July 20, 2016
The Physics Behind A Lean Body
We bet that the last time you were in a science class room, you didn't spend a whole of time thinking about how what you were learning could help your physique. It would be understandable if you failed to apply the laws of science to the machine that is your body.
But, the reality is, your body is a body in motion and as such, it is subject to the same laws of physics as anything else. We often think of ourselves as being outside of all these things but the sooner we realize that we aren't, the sooner we can make the science work for us!
By making just a few simple tweaks to your workout routine, you can start seeing bigger, better, and faster results.
How to apply: Drive your body forward through your hips, by pushing off your back leg instead of overextending your front leg. It has been found that top-level runners have a step rate of 180 per minute. To improve your run, try to boost your step rate by 5 to 10 percent. Count how many times your feet hit the ground while running at an easy pace for 30 seconds, double that number and you've found your step rate. To help increase your step rate, create a playlist with hard driving, upbeat tunes! That's the easiest, and most entertaining, way to boost your run.
Tweak One: Shake it up!
Time to remove your solid base! Look at it this way, the less an object's surface area touches a solid base, the less stable the object will be. How to apply: If you are looking for a very simple way to apply this, try making your base smaller. Bring your hands closer together when doing push-ups, the same goes for your feet during squats. If you are feeling particularly brave, try working on an unstable base. Try moving your workout to the beach, for example. You will engage every single muscle in your body trying to keep yourself stable on the constantly shifting sand! Adding a balance trainer to the mix is also a great way to boost your planks, push-ups, and lunges. Get a balance trainer here!Tweak Two: Go against the flow
Resistance is your friend! Dumbbells, weighted vests, sandbags and even the wind, can be used to make your workout more challenging. When you add these things, you are applying an external force which encourages your muscles to grow, helping you to burn more fat! How to apply: For a simple adjustment, take things outside! Running or cycling into the wind is a great way to create resistance. If it is a calm day, maybe take things off road. If you live near a hiking trail, take advantage of the uneven terrain and the incline! If you'd like to add resistance to your regular routine without having to change anything, wear the BodyRock weighted vest. It will not impede your movements and take your fat burning to the next level. Awesome Vest Moves:Tweak Three: Use leverage
All the parts of your body, muscles, bones, and joints, work together to allow you to lift. If you increase the distance between the joint and the object you are trying to lift, you require your muscles to use more force which puts you at a mechanical disadvantage. This means your muscles have to work harder! How to apply: Try exercises like lateral raises or side leg lifts. These moves require you to place the weight at greater distance from your shoulder, or hip joint respectively. You could also try raising your arms over your head when doing squats or lunges. If that's too difficult, try lifting the weight to your shoulders instead of overhead.
Tweak Four: Do the twist!
The majority of exercise you do will happen across two planes. The sagittal plane covers the up and down, front and back movements while the frontal plane covers side to side. But we want you to start using the transverse plane as well! This plane covers rotational movements. Adding rotations will engage more muscles and burn you more calories. If you want abs, addressing this plane will help! How to apply: Pick exercises that have you rotating your body right to left. Think walking lunge or sit up. Next time you do mountain climbers, bring your knee across your body instead of sticking to the same side.Tweak Five: Improve your stride
When you run, you are working with Isaac Newton's third law: for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. So when your foot hits the ground, or treadmill, it pushes back with the same force, moving you forward. As you pick up the pace, you increase the frequency with which your foot hits the ground. But, if you work on your stride, you can make running feel easier and avoid common injury.
How to apply: Drive your body forward through your hips, by pushing off your back leg instead of overextending your front leg. It has been found that top-level runners have a step rate of 180 per minute. To improve your run, try to boost your step rate by 5 to 10 percent. Count how many times your feet hit the ground while running at an easy pace for 30 seconds, double that number and you've found your step rate. To help increase your step rate, create a playlist with hard driving, upbeat tunes! That's the easiest, and most entertaining, way to boost your run.