Coach Gethin Rhys James

Sunday 6 December 2015

Practical Use of an Aerobic Bar

The simple aerobic bar is pretty much a magic wand to my clients. They're over a metre long, solid in construction and the ones I use only weight 1kg. 1kg is perfect because it's enough weight to offer good somatic feedback without stressing the joints on certain exercises. 

The bar is good for posture checks. I encourage my clients to hold the bar at either end and position it behind their body. They then position the back of their head, t-spine and backside against the bar which lifts their spine into a neutral posture. During a group session I call for a posture check with a bar every 15 minutes. It's resulted in better technical performance from my hard working clan.

To improve practical posture I like to encourage participants to hold the bar behind their neck and run. This is challenging because the arm swing isn't present. The arm swing encourages a counter-lateral action which promotes leg drive power and mid section stability. The trunk works much harder without the arm drive. This principle of overload will carry over as more stability in a normal gait cycle. 

The bar is useful for shoulder mobility. Simply hold either end of the bar, keep your arms straight and lift the bar back and forth over your head. Try to get the bar from touching your stomach to touching your lower back. 

Enjoyed this post? You may also like:

Why Arm Exercises are Functional

http://icankeepup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/why-arm-exercises-are-functional.html

5 Dont's of Agility Training

http://icankeepup.blogspot.co.uk/2015/11/5-don-of-agility-training.html


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