Tuesday, June 14, 2005
Toroidal Training /Continued
Somewhere at the cellular level there is stuff going on that makes the speedy person different from the slower person. I explain this difference by using intuition since I have no idea if there is a study by someone to explain how people differ so much in their quickness. Differences can' t totally be explained by simple physical evidence, i.e. bulkiness or other size characteristics. Physics don't explain how a 200 lb. person is quicker than the 100 pound person. At the cellular level the individual differs greatly.
Toroidal training addresses the cellular level in such a way to maximize training efficiency and get the most out of the person's cell as far as speed is concerned. Additionally, this type of training acts as a prophylactic in preventing or lessening injuries, not only to a young athlete but also to the adult later in life. Toroidal training is not so much a training technique, as it is a way to work out for life. Oh yes, it makes you quicker for a lifetime and helps you stay young, my god the fountain of youth! A study just released says people lose about 2% of their athleticism per year between the ages of 50 and 75, then at age 75 they lose their athleticism at the rate of 7% per annum. Work hard when you are young and maintain the edge longer should be your mantra.
Specific Exercises for Toroidal Training
In order to hit the cellular level one must conceptualize one exercise then translate this understanding to every muscle group in the body. The folloing exercises are mine, developed over many years, but if you can attack the cell better than me, go for it. There is always a better way to do things, so make it happen.
To understand the basis for toroidal training, imagine a sit up, now expand the sit up to a left knee to right elbow movement then alternate to a right knee to left elbow movement. This is the basis for Toroidal training. By attacking muscle from every conceivable angle and simultaneously twisting and turning throughout the exercize you begin to see the movements necessary to toroidally train. You are building muscle of course, but you are also affecting the connection of the muscle to the skeleton via tendons and ligaments.
My experience says that this activity when incorporated into a speed type of workout enhances the overall effect of training for speed and quickness. By twisting and strengthing the torso a person's flexibilty and recovery are enhanced during a sit up. By recovery, I mean you can bounce back from a movement quicker, like a spring on a door ,you are making the spring stronger and more responsive. Now imagine applying this same logic to every muscle group of the body. For example, what if you can strengthen the muscles in the eyes that adjust the focus of your eyes, thereby allowing an athlete to focus quicker than someone who doesn't strenghten those muscles. What a huge advantage to a batter in baseball, a tennis player, a soccer goalie and so on!
The toroidal sit up is just the begining. By using this principle during weight lifting one should develop their routine to rotate and move the weights in many different directions. For example, while doing biceps curls, twist the weights at the top of the movement or vary the speed of the movement. This will have a net effect of working your biceps for size and strenghthening the joints and tendons for flexiblity. Additionally, you will see benefits in bone structure development. Resistance creates bigger muscle and toroidal resistance develops quicker -healthier bone, muscle and tendons, a trifecta.
For leg development I recommend the ladder drill as the foundation for a sound toroidal workout. Ladders afford a simle step in, step out format where you must create various speeds and angles. In the next edition of Speed Merchant I will address the ladder drills and other toroidal exercises.
Toroidal training addresses the cellular level in such a way to maximize training efficiency and get the most out of the person's cell as far as speed is concerned. Additionally, this type of training acts as a prophylactic in preventing or lessening injuries, not only to a young athlete but also to the adult later in life. Toroidal training is not so much a training technique, as it is a way to work out for life. Oh yes, it makes you quicker for a lifetime and helps you stay young, my god the fountain of youth! A study just released says people lose about 2% of their athleticism per year between the ages of 50 and 75, then at age 75 they lose their athleticism at the rate of 7% per annum. Work hard when you are young and maintain the edge longer should be your mantra.
Specific Exercises for Toroidal Training
In order to hit the cellular level one must conceptualize one exercise then translate this understanding to every muscle group in the body. The folloing exercises are mine, developed over many years, but if you can attack the cell better than me, go for it. There is always a better way to do things, so make it happen.
To understand the basis for toroidal training, imagine a sit up, now expand the sit up to a left knee to right elbow movement then alternate to a right knee to left elbow movement. This is the basis for Toroidal training. By attacking muscle from every conceivable angle and simultaneously twisting and turning throughout the exercize you begin to see the movements necessary to toroidally train. You are building muscle of course, but you are also affecting the connection of the muscle to the skeleton via tendons and ligaments.
My experience says that this activity when incorporated into a speed type of workout enhances the overall effect of training for speed and quickness. By twisting and strengthing the torso a person's flexibilty and recovery are enhanced during a sit up. By recovery, I mean you can bounce back from a movement quicker, like a spring on a door ,you are making the spring stronger and more responsive. Now imagine applying this same logic to every muscle group of the body. For example, what if you can strengthen the muscles in the eyes that adjust the focus of your eyes, thereby allowing an athlete to focus quicker than someone who doesn't strenghten those muscles. What a huge advantage to a batter in baseball, a tennis player, a soccer goalie and so on!
The toroidal sit up is just the begining. By using this principle during weight lifting one should develop their routine to rotate and move the weights in many different directions. For example, while doing biceps curls, twist the weights at the top of the movement or vary the speed of the movement. This will have a net effect of working your biceps for size and strenghthening the joints and tendons for flexiblity. Additionally, you will see benefits in bone structure development. Resistance creates bigger muscle and toroidal resistance develops quicker -healthier bone, muscle and tendons, a trifecta.
For leg development I recommend the ladder drill as the foundation for a sound toroidal workout. Ladders afford a simle step in, step out format where you must create various speeds and angles. In the next edition of Speed Merchant I will address the ladder drills and other toroidal exercises.
# posted by Art @ 2:35 PM 
