Six self-resistance exercises with a stick for arms and upper body muscles
1. Biceps pushing. Take a stick by two hands and hold it close to the chest. Push the stick to left side, tensing only right biceps and resisting by the left biceps. Keeping SR, move through the full ROM to left. Then push the stick to right side, tensing only left biceps and resisting by the right one. Keeping SR, move through the full ROM to right. Repeat pushing to right-left sides with ~constant SR until feeling the light pain in the both biceps. It is one set. Rest is 15-30 sec with 1 or 2 deep breathes.
2 Triceps pulling. Take a stick by two hands and hold it close to the chest. Pull the stick to left side, tensing only left triceps and resisting by the right one. Move through the full ROM to left. Then pull the stick to right side, tensing only right triceps and resisting by the left one. Again move through the full ROM to right. Repeat pulling to right-left sides until feeling the light pain in the both triceps. It is one set. Rest is 15-30 sec with 1 or 2 deep breathes.
3. Deltoid muscle pulling. Take a stick by two hands and hold it close to your hips (forward). Pull the stick to left, tensing only left deltoid muscle and resisting by the right deltoid muscle. Keeping SR, elevate your left hand above your head (full ROM). Then pull the stick to right side, tensing only right deltoid muscle and resisting by the left one. Keeping SR, elevate your right hand above your head (full ROM). Repeat pulling to right-left sides until feeling the light pain in both deltoid muscles. It is one set. Rest is 15-30 sec with 1 or 2 deep breathes. You can also use forward and backward circular movements with SR to develop different deltoid muscle fibers.
4. Latissimus dorsi muscles pulling. Take a stick by two hands and raise it above your head. Pull the stick to left, tensing only left latissimus dorsi and resisting by only right latissimus dorsi. Keeping SR, move through the full ROM to left. Then pull the stick to right side, tensing only right latissimus dorsi and resisting by the left one. Again, move through the full ROM. Repeat pulling to right-left sides until feeling the light pain in both latissimus dorsi muscles. It is one set. Rest is 15-30 sec, 1 or 2 deep breathes. You can also use circular movements with SR to develop more latissimus dorsi muscle fibers.
5. Pectoralis muscles pushing. Take a stick by two hands and straighten both arms at the chest level. Push the stick to left side, tensing only right pectoralis and resisting by the left pectoralis (use the full ROM). Then push the stick to right side, tensing only left pectoralis and resisting by the right one (use the full ROM). Repeat pushing to right-left sides with constant SR until feeling the light pain in both pectoralis. It is one set. Rest is 15-30 sec, 1 or 2 deep breathes. You can also use circular movements with SR to develop different pectoralis muscle fibers.
6. Trapezius muscle pulling. Take a stick by two hands and straighten both arms at the chest level. Pull the stick to left side, tensing only left trapezius and resisting by right trapezius. Move through the full ROM to left. Then pull the stick to right side, tensing only right trapezius and resisting by the left trapezius. Move through the full ROM to right. Repeat pulling to right-left sides until feeling the light pain in both trapezius muscles. It is one set. Rest is 15-30 sec, 1 or 2 deep breathes.
Notes: You can do them as morning exercises daily without overtraining. This principle of the opposite self-resistance you can apply to any movements with sticks, which you can find on the internet sites. Try to keep tension in working muscles >60% of max. Perform 2-6 sets for each exercise. The number of reps is not important. The important criterion of sufficient loading is burning or light pain in working muscles. These exercises may be performed as a circuit.
Exercises for the body's core
In general, I use 4 co-contraction exercises with a stick in my hands that affect the abs, low back, side muscles, hips, and shoulders.
1. Full range rotations to left and right at the waist level
2. Twisting
3. Bending to left and right
4. Crouching with the straight legs, touching the floor by my fists
I try to keep tension in the muscle antagonists through each set. These co-contraction exercises can simultaneously develop flexibility and strength of the body's core. Due to these exercises, I can put my palms on the floor without knee bending at my 68.
Exercises for legs
I use simple exercises that I also perform with voluntary co-contraction/co-tension of muscle antagonists (2-4 sets each)
1. Low squats
2. Low lunges (forward, backward, sideward)
3. Military side squats that is used to move from the fire line
General note: In the beginning, the simplicity of movements during self-resistance workout, especially if you use co-contraction, facilitates control of tension in the antagonistic muscles. Later, you can use any trajectories of movements to train your muscle fibers under different angles.
Exercises with a belt loop
For the biceps curls (10 reps x 3 sets), I also use the opposite resistance of the ipsilateral biceps and rectus femoris. Thus, I can increase my biceps tension by more powerful leg muscle.
For the pectoralis muscle (10 reps x 3 sets), I just fix one loop handle in the vertical door slit and use opposite body-forearm dynamic tension.
Other exercises for the upper body, which are based on eccentric contractions, I perform with the belt loop or stick. It is worth pointing out that dynamic self-resistance exercises with the belt loop are more energy-consuming than ones with a stick due to higher muscle tension that may be applied via the handles. Therefore, they may require longer recovery.
Exercises with a belt loop only
From 8/25/18, I switched to self-resistance exercises with a belt loop only. With the loop, I perform exercises 2-4, and 6 as was described in the first post. The exercises for the biceps and pectoralis, I perform as it was described in "Exercises with a belt loop." Exercise with the belt loop are more effective than exercises with a stick because the handles allow applying more force to the muscles of interest.
Exercises with a T-ends stick
As an alternative variant to the belt loop, we can use T-ends sticks and perform self-resistance exercises as was described in the first post. T-ends stick also allows increasing muscle tension via the handles.
Some tips for self-resistance exercises with a stick/belt
1. Keeping constant high muscle tension (80-90% of max) through the full range of motion
2. Muscles should not have a break through the set
3. The number of reps is not important. Only intensive burning in the muscles is a criterion to stop the set. Usually, high muscle tension should not allow >10-15 reps/set
4. Using 3-6 sets for each muscle group
5. Tension of muscles under different angles and periodical changing movements
6. Maximum mind concentration on the muscles of interest
7. Using supplemental isometrics to increase the tolerance to high voluntary muscle tension
8. Short rest (<30 sec) with 1-3 deep breaths between sets.
These tips satisfy the needed requirements for muscle hypertrophy:
a. Prolonged time under tension
b. Metabolic stress
c. Muscle damage
Once more, to get the best results from self-resistance training, do not relax your muscles during performance of reps and sets. That is your muscles should be continuously under high tension to restrict a blood flow in the muscles. For that, your movements should be slow and smooth with conscious keeping muscles under tension. Relax muscles only for the short rest periods.