Hi, Rob Fox here again from Silverfox Fitness. I’m almost 80, and I have been teaching fitness for almost 30 years. I started teaching “Step Aerobics”, “Zumba”, and eventually moved into resistance training which, at the moment, is called “Move Together Strength” at my local Chaplin Family YMCA in Cambridge, Ontario.
After being certified as a group fitness instructor through the YMCA, I was required to keep upgraded every year with new and exciting information about how the human body works. This accreditation allows me to teach group fitness anywhere in Canada.
One thing I know for sure is that the more you know about the human body, the more benefits you’ll get from resistance training (strength training).
For example, do you know where your rhomboid muscles are and why they are important?
Even though I might not be quite as strong as I was when I first started working as a fitness trainer, I can still do all of the important exercises to some degree quite accurately!
Since more and more research is pointing to the incredible benefits of maintaining our strength and muscle mass as we age, I thought it would be important to offer some tips to you as I’m revisiting the finer points of strength training myself.
Today I’ll start with range of motion.
What is Full Range of Motion?
Range of Motion is the amount of movement your joints, connective tissue, and muscles are asked to go through when performing an exercise.
For example, sitting down into a beach chair that’s just a few inches off the ground requires a greater Range of Motion (R.O.M.) than sitting down into a bar stool.
The knees and hips have to bend more, which means more muscle is required to sit back up again.
Range of Motion Tips
#1 Use the fullest range of motion without hurting yourself!
By using your maximum range of motion, you will not only stress (in a good way) more fibers of the muscle, you will also work on improving the flexibility of your muscles!
You should feel a gentle to moderate stretch at the beginning point of your exercise before contracting the muscles and performing your rep.
For example, when doing an overhead press, with just arm weight or some light dumb bells, begin with your arms at your sides. Slowly lift arms to chest height and then overhead as high as possible.
Keep in mind that everyone is different, so only lift the weight as high as it is comfortable. Hold briefly at this end range and then slowly lower arms all the way down to your sides.
#2 Your form (body position) dictates what your full range of motion will be!
While you should strive to reach the fullest R.O.M. possible in each exercise, do not sacrifice the integrity of the movement. On certain exercises, your form can start to break down by trying to achieve too much R.O.M. too quickly.
For example, if you try to squat too deep, you may compensate by rounding your lower back (also known as a “butt wink” for some reason). By not squatting quite as deep, you eliminate the tucking of the pelvis and keep your spine in a neutral, more stable position and better for your back.
#3 Slow and sure wins the race!
Begin by checking your posture whether you are on the floor, a machine, seated or standing.
As you move super slowly through the range, focus on your body and how it feels. It would be nice if you knew what and where your muscles are, and some knowledge of ligaments, tendons, and connective tissue (fascia) would also be nice.
#4 Hang out in the “sticky spots!“!
There are certain positions as you travel along the “range road” from easy to extremely difficult at your end range, that you might want to make note of.
Try and pause in these “sticky spots” for a few seconds which will cause your muscles to work more (fibers tear slightly which is how you build muscle mass).
#5 Enough repetitions is enough!
Only you know when you run out of “gas”. If you are doing the exercise properly and with the correct form (posture) and paying attention to your body as your move through the R.O.M., then you will know how many repetitions is enough for you on that day. But, don’t be a “wimp”.
Some experts say 10 reps and 3 sets is a good goal to keep in mind.
Take Away
The key is to use the fullest R.O.M. that each joint of your body will safely permit and in addition to building strength and muscle mass, you’ll also slow the aging of your brain, blood vessels and bones.
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