As we age we increasingly confine our movement to the mid-range of motion of our lumbar muscles; basically we become less limber. The fully extended and flexed positions of the lumbar become very weak and prone to injury. Avid exercisers including those who lift heavy weights often have pronounced weakness in the flexed and extended positions. This is because those positions are seldom adequately exercised during a routine workout. These positions are in such a weakened state that it does not take much to produce dramatic strength increases, but it has to be the right exercise on equipment that will safely accommodate a full range of motion.
In an exercise study measuring improvements in back strength, subjects performed one back exercise of six to 15 repetitions once a week for ten weeks using the MedX lumbar exercise machine. Before and after the ten week training period, subjects were tested for isometric strength at seven angles through a 72° range of motion of the lumbar. The study recorded the largest increases in back strength at the fully flexed and extended positions and much less in the median point. The results1:
· At the fully extension position strength increases ranged from 180% to 364%
· At fully flexed position strength increases ranged from 427% to 607%
The design features of the MedX lumbar exercise machine accommodate safe and effective exercise of the lumbar from the fully flexed to fully extended positions; no other exercise equipment can do that. We have that machine along with full lines of MedX strength and rehabilitative exercise equipment at our Austin Fitness Training and New Orleans Fitness Training locations. More back strength through a full range of motion results in greater movement, increased circulation, better lubrication of the vertebral discs, and less likelihood of pain and injury.