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thibaud05
France
86 Posts |
 Posted - Jun 13 2008 : 11:29:04 AM
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Hi,
Taken from the book "Asanas, mudras and bandhas, awakening ecstatic conductivity" :
Isometric curls (page 99) "(...) Place the heel of your left hand on the heel of your right hand. Now lift your right hand up toward your chest with a curling motion, resisting firmly with your left hand as you go, and then all the wall back down".
I don't seem to picture how this excercise can be done. Are the hands supposed to be folded and exercising pressure on one another in a curling motion ?? If this is so than its more of a horizontal movement than a vertical movement, and this is why I can't figure this exercise out. |
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anthony574
USA
549 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2008 : 4:48:08 PM
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It is very much like an isometric stretch. You are curling the arm towards yourself while resisting that motion with the other. It will feel nothing like lifting a weight which is why it is an isometric exercise instead of a dynamic one. You are tensing and squeezing the muscles.
You might consider doing pullups if you are opposed to weights. If you do them underhanded and shoulder-width they will work the biceps as well as the back.
Also, just curious, what would you consider to be a non-yogic-friendly exercise and why? |
Edited by - anthony574 on Jun 13 2008 4:53:42 PM |
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thibaud05
France
86 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2008 : 5:34:26 PM
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Hi Anthony,
From what I understand now with your help, one hand is supposed to be on top of the other, so its the same motion as in lifting an imaginary weight towards your chest ?? (unfortunately I am not familiar at all with isometric exercises and couldn't find any video on google corresponding to Yogani's "isometric curls").
If you look up at the end of the "Asanas, mudras and bandhas, awakening ecstatic conductivity" book, its just the way Yogani presents it "a yoga friendly exercise program".
From what I've learned any physical exercise that is attempted without moderation/balance is ultimately a non yogic friendly exercise. So intent and outlook is key. I hope its a fair enough answer for you. 
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anthony574
USA
549 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2008 : 6:51:33 PM
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| yes, it is the same as lifting an imaginary weight towards your chest. instead of a weight and gravity providing resistance, your other arm provides it. it is a tricky manuever. |
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thibaud05
France
86 Posts |
Posted - Jun 13 2008 : 8:34:26 PM
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| Thank you !! I've got it with your help. |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Jan 31 2014 : 2:56:45 PM
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Hi, I have the same question asked by thibaud05 some years ago.
Does the movement of the curling arm involve only the forearm (by flexing only the elbow) or both the forearm and the upper arm (rotating the shoulder on its horizontal axe and keeping the same angle between forearm and upper arm)? |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Feb 05 2014 : 05:05:50 AM
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Reminder...  |
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Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Feb 14 2014 : 5:24:45 PM
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Hi Ecdyonurus,
the way I had understand it back then (and done for 2 years now with good results even though it may not be correct):
It involves the forarm and the upper arm and the whole movement is more fluid, for me this is a little ellipsoid, means the movement towards the chest is mor from above and the coming back more from below, circling ellipsoidly to the chest and away from it.
Now thinking about it, one could also do it otherwise, going to the chest more from below and away more from above. The musle pressure is differently then.. :P The more robotic option would be to go a straigher line to the chest.
What is exactly ment with this curling motion? :P
Btw after about 3-4 weeks I will revisit the AYP excercise part completely. In this regard new scientific insights and techniques seem to have come out. I don't think one can do any better in 10-15 minutes as with Yogani's program, but I do see potential in so called splits, to focus more on specific muscle areas for some days, more on other parts on other days.
Btw, as also suggested, you can do this arm technique together with sit ups! It is really superb, even though it looks very funny from the outside :P |
Edited by - Holy on Feb 14 2014 5:39:01 PM |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2014 : 08:15:34 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Holy
Btw after about 3-4 weeks I will revisit the AYP excercise part completely. In this regard new scientific insights and techniques seem to have come out. I don't think one can do any better in 10-15 minutes as with Yogani's program, but I do see potential in so called splits, to focus more on specific muscle areas for some days, more on other parts on other days.
Hi Holy, thank you for your answer, I have a better picture now.
I know that approach of focusing on different muscle groups on different days, and it is actually similar to the method I used to follow at the gym.
However, in my opinion the real tricky thing is not to find a routine that brings good results - just work out for 1-2 hours every day following one of the many good methods available and muscles will get stronger and bigger.
The real question is how to find a short routine of 10-15 minutes that really works not only in the beginning stage but also after some weeks and months. As far as I know, every physical exercise loses its benefits after some weeks (or months) because muscle fibers get used to it, so one has to periodically introduce new exercises in order to get new benefits. The routine described in Yogani's book is very interesting and effective, no doubt (I am using it currently and I clearly see the positive impact of it), but I wonder if the same routine will be as useful in, say, one or two years. You have done it for two years, so it would be interesting to hear more about your experience during the two years.
quote:
Originally posted by Holy
Btw, as also suggested, you can do this arm technique together with sit ups! It is really superb, even though it looks very funny from the outside :P
I think you meant "toghether wit the knee bends". No doubt, one can also do the arm curls toghether with sit ups, but it may look even more than funny from the outside...  |
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Holy
796 Posts |
Posted - Feb 15 2014 : 11:58:15 AM
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Hi Ecdyonurus,
I'm sorry, you are right, it was meant like that, together with the knee bends :D
The experience here was, that the mucles get used to it, yes, but the benfits of that level of muscle and also the moevements you do remained for the duration of these two years. The first weeks and months the most change did happen: body-shape change, eating habit change (heavier diet since then in general), more strength, much less suffering with colds and co, often skipping some virus periods alltogether when the spiritual practices had some intensity aswell in those phases. More groundedness and health + the increased capacity for more lifeforce flow and awareness without getting out of balance.
What I have observed after 6-9 months was, that one can do more than the basic amounts described in the book. I was doing it 3 times per week, Monday, Wednesday, Friday, not more. Trying out 5 days per week or every day was too much obviously, could not adapt to it somehow (continuous tiredness the whole week etc.). What worked better was to repeat the one or other element of the routine. Instead of push ups + both arms adressing once, I could increase to push-ups, arms, push-ups, arms, then continue with the rest and it only took 1-2 minutes more for much greater effects on the upper part of the body. Later other elements like sit-ups were repeated. Again 3 times per weak, the combo worked. The other days when the weather is nice I even added cardio-elements means jogging (which took 2-3 weeks to adapt) but that also did work quite nice. But from fall to spring this obviously does not work for me.. :P So back to the muscle toning alone, which is still ver very good.
What I have found out is, the minimal routine of which Yogani speaks of is not enough for a perfect shape here, except if the aerobic part is added in good enough lengths aka 30-40 minutes the other three days. Sunday was always a resting day here. On the other hand if the muscle toning part is enhanced a little, means from ~ยจ12 minutes up to 20, then 3 days a week is enough for a healthy, strong and in-shape body. At least for this body here. If you keep the minimum muscle-toning part, the difference to not doing it is still !enormuous! The other elements (2 or 3 rounds, other techniques etc.) are more for finetuning so to speak :P
What is missing in the routine are back muscle inhancing elements. As someone who is sitting a lot due to the university life and most probably will continue to have long sitting phases due to the direction of my studying, the back needs to be adressed much more. The asanas routine has some back tuning part, but it is not enough for this body here. So after about a year I started to experiment with different techniques to enhance the back muscles, among them the super-man: http://www.pilates4life.co.uk/wp-co...uperman2.jpg :D
And 2 months ago I found another simple variant: lean at a wall with your back, bend forward with arms stretched, then come back to leaning to the wall with your upper body while keeping the arms stretched. Repeating this bending forward and coming up 10-20 rounds already does a lot together with some superman :P But I'm sure there might be more efficient methods.
When it comes to the split, the idea was still to remain in the range of 10-20 minutes, but e.g. to concentrate on 2-3 muscles for the whole time of 10-20 minutes on Monday, then go to other muscles on Tuesday, then again to other muscles on Wednesday and repeating this (like in this example 3-split) from Thursday to Saturday, resting on Sunday. It may become more intense overall, but also may do much more and one could perhaps practice every day instad of every second. Aerobic elements would be missing, but it still could be very satisfying. When it gets nicer outside, my body naturally wants to jogg anyway, but when it is so rainy cold.. :P
Even the minimum combo is satisfying, but as said it is not fully enough here to keep the belly part in form :D I like my belly, but you know what I mean :D Even increasing to 3 times 20 minutes made a big difference, you can nearly eat what you want and all remains healthy, strong, vital and in shape.
Somewhere else I even mentioned, that muscle toning for me is a spiritual practice too. The life topics of the lower three chakras are adressed very dramatically, means survival, reproduction and fullfilling your life wishes.
To make it short, the combo Yogani describes works pretty nicely over the long route, you can easily do it. I went to gyms the years before or used other tools to enhance the fitness levels, but never could keep it up for more than 1-2 months per year. Going to a gym with friends could increase these timings to perhaps 3-4 months, but that was it. Yogani's combo was the very first one that kept happening for 2 years and still does. Overall investment ~40-60 minutes per week in the cold phases and 2-3h in the hotter phases of the year due to aerobics.
What is your physical fitness backround and what is your aim in this regard? |
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Ecdyonurus
Switzerland
479 Posts |
Posted - Feb 18 2014 : 07:13:03 AM
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quote:
Originally posted by Holy
Somewhere else I even mentioned, that muscle toning for me is a spiritual practice too. The life topics of the lower three chakras are adressed very dramatically, means survival, reproduction and fullfilling your life wishes.
To make it short, the combo Yogani describes works pretty nicely over the long route, you can easily do it. I went to gyms the years before or used other tools to enhance the fitness levels, but never could keep it up for more than 1-2 months per year.
What is your physical fitness backround and what is your aim in this regard?
Hi Holy, thank you - you gave a lot of useful information!
Well, in terms of fitness and body shape I think I am basically a lucky guy since now (age 45) I have more or less the same weight I had when I was 25, without any special gym or diet program. People in my family are like that too, so it should be mainly genetic. Also, I grew up in a mountain area, so I had an "outdoor lifestyle".
When I moved to an urban area, I went to gyms for fitness, and did it for some years.
Unfortunately (or fortunately?) I had some bad years, I experienced lot of stress, bad mood. This led to some diseases, like migraine, pains in joints and muscles, so I stopped the gym. Actually, it came to a point where I avoided moving to much, because all my body was in pain.
Things are getting better now, and yoga plays a major part in this process.
So, back to your question: I don't have any special fitness background, just looking for an easy routine which blends well with yoga. |
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Isometric curls :A yoga friendly exercise program
