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 By: Christopher Mohr According to the National Strength and Conditioning Association, strength training is defined as,
"A specialized method of conditioning that involves the progressive use of resistance to increase one's ability to exert or resist force."
Resistance training includes the use of multiple forms of resistance while performing different exercises. Since resistance training is broader in scope than strength or weight training, which usually assumes free weight or weight machines are required, resistance training can include anything that provides resistance.
Thinking about the definition of resistance training itself, this week's piece is about a different way to incorporate resistance training. Maybe weights are not available. You want to get a quick workout in without leaving the house. You are a trainer who wants to train a number of clients at once. Or you just want to add a little twist to your workout.
This week is all about partner assisted manual resistance training. Yes, the name implies that you do need a partner for the exercises I'll describe later in the piece. Partner assisted manual resistance training is an alternative to the more conventional forms of resistance most individuals are accustomed to. Instead of the standard weights, the resistance here is provided by a training partner (although if one partner is much stronger than the other, it can also be used in addition to a weight). Like anything else, there are pros and cons with this type of training.
With that said, here are some exercises to try next time you're looking for a little variety. Each complete repetition for the exercises described below should take approximately 6-10 seconds (3-5 seconds for the concentric and eccentric portion of the lifts).
Lifter starts by putting arms in a military press position (upper arms parallel with the ground and arms bent 90 degrees at the elbow). Partner places hands on top of lifter's hands and partner provides enough resistance that allows the lifter to complete each concentric part of the repetition in approximately 3 seconds.
    Click To Enlarge. Partner Assisted Seated Military Press. The lifter should then resist the partner on the eccentric (lowering) part of this movement; again, do this over a 3 second time period.
The lifter should grab the towel with an underhand grip, while the partner grabs the towel at either end (hint, the closer the lifter's and partner's hands are placed on the towel, the harder the exercise will be to perform).
   Click To Enlarge. Partner Assisted Row. The lifter should then "row" the towel into their body, as if performing a seated cable row. Meanwhile, by resisting this rowing motion, the partner is also benefiting as they will be performing the eccentric part of the lift. Reverse the motion and both lifter and partner will benefit.
Partner and lifter stand facing each other about 12" apart. Lifter grabs center of towel with both hands, palms up. Partner grabs either end of the towel, also with palms up (hands are about 6-12" away from one another).
  Click To Enlarge. Partner Assisted Biceps Curl & Triceps Pushdown. Lifter curls the towel up (biceps curl) as partner resists. Lifter then presses the towel town (triceps pushdown) as the partner resists. Partner and lifter should then reverse hand positions and switch repeat exercise.
   Click To Enlarge. Partner Assisted Leg Extension. As lifter performs a leg extension, partner resists the lifting portion of the movement. The partner should then put resistance on the ankles as lifter lowers legs forcing lifter to resist during the lowering of the movement.
  Click To Enlarge. Partner Assisted Pushup.
There are a variety of other exercises that can be performed in this manner in addition to those listed here. This should provide an idea of how some of these can be performed, add variety to a workout, and give you something to do while on vacation or in a pinch. This is also a great way to introduce a child or adolescent to resistance training; you provide only enough resistance to teach them proper form while increasing their strength, while not overloading their growing bodies with too much force, which could negatively effect their form and potentially lead to an injury. Recommend this article to a friend by e-mail here! Visitor Reviews Of This Article!
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