CONDITIONING AND POSTTRAUMATIC EXERCISE REGIMENS
Strength has many definitions. A general one states it as the maximum force that
can be exerted by a muscle. In discussing strength, however, the
terminology used is often confusing. The phrase isometric
(equal in length) strength refers to muscle activity occurring
without muscle shortening. Isotonic (equal in tone)
strength means muscle activity with shortening of the muscle.
Both of these general terms are misnomers in that there is a
degree of length change in isometrics due to tendon stretching,
and normal tone is influenced in isotonics by altered mechanical
advantage and resistance.
Acquisition of Strength
Strength is
acquired through
training requiring repetition against increasing resistance.
Thus, it is the effect of all-out effort against resistance. It
is specific to a muscle or muscle group and specific to that
angle at which the exercise occurs. Thus, to be strong at every
angle, training must be throughout the range of joint motion. As
motion requires synchronized body parts, all parts must be
trained to be strong and have adequate endurance.
From a general viewpoint, new or lost strength can be acquired in three ways:
1. Isometrically by exercises done against resistance
in a manner that body movement or joint angle are restricted (eg,
pushing against a wall). Muscle involved maintains a fixed
length, with tension generated equal to the resistance
encountered. Isometric exercise sometimes offers a short cut to
goals of equivalent repetitive drudgery, but it is inefficient in
building strength at multiple joint angles. In the early phase of
rehabilitation, it may be the only type of exercise permitted and
always is preferable to no exercise at all.
2. Isokinetically by exercises of a constant velocity
against resistance that adapts to the angle of a joint (eg,
Orthotron or Cybex II equipment). Isokinetic exercise uses
variable resistance in which the speed of motion is fixed but the
resistance varies to accommodate the input force (eg, manual
resistance, Cybex, Biodex equipment). These exercises are used
primarily to rehabilitate to the point of normal strength, after
which other forms of exercise are used. In isokinetic exercise,
work is done at a set speed with resistance matching the input of
force at that speed. As input changes, resistance changes to
match the input but speed remains constant. A person's muscular
resistance is met with a proportional amount of resistance
through full agonist and then antagonist activity.
3. Isotonically by exercises against resistance in a
manner that body movements are allowed (eg, weights and weight
machines, spring or friction devices). In pure isotonic exercise,
muscle length changes causing or resisting a change in joint
angle and resistance remains constant while velocity is inversely
proportional to load. Both eccentric and concentric contractions
can be achieved. Common nonequipment (unaided) exercise regimens
for developing muscle strength and endurance include sit-ups, bar
chinning, cross-country jogging, push-ups, spinal extensions,
rope climbing, and half-knee bends. Dynamic exercise may be (a)
isotonic in which fixed weight is moved through a ROM (eg, ankle
weights); (b) variable resistance in which resistance varies in a
fixed ration through a full ROM (eg, Nautilus, Eagle
equipment).
Positive vs Negative Isotonics. Isotonic exercise can
be positive or negative. In a positive (concentric) contraction,
muscle tension develops, muscle length shortens, and a resistance
is overcome. In a negative (eccentric) contraction, muscle
tension develops, muscle length increases, and a resistance is
relieved. Thus, when a weight is lifted, positive work is
accomplished; when a weight is lowered, negative work is
fulfilled. A common example of positive and negative exercise is
in chinning a bar, which requires positive strength, and then
slowly lowering the body (load), which requires negative
strength.
Positive work requires twice as much oxygen (but often half
the time) than that of negative work. Negative work has little
effect on cardiovascular conditioning, but it has shown to be far
superior in strength development. For an unknown reason, muscle
soreness is more profound after a bout of negative exercise than
positive exercise. This likely originated the "no pain, no gain"
epithet.
Isometrics. Muller showed that one isometric contraction
(slightly more for the well-trained athlete) of 40%-60% of
maximum held for a few seconds each day would result in the
maximum possible increase of muscle strength. From this study,
while slightly modified, renewed interest in the Charles Atlas
type of "dynamic tension" exercises, in addition to aerobic
isotonic exercises, has become widespread within the sports
world.
A distinct advantage of isometric exercise is to early prevent
or retard atrophy resulting from necessary immobilization (eg,
fracture, whiplash). A disadvantage of purely isometric exercises
is that benefits are confined to a range of motion of only 20 to
either side of the training angle at which contraction is
performed.
Structured Exercise Regimens
There are
many types of
exercise and each has its particular goal therapeutically. See
Table 1.
Table 1. Basic Muscle Function, Dysfunction, & Rehabilitative Therapy