In understanding health and fitness, one must understand many things. You should be knowledgeable about weight lifting and cardiovascular training; You should have a decent grasp on health, anatomy, and nutrition; And it will help immensely to understand some basic principles of Kinesiology, which is the study of human movement. We aren’t experts in this field, but we can help you with the basics, such as today’s topic: Understanding the classification of a workout.
The first is to understand the Utility: Is it “Basic,” or “Auxiliary.” A good way to look at this is, are you training complete, basic muscle group or are you training a group of muscles that supplement the other. Example: Bench Press works the entirety of your Sternal Pectoralis Major (Your chest), and also works your Clavicular Pectoralis Major (“Upper Pecs”), Triceps and Deltoids. This is considered a perfect “Basic” workout. On the flip side, the Incline Press targets your Clavicular Pectoralis Major, and also works your Sternal Pectoralis Major, Triceps, and Deltoids. This is generally considered an auxiliary workout, as a supplemental muscle group is the target. For the scientific definition:
A principal exercise that can place greater absolute intensity on muscles exercised relative to auxiliary exercises. Basic exercises tend to have more of the following characteristics:
- Gravity Dependent.
- Inclusion or shift of resistance through multiple muscle group throughout the range of motion.
- Natural transfer of torsion force to compression force (e.g., lockout on squat, bench press, etc.) or tension force (e.g. extension of arm curl) to the bone(s) and joint(s) during full range of motion.
The scientific definition for an Auxiliary Workout is as follows:
An optional exercise that may supplement a basic exercise. Auxiliary exercises may place greater relative intensity on a specific muscle or a head of a muscle.
Next up in the classification is the “Mechanic” of the workout. We have two options here, and it’s pretty straightforward. A Compound Movement is one which involves two or more joint movements. Examples include the Bench Press, Dead Lift, Squat, Bent Over Row, Military Press, etc. The other mechanic is an “Isolation” workout. An isolation workout is “an exercise that involves just one discernible joint movement.” Examples include Bicep Curls, Wrist Curls, Dumbbell Fly, etc.
Now, you’ll notice that the examples given for the compound workouts are exercises that everyone talks about, and are also the exercises that determine your actual strength and physical prowess. The reason for this is. . . Well, that’s a whole post on it’s own. Expect that soon! All that you should know for now is that 90% of your workouts should be compound movements.
The last part to workout classification is the Force.
The force of the movement is simple: Push, or Pull. Is the movement going away from, or toward the center of the body during the “Concentric Contraction”? (An example of Concentric Contraction is when you push the barbell up during the Bench Press.)
We will continue to discuss Kinesiology over a few blog posts, but this is the start of it. Tune in on Monday for our Special New Year post!
All quoted definitions are courtesy Exercise Prescription on the Net. Star Wars is a registered trademark of Lucasfilm Ltd.