Unit three (How to use a leg curl appropriately?)
Scene 1 (Harry is walking towards Zoe to show her how to use leg curls and offer some advice.)
Zoe: Harry, I don’t know how many reps I should do? I finished doing my biceps curls, and I want to do some leg curls, but can’t lift the weights now! (Crying)
Harry: Zoe, take your time; please increase the weight little by little. If you lift too much at once, it may hurt your hamstrings!
Zoe: What are hamstrings? I just want to test my strength.
H: Look here (Points to muscles along the rear of the thighs). Can you feel which muscles are used when doing a leg curl?
Zoe: Um…(showing doubtfulness) maybe here. (Pointing at her leg)
H: Right! That's a hamstring. There are two major types of leg curls: one is seated leg curl, and the other is lying leg curl.
Zoe: It seems I’m doing the lying one. Do I need to pay attention to anything special when doing lying leg curls?
H: Sure, don't lift your hips up off the bench, especially when you’re tired!
Zoe: Why? Does that cause any serious problems?
H: Yeah. If you can't keep your hips down, then you won't train your hamstrings. Instead, you'll use your hips to do the movements, and it places too much pressure on your lower back and reduces the effectiveness of this exercise.
Zoe: Oh, no wonder, I used so much weight that I lifted my hips.
Harry: Also, when you lie face down on the pad, be sure to hold onto the support handles (Harry shows how to do this movement). Next, you have to make sure your knees line up with the rotational axis of the machine.
Zoe: Wait a minute, what is the rotational axis? Where is it?
H: Oh, here (Points to part of the leg curl machine). The set up is very similar to when you do a seated leg curl. Set the leg pad (Pointing to it) so that it rests on the lower calves, just above the Achilles tendons.
Zoe: Oh, my god. There are so many fitness words! What do you mean by lower calves and what are Achilles tendons? Is Achilles an ancient Greek hero?
H: (Laughing) Um, let me talk about Achilles tendons first. It's where the tendon connects the heel and the calf muscles, the muscles of the lower leg.
Zoe: OK. I know that Achilles’s weakness was his heels!
H: Right, but your Achilles tendons let you rise up on your toes and push off when you walk or run.
Zoe: OK, so I have to protect them, but how?
H: Don’t forget to warm up your ankles, and don’t do repeated movements over a long period of time, say, over 30 minutes.
Zoe: Oh, Harry, I want to eat something. I feel so hungry now! I want to eat French fries and fried chicken. See you next time! (Running away quickly)
H: Hey…wait…Zoe…
Scene 2 (Now it is ten o’clock at night. Zoe is calling Lola because she has no idea about what to eat…)
Zoe: Hey, this is Zoe! Are you available now?
L: What? You know what time it is now?
Zoe: Yes, I have exercised for more than two hours…I’m so hungry…I think I could eat a horse now!
L: I want to know what you did in the fitness center today!
Zoe: I used a biceps curl machine to strengthen my upper arms, and also tried some lying leg curls. But I tried to use too much weight, and I almost hurt my hamstrings. Anyway, luckily Harry told me how to use it properly, and I know that it’s very important to protect my Achilles tendons!
L: Yes, be careful. So, why did you call me?
Zoe: I’m starving. I want some fast food, like a burger or some fried chicken.
L: Delicious, but if you eat those, you'll just put back on the calories you burned. Burning calories is really not easy!
Zoe: Yes, but I've already lost a lot of weight since I joined this gym. I want to treat myself to something!
L: I don't really like fast food. I have pretty healthy eating habits. Do you want me to share some with you?
Zoe: Yeah! Maybe you can teach me a few things about a balanced diet.
L: You should eat breakfast and don't skip meals. You'll be energetic and can concentrate much more on your study or work. People who eat breakfast regularly are more likely to be slim than people who skip it.
Zoe: I usually skip breakfast. No wonder that I always feel sleepy in the morning.
L: In addition, fats are essential to health in small amounts. You should eat foods containing a lot of fiber, such as whole-wheat bread, and potatoes cooked in their jackets.
Zoe: Jackets? You mean when cooking potatoes, we don’t remove their skins, right?
L: Exactly. And try to eat at least five portions of different kinds of fruits or vegetable every day to stay in good condition.
Zoe: Wow, these points are so great! Combining a balanced diet with regular moderate exercise will make me look and feel better.
L: The thing is, you have to do them in a long-term way.
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