Knowing the Types of Strength Training Exercises
You have most likely heard the terms open-chain exercises and closed-chain exercises,but perhaps you have never understood what these terms mean or the difference between the two. First of all, a kinetic chain is a chain of joints exercised together.For example, the hip, knee, and ankle joints, when performing a particular exercise all together, make up the lower-extremity kinetic chain.
Likewise, when the shoulders, elbows, and wrists all work together along with the spine to perform an exercise, this is an example of a movement in the upper-extremity kinetic chain.
There are benefits to doing both open- and closed-chain exercises. The following information will help you understand the differences and the pros and cons of each type of exercise.
Closed-Chain Exercises
The chain referred to is the kinetic chain, which simply means that all your bones and muscles are connected in a chain; therefore, the movements you make are also part of that kinetic chain. You perform closed-chain exercises on a daily basis,because they are a natural part of daily life. Another term for closed-chain exercise could be functional exercise.
During closed-chain exercises, your hands or feet are in a constant, fixed position(usually on the ground) during the exercise. Closed-chain exercises work multiple joints and multiple muscle groups at once. For example, a squat involves the knee, hip, and ankle joints as well as multiple muscle groups (quadriceps, hamstrings,hip flexors, calves, and gluteal muscles). This is great because most of the movements that occur in daily life happen using large muscle groups in multi-joint patterns. Using more muscles at once expends more calories and increases over all strength and endurance.
Closed-chain exercises can be done with body weight alone,with added weight (in the form of free weights, medicine balls, kettle bells, or other external resistance), or with the use of a TRX Suspension Trainer. Examples of closed-chain exercises are push-ups, squats, plank poses, and lunges, all of which can be done with or without added weight.
Again, closed-chain exercises are very functional, meaning they have the potential to mimic activities of daily living. Very few movements in daily life or in athletics isolate joints and muscles the way open-chain exercises do. (Open-chain exercises occur in isolation from other muscles or joints in the body.) The downside of closed chain exercises is that many are too challenging for beginning or novice exercisers because they require a certain amount of both body and postural awareness.This is why open-chain exercises may be helpful in improving strength in isolated muscle groups or when just starting strength training. For example, performing an exercise on a machine that isolates the chest muscles may bring more awareness and focus to them.
There would be no need to support your own body because the machine does that for you. If you are a novice exerciser, you might need this type of support and feedback before attempting to perform more complex movements that do not offer any support or assistance, such as a flat-bench chest press using a barbell or dumbbells. The chest press requires more body awareness and strength than a chest machine does.