Whether you set about to the gym to do your workout or you do it at home, here is a little tidbit of information to take with you today. At the very least, this information will give you a whole new way of looking at exercise and one of the physical principals that accompany it. With that, I give you this for your consideration.

In the body, the bones represent the bars, the joints the axes and the muscles contract to apply the force. The lever rotates about the axis as a result of the force being applied to it to cause its movement against a resistance or weight. The amount of resistance can vary from maximal to minimal. In fact, the bones themselves or the weight of the body segment may be the only resistance applied. All lever systems have each of these three components in one of three possible arrangements. The arrangement of these points and the direction in which the force is being applied will determine the type of lever being used.

The first class lever is similar to the seesaw, in that it has its fulcrum or balance point between the force and the resistance. When you sit on one end you apply a downward resistance on one side of the fulcrum and upward force on the other side. If someone else sits on the opposite side another downward resistance is brought into play, and if the weights are equal and the distance from the fulcrum is equal, you will be in balance with no movement occurring. In order to get movement, you will have to make your body heavier (or lighter) to place it into motion.

The most common exercise that uses the first class lever is the heel raise. The axis is in the middle of the ankle joint while the force is the pull of the Achilles tendon behind it and the resistance is against the ball of the foot in front. In this first case the first class lever does not produce a great amount of force. It is best suited for a maximum range of motion and speed of movement. .

The second-class lever, in which the weight (resistance) is distributed between the axis of rotation and the application of force, is most suited for a gain in force. It is easily visualized as a wheelbarrow. The axis is the wheel, the weight is in the bucket located in the middle, and the force is from your arms pulling the handles upward. .

The best weight training exercise to describe this lever is the push-up. In this case the axis is the balls of the feet in contact with the floor, the weight is the center of gravity of your mass, and the force is in the arms, pushing you upward. .

In the third class lever the force is applied between the axis and the resistance. This is the most common type of lever found in the body. For example, in the biceps curl, the biceps inserts approximately one inch below the elbow joint. The point of attachment is known as the point of application of force. The elbow is the axis of rotation and the resistance is the forearm and weight held in the hand. Thus the distance from the point of application of force to the axis is very short (the force arm) and mechanically inefficient. The key reason for this is that the resistance arm, the distance from the axis to where the weight is located, is quite long. This places the weight far from the application of force. A short force arm and a long resistance arm is most advantageous for speed, not for the production of force. .

In the case of speed, a short contraction of the muscle can move the end of the limb (hand) a great distance even though there is very little movement at the actual insertion of the muscle on the bone. This relationship is also advantageous for range of motion. The speed advantage of the third class lever system is most important in sports, not when lifting weights. Individuals with short limbs have an advantage in lifting heavier weights because of their shorter resistance arms. There are, however, exceptions to this, as for example, in the deadlift where longer arms allow you to raise the weight less distance. .

If nothing else, knowledge of these levers in the body may expand the way you look at exercise and may even expand the exercise base you currently have. Remember this; knowledge is power.