countries have to walk miles to find food, water, medical treatment, work or education. These charity events are designed to provide some relief,“ explains Bernaus. The total amount collected by the 202 teams will exceed 470,000 Euros. “The money raised by the Intermón Oxfam Trailwalker in Spain will be used primarily for the construction of wells in Ethiopia,“ he says with a smile. “I like that thought. We walk so that others won’t have to walk as far to reach the nearest well. That’s what kept me going during the event. We also valued the support of Kieser Training – it allowed us to donate 3,190 Euros“. The name of the team says it all: “Nosaltres i tu, junts per una causa” – “We and You – together for a single cause“.
A sense of common purpose was also needed for the sporting side of the event because Ramón Bernaus and fellow team members David Cabanillas, Raimón Gabara and Zenón Cubillas had to stay together during the walk and cross the finishing line together. Easier said than done in the event that uses the “Els 3 monts“ – a long-distance trail that takes its ames from three mountains – the highest being the Turó de l’Home at 1,706 metres. “It was a hard experience but a good one,“ says Bernaus. “In all, we walked 108 kilometres, up and down the whole time. It rained overnight and the paths were narrow and stony.“
Bernaus’ team of four was the fourth oldest in the event. He is 64 years old and has been training at Kieser Training for the last year to get his muscles in trim. “It was ideal preparation for the intense effort required,“ explains Bernaus. He used a training programme tailored to his own needs in order to strengthen and stabilise his legs, trunk back and arms. “That really paid off,“ stresses the 64-year old Spaniard. And indeed it did: Ramón Bernaus and his team completed the event in 23 hours and 59 minutes and came in 18th out of 202 teams. And not just that! They demonstrated that strong camaraderie brings its own rewards. A great show of strength!
