Compex Full Fitness - Manual (Page 186)

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186
Fitness
Preparation for a fitness enthusiast who
wants to adopt a varied muscle training
approach
I n this example, the fitness enthusiast
wants to work above all on her arms. It is
of course possible to stimulate other mus-
cles as well. Also this stimulation routine
can be applied to several muscular groups
at the same time (e.g. arms then thighs).
A n increasing number of people empha-
sise a diversified training carried on in a
natural setting. During training, different
work-out routines are alternated and diffe-
rent muscles are stimulated. For example,
after a few minutes of slow jogging, the
trainee does a series of accelerations follo-
wed by some jumps, before resuming a
slower jog, and so on. The objective is to
work on different muscular qualities wi-
thout however emphasising any one in
particular. This kind of activity is frequently
done either at the beginning of the season,
for general muscular reactivation, or done
regularly by leisure-time sports enthusiasts
who do not want to emphasise any parti-
cular kind of muscular performance, but
rather want to stay fit and reach the right
level in all kinds of muscular work
M ost fitness enthusiasts want to improve
their muscle qualities and, with this aim in
mind, pursue objectives that may be diffe-
rent: improved muscle tone, increased en-
durance, greater muscle volume, etc. The
means used to achieve these different ob-
jectives involve different kinds of voluntary
training and the use of specific electrosti-
mulation programmes.
O ther fitness enthusiasts prefer to develop
all their muscular qualities, without any
emphasis on any one of them in particular.
In this case, it is useful to subject the mus-
cles, during the same session, to various
kinds of stimulation, such as those produ-
ced by the
Combined workout programme
through its 8 routines that automatically
form a sequence.
Cycle duration: 3-6 weeks, 2-3 x/week
Eg for 1 week
Mon: 1 x Combined workout 21D e
Tue:Normal training in a fitness facility
Wed: 1 x Combined workout 21D e
Thu: Normal training in a fitness facility
Fri: 1 x Combined workout 21D e (optio-
nal)
Sat: Normal training in a fitness facility or
other outdoor physical activity
Sun:Rest
Programme: Combined workout 21D e
Preparation for a fitness enthusiast who
wants to optimise the effects of his/her
active stretching sessions for quadriceps
T he Stretching programme consists in sti-
mulating the antagonist (i.e. opposite)
muscle of the muscle subjected to stret-
ching in order to exploit a well-known
physiological mechanism: reciprocal inhi-
bition reflex. This reflex, based on the pro-
prioceptive sensitivity of muscles, consists
of a very marked muscular relaxation. This
allows more efficient stretching, since it is
carried out on a more relaxed muscle.
S timulation is therefore performed on the
muscle opposing the muscle being stret-
ched. This stimulation consists of a pro-
gressive appearance and disappearance
(slowly and lasting a long time) of contrac-
tions, with complete rest between contrac-
tions. It is during the contraction (which
increases with each new level) that the
athlete stretches the chosen muscle group
by means of a traditional voluntary stret-
ching technique.
I n this example, stimulation is applied to
the hamstrings muscles to facilitate the
stretching of the quadriceps during the
contraction phases.
Cycle duration: Throughout the season, according
to the frequency of voluntary stretching session-
sAccording to the normal duration of stretching
(this depends on schools of physical training and
each person’s feelings), choose the level that
seems most appropriate.
The proposed duration of stretching is:
10 seconds for level 1
12 seconds for level 2
14 seconds for level 3
16 seconds for level 4
18 seconds for level 5
Programme: Stretching 5 c the starting posi-
tion for the active stretching exercise
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