Side Bends

[Bridge]

Do you do a lot of the side bends exercise? I do them daily, sometimes real slow, and you can really feel it a lot more, or sometimes I do them at a faster clip, still feeling it, but not as much as if done slowly.

[curdog]

I try to do 100 of everything (may not be the best policy). As a result, I think I do these exercises too fast. I have started changing them into a simple flex at different poses of the back and then doing half the circles and the other half (fifty) of twists. Its a major deviation from the Perpetual Lesson, I know, but it has been working for me in the past few weeks.

Slowing down the exercises, as you do, is something I am working on. I have read that you need to hold and flex these exercises a few seconds (as much as eight) to get the full value of them.

I, too, would like more information about speed, etc. on this exercise, as well as others.

[Henry Marczak]

I do them fairly regularly also side stretches.

[Bridge]

How do you compare doing side bends with doing situps with a twist at the top position, twisting right on one rep and then left on the other? Both are good, but which one do you think is the most effective? Lately, I have been doing the situps with a twist at the top, and it feels better to me than doing the standing side bends.

[curdog]

I used to do these more like a stretching exercise. Done that way it mainly worked the lower back. I have begun to do them more like a flex and hold exercise. Its more of a pull than a push/stretch. This way it works more of the lats.

[Bridge]

I try to do 100 of everything (may not be the best policy). As a result, I think I do these exercises too fast. I have started changing them into a simple flex at different poses of the back and then doing half the circles and the other half (fifty) of twists. Its a major deviation from the Perpetual Lesson, I know, but it has been working for me in the past few weeks.

Slowing down the exercises, as you do, is something I am working on. I have read that you need to hold and flex these exercises a few seconds (as much as eight) to get the full value of them.

I, too, would like more information about speed, etc. on this exercise, as well as others.

I guess that it's true, we get a little wiser as we get older! By slowing down my routine, I am feeling much better doing all my exercises. You can't do as many reps this way, as doing them fast you get the benefit of body momentum. I maintain strict good form now, and just do as many reps as possible, shooting for no particular figure, just until fatigue. Of course, I try to maintain doing a certain minimum of reps, for me this is 50. I only do one set of each of the Perpetual Lesson exercises, morning and evening, a little change from what I was doinhg before, with a 3 mile walk in the middle of the day. I stretch after my P.M. workout. By the way, do most of you guys stretch after exercising?