Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
Master Class
Matt Parrott shows you a new way to play Frogger at the gym.
Ballistic training is a term that evokes fear, simply because it sounds like some sort of military preparation camp. In reality, ballistic training can be a safe and useful activity that can benefit a wide range of exercisers when applied correctly.
A whole generation of certified exercise leaders has warned students not to do “ballistic stretches,” and with good reason. Such bouncing stretches can cause injury. But ballistic training is something different.
This week, I’ll present a few benefits to adding ballistic training to one’s workout and will also introduce a basic ballistic movement designed to challenge the upper body.
Ballistic training is rooted in maximizing acceleration. Traditional weight training involves some acceleration, but it’s more about controlling the movement (i.e., decelerating) in order to lengthen the muscle’s time under contraction and therefore increase muscular fatigue. Ballistic training is different in that the goal is not necessarily to achieve muscular fatigue or failure but to train the muscle to contract quickly under lighter resistance conditions.
Some might wonder, “What’s the point?” Training the muscles to quickly contract through the entire range of motion has many applications ranging from rehabilitation and active aging to athletic performance. At the end of the day, muscles are designed to move our bodies through efficient and effective movement patterns, so why not optimize the movements themselves?
I’m certainly a proponent of traditional strength training to maintain weight management through increased metabolism, preventing injury, and providing better joint stability. Those benefits stand alone as fantastic reasons to engage in traditional strength training.
At some point, however, it’s just as critical to train one’s body to move in ways that will prepare us for everyday life. Reacting to collect a dropped cap in the wind, catching oneself during a slip or picking up our children or grandchildren are the parts of life that we need our bodies to support — at any age.
This week’s exercise is a great way to incorporate ballistic training in a controlled, yet effective, manner. The Frogger Pushup will challenge the shoulders, chest, triceps, along with the core.
1. Position your body in the “up” phase of a pushup with your palms together. Actually touch your forefingers and thumbs so you form a diamond shape in the gap between your palms.
2. Bend the elbows slightly, then quickly extend them both and lift your torso off the floor while moving your hands a few inches to the right.
3. As soon as the palms come back down to earth, go right into the next repetition by bending the elbows.
4. Again, extend them both and lift the hands off the floor. This time, move them a few inches to the left.
5. Continue performing these mini “frogger” pushups to the right and left while maintaining good form and core stability.
6. Try two sets of 15. The first time you try this exercise, you’ll realize that there is some pressure on the shoulders, elbows and wrists. For this reason, I’d recommend beginning the movement on your knees rather than your toes while in the “up” phase of the pushup. This will reduce the overall amount of resistance and allow you to feel the joint impact and assess whether you like it.
Assuming it feels OK, do two sets on your knees to build confidence before moving to the more advanced version of the exercise in your next workout. Enjoy!