Isometric gymnastics for the lumbar spine I hope you have passed all the diagnostic tests we suggested and consulted with your doctor? If so, then it’s time for you to start mastering isometric exercises. Let's start from the bottom floor of our

Isometric gymnastics for the cervical spine Now let's immediately go to the top floor of our spine and see how isometric gymnastics can help our

Isometric gymnastics for the spine Proud figure, divine bend Proud figure, divine bend - these are the epithets that poets reward beauties and handsome men. With these words, everyone imagines their own ideal, having smooth curves of the body, and first

Isometric gymnastics for the lumbar spine I hope you have passed the diagnostic tests we suggested and consulted with your doctor? If so, then it’s time for you to start mastering isometric exercises. We have selected exercises for you according to

Isometric exercises- These are special exercises that are designed to develop high strength in a person. They are not dynamic. They are effective due to maximum force tension, without any visible body movements that would cause muscle contraction.

In other words, an isometric exercise is when a person tries, say, to move something that is beyond his strength, or to break a metal chain. And in this case, it is not the result itself that is important, but the effort (since it allows you to put muscles and tendons into work in a very short period of time). But you need to aim for the result, because isometric training can be done most effectively if you really want to break a chain, move an impossible object, etc.

The theory of isometric exercises by Zass (Samson) and Bruce Lee

By right, the founder of this type of complex is Alexander Ivanovich Zass, a sensational Russian strongman, who is also known by the nickname Samson. It was he who developed a theory in 1924 that shattered all previous ideas about the source of power.

Samson proved by personal example that human strength lies not in muscles, but in tendons. And even a person with a modest physique is capable of demonstrating incredible capabilities. Alexander Zass himself was of modest height - only 165 cm and light weight - 65 kg. But having trained the strength of his tendons, believing that they were of decisive importance, Samson achieved amazing results.

It got to the point that he could lift a horse, break chains, do somersaults with weights and defeat the strongest and largest opponents. For all his achievements he received the nickname “Russian hero”. And at the same time, Samson still had to perform dynamic exercises to build muscle mass. But as he himself said, this was done more for visual appeal than for results.

The training set he developed includes a number of isometric exercises. At the same time, which is convenient, the exercises can be performed both at home and even in a work environment (for example, trying to lift yourself along with a chair by holding the bottom of the seat - trapezius works, or trying to lift a table by resting your palms on the tabletop from below - biceps works).

The basic principle of the exercises is maximum effort in a few seconds. Beginners are advised to exercise for no more than 4-6 seconds. Subsequently, with experience, you can increase the duration to 8-12 seconds. What’s convenient is that you can do several approaches for different muscle groups in a matter of minutes. And due to the short duration of the training, it will be possible to conduct a new one quite soon.

Samson's theory gained great popularity, especially in the 1960s. The famous fighter also developed his own set of isometric exercises for himself. Bruce Lee! He always believed that training should be done with maximum effort.

Therefore, the isometric theory attracted his attention and he actively included it in his training. One of his favorite exercises was one that uses a simulator made of a bar and a crossbar connected by a chain. He placed the beam on the floor, stood on it with his feet, making it impossible to lift, and then pulled the bar towards himself, making different grips.

The chain was stretched, the beam naturally did not budge, and by “lifting” himself, Bruce Lee performed an isometric exercise.

A set of isometric exercises by Alexander Zass

Below is a set of classes developed by Zass:

1. Pulling the chain by hand. To start, place your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart. Grab the chain near your knee with your straight hand, and bend it with your other hand near your waist. Use this hand to try to tighten the chain. Then change the position of your hands.
2. Pulling overhead. You need to stretch the chain, holding it above your head. The tendons of the arms, as well as the back and chest work mainly here.
3. Stretch in front of you. Hold the chain in front of your chest with your arms bent. And keep your elbows at shoulder level. Try to stretch it by using the muscles of your arms and chest
4. Stretching the chain behind your back, with tension in your arms. The chain is located at the shoulder blades and is held with straight arms. There is tension on the triceps of the arms and a little on the chest.
5. Stretching the chain behind the back, with back tension. The exercise is done the same way as what happened before, only the length of the chain is longer. The tension goes to the latissimus dorsi muscles.
6. Stretching the chain from bottom to top. Press the chain to the floor with both feet wearing thick-soled shoes. Grab the ends of the chain with your hands and pull up. Possible placement of hands is near the knees, waist, behind the back. Works the muscles of the legs, arms and back
7. Side stretch. The chain is fixed under one of the feet; pull it up from the side, bending your arm at the elbow. Then change position. The shoulder delta works.
8. Biceps stretch. Press the chain with your foot to the floor and pull it up with one of your arms, bent at the elbow. Do this with both hands. You can adjust the length of the chain to work the chain at different stress points. The biceps ligaments are well strengthened.
9. Stretching the leg-neck chain. Throw one loop of the chain around your neck, the other around your foot and press it to the floor. You need to wrap something around your neck, because the chain presses quite painfully (but this still won’t really help with bruises). The back muscles become tense.
10. Chest chain stretch. Fix the chain narrowly around your chest. Inhale, and as you exhale, tense your latissimus dorsi and chest muscles - try to break the chain.

Technique of conducting classes

Of course, in order to achieve results and not waste energy in vain, it is important to learn the correct technique for performing the exercises. There are a number of tips that will help you do everything right. First, before training, you need to warm up and stretch to warm up your muscles and tendons. Secondly, it is important to practice proper breathing. The exercise should be performed only while exhaling.

Strength needs to be increased gradually, without sudden jerks. If during the process you feel a sharp pain, then you need to stop, take a break, and then try again, only more carefully.

You should not make an effort or stay in a static position for long. Then you can take a short rest and move on to the next approach.

Isometric exercises are recommended to be performed in the morning, after, because they invigorate better than coffee. And done before bedtime, they can prevent you from falling asleep.

Due to the large loads on the muscles, the total duration of isometric training, as a rule, does not exceed 15 minutes. But during this time the athlete manages to do several approaches of several repetitions for different muscle groups.

The number of repetitions for each exercise should be from 2 to 5. Moreover, the effort should increase each time. Let's say, with three approaches, you should do a minimum effort of 50% for the first time (to warm up). The second time, make an average effort - 75%. And for the third and last time, make the maximum effort, giving 100%. If you follow this system, isometric training will become much more effective.

Isometric workouts for women

Of course, women need to be especially delicate when performing isothermal exercises and try to limit themselves at first to exercises with high impact. The bad news is that these exercises are not as effective at losing weight as dynamic exercises.

But there are also advantages. Firstly, if you're looking to build strength without building massive biceps, then these workouts are for you. In addition, during isometric exercise, subcutaneous fat is included in the process, which promotes its resorption and has a positive effect on the skin.

Efficiency, advantages and disadvantages

The most important thing that constant tendon training helps you gain is greater strength. If you want to amaze your friends or enemies by demonstrating your capabilities, making efforts to overcome various strength obstacles, bend copper rods, or defeat all your opponents in arm wrestling with one left hand, then this sport is for you. Regularly performing these exercises will achieve this goal - to become stronger.

From the very first training, the work of the tendons is activated. Regular training can make them much stronger and stronger, increasing the body's capabilities. In just a few months, you will be able to lift significantly more weight than before, or perform an action that you could not do before.

The technique will be especially useful for athletes such as boxers and wrestlers. After all, their mass will remain the same, within their weight category. But strength will increase due to strengthening of the tendons.

Advantages:

1. Short duration one workout, which allows you to increase their frequency.
2. High efficiency due to the efforts made.
3. Not required special simulators.
4. Can be carried out in any places.
5. Reduced chance of injury, when compared with dynamic exercises.
6. Increased flexibility.
7. Increased strength, by strengthening the tendons, without gaining weight.

Flaws:

1. If you do the exercises incorrectly, that is, the risk of injury or blood pressure surges.
2. Proper use they only learn with time.
3. Very important correct concentration and attitude.

Differences from static exercises

Although, at first glance, isometry and statics are veryThey are very similar (after all, in both cases it is assumed that there is no movement), but these exercises also have their differences.

And if we take a closer look at this issue, the differences are fundamental. So, as for isometric classes and the technique itself. Here everything is done in short periods of time and with maximum tension on the tendons and muscles. Unlike static exercises, exercises of this type are performed for a long period of time with uniform muscle tension.

In the first case, the main goal– this is the development of muscle strength, strengthening of ligaments and tendons. Static exercises mainly provide endurance and general physical activity. By the way, to achieve both high endurance and strength, you can alternate classic static exercises with isometric ones. And although both of these types of exercises are somewhat different from each other, nevertheless, according to the principle of action, isometric ones are more similar to static ones than to dynamic ones.

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Igor Borshchenko is an experienced neurosurgeon who has worked for more than 18 years, during which time he has published many scientific works on the topic of invasive surgery. But today we will look at the concept that the scientist developed.

How is it useful, who is it suitable for and what does it give, how to do it correctly? We will consider all these and other questions in our article.

Why is isometric gymnastics needed?

You've probably heard the expression more than once: “All diseases come from the spine.” Of course, you can have different attitudes to this phrase, but this is actually true. The health of the entire body depends on the health of the spine, and this fact should not be ignored.

Correct posture is more important than we think. Therefore, it is so important not only to keep your back straight, but also not to overload your spine, because this will affect your health.

Dr. Borshchenko is a good prevention of problems with the spine, because the specialist has developed a special set of exercises that strengthen the back muscles, but do not load them. Regular exercises using the Borshchenko method help strengthen muscles and create correct posture.

They are quite simple, so they can be both prevention and relief from problems with the musculoskeletal system (can be done after a spinal injury or surgery).

Classes using the Borshchenko method allow you to strengthen your back muscles, while ensuring proper blood circulation, but there is no load that can be dangerous for the joint. The technique is based on the principle of contractions of an isometric nature (the muscle contracts, but does not move).

As a result, the muscles are trained, pumped up, and the joints are not involved, so there is no unnecessary, unnecessary tension. This principle allows you to preserve joint cartilage, which is not destroyed.

After all, the problem of joint wear is very relevant in modern medicine. The joint wears out due to excess stress on muscles that have not been trained or prepared. If the joint is weakened, then microcracks occur, which lead to serious problems with the joints.

Dr. Borshchenko's video will help you perform it correctly and effectively. But where did this type of gymnastics come from and when did they start using it? This is not a new technique at all; it was used in astronautics (during rehabilitation).

After all, a person was in weightlessness for a long time, and he needed to somehow train his muscles. It is known that if a person remains motionless for a long time, this can lead to serious problems with the musculoskeletal system.

Up to the development of a disease such as osteoporosis or other complications. As a result, during rehabilitation it was necessary to restore the functionality of the joints without the usual load.

Regular gymnastics is not suitable in this case. Therefore, the principle of isometric gymnastics was applied, which involves contracting and tensing muscles without movement. In addition, in such gymnastics it is important to ensure the correct physiological position, which does not create tension during exercise. As a result, we get not only trained muscles, but also correct posture.

It represents a special type of training that develops the three main parts of the spine, as well as large joints: cervical, thoracic, lumbar and elbow, shoulder, hip. Dr. Borshchenko's spine and joints allow you to train muscles without fear of overloading them.

After all, we all know how important it is not to make things worse during training. Especially if a problem with the musculoskeletal system already exists.

More details about the exercises and all other subtleties can be found in Dr. Borshchenko’s book on isometric gymnastics.

Who should do isometric gymnastics?

It is no secret that it is easier to prevent a problem than to fight it. We often forget about our health until our body fails. But this approach is fundamentally wrong, because it is better to devote a few minutes a day to exercise and be healthy for many years.

The peculiarity of isometric gymnastics is that it is very simple, you can do it even at your workplace (only 10 minutes is enough). After all, we know how unhealthy it is to lead a sedentary lifestyle. But, unfortunately, most people sit at the computer for hours and cannot devote a few minutes to exercise.

In addition, it is difficult for a person to adapt to pain during training, so often due to discomfort we simply quit exercising. Isometric gymnastics offers a new approach to training - you take care of your posture, train your muscles, and at the same time do not feel pain and tension, as with regular exercises.

The article describes examples of light exercises recommended by vertebrologist and spinal neurosurgeon Igor Anatolyevich Borshchenko. Thanks to these exercises, people with various diseases of the lumbar spine will be able to strengthen their muscles. These include the long back muscles and the abdominal muscles, which support the spinal column.

Recommended isometric gymnastics will help you not only strengthen your muscles, but also relieve spasms of the back muscles, as well as overcome unpleasant sensations of pain. It should be noted that the muscles will tense with minimal movements, so overload of the joints and vertebrae is practically excluded. During the exercise, you should tense your abdominal muscles and keep them in this state until the end of the exercise. It is also necessary to control that the pressure does not increase during gymnastics; you should not hold your breath, unless of course this is one of the conditions of the exercise, so breathe freely.

Gymnastics will be especially useful for the following categories of people:

1. Those who are sick, but do not need surgical treatment.
2. People who have diabetes and do not need surgical treatment.
3. Suffering from a narrowing of the spinal canal of the lumbar spine, which does not require surgical intervention.
4. People with chronic muscle spasms.
5. Patients with osteoporosis with and without pain.

Groups of people for whom gymnastics is strictly contraindicated

• Those in need of surgical treatment of spinal disease.
• Having symptoms of heart and respiratory failure.
• Suffering from malignant oncological tumors.
• Having symptoms of acute respiratory infections.

Examples of exercises for training the muscles of the lumbar region

1) “Row with our hands”
The first exercise is done on your back in a lying position. A person needs to bend his knees and straighten his arms. The essence of the exercise is to keep your abdominal tension and row evenly with both hands in completely opposite directions. When one hand goes up, the other goes down. We repeat three times with short breaks. We exercise from 30 seconds to 1 minute.

2) “Abs tension”
The second exercise takes place in the same position as the first. The person needs to place their arms along their torso. It is necessary to keep the abdominal tension and inhale as deeply as possible. Then increase the tension of the trained muscles and hold your breath at the exit. The exercise should be performed for one minute, then you should rest for the same amount of time, and then repeat the exercise two more times.

3) “Row with our feet”
The third exercise takes place in the same position as the first. The only difference is that it is done exclusively with the feet. You should maintain abdominal tension and simultaneously row both legs, lifting them in a bent position at 90 degrees relative to the floor surface. This exercise should be done for 30 to 60 seconds, repeating it three times with short breaks.

4) “Lumbar curve training”
The fourth exercise takes place in a pose on all fours. The support for a person is the knees and outstretched arms. To begin with, you need to slowly place your hands behind your back, placing them on your lower back. At the same time, you should feel how the abdominal and back muscles are in a state of strong tension. Try to keep your hand on your belt for about 3 seconds. Then return to the original position. With this exercise, all the so-called “cables” are strengthened, which on both sides support the spine and lumbar curve, as well as the abdominal muscles.

5) “We walk with our hands”
The fifth exercise takes place in a pose on all fours. The support for a person is the knees and outstretched arms. You need to move the fulcrum to your left hand, push your right hand forward, and then return it back. We change hands one by one. We repeat about 12 times, for both the right and left hands. This exercise is similar to walking in one place with your hands. With its help, the abdominal press is kept in a state of tension, thus maintaining the lumbar curve.

6) “We walk with our feet”
The sixth exercise takes place in a pose on all fours. The support for a person is the knees and outstretched arms. It is necessary to move the fulcrum to one knee, and move the other forward and push it back. Then you need to change your leg and do the same exercise. We repeat about 12 times, for both the right and left legs. This exercise is similar to walking in one place with your knees. With its help, the abdominal press is kept in a state of tension, thus maintaining the lumbar curve.

With each exercise done, your muscles will become more elastic and at the same time elastic and trained. And after a very short time they will acquire excellent shape. The isometric gymnastics complex consists of various exercises. We have described examples of only the simplest of them. It is recommended to repeat these exercises every other day. Depending on how you feel and how ready your body is for such training, determine their total time, which should be no less than 15, but no more than 45 minutes. It is recommended to repeat all exercises 2 or 3 times.

Diseases of the musculoskeletal system are among the most common today. There are a huge number of ways to improve your health in the world. The simplest and most inexpensive is gymnastics.

The essence of the method

Let's consider an isometric, or static, form of gymnastics. "Isometric" translated from Greek means "constant distance" (isos - "same" and metron - "size").

The method consists of static loads - the muscles tense, but do not stretch, and instead of lifting weights, you need to overcome the resistance of your own muscles and tendons.

The principles of isometric gymnastics were used by many athletes of the past, thanks to which they achieved high results. For example, Alexander Zass (many consider him the founder of the method) is a famous strongman of the first half of the 20th century, who to this day is classified as the strongest person in the world.

Unfortunately, this method was unfairly forgotten for many years and only recently gained popularity again.

Using the principles of isometric gymnastics, the famous Russian neurosurgeon Igor Borshchenko developed his own unique training complex, which was called “Smart Spine”. This technique can be used:

• people suffering from back and joint pain;
• people who are often in a sedentary and sedentary position;
• those who have undergone injury or surgery.

How to perform

For all exercises of this technique there are general rules, without which a positive result is impossible:

• We choose 9-12 basic exercises, after 2 months 3-4 need to be replaced.
• When performing, make efforts simultaneously with exhalation, there is no need to allow pauses and hold your breath (6 seconds each for exhalation and inhalation).
• The exercise is done for no more than 6 seconds (one repetition).
• You need to tense your muscles smoothly and release them just as smoothly.
• Rest between exercises for no more than 40-60 seconds.

Before you start performing the main set of exercises, the muscles need to be warmed up, and you need to finish with exercises to restore breathing.

So, let's look at the simplest exercises to restore the condition of the lumbar spine.

No. 1 “Training the lumbar curve”

Get on all fours with your arms straight. Then place one hand on your lower back and hold this position for three seconds. Feel the tension in your back and abdominal muscles. Repeat the same with the second hand.

No. 2 “Tension of the press”

Starting position: lying on your back, stretch your arms along your body. We strain our abdominal muscles and hold the position for one minute, while taking shallow breaths. Rest for a minute, then repeat 3 times.

No. 3 “Stretching”

Stand straight with your feet shoulder-width apart. Mentally imagine that you need to reach an apple that hangs very high on a tree, stand on your toes and stretch out as much as possible, stay in this position for a few seconds. Grab the back of your head with your hands and tense your back, fix the position for 5 seconds.

There are many exercises aimed at straightening the spine, but the simplest and most effective is hanging on a horizontal bar, this way the spine stretches and relaxes.

The famous academician also successfully works with a similar methodology and has now developed his own training complex. To treat and prevent cervical osteochondrosis, you can use exercises for the cervical spine.

All exercises are performed in the starting position lying on your side.

• Raise your head and hold for several seconds.
• Place your hands behind your head and, pressing lightly on it, try to lift it.
• Place a pillow under your head and lightly press your head into the pillow with your hands. Exercises can be repeated up to 7 times.

And in the end, it should be noted that isometric gymnastics is not only effective and inexpensive, it can also be used without leaving your workplace or on public transport.

For example, while standing in a minibus, you can pull yourself up with the hand you hold on to the handrail. And if you are sitting, grab the back of the seat that is in front of you with your hands and, making an effort, try to “tear” it. While at your workplace, you can select exercises and perform a full complex without others noticing.

Denial of responsibility

The information in the articles is for general information purposes only and should not be used for self-diagnosis of health problems or for therapeutic purposes. This article is not a substitute for medical advice from a doctor (neurologist, therapist). Please consult your doctor first to know the exact cause of your health problem.

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