Restless Reader: Suspended Bodyweight Training

Suspended Bodyweight Training
Suspended Bodyweight Training

Suspended Bodyweight Training by Kenneth Leung with Lily Chou (Ulysses Press paperback, 2015), 143 pages, $15.95 paperback or for the e-book.

Finally, someone who is advocating a suspension of all this taxing bodily training. Where do we apply?

So sorry, but suspension training is just another form of taxing bodily exercise. One uses rings or straps to suspend various appendages off the floor while the rest of the body does planks, squats, lunges and other strength-, endurance- or mobility-building motions.

(Sigh.) Why would we want to do that?

Because it's interesting. Because the floor is dirty.

Actually, primary author Kenneth Leung -- a doctor of physical therapy and a martial artist -- says using the straps employed in suspension training allows a body to work at angles it can't assume otherwise, allowing you to ramp the difficulty of traditional exercises up or down. Also, the straps demand full-body control, which benefits the core muscles; they add an element of stability training to every motion, because the positions you end up in tend to be somewhat unstable. They are lightweight and easy to pack.

And meanwhile, they are fun to use. Leung says they remind him of playing on a swing set.

Where do we get suspension training straps?

Three brands the book lists are TRX, Power Systems Lifeline Jungle Gym and GoFit Gravity Straps. Leung also mentions that it's possible to rig up your own apparatus using common household items, but he recommends that readers not try that until after they have used a manufactured version and gained knowledge of how to use these things safely.

He also critiques the features commonly found on the manufactured items without telling the reader which items have which features. But at least he talks about the advantages of the features, such as having one anchor point rather than two, adjustable as opposed to fixed straps and the various styles of handle (padded, not padded and hard or soft loops).

Are there workout plans that are laid out as charts?

Yes, of course. The book covers would be too close together without those.

Leung charts workouts for beginners, intermediates and advanced exercisers with emphasis on "legs," "arms and shoulders," "core," "balance," "lower back flexibility," "lower back strength," "total body conditioning" and "cardio."

Then comes a group of sport-specific charts for baseball, basketball, boxing, football, golf, rowing, running, soccer, swimming, tennis and wrestling.

How will I know how to do the exercises?

Besides workout charts, no self-respecting fitness book would be complete without exercise recipes.

The "Exercises" chapter takes up the bulk of the book and provides black-and-white photos and form instructions for 71 exercises or stretches, grouped by emphasis. For instance, if you want to wear out your shoulders, the book lists eight exercises in a "shoulder series."

Can't I just look up such exercises on YouTube?

Of course you can. But what if your Wi-Fi goes out? What if you drop your cellphone in the bathtub?

More to the point, what if the video you pull up was put together by Joe Musclehead from down the street who fails to mention that, no, he does not have a doctorate in physical therapy?

Who are the authors?

Leung is a martial artist with a doctorate in physical therapy from the University of Southern California. He works at the University of California, Oakland, and maintains a private practice in Oakland.

Lily Chou is a martial artist in the San Francisco area and a professional writer. For Ulysses Press, she has also co-written The Martial Artist's Book of Yoga and The Anatomy of Martial Arts.

ActiveStyle on 03/02/2015

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