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MUSCLE PERFORMANCE EXERCISES
Muscle Performance
Muscle Performance refers to the capacity of the muscle to do work. The
key elements of muscle performance are strength, power and endurance.
In order to improve muscle performance all these three aspects should be
regarded.
Factors Affecting Muscle Performance
Muscle performance is affected by all systems of the body.
1- Morphological qualities of the muscle
2- Neurological, biochemical and biomechanical influences
3- Metabolic, cardiovascular, respiratory, emotional function
Causes of Impaired Muscle Performance
1- Disease, injury, or lesion affecting musculoskeletal or neuromuscular
system.
2- Immobilization.
3- Disuse or inactivity.
Muscle Performance Exercises
Are a large category of exercises designed to improve the three elements of
muscle performance that is strength, power, and endurance.
Muscle Strength: is the ability to produce tension and the resultant force based
on the demands placed upon the muscle.
Muscle strength is expressed as the greatest measurable force that can be
exerted by a muscle or muscle group to overcome resistance during a single,
maximal effort.
Muscle Power: is the rate of performing work. It is the work (force X distance)
produced by a muscle per unit of time (force X distance / time)
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Muscular endurance: The ability of muscle to perform a greater number of
contraction or hold against a load over an extended period of time.
Muscle Performance Exercises
Resisted Exercises
Endurance Exercises
Types Of Muscular Contraction
Isometric (Static) Contraction: Involves muscular contractions with
increasing muscle tension without movement of the joint.
Isotonic Dynamic Contraction: Involves muscular contractions with joint
movement and excursion of a body segment.
Dynamic exercises involves either concentric (shortening) or eccentric (
lengthening) contraction.
Concentric Contraction: is a shortening contraction when the muscle contract
with increasing tension and a decrease the distance between the origin and
insertion(shortening).
Eccentric Contraction: is a lengthening contraction when the muscle is
loaded behind its force producing capacity causing physical lengthening of the
muscle as it attempts to control the load.
This type of muscular contraction serves to check the rate of motion of an
extremity, acting as a braking action.
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Isometric Exercises
Definition
Isometric exercise also known as static exercise. It is exercise which
involves muscular contractions without movement of the involved parts of the
body. So it involves muscular contractions against a load which is fixed or
immovable or is simply too much to overcome.
Isometric comes from the Greek "iso-", equal + "metron", measure =
maintaining the same measure, dimension or length.
Isometric exercise is “exercise in which a muscle contracts and produces force
without an appreciable change in length of the muscle and without visible joint
motion.
Isotonic exercise: Exercise in which a contracting muscle shortens against a
constant load, as when lifting a weight.
Sources of resistance:
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Holding against a force applied manually.
Holding weight in a particular position.
Maintaining a position against the resistance of the body weight.
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Pushing or pulling on immovable object.
Types of Isometric Exercises
1- Muscle setting exercises.
2- Stabilization exercises
3- Multiple angle isometrics
Muscle Setting Exercise
Definition: is low intensity isometric exercise performed against little to no
resistance.
As muscle setting is not performed against any appreciable resistance, it will
not improve muscle strength except in very weak muscles
Importance
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1- Muscle setting can retard muscle atrophy in the stage of rehabilitation of
a muscle when immobilization is necessary.
2- It is used to promote muscle relaxation and circulation and to decrease
muscle pain and spasm after injury to soft tissues during the acute stage
of healing.
3- Muscle setting maintain mobility between muscle fibers as they heal.
Indications of Isometric Exercises
1- During immobilization as joint movement is not possible due to
immobilization by casts, splints, braces, or various types of traction
apparatus.
2- After joint surgeries or injuries, when movement is too painful, or when
movement may interfere with the healing process.
3- When the muscle weakness is confined to a definite angle or part of the
range.
Aims of Isometric exercises
1- Prevent or minimize muscle atrophy when joint movement is not
possible
2- Activate muscle and facilitate muscle contraction specially after
surgeries or when acute injury of the joint or the soft tissue surrounding
it.
3- Develop posture or joint stability.
4- Improve muscle strength when use of dynamic resistance exercises
could harm the condition.
5- To develop static muscle strength at particular points of the range
consistent with specific task related needs.
Contraindications and precautions
1- Isometric exercise can increase blood pressure and heart rate to levels
that would be dangerous for anyone with undiagnosed cardiac problems.
2- Isometric exercise also increases intra abdominal pressure to
dangerously high levels.
3- Be wear to instruct the patient not to hold breathing during isometric
exercise to avoid valsalva maneuver.
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Points to remember
 Muscular strength is only at the specific angle at which the exercise is
performed. Hence, to make isometric exercise effective at increasing
functional strength it must be repeated at many different joint angles.
 Isometric exercise does not increase muscular endurance or functional
capacity in real world situation as dynamic exercise
 Isometric improvements have also been shown to be rate specific. Isometric
exercise is best effective at slower movements
 Isometric exercises on their own are not recommended for strength training.
They are only part of a complete exercise program.
 The great thing about isometric exercises is they can be performed just
about anywhere and at any time.
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Clinical Application of Isometric Exercises
Principles of Application
 To achieve effect, it's necessary to maintain isometric contraction for 6
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to10 seconds.
The exercise should be repeated 5 to 10 times.
Any one isometric exercise will only increase muscle strength at one
joint angle. Strengthening the other joint positions requires repetition of
further corresponding exercises.
Allow a period of rest following each sets of contraction to avoid
fatigue.
Quadriceps Setting (Fig. 1)
Patient position: supine lying. Involved lower limb straight and the other
lower limb may be flexed or straight.
Order: Keeping your knee straight, tighten your thigh muscle by pushing the
back of your knee down on the bed. Hold for a count of 5. Relax. Do 20
repetitions.
Terminal Knee Extension ( Short arc Quadriceps):
Patient Position: supine Lying on with a roll under the knee, so that it is
slightly bent.
Order: straighten your knee and hold for a count of 5. Relax. Do not lift
your leg off the roll. Do 20 repetitions.
Fig. (2): Short arc quadriceps.
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Straight Leg Raising (Fig. 3)
Patient Position: supine Lying. The unexercised limb may be flexed for
relaxation of the back. The exercised limb is straight.
Order: slowly lift your leg up, making sure to lift the heel first. Lift only as
high as your other leg. Now slowly lower your leg back down. Do not hold. Do
20 repetitions.
Fig. (3): Straight Leg Raising.
Gluteal Sets ( Fig. 4)
Patient Position: supine lying with the legs straight.
Order: Squeeze your buttocks together. Hold for 5 counts. Relax. Repeat.
.
Fig. (4): Gleuteal Sets.
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