Instability, Confusion: Good Things?
I
nstability has such a negative con-
notation. To be unstable is to be
unsteady in purpose or intent, not
firm or solid. Confusion is described as
bewilderment, being mixed up.
Now, what if I told you I'd like you to be
unstable and confused? Maybe you'd think
I'm a little nuts myself; but I make that
statement, not from a mental perspective,
but from a muscular one, pertaining to
exercise.
Let's first deal with instability and I'll
give you an example. You've probably seen
and maybe even used the large Swiss fit-
ness balls that most gyms are equipped
with. When you're doing an abdominal
exercise with those balls (whether on your
back or rolling on the ball from a kneel-
ing position), you're creating an unstable
environment.
That environment activates your core,
forcing you to stabilize, forcing you to
work those ab muscles that will help
steady you. That instability
truly strengthens that region
and does wonders, providing
you don't slip off the ball and
hurt yourself.
Muscle confusion is the
principle of changing your
routine to keep your muscles
guessing. When you exercise
using the same workout over
and over, you tend to fall into
a rut, where muscle growth
plateaus. Unless you change
that routine, adding variety
and more challenging exercises
(creating muscle confusion), you're likely
to stagnate.
You can make an analogy with men-
tal training. Those who work crossword
puzzles, play chess or participate in men-
tally stimulating games tend to keep their
minds sharp and in shape. Same with
fitness. If we do things that challenge us,
we grow.
There are many ways to
change your routine. If you are
using weight machines, try free
weights — barbells and dumb-
bells. Or do a combination of
both. Mix it up.
Heard of 21s? It is a trio of
seven-rep exercises that utilize
the muscle to the fullest. Take
bicep curls: Do seven repeti-
tions just halfway up the body
and down, then seven from
the middle position to the top
and back to the middle, then
seven complete, full-range-of-motion reps.
That's 21. Maybe even better than black-
jack! You'll feel the burn on the final seven
for sure. If not, use heavier weights.
Another one is reverse pyramids: Start
with a heavy weight for three to five reps.
Rest a minute. Reduce the weight by about
20 percent and try six to eight reps. Rest
45 seconds. Then take another 20 percent
off and do 12 to 15 reps. Alter the weight
to accommodate your strength level.
Compound sets are terrific in exhaust-
ing the muscles. They consist of several
nonstop exercises for the same muscle
group. Chest, for example, could involve
a bench press set, then straight to a fly,
then an incline press, then maybe some
pushups.
Legs could include squats, lunges and
hamstring curls.
As always, lift within your means. Don't
use more weight than you can handle with
slow, controlled movement. But shake
things up with a little instability and
confusion. Your muscles might be sore ini-
tially but, believe me, you'll eventually feel
and see the difference.
❑
Jim Berk.is an AFAA certified trainer. He can
be reached at (248) 444-9480; e-mail
jimberk@comcast.net.
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October 30 2008
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