The Focus of Movement

The critical importance of Arthur Jones' lifelong observation on exercise was ultimately manifested in his focus of muscular action around a single joint (axis of rotation) -- of which the largest are the shoulder girdle and hip girdle involving the largest muscles of the body.  That specificity seemed to enable one to work the largest muscles -- but more importantly, to work the most muscles in that singular focus.

The reason for that is because every muscle contraction is dependent upon the muscle contraction underlying it -- which is to note that the bicep cannot be fully contracted while all the other muscles are in a state of relaxation.  That is not how the muscular "system" works.  One of the primary tasks of every muscle, is to recruit as many other muscles as possible -- to make that task easier, as well as possible.

That is why the proper performance of every movement, should be to begin as strictly as possible with the muscle at the joint of movement, and eventually spreading the load over the entirety of the muscular system (network) as one has exhausted that specific muscle and requires the assistance of all the supporting and surrounding muscle.  Rather than being "cheating," that is the obvious and intelligent thing to do -- to recruit the most muscular activation and participation possible.  That is what any intelligent being and manifestation would do -- and not tie all their appendages behind their back -- thinking if they can survive that challenge in that manner, they will grow stronger for it.

Working out in that manner of isolating every muscle, then becomes even more prohibitive than most have time for -- as there are 600+ muscles in the body.  However, the secret is that the design and orientation of human expression and movement, is optimized by movements at the head, hands and feet -- while the muscles at the core -- including the heart and lungs, play mainly a supportive role and are not the primary means of expression and articulation.

The hands and feet are not just clubs and stumps -- so that one must immobilize those areas at the wrist and ankles -- rather than achieving the greatest range of motion possible at those areas of focus (expression).  I think most people who have thrown or hit a ball recognize this importance of turning their wrists to achieve the precise effect they want -- often "posing" for a few moments because it felt so right.  It would be even absurd to consider to do so without the proper articulation at this joint.

And so the whole design of the human body is focused on these fine, expressive movements at the head (face and neck), hands (grip strength and dexterity), and feet (to lever against the ground).  Thus it doesn't matter how many miles one shuffles their feet -- as it would be simply to articulate the full range foot flexion the ballet dancers are capable of achieving to obtain impressive lift and deftness.  Pound for pound, they are incredible athletes with power to weight ratios that most can only imagine one day doing.

But the purpose is not to make everyone into Zhakarova, who is truly gifted for that performance, but to take a few lessons from that range of possibilities -- because there aren't any other lifelong trained ballerinas who can duplicate that range of movement as much as they try.  But the same principles of movement still apply to everyone -- regardless of their genetic makeup.    

In one position, the muscle must be contracted, and in the other, the muscle must be relaxed -- and gradually and deliberately working to extend those ranges, causes the entirety of that body to make that possible.  Not only does that one focused muscle have to be entirely contracted but its fullest contraction will require all the connected muscles to be in that supportive state as well, and that is true for the relaxation of each individual focused muscle -- that it is dependent on the muscles it is interconnected to to also be in a relaxed state as well.

Thus by limiting the focus to the movement around only one axis, it is possible to control the state of all the others -- and the primary work being done, is to move the blood and fluids around the body back towards their purifying and recycling central organs -- and in that manner, ensuring the healthy functioning of that body -- and everything follows from there.  The healthy organism can do whatever it wants to do -- and is not limited by its own self-imposed disabilities and injuries.

One of the important markers of suboptimal circulation is the bloating and inflammation manifested in swelling -- particularly at the extremities of the hands, feet, and face (neck) -- often thought to be "natural aging."  That's why compression garments are effective in many people who have this swelling of their feet, legs, hands, arms, because compression is the same as contraction in making a volume smaller -- so less fluids can accumulate.

It works paticularly well at reducing the tremendous and acute swelling that accompanies many injuries -- to half the size or more from the resulting inflammation.  As such, many people with largely bloating and inflammation problems, can immediately reduce those conditions with compression garments as well as alternating rhythmic muscle contractions -- just as the heart does in pumping blood out to the extremities.  

But the heart does not pump the blood back to the heart and all the centralized purifying and recycling organs.  It relies on skeletal, voluntary muscles to achieve that effect -- and why people who are more active in this manner, are in better shape and condition than those who do not, or very little.  That should not be a huge secret but simply the proper understanding of biology and physiology.

Half of the circulatory process is automatic -- but the other half is dependent on what one actually does to effectively pump the blood and fluids back towards the heart.  That part is not automatic -- but willful, and effected foremost, by the proper understanding of this functioning.

The complement of circulation is respiration -- or the exchange of air within the body with the environmental air.  The proper understanding of this process is that the lack is not the breathing in, but the expulsion of the old air in the body -- that must be expelled first in order to make room for the new. 

Because like the blood vessels, lung tissues branch into finer vessels, which mean it must follow a fixed path in and out -- and why chest compressions obviate the need for breathing into the lungs because the atmospheric pressure will restore air into the vacuum caused by compressions.  But first, the old, residual air has to be expelled -- and that is the same for the fluids in the tissues -- they must first be expelled by these muscular contractions to have the greatest health-giving effect.

That's what muscle contractions do -- and then once that is done first -- the relaxation of that contraction allows new fluids a vacuum (space) to enter.  Thus the importance of both fullest contraction and fullest relaxation -- but that is not achieved attempting a one lift attempt, followed by any amount of resting (doing nothing).  Those people are likely to have high-blood pressures, and dangerously spiking heart rates.

And then their doctors will tell them, "No more heavy lifting," to which they interpret to mean no more exercise ever again -- because that is the only way they know and think productive.  There is a better, more productive, healthier, sustainable way -- beginning always, with the proper understanding of what one is doing.  Otherwise, more of the improper understanding, is not likely to achieve the desired results.