Eccentric exercise workout with Professor Ken Nosaka

 

 

This video is Part 2 of 2. Watch Part 1 (Eccentric exercise explained by Professor Ken Nosaka) here.

 

1. Eccentric exercises for leg muscles: With a chair

Exercise 1a: Lowering slowly into a chair (using both legs)

Stand in front of a stable chair. Lower your body into the chair slowly so the sitting down motion take 3-5 times as long as it usually would. This extends the time for which the muscles involved are lengthened and working actively. Place your hands on your upper thighs for support.

Exercise 1b: Lowering slowly into a chair (using one leg)

Stand in front of a stable chair. Starting from a high squatting position, raise one leg off the ground. While balancing on the other leg, lower your body into the chair, moving as slowly as possible. Shift your upper body to balance if needed. Stand and repeat using the opposite leg.

Exercise 1c: Lifting heels using chair for support

Stand behind a stable chair with a straight back and rest your hands on the top corners of the chair’s back for balance and support. Lift the heels of both your legs slightly. Raise one leg off the ground, by bending the knee to a 90° angle. The leg should move slightly forward as you bend your knee, while lifting the heel of the foot of your standing leg slightly off the ground. Using the chair for support, slowly lower the heel of the standing leg back to the ground. Replace the lifted leg and repeat the exercise on the opposite side.

2. Eccentric exercises for leg muscles: Standing

2a. Sideways stepping squat

Stand up straight with your legs together and your feet planted firmly and flat on the ground. Raise one leg and push it sideways. As you raise the leg, bend both the standing and raised legs. Push your chest slightly forward and raise, bend and widen your arms for balance. Keep both legs bent as you lower the raised leg, to plant the foot firmly back on the ground, as far away from the standing leg as possible. From the wide squat position, push with the previously raised leg to lift the other (previously standing) leg off the ground. As you push the leg up, straighten both legs and bring them back together, to a standing position. Repeat moving in the opposite direction.

2b. Jumping squat

Stand straight with your legs together, feet touching at the heels. Your upper arms should be held tight against your torso. Bend your arms at the elbow so that your lower arms are held in front of your body and clench your fingers into a fist. Jump up, and spread your legs and bend them at the knees, so you are positioned in a wide squat when your feet return to the ground. Use your arms for leverage and balance, moving the upper arms away from the torso and raising the lower arms slightly. Push with one leg while you raise the other and pull it back towards your body, until you are once again standing straight. Repeat the exercise.

2c. Stepping lunge

Stand straight with your feet together and your back straight. Raise one leg in front of you and bend both knees, as you push your body forwards and raise the heel of the standing leg off the ground. Lift your arms and spread them slightly away from your body for balance. Your knees should be bent at right angles as you lower the raised leg so that the entire foot is planted on the ground. Keep your arms held wide for balance as you push up and straighten the front leg (previously raised), and pull the back leg (previously standing) forward. Move your arms back to rest at the sides of your torso.

2d. Jumping lunge

Stand with your legs together, your arms hanging at the side of your torso and your back straight. Jump up and as you do spread your legs frontwards and backwards, and bend at the knees. Bend your arms and hold them slightly wide of your body for balance. As your body falls back to the ground, your feet should be about hip width apart. Your front knee should be bent at a 90° angle and your front foot planted firmly on the ground, so that the toes and heel are touching. Your back foot should be connected to the ground at the toes, with a slightly bent knee. To complete the exercise, push your front foot into the ground and pull the back leg forward as you straighten your knees. The feet should come together to touch at the heels and the arms should come back to rest at your sides.

3. Eccentric exercises for arm muscles with weights

While sitting on a chair, take a weight and clasp it firmly in one hand. Ensuring your upper arm is held close to your body and your palm is facing upwards, bend the arm at the elbow to lift the hand and weight until your lower and upper arm are at a 45° angle. Still holding the palm upwards and the upper arm close to the torso, slowly release the lower arm back down towards your thigh. Repeat using the opposite arm.

4. Eccentric exercises for arm muscles using the weight of your body

4a. Floor push ups

Using an exercise mat, place your palms and toes on the ground, wide enough apart that you can straighten out the length of your body. Your palms should be under your shoulders, with the fingers spread slightly. Your feet should be held together. Push with your arms and toes and tighten your leg, arms and torso muscles so that your body is held erect. Slightly bend at the waist so that the torso and groin are held higher than the top of your legs. Lower your body as slowly as possible, by bending your arms at the elbow, so that the elbows point outwards, away from the sides of your body. Continue lowering your body until your chest touches the exercise mat. Rest your legs flat on the floor or mat and use your arms to push your body back up, bending your legs so that your knees remain on the ground, and arching your back slightly. When your torso is lifted, straighten your legs to lift the knees off the ground and repeat the exercise.

4b. Wall push ups

Stand facing a wall and take a wide step back, away from the wall. Hold your arms in front of you horizontally, with your palms flat against the wall and your feet planted firmly on the ground and held together. Push your arms out from the shoulders, at 45° angles, so that your palms rest on the wall wide of your shoulders. Tilt your body slightly towards the wall so that your legs and torso remain straight. Bend your arms at the elbows so that your body lowers towards the wall, taking care to keep your legs and torso in a straight line and your feet planted on the ground. When your nose touches the wall, step one foot forward and straighten your body back to stand facing the wall. Repeat the exercise.

5. Eccentric exercise for stomach muscles

5a. With a chair

Sit with your buttocks at the edge of a sturdy, straight-backed chair. Ensure your feet are firmly planted on the ground and your knees bent at 90° angles. With a straight back, cross your hands in front of your chest and tighten your stomach muscles. Slowly move your torso backwards so that your shoulders move towards the back of the chair. As you move, allow your feet to lift slightly from the ground, so that only the tips of your toes are connected to the ground. Pull your body back to a straight sitting position and repeat the exercise.

5b. Lying on your stomach

Lie on your stomach on an exercise mat, with your legs straight behind you and your feet active, so that only your thighs and toes touch the ground (i.e. you calf is raised off the ground). Hold your arms out straight from your shoulders and horizontal to your body, and bent 90° at the elbow. Place your palms on the ground and use them to push up so that your shoulders, chest and stomach lift off the ground. Your groin, thighs and toes should remain connected to the ground. Now tense your stomach muscles and lift your palms off the ground. Your toes should remain on the ground. Lower your torso back to the ground as slowly as possible, keeping your palms off the ground.

5c. Lying on your back

Place an exercise mat on the ground for cushioning. Sit on the mat with your buttocks at the bottom edge and your legs slightly bent in front of you. Your heels should touch the ground and your toes should point upwards. Straighten your back and cross your arms in front of your chest. Slowly lower your torso so that your back, shoulders and head come down to lie on the mat, while trying to keep your heels in contact with the ground. Straighten your arms and place them on either side of your torso, palms down to support you, as you raise your body back up to a sitting position.