Muscles Groups and Stretching

7/25/2019 Muscles Groups and Stretching

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Pole Dancing is one of those sports that uses your entire body it has been called the

ultimate workout. Both stamina and muscle building, a 4 minute pole routine can feel like a

mile run.

!uscles "sed for Pole Dance#$itness

%rms Biceps, &riceps, $orearm, 'rist, (and

)houlders

upper back

lower back

neck

*hest

core

abdominals

obli+ues

glutes

+uads

inner thighs

cales

ankles

hands#wrists -This is because the hand's position has a large infuence

on the shoulders. The shoulder girdle in turn dictate the positioning

o the rest o the body or perorming an activity. An instability in the

shoulders throws o the balance o the body rame and ineciency

occurs in the use o the body.

forearms

Depending on the eercise you are attempting and or the amount you utili/e your entire

strength, will depict how much the muscle group actually gets used.


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Human Kinetics/Excerpts

Correct posture refers to the alignment of the bones in relation to the joints for the purpose of maximizing qiflow and minimizing obstructions. In qigong therapy it is said that where!er qi does not flow disease sets in."i is carried in the #lood li$e water in a ri!er and flows throughout e!ery part of our body. If there are sharpbends in the ri!er qi slows down% if the ri!er straightens there is less resistance and the flow increases. #ypaying attention to how our bones are stac$ed on top of each other we can minimize the number of bends inthe body and thereby facilitate free&flowing qi.

'ree&flowing qi is important on two le!els. 'irst it washes through the body and cleanses the organs fasciaeand blood. #lood carries qi along with oxygen and nutrients and therefore it ma$es sense that where!er#lood is circulating healing is occurring or disease is not setting in. "i mo!ement in this case means thatthere is no holding onto stressors of any $ind and that health and relaxation are acti!ely supported. "igong

therapy recognizes that external influences including physical emotional spiritual and mental influencesha!e a real energetic charge that can be associated with specific parts of the body.

(ne important reason for maintaining correct alignment of the body during qigong practice is that it $eeps themajor energetic center of the body called the Taiji Pole straightened. )he )aiji *ole is a column of energyextending from the top of the head at the crown down to the perineum and lin$s all the energetic meridiansand centers along the midline of the body +see figure ,.-. ach end of the )aiji *ole is an energetic portalthat connects upward to Hea!en and downward to arth. Keeping the )aiji *ole straightened facilitates free&flowing qi through its core and a flowing current between the head and feet.

)he second important benefit of free&flowing qi is the effect of release0in order to hold great structure wemust relax the muscles and allow the bones to hold themsel!es in place using minimal effort. 1elaxing themuscles entails an acti!e command from the mind to release tension and releasing muscular tension also
http://www.humankinetics.com/http://www.humankinetics.com/excerptshttp://www.humankinetics.com/excerptshttp://www.humankinetics.com/excerptshttp://www.humankinetics.com/


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implies letting go of emotional and mental tension. 2hen the entire body is relaxed our true nature is allowedthe freedom of expression.

'or example a common place to hold onto tension is the shoulders. (ne of the rules of posture requires thepractitioner to drop the shoulders0that means don3t bring them up by the ears. 4et3s say you3!e come homefrom a stressful day at wor$. It3s li$ely that your shoulders ha!e been creeping up toward your ears orcramping your nec$. )o relax the shoulders the mental and emotional tension that put them there in the first

place would also ha!e to be released. 2e would ha!e to lea!e our job behind and be completely whole andalone in our body. 2hen we are on guard we tend to hold the muscular pattern that goes with that attitude.(nce we can release and fall naturally into proper alignment the healing has already begun5

6trengthening and conditioning muscles of breathing impro!ing lung capacityand air flow.

6trengthening the heart muscle pumping efficiency reducing the resting heartrate.

Impro!ed blood circulation and reduction in blood pressure

Increasing red blood cell numbers and oxygen transport facilitationthroughout the body

shown to reduce cardio!ascular problems

1educing the ris$ of diabetes

6timulate bone growth reducing osteoporosis ris$

6trengthening !arious muscle groups in the body as well as enhances!ascularization in the muscles.

Impro!e endurance by impro!ed energy storage and increase speed ofaerobic metabolism in muscles

Impro!e mental health and reducing stress

To make physical improvements in your body, you need to work your body and muscles harder than usual. This

is referred to as the overload principle. As your body becomes more conditioned, you need to increase the

frequency, intensity, or time of your workouts in order to continue improving your pole fitness level.

Frequency: How often you exercise on the pole . For beginners, consider starting with 2-3, 45 minutes to 1 hr

sessions per week.

Intensity: How hard you exercise. For example, the pace you walk or spin around the pole, the amount of weight

you lift (you can always add leg weights or wrist weights to increase this increasing your heart rate too.

Time: How long you perform an activity. "Time" can also refer to the number of sets or repetitions you perform in

your sequences and training and the length of your performance and routine Start off with 1 minute routines then

progess in 30 seconds at a time until you reach competition and world class standard of 6 minutes.

Exercise Component 1: Aerobic Exercise in general

Aerobic exercise increases the health and function of your heart, lungs, and circulatory system. For maximum

effectiveness, aerobic exercise needs to be rhythmic, continuous and involve the large muscle groups (primarily

located in the lower part of your body.) Pole fitness incorporates this component such as walking, jogging,


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cycling, aerobic dance, and stair climbing, all being excellent examples of activities that use large muscle groups.

Activities combining upper and lower body movements such as Pole fitness and cross-country skiing, rowing,

and swimming can lead to even higher levels of aerobic capacity.

Exercise Component 2: Strength Training in general

Strength training is the process of exercising with progressively heavier resistance to build or retain muscle.

Unless you perform regular strength exercise, you will lose up to one-half pound of muscle every year of life after

age 25. Muscle is a very active tissue with high energy requirements, even when you are asleep, your muscles

are responsible for over 25% of your calorie use. An increase in muscle tissue causes a corresponding increase

in the number of calories your body will burn, even at rest. So by building the pole dancing muscles will help

increase your metabolism.

Exercise Component 3: Flexibility in general

Flexibility is a critical element of an exercise program but it is often overlooked. Stretching is important for a

number of reasons; increases physical performance, decreases risk of injury, increases blood supply andnutrients to the joints, increases neuromuscular coordination, reduces soreness, improves balance, decreases

risk of low back pain, and reduces stress in muscles and gives you more variety on the pole and during floor

work.

Strength Training basics

Wed like to fill in the gap by giving you the foundation of any safe and effective strengthtraining routine. Youll

learn the names of the major muscle groups and the exercises that target them, the difference between sets and

reps, the elements of proper form, and the basics of frequency and progression.

The Major Muscle Groups during Pole Exercise

When selecting exercises for your strength routine, its important to choose at least one exercise for each major

muscle group. This prevents muscle imbalances that can lead to injury. Lets take a look at the major muscle

groups and a few of the exercises that target them:

Gluteals This group of muscles (often referred to as glutes) includes the gluteus maximus, which is the bigmuscle covering your bottom. Common exercises are the squat and the leg press machine. The glutes also

come into play during lunges, tall box step ups, and plyometric jumps. POLE Body swerve, high leg hook.

Quadriceps This group of muscles makes up the front of the thigh. Exercises include squats, lunges, leg

extension machine, and leg press machine. POLE pole glide, double and single leg descend, pole back, back

hook spin


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Hamstrings These muscles make up the back of the thigh. Exercises include squats, lunges, leg press

machine, and leg curl machine POLE double and single leg decend, donkey kick

Hip abductors and adductors These are the muscles of the inner and outer thigh. The abductors are on the

outside and move the leg away from the body. The adductors are on the inside and pull the leg across the

centerline of the body. These muscles can be worked with a variety of side-lying leg lifts, standing cable pulls,and multi-hip machines. POLE - Back hook spin knees apart

Calf The calf muscles are on the back or the lower leg. They include the gastrocnemius and the soleus. The

gastrocnemius is what gives the calf its strong rounded shape. The soleus is a flat muscle running under the

gastrocnemius. Standing calf raises give the gastrocnemius a good workout, while seated or bent knee calf

raises place special emphasis on the soleus. These small muscles can handle a relatively large amount of

weight. POLE standing on tip toes, pogo pole jumps

Low back The erector spinae muscles extend the back and aid in good posture. Exercises include the back

extension machine and prone back extension exercises. These muscles also come into play during the squat

and dead lift. POLE - good posture, pole desend and assend

Abdominals These muscles include the rectus abdominus, a large flat muscle running the length of the

abdomen, and the external obliques, which run down the sides and front of the abdomen. Exercises such as

standard crunches and curls target the rectus abdominus. Reverse curls and crunches (where the hips are lifted

instead of the head and shoulders) target the lower portion of this muscle. Crunches involving a rotation or twist

work the external obliques. POLE high leg kick, spinning scissors

Pectoralis major Large fan shaped muscle that covers the front of the upper chest. Exercises include push-

ups, pull-ups, regular and incline bench press, and the pec deck machine. POLE floor work, floor to standing

Rhomboids Muscles in the middle of the upper back between the shoulder blades. Theyre worked during

chin-ups, dumbbell bent rows, and other moves that bring the shoulder blades together. POLE centre body on

pole

Trapezius Upper portion of the back, sometimes referred to as traps. The upper trapezius is the muscle

running from the back of the neck to the shoulder. Exercises include upright rows, and shoulder shrugs with

resistance. POLE pole climb

Latisimus dorsi Large muscles of the mid-back. When properly trained they give the back a nice V shape,

making the waist appear smaller. Exercises include pull-ups, chin-ups, one arm bent rows, dips on parallel bars,

and the lat pull-down machine. POLE Pole climb

Deltoids The cap of the shoulder. This muscle has three parts, anterior deltoid (the front), medial deltoid (the

middle), and posterior deltoid (the rear). Different movements target the different heads. The anterior deltoid is

worked with push-ups, bench press, and front dumbbell raises. Standing lateral (side) dumbbell raises target the

medial deltoid. Rear dumbbell raises (done while seated and bent at the waist, or lying face down on a flat

bench) target the posterior deltoid. POLE - spins


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Biceps The front of the upper arm. The best moves are biceps curls. They can be done with a barbell,

dumbbells, or a machine. Other pulling movements like chin-ups and upright rows also involve the biceps. POLE

back bend pose, pole climb

Triceps The back of the upper arm. Exercises include pushing movements like push-ups, dips, triceps

extensions, triceps kick-backs, and overhead (French) presses. The triceps also come into play during the benchpress and military press. POLE Caterpillar Flag Flatline Scorpio

7lthough many people thin$ of heart diseaseas a man8s problem women can and do get heart disease.

In fact heart disease is the number one $iller of women in the 9nited 6tates. It is also a leading cause of

disability among women.

)he most common cause of heart disease is narrowing or bloc$age of the coronary arteries the blood

!essels that supply blood to the heart itself. )his is called coronary artery disease and happens slowly

o!er time. It8s the major reason people ha!e heart attac$s.*re!ention is important: two&thirds of women

who ha!e a heart attac$ fail to ma$e a full reco!ery.
http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseases.htmlhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseases.htmlhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/coronaryarterydisease.htmlhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartattack.htmlhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartattack.htmlhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartdiseases.htmlhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/coronaryarterydisease.htmlhttp://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/heartattack.html


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)he older a woman gets the more li$ely she is to get heart disease. #ut women of all ages should be

concerned about heart disease. 7ll women can ta$e steps topre!entit by practicing healthy lifestyle

habits.

FUNCTIONS OF MAJOR MUSCLE GROUPS

Muscle:

1ectus 'emoris +"uads

Function:

Hip flexion +with illiapsoas and $nee extension +with !astus

group&&!astus lateralis intermedius and medialis

Exercises:

Cycling leg press machine !ertical jumping stair climbing jump ropingresisted $nee extensions +these are usually incorrectly called the 8leg

extensions8 on the machines. )hey should be called 8$nee extension8.

Muscle:

;luteus


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Exercises:

6ide&lying botton leg raises manual resistance adduction exercises

resisted adduction

Muscle:

;astrocnemius +Calf

Function:

*lantar flexion at an$le +as in pointing the toes

Exercises:

Hill running jump rope calf raises +with free weights stair climbing

Muscle:

1ectus 7bdominus +the 7bs

Function:

'orward spinal flexion +though the focus here is 8joint action8 it is

important to remember that the abs are responsible for torso

stabilization and good posture

Exercises:

the old tried and true Crunches +with or without weights% go to the 7#6

page for more info bent&$nee sit ups though it is important to $now

that when doing sit&ups the hip flexors ta$e o!er as you progress

beyond a >? degree angle so I personally belie!e that you get better

isolation of the abdominals with just crunches.

Muscle:

xternal = Internal (bliques +front sides of the torso

Function:

torso rotation

Exercises:

)wisting crunches +leading with the shoulder towards the opposite $nee

Muscle:rector 6pinae +bac$

Function:

)run$ extension

Exercises:

*rone +face down bac$ extension exercises dead lifts +@()


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recommended if you ha!e a pre&existing bac$ condition or without the

super!ision of a certified trainer

Muscle:

*ectoralis


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9pright rows shoulder shrugs with resistance

Muscle:

1homboid


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Abductor - moves a limb away from the midline

Adductor - moves a limb towards the midline

Extensor - increase the angle at a joint - extends a limb

Flexor - decreases the angle at a joint - flexes a limb

Pronator - turns a limb to face downwards

Supinator - turns a limb to face upwards

Rotator - rotates a limb

Sphincter - closes an orifice of opening

Muscles which move the shoulder and their action

evator scapulae - Raises shoulder blade Pectoralis minor - owers shoulder blade

!rape"ius - ifts clavicle# Adducts$ elevates and rotates scapular outwards

Rhomboideus major - Adducts scapular and rotates it inwards

Serratus anterior - Stabilises scapula when hand exerts pressure on an object

Muscles which move the arm and their action

Pectoralis major - Flexes$ adducts and rotates arm medially

atissimus dorsi - Extends$ adducts and rotates arm medially# %oves arm downward

and bac&wards

'eltoid - Abducts$ flexes$ extends and medially and laterally rotates arm

!eres major - Extends arm$ assists in adduction and medial rotation of arm

Muscles which move the forearm and wrist and their action

(iceps brachii - Flexes and supinates forearm# Flexes arm

(rachialis - Flexes the forearm

(rachoradialis - Flexes$ semi-supinates and semi-pronates the forearm

!riceps brachii - Extends forearm# Extends arm

Pronator teres - Pronates and flexes forearm

Pronator )uadratus - Pronates the forearm and hand

Supinator - Supinates forearm and hand


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Muscles which move the abdominal wall and their action

Rectus abdominis - *ompresses abdomen and flexes vertebral column

External obli)ues - (ends vertebral column laterally and rotates vertebral column

!ransversus abdominis - *ompresses abdomen

+uadratus lumborum - Side flexion

uscles which move the vertebral column and their action

,liocostalis lumborum - Extends lumbar region

,liocostalis thoracis - %aintains the spines erect position

,liocostalis cervicis - Extends cervical region

ongissimus thoracis - Extends thoracis region

ongissimus cervicis - Extends cervical region

ongissimus capitis - Extends the head and rotates it to opposite side

Spinalis thoracis - Extends vertebral column

Spinalis cervicis - Extends vertebral column

Spinalis capitis - Extends vertebral column

Muscles which move the thigh and their action

Psoas major - Flexes and rotates thigh medially and flexes vertebral column

,liacus - Flexes and rotates thigh medially and flexes vertebral column

.luteus maximus - Extends and rotates thigh laterally#

Adductor longus - Adducts$ medially rotates and flexes the thigh

Adductor brevis - Adducts$ laterally rotates and flexes the thigh

Adductor magnus - Adducts$ flexes$ laterally rotates and extends the thigh#

Muscles which act on the leg and their action

Rectus femoris - Extends &nee and flexes hip

/astus lateralis - Extends &nee

/astus medialis - Extends &nee

/astus intermedius - Extends &nee

Sartorius - Flexes &nee# Flexes hip and rotates femur laterally

(iceps femoris - Flexes leg and extends thigh

Semitendinosus - Flexes leg and extends thigh


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Semimembranosus - Flexes leg and extends thigh

Muscles which move the foot and their action

!ibialis anterior - 'orsiflexes and inverts foot

Peroneus tertius - 'orsiflexes and everts foot

.astrocnemius - Plantar flexes foot and flexes &nee

Soleus - Plantar flexes foot

Plantaris - Plantar flexes foot

!ibialis posterior - Plantar flexes and inverts the foot

Peroneus longus - Plantar flexes and everts the foot

Peroneus brevis - Plantar flexes and everts the foot

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Muscles Groups and Stretching