BA Basic Fitness Part 3

8/14/2019 BA Basic Fitness Part 3

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ft and strong upperbody isnt just vitalor liting andcarrying, it alsocontributes to sports

perormance. Thisbooklet is all about improvingstrength and endurance in yourupper body muscles which willalso enhance their appearance.

The main muscle groups in theupper body are the large muscles othe back and chest, the shouldermuscles and those along the ront

and back o the arms. I you areollowing the Armys basic 16-weekftness programme, its combinationo press-ups, pull-ups and dips willstrengthen all these muscle groupsin a balanced way.

But this booklet also includesa strength workout (see page 10)using weights and other equipment

that the Army requently employswhen training recruits.

How strengtH trAining worksIt challenges your muscles byprogressively overloading themwith a weight or other orm oresistance. Provided the right leveland type o challenge is placed

upon the muscles oten enough,they will adapt by getting stronger.

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Follow stages 1 and 2 of the general warm-up routine from Booklet 1(such as the exercises shown left). Then use the following dynamicmobilisations to prepare your upper body for a workout

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pti tipMake sure you balance

pushing exerciseswith pulling onesto avoid muscularimbalance in theupper body.

Arm circlesExtend your arm straight upto your ear and then rotateit backwards in a large circle8 times. Now repeat withthe other arm. Then rotateboth arms orwards in turn,8 times each.

trUnk rotAtion witHArms to tHe sidesStand with your eet hip-distanceapart and arms up and to the side.Keeping the hips acing the ront,gently twist your torso to the side,leading with the arms and allowingyour head to ollow the spine. Twistto the opposite side, then repeat8 times in each direction.Additional warm-up exercises:bend and straighten your arms,clench and extend your ingers,circle your wrists.

generAl wArm-UpeXercises

Shoulders

Neck

didYoUknow?The body needs 48 hours torecover and adapt to the stressof strength training so donttrain the same muscle groupon consecutive days. Researchdoes, however, show that

muscles in the upper bodyrespond to strength trainingmore quickly than the lowerbody, so you can expect to seeresults more quickly.


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didYoU

know?A full press-up entails liftingroughly two-thirds of yourbody weight.

Soldiers do a lot o press-ups they are a key part o their militaryphysical training. To do the perectArmy press-up, begin with yourarms shoulder-width apart, ingersacing orward, your back straight

and body in a straight line. Lookslightly ahead, not at the loor (incombat, soldiers must keep lookingahead while moving orward in thisposition). Now lower your bodytowards the loor, elbows pointingback not splaying out to the side.Stop when your chest and hipsare an inch o the loor, thenstraighten your arms to returnto the start position. Thatcounts as one rep.

So how does your press-up max score rate? This table gives you anage- and gender-based performance guide for the maximum numberof press-ups you can do in two minutes (pauses are allowed!)

excellent 72+ 46+ 70+ 41+ 68+ 37+ 62+ 33+ 55+ 31+

very good 53-7 1 30-45 51-69 26-40 50-67 23 -3 6 44-61 22-32 38-54 20-30

good 44-52 2 1-29 41-50 1 9-25 39-49 1 6-22 35-43 15-21 29-37 13-19

average 34-43 14-20 32-40 1 2-18 30-38 11-1 5 27-34 10-14 21-28 6-12

poor 0-33 0-13 0-31 0-11 0-29 0-10 0-26 0-9 0-20 0-5

levels / age

M F M F M F M F M F

Under 30 3034 3539 4044 4549

reps AndsetsPerform these staple upperbody moves (press-ups, dipsand pull-ups) as directed byyour level on the basic 16-weekfitness programme.

decline press-UpReckon youve got the Army issuepress-up taped? Then try thisharder version, with your eetplaced on a raised surace, suchas a chair, rather than on the loor so that your shoulders and headare lower than your hips. Perormull press-ups as normal.

incline press-UpAdopt the ull press-up position,as outlined already, but this timeplace your hands on a raisedsurace (the higher the surace, theeasier the exercise) rather than theloor. Lower your chest and hipstowards the support, keeping thebody in a straight line, pause, andreturn to your start position.

Note The position o your handschanges the contribution made bythe various muscle groups slightly.(see pictures below let).Arms wider than shoulder-distanceapart works your chest muscles

more, while a narrow positionhomes in on the tricepson the back o yourupper arms.

Narrowposition

Wideposition

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press-Up on kneesI you cant manage a ull press-up,try this modiied version or theincline press-up, above right. Starton your hands and knees, then

shule your hands orward,

shoulder-width apart, until yourbody orms a straight line romknees to shoulders. Lower yourseldown until your hips and chestare an inch o the loor,pause, then return to yourstart position.


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Assisted pUll-UpswitH A pArtnerI you cant manage a ull pull-up,use a block or a partner to help youget into the raised position (elbowsbent, head above the bar), and thenslowly lower yoursel back down.Working through the downwardphase will strengthen your musclesand help to get you it (in time)to do the ull heave.

Alternatively, get a partner tohold your ankles or support youaround the waist to assist withraising and lowering your body.Gradually, take more o your ownbody weight and reduce theamount o support that yourpartner provides.

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u-uPull-ups (or heaves in Army-speak) are another key aspect omilitary physical training, as beingable to lit your own body weighto the ground is a crucial skill.The standard version uses anunderhand grip the style thatmilitary tests use (see mainpicture, right).

Stand beneath the pull-up barwith your eet together, and takehold o it with an underhand grip.Pull yoursel up towards the bar,bending at the elbows and keepingeet and legs locked together. Yourchin must clear the bar or the repto count. Slowly lower and repeat.

Note Pull-ups can be done withan overhand (see inset image) orunderhand grip. While an overhandgrip is more unctional in terms othe position we might be in whenwe need to lit our body weighto the ground, it is also morechallenging than the underhandgrip used in Army tests.

pUll-Ups witHoUt ApUll-Up bArI you dont have access to apull-up bar, you can improvisewith tree branches, climbingrames and goalposts. Or try thisat-home version.

Place a broomstick over twosturdy chairs, or use an alternativesurace that you can shuleunderneath and grip the edge o.Take hold o the broomstick oredge with an underhand grip, yourarms shoulder-width apart, andlit your body clear o the loor,keeping your knees bent and eet

on the loor. Then bend yourelbows to bring your chest uptowards the broomstick or surace.Pause, then lower and repeat.

To make the exercise harder,straighten your legs.

pti tipWhen doing pull-ups,keep your body stilland your movements

controlled. Dontuse momentum orswinging actionsto help you pull upto the bar.


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The classic dip is perormed onparallel bars. Grasp the bars withyour palms acing each other, thensupport yoursel on straight arms

with your legs straight and anklescrossed. Lower yoursel down toorm a right angle at the elbow not hunching your shouldersup towards your ears then pushback up and repeat.Note You may not have accessto parallel bars, but you can doa perectly eective dip usinga chair, bench or coee table(see right).

triceps dipAs shown on the wallchart thataccompanies this itnessprogramme, sit on the edge o achair or bench with your legsextended straight out in ront.Now grip the edge o the chair withyour ingers pointing orwards,arms shoulder-width apart. Shuleyour bottom o the ront o thechair, then bend your elbows tolower yoursel down towards theloor until the elbows reach a rightangle. Raise back up and repeat. Ithis is too hard, bend your knees.

doUble dipTwo more challenging versions othe triceps dip are shown here:1. Place your hands on one chair,as or the triceps dip, but put youreet on another chair opposite(see above). Shule your bottomo the ront o the chair and loweryoursel down until your elbowsreach a right angle, then raise backup. Dont hunch your shouldersup to your ears.2. To increase the challenge, addweight to your lap in the orm oa Powerbag or medicine ball.

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ta h ha a aThe exercises in this section use dumbbells and elasticated bands,

instead of gravity, as the resistance. If you dont have weights, tryimprovising with household items such as full water bottles orfood cans. The main muscle groups worked are indicated for eachexercise, so youll have an idea which ones make good alternativesto exercises in the basic 16-week fitness programme

bencH press witHdUmbbells This is a good alternative topress-ups, working your chest,shoulders and triceps.

Lie on a bench with a dumbbell

in each hand, resting just aboveyour chest. Extend your armsupwards, keeping them level withyour sternum, in an arc until yourarms are ully outstretched. Pause,then lower and repeat.

How HArd sHoUldi work?In terms o how many sets o repsto perorm, the Army staple is 3 although they might use anywherebetween 1 and 5 sets, depending onthe speciic aim and purpose o thesession. I you are new to strengthtraining then, initially, a single setwill produce results but youllprogress quicker i you do more.

As a starting point, aim or 10repetitions per set. That meansliting a weight, or perormingthe exercise, 10 times using aresistance level that makes the lastcouple o repetitions diicult.

To ocus more on muscularendurance than strength, increasethe number o reps but use lessweight or an easier exercise option. To ocus more on strength

and size, use ewer reps butan increased level o weight orchallenge. To ocus on power (a product ostrength and speed), perorm theexercises at a aster pace.

Note The amount o rest you takebetween sets also aects yourprogress. Ideally, rest or 60-120seconds between each set to allowyour muscles to recover beorethey have to work again. The moreyou are ocusing on endurance, theshorter the rest period should be;the more you want strength, thelonger the rest period. Finally, how

oten do you need to train to seeresults in upper body strength?2-3 sessions per week is ideal.

biceps cUrl witHdUmbbells This exercise homes in on thebiceps on the ront o yourupper arm.

Stand with your eet hip-distance apart, a dumbbell ineach hand and palms acing yourthighs. Bend your elbows to raisethe weights up, allowing the arm

to rotate so that when the weightsreach the ront o your shoulders,the palms are acing you. Pause,then lower and repeat.


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triceps overHeAdeXtensionsYou can do this triceps-strengthening exercise usinga resistance band or holdinga dumbbell. This is a goodalternative to the dips exercise.

Take one end o the resistanceband in your right hand, and standirmly on the other end o it withyour right oot. Take your arm upbeside your head and bend yourelbow behind you, adjusting theresistance until there is sometension in the band. Now extendyour arm overhead, resisting the

band, until your elbow is straight.Pause, then lower and repeat.Swap sides between sets.

lAtpUlldownThis is another good alternative toa pull-up, employing the samemuscle groups as an overhandpull-up grip.

Hook the resistance bandover a rail or bar (or use a doorattachment, which can bebought rom resistance bandmanuacturers). Take an end o theresistance band in each hand, andstand or sit with your palms acingorward, arms extended. Now bendyour arms, squeezing the shoulderblades together, to bring the ends

o the resistance band towardsyour shoulders. Pause, then extendthe arms again and repeat.

single-Arm rowThis is a good alternative to thepull-up i you dont have theright equipment, as it mimics theunderhand grip most closely.

Stand side-on to a bench, with adumbbell in the hand urthest romthe bench. Have your back straight,tummy pulled in and neck in linewith your spine. Start with the arm

relaxed, hanging straight downholding the dumbbell. Keeping theback still, bend your elbow to bringthe weight up to the ront o yourshoulder. Pause, lower and repeat.Swap sides between sets.

sHoUlder pressThis exercise ocuses on theshoulders but also works yourchest, triceps and the upper back.

Stand or sit with your eet hip-distance apart, a dumbbell in eachhand resting on your shoulders,hands acing orwards. Extend the

arms in an arc-like motion abovethe head, to meet at the top. Pause,then lower and repeat.

stAnding fliesThis exercise is a good shoulderstrengthener.

Stand with your eet hip-distance apart, a dumbbell in eachhand, palms acing your thighs.Extend your arms out to the sides,taking them no higher than parallelwith the shoulders, then lowerand repeat.


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sHoUlder stretcHesStand tall with eet hip-distanceapart. Take your right arm acrossthe body, grasping it just abovethe elbow with the crook o yourlet arm and gently pulling it to thechest (see right). Dont hunch yourshoulders up. Swap sides.

To stretch the ront and middleo the shoulders, go on all ours, sitback on your haunches and bendthe torso orward, extending yourarms out on the loor in ront oyou (see Booklet 1).

d Remember its every bit as important to cool down after your workoutas it is to warm up. Perform the following stretches from Booklet 1

Upper body training doesnthave to be restricted to the gym.Activities such as rock climbing,rowing and kayaking are greatways of building strength andendurance in these musclegroups, and they use a wholerange of muscles both thosethat pull and push sostrength development is

balanced. Swimming is also goodupper body training, particularlyfront crawl, in which about80 per cent of the work comesfrom the back, shouldersand arms.

neckStand tall and bend your head tothe side, to stretch out that side oyour neck. To increase the stretch,take your hand over your head andgently pull the head urther to theside. Hold or about 10 seconds,then swap sides and repeat.

cHestClasp your hands togetherbehind your back, palms pointingupwards, then gently pull yourarms away rom the back, keepingthe arms as straight as possibleand your shoulders down. Hold or10-15 seconds, lower and repeat.

bAck And sHoUldersStand with your eet hip-widthapart and knees slightly bent.Link your hands together in ronto you. Push away throughthe shoulders and upper back,rounding your back into a C-shape.Hold, relax and repeat.

foreArm And wriststretcHExtend both arms out in ronto you, turning the let handupwards and using the right hand

to gently press your ingers away.Feel a stretch along the undersideo your arm and wrist. Swap sides.

triceps stretcHExtend your right arm above yourhead and then bend the elbow,dropping your orearm behind yourhead. Gently push the elbow backwith your let hand. Swap sides.

In the Army, rope climbing isoften used to develop functionalupper body strength you canfind ropes in a local sports hallor school gym. Rope work addsvariety and requires coordinationas well as strength. But it istechnically demanding and shouldonly be done under supervision.

A safe method for use on your

own is to start in a sitting positionon a mat. Using only your hands,climb the rope until your feet are4-6 inches off the ground, withyour legs hanging vertically. Thenlower yourself, and repeat.

Upper bodY sports

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BA Basic Fitness Part 3