Getting the Most Bang for Your Buck

November 20, 2007 by jleeger.

No workout today…not sure if anyone is doing them!  So, just a thought for today.

If you’re working out, and you’ve decided what your goal is (see the training article about practice goals), pick the exercises that give you the most bang for your buck, that are still within your ability level.

What do I mean by that?  The easiest way to sum it up is - multi-joint movements.

By increasing the number of joints moving in a particular exercise, you increase the level neuromuscular recruitment and demand, and, depending on how you do the exercise(s), the cardiovascular demand as well.

What this means is, fewer movements in less time, with a greater training result!

One last note - make sure you’re working in all planes of motion.  Twisting is critical to Bagua, so make sure your workout has some twisting element to it.  That can be through a cable or medicine ball woodchop, or something as simple as bicycle situps.  If you can get a full-body, multi-joint move that incorporates twisting, you’ve hit the jackpot.

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