Relating the components of fitness to building character Part 2. Muscular Endurance

       Actions create causes, and the ability to repeat movements is essential for progress. Motion involves muscular exertion and this can be a repetitive movement of major muscle groups or isolated. Our ability to continue movement depends on our muscular endurance, and is often combined with cardiovascular endurance activities. I often think of the same exercises and look at the heart rate to differentiate.  The ability to use our own body weight is a essential foundation for any fitness goal, as it creates time for proper form.

   Commitment, loyalty, and dependability for long lasting continued results are some things that come to mind when I think of muscular endurance. Wearing out a muscle group until complete failure gives you the experience of confidence knowing that you are committed to do all you can. This practice prepares you to hold on when you are tired, and let's you find how to tap in to just one more when needed.



Muscular endurance.
Ability of muscles to exert tension over an extended period. This can be in movement, or isometric. Some common exercises we can do to practice this are push ups, pull ups, body weight squats, wall sits, plank holds, ECT. 

  Push ups 
  I have always loved the simplicity of this as well as watching the body progress when you put in the practice. However in regards to position of movement, I find it symbolic that you are starting facing the ground and pushing away, and view it as the first step of any come back. This practice wires my brain for resilience, as I repeat picking myself up when I am tired. 

 Squats/ lunges
  A motion we will need if we want to be mobile as we age. Unless you sleep standing, you need to do this motion to be on foot snd ready for whats next, and it puts you in ready to go position. Doing body weight squats may not seem effective if you are used to loading on weight, to that I challenge 20 min nonstop squat session. Practice what it is like to stand up from a complete seated position over and over, and you will sharpen your ability to be ready for things as they come. Repeat the motion of standing despite how tired you are and your mind will become familiar with that continued effort. This will become your nature when you practice.

   Dips
     A less seen body weight movement, however I believe is powerhouse of upper body strength alot skip over. I do refer to dips being done from a bar, or handles as body is upright as opposed to the bench dip style. This exercise gives you the motion of overcoming where you are against resistance to rise above with limited support. Enough said.

  Pull ups
 Perhaps a separate and more advance body weight exercise. If you can't complete a pull up you can still hold on for awhile keeping you muscle under tension and gaining progress. The idea is much of holding on with just two hands, and eventually the ability to pull your own weight so to say. I have long used the visualization of hanging off a cliff and being able to pull myself up from what seemed like disaster.

  Wall sits/planks 
    A popular exercise for sports conditioning we may have been introduced to as a punishment, or a challenge. Both of these are wonderful in the constant state of readiness, allowing yourself to be familiar with the sense of burning as you tap into mind over matter when dedicated to progression. This is a perfect place to feel the recruitment of more muscle fibers being recruited as well as you building new nueropathways of lasting through discomfort.

    Including muscular endurance is not the main part of every ones overall fitness goal, but taking the time to integrate these things can help build value to all of what you do in life. Standing up, hanging on, rising above, and ready to act despite fatigue. These are practices worth integrating. Using the mind and body together is when the goal becomes the path, and every step is progress.

  I will be launching a podcast this spring to promote these benefits. Follow for updates, and please share if you like. 
   Speaking events to cover these subjects more in depth can be booked by contacting 
    Kineticenergyforces@gmail.com 
 

   

Relating the components of fitness to building character part 1 Muscular strength

    Developing character through fitness

 

  If  you have devoted any time in life to developing your fitness, you can agree that is certainly brings about a building of character at the same time.  All of our personal favorite physical activities fall into one or more of the components of fitness. These are considered to be muscular strength ( measured on one rep max), muscular endurance (nonstop high volume movement, such as push ups), cardiovascular endurance (moderate heart rate for 60 plus mins), flexibility (range of motion), and the result of our activities being displayed at our body composition (measured lean body mass and fat).  We train to progress and excel in these areas, and can probably agree it takes a lot of our mind being involved. The development of character that has accompanied your practice can be notice when you take a step back. Each component of fitness also includes our brain, emotions, attention, and every cell in our body working together to experience a practice.

  Taking time to be aware of the relationship between each component of fitness and the attributes it can bring to life is a better way to take advantage of our time more wisely. This series will address them separately. I am aware the individual experiences are varied, and hope that the practice of integrating awareness of the mind and body will yield more results for those willing to experience this practice.

   Muscular Strength

Muscular strength refers to the amount of force a muscle can produce with a single maximal effort. Muscle strength is measured during muscular contraction. The size of your muscle fibers and the ability of nerves to activate muscle fibers are related to muscle strength.

   Notice how you feel when working on increasing your strength, and the word confidence will come to many of us quickly. This confidence is a direct result of the experience of handling heavy weight in a controlled manner. When we continue to take on resistance our strength increases. The heavier loads increase our muscle fiber size, as does the volume of training display our bodies ability to continually adapt. The practice of activating our nervous system in movement is essential for progress.

     The relationship of the movement is another aspect to take into consideration. Our posture sets the stage for movement, and where we move our energy follows. Notice how you feel when standing, attentive and ready to move as opposed to laying down. Our posture and movements have a direct result on our mind set. Take notice and find meaning in your movements that are helpful to you. Here are two examples of how to apply this, or look at.

 The single rep max of a squat is display our ability to stand upright while bearing the weight. Think of the amount of times we have felt overwhelmed and that things are too much, the single act of standing up right sets our mind and body for stability, grounding, and readiness to act.

  The deadlift is a great symbol of removing obstacles,  the willingness to pick up responsibility, take action, and make changes. The practice of this not only involves a upper and lower body, but calls into a large amount of intention, skill, procedure, and attention to detail. This is reserved for the wise and mature. Results will not be haphazard and only experienced with pure form, which includes the control of the weight on the eccentric movement. Here is what separates the wise and foolish. The letting go with control is where is the strength is built.

  The one rep max has been a time tested display of strength and is used for lifting competitions as well as the standards of proper form. This can be seen best in  powerlifting, and any gym across the world as we like to see what we are capable of in a single moment. This is most scene with classic lifts such as a bench press, squat, or deadlift. Being called on to perform maximum effort recruits our nervous system to a different and more important task than mindless movements. Some of us will experience we can do much more than we thought in a single moment when called to action. Others  may come to a reality check, aka an ego check. The practice of a one rep max should be used occasionally,and is not recommended on a regular basis as it is a risk of injury. This can be done for different body parts or specific lifts on a rotating schedule.