The Outer Unit
The Inner Unit and the Sling Systems
THE OUTER UNIT musculature system aids in movement and
function. The outer unit muscles are basically the prime movers
of the core and extremities such as the internal oblique,
external oblique, rectus abdominis, back, legs, shoulder girdle,
and more. They each have a vital function in movement and are
connected through four major “sling systems.” These slings are:
Deep longitudinal system
Lateral system
Anterior oblique system
Posterior oblique system
I brought up the sling systems so you can understand that the
function of our musculature is much more complex than a
simple leg extension exercise on a machine.
The Basis for an Outer Unit Exercise Program
An outer unit program consists of exercises that allow for multijoint/
multi-plane activities. This issue has been forgotten or not
taught at many gyms or in exercise programs. We tend to
gravitate toward the new machines in the gym, performing isolation exercises that have no carryover to everyday work
situations.
Our bodies were built as a connective, cohesive unit. By
isolating muscles we interfere with the basic general motor
programs established millions of years ago. For example, when
you do leg extensions on a machine, the number of neurological
impulses through the muscle to the brain is diminished. This
exercise also contributes to the lack of neurological
communication between isolated muscles (in this case, the
quadriceps) and the other muscle groups.
I’m not saying that leg extensions on a machine are always
wrong; there are times in a rehabilitation situation,
bodybuilding, and a beginning weight training program where
these exercises are appropriate. Once a neurological and
muscular base has been established, however, we must move on
to integrate all the muscles that surround the knee joint, hip
joint, pelvis, core, and lower extremities. We need to establish a
fully functional dynamic muscular system.
Some of the exercises I prescribe for the outer unit are:
Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press on Swiss Ball
Multi-directional Lunge
Bent-over Rows
Chek Press
These are by no means the only exercises for the outer unit.
Alternating Dumbbell Press on Swiss Ball
This exercise challenges the entire muscular system.
Position: To perform this exercise, grip dumbbells of a weight
that will allow you to do 8–10 repetitions. With the dumbbells in
hand, sit down on a Swiss ball appropriate for your height.
From this seated position, gradually walk your feet and lower
extremities away from the ball until you reach a supine position
with your shoulder girdle and head resting on the Swiss ball and
your shinbones perpendicular to the ground. The dumbbells
should be positioned straight up from the shoulders, elbows
slightly flexed and rotated out. Position the hands with the
dumbbells perpendicular to the body.
Movement:
1. Gradually extend the right arm at a 90-degree angle from
the body toward the ceiling and slowly rotate your lower
right shoulder and shoulder girdle off the ball while
maintaining a good structural position.
2. Gradually return the dumbbell to its starting position while
simultaneously extending your left hand and dumbbell
toward the ceiling in the same manner.
Alternate right and left arms until you have reached the
prescribed repetitions.
Lunge—Static and Dynamic
for the core muscles and lower extremities. I chose these
exercises because they are neurologically challenging to the
entire body.
Static Lunge
Position: Place a dowel rod across your shoulders, gripping it at
shoulder width. Keep your elbows under your wrists; this
activates the thoracic erectors and helps stabilize the core. Make
sure your posture is upright with a neutral spinal curve (no
bending, shifting, or leaning).
Movement:
1. Draw your belly button in toward your spine to activate the
inner unit.
2. Slowly step forward with either leg until your shinbone is
perpendicular to the floor.
3. Once you have reached the lunge position with your upper
body erect, let your back leg descend to the floor until your
knee gently touches the floor.
Make sure you keep the shinbone on your lead leg perpendicular
to the floor.
Sharing is sexyTHE OUTER UNIT musculature system aids in movement and
function. The outer unit muscles are basically the prime movers
of the core and extremities such as the internal oblique,
external oblique, rectus abdominis, back, legs, shoulder girdle,
and more. They each have a vital function in movement and are
connected through four major “sling systems.” These slings are:
Deep longitudinal system
Lateral system
Anterior oblique system
Posterior oblique system
I brought up the sling systems so you can understand that the
function of our musculature is much more complex than a
simple leg extension exercise on a machine.
The Basis for an Outer Unit Exercise Program
An outer unit program consists of exercises that allow for multijoint/
multi-plane activities. This issue has been forgotten or not
taught at many gyms or in exercise programs. We tend to
gravitate toward the new machines in the gym, performing isolation exercises that have no carryover to everyday work
situations.
Our bodies were built as a connective, cohesive unit. By
isolating muscles we interfere with the basic general motor
programs established millions of years ago. For example, when
you do leg extensions on a machine, the number of neurological
impulses through the muscle to the brain is diminished. This
exercise also contributes to the lack of neurological
communication between isolated muscles (in this case, the
quadriceps) and the other muscle groups.
I’m not saying that leg extensions on a machine are always
wrong; there are times in a rehabilitation situation,
bodybuilding, and a beginning weight training program where
these exercises are appropriate. Once a neurological and
muscular base has been established, however, we must move on
to integrate all the muscles that surround the knee joint, hip
joint, pelvis, core, and lower extremities. We need to establish a
fully functional dynamic muscular system.
Some of the exercises I prescribe for the outer unit are:
Alternating Dumbbell Bench Press on Swiss Ball
Multi-directional Lunge
Bent-over Rows
Chek Press
These are by no means the only exercises for the outer unit.
Alternating Dumbbell Press on Swiss Ball
This exercise challenges the entire muscular system.
Position: To perform this exercise, grip dumbbells of a weight
that will allow you to do 8–10 repetitions. With the dumbbells in
hand, sit down on a Swiss ball appropriate for your height.
From this seated position, gradually walk your feet and lower
extremities away from the ball until you reach a supine position
with your shoulder girdle and head resting on the Swiss ball and
your shinbones perpendicular to the ground. The dumbbells
should be positioned straight up from the shoulders, elbows
slightly flexed and rotated out. Position the hands with the
dumbbells perpendicular to the body.
Movement:
1. Gradually extend the right arm at a 90-degree angle from
the body toward the ceiling and slowly rotate your lower
right shoulder and shoulder girdle off the ball while
maintaining a good structural position.
2. Gradually return the dumbbell to its starting position while
simultaneously extending your left hand and dumbbell
toward the ceiling in the same manner.
Alternate right and left arms until you have reached the
prescribed repetitions.
Lunge—Static and Dynamic
Note: This exercise requires a dowel rod.
Static and Dynamic Lunges are excellent interactive exercisesfor the core muscles and lower extremities. I chose these
exercises because they are neurologically challenging to the
entire body.
Static Lunge
Position: Place a dowel rod across your shoulders, gripping it at
shoulder width. Keep your elbows under your wrists; this
activates the thoracic erectors and helps stabilize the core. Make
sure your posture is upright with a neutral spinal curve (no
bending, shifting, or leaning).
Movement:
1. Draw your belly button in toward your spine to activate the
inner unit.
2. Slowly step forward with either leg until your shinbone is
perpendicular to the floor.
3. Once you have reached the lunge position with your upper
body erect, let your back leg descend to the floor until your
knee gently touches the floor.
Make sure you keep the shinbone on your lead leg perpendicular
to the floor.
4. Return slowly to the pre-descend position.
5. Repeat the lunge 8–10 times with the same leg, then repeat
for the opposite leg.
Slowly work up to 3 sets per leg.
Dynamic Lunge
The Dynamic Lunge is similar to the Static Lunge, except you
return to the standing position after each repetition. Alternate
legs until you have built up enough strength and stabilization to
perform 8–10 repetitions for each leg.
After you feel comfortable doing the Dynamic Lunge
alternating legs, kick it up a notch and do the desired
repetitions for one leg at a time.
IMPORTANT! DO NOT SHORT-STEP! Short-stepping the
lunge is when the shinbone moves forward and the knee moves
past the ankle joint. Short-stepping indicates a quad-dominant
neurological system. For women, this can spell disaster! Women
have a much higher degree of quad dominance, indicating muscular
imbalance in the lower extremities. This imbalance is one
reason why some women have more orthopedic knee problems.
Keep the shin of your lead leg perpendicular to the floor.
5. Repeat the lunge 8–10 times with the same leg, then repeat
for the opposite leg.
Slowly work up to 3 sets per leg.
Dynamic Lunge
The Dynamic Lunge is similar to the Static Lunge, except you
return to the standing position after each repetition. Alternate
legs until you have built up enough strength and stabilization to
perform 8–10 repetitions for each leg.
After you feel comfortable doing the Dynamic Lunge
alternating legs, kick it up a notch and do the desired
repetitions for one leg at a time.
IMPORTANT! DO NOT SHORT-STEP! Short-stepping the
lunge is when the shinbone moves forward and the knee moves
past the ankle joint. Short-stepping indicates a quad-dominant
neurological system. For women, this can spell disaster! Women
have a much higher degree of quad dominance, indicating muscular
imbalance in the lower extremities. This imbalance is one
reason why some women have more orthopedic knee problems.
Keep the shin of your lead leg perpendicular to the floor.
Note: This exercise requires dumbbells.
Bent Rows contribute to good strength and postural
stabilization. This exercise also strengthens the shoulder girdle
and effectively improves postural muscles such as the
hamstrings, glutes, and all deep hip muscles, lower back,
latissimus dorsi spinal erectors, and your core. To perform this
exercise properly, you must maintain a neutral spinal curve.
Position: Grip the dumbbells with a closed downward grip. Stand
with your feet wider than shoulder width and your knees flexed
at 30 degrees, which engages the iliotibial band (the tendon on
the side of your thighs). Maintain your torso at a 45-degree
angle at all times. This starting position resembles a second
baseman stance in baseball.
Movement:
1. Take a deep diaphragmatic breath, drawing the belly button
in toward the spine.
2. With the dumbbells at knee level, gradually raise the weights
to the bottom of your sternum (breastbone). Your forearms
should be perpendicular to the ground; do not allow them to
travel posteriorly as you raise the weight.
3. Slowly return the weight to the starting position.
4. Repeat for the prescribed number of reps.
Slow tempo aids with overall muscular integration and
neurological conditioning. Work up to 3 sets.
Bent Rows contribute to good strength and postural
stabilization. This exercise also strengthens the shoulder girdle
and effectively improves postural muscles such as the
hamstrings, glutes, and all deep hip muscles, lower back,
latissimus dorsi spinal erectors, and your core. To perform this
exercise properly, you must maintain a neutral spinal curve.
Position: Grip the dumbbells with a closed downward grip. Stand
with your feet wider than shoulder width and your knees flexed
at 30 degrees, which engages the iliotibial band (the tendon on
the side of your thighs). Maintain your torso at a 45-degree
angle at all times. This starting position resembles a second
baseman stance in baseball.
Movement:
1. Take a deep diaphragmatic breath, drawing the belly button
in toward the spine.
2. With the dumbbells at knee level, gradually raise the weights
to the bottom of your sternum (breastbone). Your forearms
should be perpendicular to the ground; do not allow them to
travel posteriorly as you raise the weight.
3. Slowly return the weight to the starting position.
4. Repeat for the prescribed number of reps.
Slow tempo aids with overall muscular integration and
neurological conditioning. Work up to 3 sets.
This exercise is one of my favorite exercises for strengthening
and integrating back musculature with the shoulder girdle. To
perform the Chek Press, choose dumbbells of a weight that will
allow you to do 8–10 repetitions.
Position: With dumbbells in hand, sit on a bench with proper
neutral spinal alignment (erect trunk). With the dumbbells
shoulder height, palms facing each other and forearms
perpendicular to the floor, gradually open your arms as if you
were opening a book.
1. Push the dumbbells to an overhead position, bringing the
dumbbells together in front of you as if you were closing a
book.
2. Lower the dumbbells to the starting position and repeat for
the desired number of repetitions.
When the inner and outer units work together, we greatly
improve our daily lives by reducing the risk of joint injuries,
ligament and muscle strain, and lower back pain.
The next issue we will undertake is posture.
and integrating back musculature with the shoulder girdle. To
perform the Chek Press, choose dumbbells of a weight that will
allow you to do 8–10 repetitions.
Position: With dumbbells in hand, sit on a bench with proper
neutral spinal alignment (erect trunk). With the dumbbells
shoulder height, palms facing each other and forearms
perpendicular to the floor, gradually open your arms as if you
were opening a book.
1. Push the dumbbells to an overhead position, bringing the
dumbbells together in front of you as if you were closing a
book.
2. Lower the dumbbells to the starting position and repeat for
the desired number of repetitions.
When the inner and outer units work together, we greatly
improve our daily lives by reducing the risk of joint injuries,
ligament and muscle strain, and lower back pain.
The next issue we will undertake is posture.
Previous Entries
0 comments for this post
Leave a reply