Most of what we do happens right in front of us and in a range of motion of about 60-degrees. The problem is, life goes on eventfully in the other 300 degrees.
Range of motion is important and so is joint strength, tendon health and muscle endurance. Even for the most basic things, like reaching for something in the fridge, getting the bowl down from the top cabinet, lacing up shoes and grabbing bags of groceries from the car, there can be limited range of motion that leads to pain, strain and spasm.
If you can’t do the basic things in life, it takes away your independence.
My friend Herb Borkland has developed a training method with a basis in ancient Chinese fitness and modern weight training. He calls is SWOT, an acronym for Single Weight Orbital Training. And in today’s video article Herb will show you how to do it.
An active, independent, pain-free life
You get up in the morning and from the corner of your eye you see a child about to take a fall. Or you see a pet has just knocked over a lamp. You act instinctively; you reach out. And bang, you feel it: the zinger up the arm, in the neck, through the shoulders. You’ve pulled something and now you have a condition you’re going to have to work through so that it does not become chronic.
So what can you do to condition yourself so that you can live the spontaneous life you want without running into trouble like that? That’s where single weight orbital training comes in.
The idea is that you can take almost anything—a vase, a book, an old billiard ball. You press it between your hands and you begin to make circular (orbital) motions. By the continued pressure of your hands pressing the ball (or object), and the fact that you’re moving your arms in circles, you are developing muscular endurance and strength, conditioning the wrists, elbow, shoulders, ligaments and joints.
After the basic horizontal and vertical circles, you want to start using figure-8 motions. You want to do them at odd angles. Forward and backward, side to side, and diagonal working the full range of motion, in many directions.
For better results, do a series facing forward and then a set while turning your torso left and right. Just a few sets lasting a minute or two at a time can do wonders for weak, tight, limited range of motion muscles and joints.
Advanced SWOT Method
If you do the basic SWOT routine I just described several days per week, over time you will regain lost strength, build back your endurance and improved your range of motion.
But there’s an advanced method that can increase strength and endurance. In this video demonstration, Herb goes from a light billiard ball to a 16 lb shot-put.
With a heavier weight you are no longer just strengthening the arms you are strengthening your entire body. The muscles of your shoulders, neck, back, abdomen, waist, and legs all come into play to stabilize you while moving the weighted object.
With the heavier weight, you essentially do the same exercise methods. However, because of the weight you don’t want to injure the rotator cuffs or joints, so you perform smaller motions and keep the weight closer to your body.
A simple method with an easy upgrade in weight and difficulty. Anyone can do this, even seniors and children, for rehab or fitness. Give it a try, take your time and build on it. See what SWOT can do for you!
