"SMART–Ex" stands for SMART™ Exercise.
SMART™ is a system of exercise invented and developed by Dr. Vincent "Ben" Bocchicchio, the creator of slow resistance training in 1974, a mainstream fitness technique used by trainers worldwide.
One of the most effective, and efficient, forms of exercise ever invented, SMART™ is an acronym for:
SLOW — 15 degrees per second or slower. This controlled speed allows for isolation and focused muscle loading (significantly slower than the common speed of resistance training).
MAXIMUM — Unless a subjectively high level of demand is met, optimal exercise stimulation is impossible.
RESPONSE — Constantly loading a muscle through its range of motion using appropriate resistance to induce fatigue (muscle failure) for a physiologically determined length of time consistently produces the desired metabolic responses.
TRAINING — Consistency and organization are mandatory in order to separate physical activity from formal exercise.
The SMART™ exercise program is based on a circuit of resistance exercises performed twice a week with at least 2 days rest in between sessions.
The large muscles are worked first, progressing to smaller
muscle groups. For example: hips, legs, torso (lats), shoulders, chest and arms.
Usually 6 to 10 exercises are involved depending on available equipment and trainee objectives. All movements are very “slow” and continuous and the muscle groups are usually under “load” for 45 to 120 seconds.
At the point of muscle failure (the inability to perform another repetition in good form) the set is completed. Sets are performed with as little rest between sets as allowed by recovery from a breathless state of exertion.
Many more details about this method do exist but if the
aforementioned rules are followed, the average trainee will be well on their way to significant improvements in fitness and corresponding health benefits.
|
