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Preface

This book is designed to update you on the newest advances and changes pertaining to resistance training.  It will provide you with the safest and most efficient collection of resistance-training exercises and techniques based on the best scientific information available today.

This book is not intended to teach in-depth anatomy, kinesiology, or biomechanics. Rather, the goal is to teach the most efficient and safest resistance-training techniques developed while considering and applying a combination of all of these fields of study.  This book will, however, provide you with basic information about the human body's bones, joints, and muscles.  You will learn how the interaction of these systems allows for the various tupes of movements that can be performed by the human body.

Knowing how and what make the body move is important when learning new resistance-training techniques.  After all, resistance training, simply stated, is the movement or attempted movement of the body against a given resistance.  The more knowledge you have of the human body's design and movement capabilities, the better you will comprehend the philosophy and reasoning behind the training techniques presented herein. 

Prior hands-on experience with resistance training may be very helpful  but is not necessary.  In fact, in many cases, a person's prior experience may prove to be more of a hindrance than a help, depending on where that experience came from and their person's attachment to it. 

Throughout our lives, most of us have learned certain things which we may have developed strong feelings and opinions about. Eventually, these beliefs are challenged, and we are forced to question them.  Fitness is still a relatively young field of study.  we should look on any new ideas presented with an open mind and perhaps analyze the validity of our present beliefs. 

Many times, if we trace them to their origins, we will find that our present beliefs have been passed on to us from less-than-reliable sources.  This is particularly true about resistance training. 

Muscle Mechanics has taken many traditional resistance and weight training exercises and applied to them the sciences of anatomy, kinesology, physiology and most of all, biomechanics.  All of the exercises have been analyzed for their efficiency and safety.  How these exercises affect the joints, the connective tissues, and the entire body, as well as the muscles they were designed to develop, were studied.  For many traditional exercises, certain modifications have been made on such things as alignment, positioning, range of motion, and technique.  Other exercises were judged ineffective, compromised the safety of the body, or in some instances, did both.  In these cases, "why shouldn't" these exercises continue to be taught was not asked.  Rather, "why should" they continue to be taught was asked.  I see no need for people to perform high-risk exercises when safer alternatives are available.

This book presents 73 different exercises plus some variations.  These are by no means the only safe and effective exercises possible.  Rather, consider these exercises as a great base or foundation from which you can learn and add to as you continue toward your fitness goals.  The exercises and techniques presented in this book have been developed, analyzed, and approved by some of the top exercise physiologists, physical therapists, doctors, and personal trainers in the country.

Approach this book with an open mind and confidence in its information.  I believe you will experience a higher degree of safety and will greatly enhance the efficiency of your training as you implement these exercises into you personal fitness program or those of  your clients and athletes. 

Everett Aaberg   

 Table of Contents:

1. The Principles of Muscle Mechanics

2. Basic Muscle Anatomy

3. Muscle and Joint Analysis

4. Exercise Form and Technique

5. Trunk Exercises

6. Lower Body Exercises

7. Upper Body Exercises