Muscular Fitness

1. Muscular Fitness

2. Three components of muscular fitness • ________________: the maximal one-effort force that can be exerted against a resistance. • _________________: the ability of the muscles to apply a submaximal force repeatedly or to sustain a muscular contraction for a certain period of time. • __________________: the functional capacity of the joints to move through a full range of movement.

3. Benefits of musculoskeletal fitness (health related) • Muscular strength and endurance health related benefits include: • increased _______________________ • increased _______________________ • increased _______________________ • increased _______________________ • increased _______________________ • increased _______________________

4. ______________________benefits include: • Maintain good joint mobility • Increase resistance to muscle injury and soreness • Prevents low-back and other spinal column problems • Improves and maintains good postural alignment • Enhances proper and graceful body movement • Improve personal appearance and self-image • Facilitates the development and maintenance of motor skills throughout life • Reduces neuromuscular tension and stress

5. Recommendations • ACSM recommendations: Lift weights at least_____________, with a minimum of ______ set (_________ reps), of ________ different exercises that involve the major muscle groups. This may help to develop and maintain fat-free weight, but 3 or more sets are recommended for optimal gains in muscular strength and endurance. • ACSM recommendations: static stretching at least ______________, that an active warm-up precede vigorous stretching, and that each session involve __________ reps of each stretching exercise sustained for _____________ secs.

6. Rationale • Between the ages of 30 and 70, muscle mass and strength decrease by an average of ______%, much of this due to inactivity. • The weakness and fragility of old age is often attributed to this loss of muscular strength and has been shown to be partly reversible through resistance training. • Flexibility is related to age and physical activity. As a person ages, flexibility decreases, although this is due more to inactivity than to the aging process. • Prevention and Treatment of low back pain: • Low back pain is the ______most common ailment in the US-at some point in their lives, 60-80% of all Americans will experience a bout of low back pain. (Most common ailment is headaches). Estimated cost of low back pain due to lost work, medical/legal fees, etc, is 50-100 billion dollars per year. • Low back pain refers to pain experienced in the lumbosacral area (L1-S1) (See p. 173 for figure). Most common site of LBP is in L4-L5. • Occurs equally between men and women, and between ages of 25-60, with the peak at 40 years old. • See various risk factors of LBP on p. 174, and take the LBP quiz on p. 174, box 6.2. Rick factors include obesity, smoking, poor posture, psychological stress and anxiety, minimal physical activity level, and decreased degree of MS & F. • Despite the multiple causes and risk factors related to LBP, most attention is directed towards viewing LBP as a result of impaired musculo-skeletal fitness. Most researchers feel that it is a combination of a weak back and a back-straining occupation that greatly increases the risk of LBP. There is much emphasis placed on the relationship of LBP to weak abdominal and back extensor muscles, and poor flexibility of lower back and hamstring muscle groups.

7. Recommendations for prevention of LBP include: • _________________________________________ • _____________________, if necessary to lessen strain on the back • Avoid smoking • Lift by bending at the knees, rather than the waist, using leg muscles to do most of the work. • Receive objects from others or platforms near to the body and avoid twisting or bending at the waist while handling or transferring them • Avoid sitting, standing, or working in any one position for too long • Maintain a correct posture (sit with shoulders back and feet flat on the floor, or on a footstool or chair rung. Stand with head and chest high, neck straight, stomach and buttocks held in and pelvis forward.) • Use a comfortable, supportive seat while driving • Use a firm mattress, and sleep on the side with knees drawn up or on the back with a pillow under bent knees • Try to reduce emotional stress that causes muscle tension • Be thoroughly warmed up before engaging in vigorous exercise or sports • Undergo a gradual progression when attempting to improve strength or athletic ability. • Treatment of Low back pain • a. See page 177.

8. Assessment of muscular strength and endurance and flexibility. • Muscular S and E are specific to each muscle group; there is no single test to evaluate total body muscular S and E. • Field tests for muscular strength and endurance. • One minute timed, bent knee sit-ups • Purpose is to evaluate abdominal muscle strength and endurance. • Still places a great deal of stress on lower back and hip-flexor muscles are used in late stage of the test. • See figure 6.4 on p. 177 for picture, and correct procedures. • Partial Curl-up • Performance of the partial curl-up with feet not supported and spine flexed <30 degrees does not cause strong recruitment of hip flexors and puts decreased strain on lower back. • See p. 178 for protocol. • Pull ups • Measure of muscular S&E of arms and shoulder girdle. • See p. 179 for procedures. • Modified pull up for children ages 6-9 • Better test of upper body muscular S&E than the traditional pull up for children. Can be used for any age group. • See p. 180 for procedures. • Flexed arm hang • Assesses forearm and upper arm flexor strength and endurance. • Included in most fitness testing programs for children and youth. • See p. 180 for protocol. • Push-ups • Assesses upper body (tricep, anterior deltoids, and pectoralis major) muscle S&E. • Administered differently for males and females. • See p. 180 & 181 for procedures. • Grip strength test with hand dynamometer • Measures the static strength of the grip squeezing muscles. • This test is easy to administer, relatively inexpensive, portable, and highly reliable. • See p. 181 for procedures.

9. Assessment of muscular strength and endurance and flexibility. • Bench press S&E test • The muscular strength of the major muscle groups can be measured with the one-repetition maximum test (1-RM); the greatest weight than can be lifted once for a muscle group. • The objective of the 1-RM bench press test is to test the strength of the muscles involved in arm extension (triceps, pectoralis major, anterior deltoid.) • See p. 182 for procedures. • YMCA bench press test. • Tests for muscular endurance • Uses an absolute weight, and measure amount of reps able to complete. • See p. 183 for procedures. • Parallel Bar Dips • Measures muscular S&E of arms and shoulder girdle (triceps, deltoid, pectoralis major and minor). • See p. 183 for procedures.

10. Flexibility Testing • Flexibility of one joint does not necessarily indicate flexibility of other joints. There is no general flexibility test for the whole body. • Sit and Reach test • Used by almost all health related physical fitness testing batteries. • Used extensively because it has been noted that people with low back problems often have a restricted ROM in the hamstrings and lower back. • See p. 184 for procedures • Shoulder Flexibility Test • See p. 185 for procedures • Overlapping of hands by 1 inch is considered good. • Trunk Rotation • Measures flexibility across several joints in body. • See p. 186 for protocol.

11. Muscular Power • Vertical Jump • Used as an index of sports training, assessing the muscular power of the legs. • See p. 186 for protocol.