Machines/Free Weights in Lower Body Exercises

Machines are great and free weights are bad?  Free weights are the best they allow the body to move the way it should?  Machines are for body builders not athletes? I can isolate and rehab with machines?  I use a combination in my training?  Cables are best and I never use machines?

These are just a few questions and concerns most have when it comes to using machines and not using machines.  What is your belief?  Here are a few things to think about and as a performance coach and I'm always looking for the best tool to get the job done.  Here is my thought on lower body training and is a work in progress.  The method always is about the client not what exercise I want to do that day.

1.  Seated leg press-  Most have backrest which do not allow the natural curve of your spine and promote lumbar flexion.  Maintain normal curve and avoid using knee flexion that causes marked lumbar flexion.  Careful as the weight returns on the eccentric to avoid a rounded back.

2.  Smith machines-  Careful with your back as sometimes the machines forces your back to round to get the movement done.

3.  Do you have proper ankle tri-plane movement ?  Should you work on this first to avoid injury?  I believe so.

4.  Free standing squats vs the hack squat-  Hack squat machines can put a lot of stress on the knees and are bad exercise to take the place of the free squats.

5.  Where should you place the weight when doing squats?  As a general rule I believe in getting two leg and one leg ROM better before doing an sort of weighted squats.  What stance do most athletes and people need?    The deep athletic stance is crucial for everyone so is it worth the risk on the back to load the spine with weight on the back and do the old school barbell squat?  Can you get more benefit by doing single leg squat and goblet type squat and save the back?

More on this subject later but remember how you train will not only effect you after the workout but years down the road.  The back maybe be fine after your work and hurt a little but in time you will do damage to your back which can limit you in life and sport.

Coach B Meyer

                                                       WOW is all I can say

Cross-Training Continued Part II

General Fitness and Training for Sport

1.  Devise a program for general fitness will interact negatively with training for other fitness qualities.
2.  Prolonged emphasis on cardio conditioning will decrease strength, hypertrophy, and power.
3.  Usually it is inappropriate to perform endurance before strength and speed training.
4.  Recovery from bursts of activity do require cardio and long term energy system however most sports that are field/court sports require short and intermediate term non oxidative systems.
5.  What are you training for?
6.  Is cross-training best for sports or just a fun good workout?
7.  Cross-training setting loads, training periods, volumes and rest periods must be planned and often large class settings don't take this into account for the athlete.
8.  Back to playing sports after any injury should be done by a physical therapist before any training has begun with your performance coach.  The issues I have with most coaches is they don't test the athlete they relay on the PT to say its OK to get back to your sport.  I often have girls with ACL issues and they still have large imbalances and they think its OK to return, I think not !
9.  A large imbalance after injury is common but its needs to be addressed and most programs and especially cross-training programs don't address this.
10.  Is your cross-training making you stiff or causing you pain in certain areas
11.  I love cross-training ass kick workouts but also want you to think about what is best for your goals and your sport even if its the game of life.

B Meyer Training Site


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