BEFORE CHARLES ATLAS, before Bernarr Macfadden and before anyone else, there were the Greeks. So when you enter the emporiums with the chrome and glitter of today, know that it started with the barbells and kettle bells of yore. There is nothing new under the sun.
Weights have finally come into their own but it took a while. In the beginning Americans didn’t have to “lift weights.” They were much too busy lifting fence posts, gate poles, wagon wheels, milk pails, logs, and critters. When life got easier they sat back and put their feet up and soon, not only didn’t they lift any more, but they found they couldn’t lift any more.
Weights were first considered the exclusive property of the “muscle beach boys” who used them to build huge, bulging muscles. All it takes is determination and persistence. Those muscles, however, are self-limiting. Strong they may be, but they lack flexibility and are vulnerable to injury. It takes both strength and flexibility to turn in a good physical performance.
Strength plus flexibility in the right timing and intensity yield coordination.
Back in 1957 the Olympic skiers who were headed to Europe for the Federation Nationale des Suisses, (FIS) had neither a place to train nor had they ever used weights. Bonnie Prudden, hearing of their situation, offered to train them at her Institute for Physical Fitness in White Plaines, NY, where she introduced them to weight training. With the help of Bonnie’s fast track weight training, Penny Pitou garnered a Silver. Now weight training is considered an integral part of any good sports program.
If you use spas or gyms, know that free weights are better, safer, and get better results than do machines. Although machines are prettier they do not listen to your muscles. To some extent the danger lies in the fact that many people running gyms and spas have no idea how to help their customers, and thus many are injured.
For the most part, Americans lack information about exercise in general, therefore they don’t have a frame of reference –– which is why they will “buy most anything” as Bonnie used to say. Used correctly and with common sense, repetition with light weights assures that the WHOLE muscle will get a workout. It develops strong, long, flexible muscles and can benefit almost anyone.
If you are a newbie know that it is not necessary to join the gym, sign a contract, and spend money and time you’d rather not. Bonnie was always about simple, doable, efficient, effective, inexpensive, and for everyone. Her solution was weight bags made with bee-bee size shot, commercial variety. She used different colors to denote the weight of the bag: yellow for one-pounders, red for two-pounders and blue for five-pounders.
Start with weights that are easy. Where you start isn’t where you will end. Increase slowly. USE SLOW MUSIC; it’s more fun and keeps the lifts smooth. There should never be jerky movements. Start with the simple series and use your common sense. Military press, reverse curl, curls bent-over row, or dead lift, weighted knee-bends.
Weight bags have a lot of advantages and will pretty much do what you ask them to.
- They don’t take up a lot of space.
- If dropped on your foot they don’t hurt.
- They can be carried in your back pack or car trunk.
- All members of your family, no matter the age, can use them.
- Hung on a broomstick they become your own bar bell.
- Held behind your head, they add resistance to your sit-up so that you can improve your strength without doing more reps.
- Draped on your ankles they improve hip and leg strength.
- Held in your hand they improve strength and flexibility when used to perform upper body exercises.
How to Make Weight Bags
Cut your material as shown in the diagram below, and then fill as shown. Double stitch everywhere to ensure better strength and no leaks. If your local hardware store does not carry shot, try Dawson MacDonald, Inc. in Wilmington, MA. If you don’t want to make the weight bags you can buy ankle weights. If you buy them make sure to get a variety so that all family members can use them and so that you can increase the weight slowly, sensibly, and without hurting yourself.
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If you have questions or need help, email me at enid@bonnieprudden.com.
For more information about Bonnie Prudden®, Bonnie Prudden Myotherapy®, workshops, books, self-help tools, DVDs, educational videos, and blogs, visit www.bonnieprudden.com. Or call 520-299-8064 if you have questions or need help. Enid Whittaker, Managing Director, Bonnie Prudden Myotherapy®
