Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
How to gain leverage in your strength training
Back in college, kinesiology was one of the most challenging classes within the exercise science curriculum. Movement planes, biomechanical principles and motor learning were a few of the topics we covered, but the chapter on force/resistance was the most interesting.
This week, I want to share a few keys about the symbiotic relationship of force and resistance and offer you some tips on how to maximize them for training efficacy. Let’s go back to school!
The most basic aspect of muscle fiber recruitment is the force/resistance relationship. As greater resistance is applied to a given movement, a higher percentage of muscle fibers must be recruited to generate the required force necessary to move the object. OK, I admit that sounds nerdy.
To put it in simpler terms, adding more weight to a strength machine will require the muscles to work harder. If the amount of force generated by the muscles is too low, the movement will not be possible. And that is a position that is familiar to almost anyone who has ever engaged in strength training. The exerciser sits down at a machine and tries to perform the exercise, only to realize that some giant has selected the entire weight stack. It’s immovable, so the exerciser selects a more manageable resistance level.
Another key element of the force/resistance relationship is leverage. In general, the farther from the center of the body the resistance is, the more difficult it is to move.
This can be demonstrated by holding a full gallon of milk in one hand with an outstretched arm. It’s hard to maintain that position for very long. But if the milk is held close to the chest, it’s no problem. This is an example of shortening the “resistance arm” to reduce the overall load.
Leverage is an important key to remember for activities of daily living as well. Reaching away from the body’s midline to move a heavy object is usually never a good idea, and the reason is poor leverage.
Recently, a friend reached into his back seat to retrieve his briefcase and tore a pectoral muscle. The briefcase didn’t weigh all that much, but his leverage was poor due to reaching away from his body’s center. It was an injury created by flawed decision-making — misunderstanding leverage.
So, this week’s exercise is an example of how to maximize leverage to drive better results for upper body strength training. The Flexed Shoulder Raise capitalizes on leverage by shortening the resistance arm and keeping the resistance closer to the body.
1. Select a pair of light/ medium dumbbells and stand facing a mirror.
2. Holding one dumbbell in each hand, allow your arms to fully extend toward the floor.
3. From here, curl the dumbbells up using a normal curl motion.
4. Once you’re at the “top” of this motion (elbows fully flexed), stop.
5. Now, raise both elbows up toward the ceiling while maintaining the flexed position. This will require shoulder muscle contraction.
6. Lower the elbows back down.
7. Raise them back up.
8. Continue this pattern of raising and lowering the elbows while keeping them flexed the entire time.
9. Perform two sets of 12 repetitions.
Traditional shoulder raises typically call for an outstretched arm, so the resistance has to be quite light. Using this technique, the exerciser can use a slightly heavier resistance and have more control over the resistance. It’s a cool lesson in leverage, and one that will help maintain a lower risk of injury for the long term. Enjoy!
Director of business development and population health solutions for Quest Diagnostics, Matt Parrott began this column 20 years ago at Little Rock. He has a doctorate in education (sport studies), a master’s in kinesiology and is certified by the American College of Sports Medicine.