medieval7
Cathlete
Hi, Cathe.
Did you hear about an article in Prevention (August 2005) that lists several strength/fitness moves they feel women should stop doing, stating they're either ineffective or even raise the chance of injury by performing them. The ones I'd like to bring to your attention, in particular, are:
Recommended we ditch: Ab crunches, since the ROM in a crunch is so limited. Instead they favor sit-ups with knees bent and arms crossed over the chest, stating these involved a greater ROM and so the abs work longer under tension and sit-ups also work hip flexors.
Recommended we ditch: Dumbbell flies, since they're "not functional for anything but giving a better bear hug," and less than perfect form can strain the shoulder joints. Instead, they favor stair push-ups, since they're "one of the best upper body toners." This one especially upset me, since I'm able to do pec flies with heavy weight and it gives me a feeling that I'm doing something good! They note that many women avoid push-ups because they're difficult, and so they advise using a step to start.
One that I was happy about, though, was their recommendation to ditch Upright Rows, since "standing straight up and pulling weights along your body is awkward and unnatural." Also, "lifting too high can also painfully impinge the shoulder and cause wrist pain." Instead, they favor Forward-Leaning Lateral Raises, since they target rear shoulder muscles more effectively than the upright row, and also target the often-overlooked rhomboid muscles.
Cathe, what is your opinion of these recommendations? I have faith in your knowledge and training and I would so very much appreciate your input here. I'm a newcomer to your workouts and began collecting them avidly, even Step, and I'm greatly impressed with your methods and style.
Susan G
Did you hear about an article in Prevention (August 2005) that lists several strength/fitness moves they feel women should stop doing, stating they're either ineffective or even raise the chance of injury by performing them. The ones I'd like to bring to your attention, in particular, are:
Recommended we ditch: Ab crunches, since the ROM in a crunch is so limited. Instead they favor sit-ups with knees bent and arms crossed over the chest, stating these involved a greater ROM and so the abs work longer under tension and sit-ups also work hip flexors.
Recommended we ditch: Dumbbell flies, since they're "not functional for anything but giving a better bear hug," and less than perfect form can strain the shoulder joints. Instead, they favor stair push-ups, since they're "one of the best upper body toners." This one especially upset me, since I'm able to do pec flies with heavy weight and it gives me a feeling that I'm doing something good! They note that many women avoid push-ups because they're difficult, and so they advise using a step to start.
One that I was happy about, though, was their recommendation to ditch Upright Rows, since "standing straight up and pulling weights along your body is awkward and unnatural." Also, "lifting too high can also painfully impinge the shoulder and cause wrist pain." Instead, they favor Forward-Leaning Lateral Raises, since they target rear shoulder muscles more effectively than the upright row, and also target the often-overlooked rhomboid muscles.
Cathe, what is your opinion of these recommendations? I have faith in your knowledge and training and I would so very much appreciate your input here. I'm a newcomer to your workouts and began collecting them avidly, even Step, and I'm greatly impressed with your methods and style.
Susan G
However, if you have time, perhaps you could combine your answer to both of these posts on the "Ask Cathe" forum.
