The Woodward System of Training for Muscle Development and Control

All About Muscle Control

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Working along with Alan Calvert, who was also a well-known author, Otto wrote a series of articles entitled How to Learn Muscle Control. The main purpose of muscle-control is self-mastery. Muscle control involves far more than the mere ability to make the muscles contract. It teaches you to relax, which is sometimes even more important than contraction. It gives you a selective control, and therefore the ability to single out those muscles necessary to the work to be done, and only those muscles; leaving the antagonistic, or non-helpful, muscles relaxed. That makes a saving of energy in two ways; since it enables you to put all your energy into stimulating the needed muscles, and relieves those muscles of the interference of needlessly flexed antagonistic muscles.

Muscle control, which leads to body-control, is great factor for success in all competitive sports. This summarizes the theory of how the practice of muscle control can be helpful in weight lifting and other sports.

While some people have advocated it as the best and only method of training, I think Arco would agree it is best used in combination with other forms of strength training. Arco continually emphasized the importance of relaxation in muscle control, as did other writers on the subject.

It is even more important than contraction , and is the tougher of the two to do. As you saw in the video above, shoulder blade or scapula control is some of the most impressive form of muscle control there is. As Alan Calvert explained:.

Arco says that if you can master shoulder-blade control by continual practice, the very fact that you have subjected the upper back muscles of the control of the will, will make it easier for you to get a mental domination over the other muscles. Take for a start the control of the shoulder blades, or to be accurate of the muscles which move the shoulder blades. Notwithstanding these considerations, subclinical cardiac systolic and diastolic dysfunction measured by these echocardiographic variables have been associated with increased mortality, and it remains to be determined whether the favourable changes demonstrated after football training, if maintained over time, can improve major end points such as myocardial infarction, stroke or death.

Regular recreational football training increases maximum oxygen uptake VO 2 max in previously untrained participants. A typical finding, though not always significant, is that total plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol are lower after a period of recreational football training table 2. Changes in blood lipids in untrained men as a result of a period of recreational F training compared to R or inactive C.

Changes between pre and post training intervention unless otherwise stated. Regular recreational football training influences body composition table 3. Specifically, fat mass was lowered by 1. Changes in body composition in untrained men as a result of a period of recreational F training compared to R or inactive C. In some studies, a period of recreational football training led to higher lean body mass. Total and leg muscle mass were elevated by 1. The number and length of sprints, and the number of intense actions, depend on the number of players, the degree of man-to-man marking and the pitch size used for small-sided games.

Also, marked effects of football training on body composition have been observed in patient groups table 3.

How to Learn Muscle Control

In middle-aged men with T2DM, total fat mass was 1. Participation in small-sided football games also affects the skeleton table 3. These findings suggest that the osteogenic BMD response in elderly men is not lower, but rather slower, than in their younger counterparts.

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The changes in the elderly are markedly higher than what has been observed in other intervention studies examining the skeletal effect of physical activity. Measurements of biochemical bone markers in the elderly suggested that the anabolic response was due to improved bone formation table 3. Similarly, indication of anabolic effect in bone metabolism was seen in a study of homeless men, where trunk BMD was also elevated 1. Together with the functional improvements in rapid muscle force and postural balance see below , the higher BMD with regular participation in football training is likely to reduce the risk of fractures due to falling.

Introduction

A few studies have measured changes in muscle oxidative enzymes as a result of a period of recreational football training table 4. Changes in muscle enzymatic activity and capillarisation in untrained men as a result of a period of recreational F training compared to R or inactive C.

Regular recreational football training has a marked positive effect on the functional capacity of the participants table 5. Changes in performance of untrained men as a result of a period of recreational F training compared to R or inactive C. Changes are between pre and post training intervention unless otherwise stated. In some studies, maximal leg strength was higher after, rather than before, a period of recreational football training table 5.

Studies have observed that recreational football training led to an increase in counter-movement jump performance for boys 56 and young men, 41 whereas others did not find any change for young 57 and elderly men.

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Such easy to do training resulted in reduced blood pressure, lowered resting heart rate, favourable adaptations in cardiac structure and function, improved blood lipid profile, elevated muscle mass, reduced fat mass and improved functional capacity. For patients with non-communicable diseases NCDs , such as hypertension and T2DM, even greater effects have been observed on key variables, and the marked improvements of cardiac function and cardiorespiratory fitness are likely to reduce the high risk of cardiovascular diseases in these patient groups.

Nevertheless, further studies should examine the value of increasing the volume of recreational football, including a higher frequency of training, and, ultimately, investigate long-term effects of football training on clinical end points and mortality. Football is by far the most popular sport in the world, with more than million active players, and it is now clear that recreational football promotes health. Thus, football is an attractive way of reducing the risk of increasing the number of individuals becoming overweight and developing NCDs, as well as treating those already affected.

Importantly, recreational football has been associated with positive psychosocial interactions, including increased social capital, improved quality of life, general well-being and motivational status.

The effects of five weeks of kickboxing training on physical fitness

As such, football appeals to many and may improve the chances of long-term adherence for individuals who are not motivated to engage in individual exercise otherwise. Despite these encouraging data, scale-up requires a considerable collaborative effort from volunteers, sports organisations and bodies responsible for health promotion, such as FIFA and the WHO. Indeed, FIFA has taken the first step, promoting information about the health benefits of recreational football and implementing projects around the world; the Danish Football Association has had great success with the Football Fitness concept, recruiting a high number of adults with no previous experience of football.

The risk of injury when participating in small-sided football games must be addressed.

Most injuries occurred in the initial phase of the training period, emphasising that football training should be slowly introduced. Notably, the overall injury rate during recreational football training appears to be reduced with age, which may be due to a reduction in game intensity, speed and forceful contacts.

The authors would like to thank the team at Copenhagen Centre for Team Sport and Health, University of Copenhagen, supported by Nordea-fonden, Denmark, as well as close collaborators in 12 countries. The authors would also like to thank Therese Hornstrup, Henrik Pedersen and Henrik Holm Andersen, for editing and proofreading the article. Provenance and peer review: Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed. National Center for Biotechnology Information , U. British Journal of Sports Medicine.

Br J Sports Med. Author information Copyright and License information Disclaimer. For permission to use where not already granted under a licence please go to http: This article has been cited by other articles in PMC. The physiology of recreational football—why might training confer health benefits? Open in a separate window.

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Cardiovascular effects of recreational football Blood pressure and heart rate at rest Many studies have shown that a period of recreational football training lowers blood pressure in normotensive untrained participants table 1. Heart structure and function Recreational football training has significant effects on myocardial structure and function at rest, as determined by comprehensive transthoracic echocardiography using tissue Doppler, speckle tracking and strain rate analyses table 1. Maximum oxygen uptake Regular recreational football training increases maximum oxygen uptake VO 2 max in previously untrained participants.

Effect of recreational football on blood lipid profile and body composition Blood lipid profile A typical finding, though not always significant, is that total plasma cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein LDL cholesterol are lower after a period of recreational football training table 2. Body fat and lean body mass Regular recreational football training influences body composition table 3.

Bone mass and bone mineral density Participation in small-sided football games also affects the skeleton table 3. Muscle adaptations in recreational football A few studies have measured changes in muscle oxidative enzymes as a result of a period of recreational football training table 4. Effect of recreational football on functional capacity Regular recreational football training has a marked positive effect on the functional capacity of the participants table 5.

Perspectives Football is by far the most popular sport in the world, with more than million active players, and it is now clear that recreational football promotes health. What are the new findings? Recreational football training has broad-ranging physiological effects. Recreational football also lowers body fat, total cholesterol and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and increases leg muscle mass and bone mineral content, as well as muscle oxidative enzymes and functional capacity.

Recreational football training produces more pronounced broad-spectrum adaptations than training programmes solely focusing on continuous jogging, interval running or strength training.

The effects of five weeks of kickboxing training on physical fitness

This position secures a magnificently full and powerful contraction of the biceps without much effort. The elbow may be lifted even further from the body, and the shoulders dropped still lower. This position will enable the student with a well developed arm to make the forearm and biceps meet. With practice you can not only flex your biceps stronger but get it to bounce between contraction and relaxation, either singly or both at the same time, as was shown in a few of the videos above. There are many great books on the subject.

What I found amazing is that no one every developed a video course on the subject. This comes with all of the following books, from many of the greats listed above, a follow along training CD and videos covering the exercises and other ways to use muscle control. You can check out my muscle control course here. Its half off for the month of December. Muscle Control by Maxick The classic book on the subject. After an introduction to his life story and how he came to develop muscle control Maxick shares 21 exercises, plus variations, with 50 photos.

How to Learn Muscle Control by Otto Arco and Alan Calvert Originally from a collection of magazine articles this is one of my favorite books on the topic. Otto Arco demonstrates the exercises, giving details, though it is largely written by the author of Super Strength, Alan Calvert. Maxalding by Monte Saldo Covers much more than just the exercises, this lays out many of the principles behind the Maxalding system including breathing, diet, nutrition, hygiene and more.

This was featured in the Physical Culture Book Club so you can read many more details about it here. The Why and How of Muscle Control by Court Saldo Another collection of magazine articles, this short book was written later than many of the others, so it includes new details along with many exercises, and stories about Maxick and Monte. Great Strength by Muscle Control by Maxick In this book you learn how to apply what you learn from muscle control into how to lift weights. Shows tons of the classic weight lifting exercises like the snatch, clean, one arm jerk, bent press, swing, military press, anyhow and more.

This book lays out three months of training, with new exercises for each month. This of course is very important stuff which he ties into what he does for strength and athleticism. Covers the benefits and shows results of students. I also plan to explore muscle control a bit more in the future and will include new material in the Strength Health Mind Power Inner Circle. The tendon activation that Chandraskekar displays is is simply a matter of adjusting the position of the ribcage while holding the exhale. Try sliding the ribcage back a little and at the same time creating a downward pull on the bottom front corners of the ribcage.

As for the biceps flexing instructions, pushing the shoulder down and forwards helps to stabilize the scapulae which then give both the biceps and the triceps a stable foundation from which to activate, making it easier to tense the biceps and the triceps.

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