The Physics of Fitness

Chapter Eight
Opposite Position Loading
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In order for a target muscle to be maximally loaded by a resistance

you’ve selected for an exercise, that target muscle’s origin(s) must be
positioned directly opposite the direction of the resistance. If a target
muscle’s origin is NOT positioned directly opposite resistance, it will
NOT be fully loaded by that resistance.

Whichever muscle is positioned directly opposite the direction of

resistance WILL be the most loaded - whether it is intended or not. If
a non-target muscle is mistakenly positioned directly opposite the
resistance, it will be MORE loaded than the target muscle.

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Consider the “Leaning Tower of Pisa”. Suppose it is your job to prevent that Tower from
falling, using a very strong rope, and sufficient physical strength. On which side of the
Tower would you position yourself with that rope? The answer is, “directly on the
opposite side of the Tower’s lean”. It would be mostly unproductive for you to stand
anywhere else.

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The most productive place for you to position yourself, with your rope, in order to
prevent the tower from falling, is EXACTLY opposite the direction of the Tower’s tilt. If
the Tower were leaning (falling) directly North, you must position yourself directly
South, in order to be most effective. This is because that is where the greatest
percentage of the load would be, of a North-falling tower. A very small percentage of
the North-falling load would be on the East side or the West side of the Tower.

Let’s look at this from a different perspective.

Let’s say that you have a rope, and you throw it over a tree branch. Then you grab hold
of both ends of the rope, and pull them straight down, in a 6:00 direction (relative to a
clock). Where (on the tree branch) would the greatest rope pressure be, due to your
6:00 direction of pull? It would be at the 12:00 mark - directly opposite your direction of
pull.

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Although there would be a small amount of rope pressure on the branch at the 3:00
position and 9:00 position, it would be a fraction of the amount - maybe as little as 25% -
of the pressure that is at the 12:00 position. Obviously, ZERO rope pressure would be
on the 6:00 position of the tree branch, because the rope isn’t even touching the 6:00
position of the branch.

Now, let’s say that you actually WANT to apply the greatest pressure on the branch at
the 1:30 position. You will NOT be able to do that, by pulling in a 6:00 direction. You
would need to change your direction of your pull, relative to the branch. In order to
deliver the greatest amount of your force (load) onto the 1:30 area of the branch, you
need to pull from a 7:30 direction (photo below).

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This physics principle is universally true, and resistance exercise is no exception.
However, many traditional exercises FAIL to provide the ideal direction of resistance
for the muscle we intend to work. Or, we FAIL to position our target muscle at the
best angle, relative to the direction of resistance. As a result, we may only deliver a
small percentage of the available resistance to the target muscle, while a larger
percentage of the load is delivered to a muscle that we do not intend to load.

To be clear, it is the ORIGIN of the target muscle, that should be positioned directly
opposite resistance. This is based on the fact that “all muscles pull toward their
origins”. If the origin of your target muscle is not positioned opposite resistance, that
muscle will be compromised in its ability to fully participate in the pulling of that load.

Let’s say that you are performing an exercise, which provides a 12:00 direction of
resistance, but the origin of your target muscle is not at the 6:00 position - it is in the
4:00 position. The result will be that your target muscle will only get about half as much
load as the muscle that is at the 6:00 position. Whichever muscle is in that 6:00 position
will be the most loaded - even though it may NOT the muscle you most want to work.

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 - - - - - - - - -
Since the early days of bodybuilding (the late 1800s), people wanting to work the
muscles of their “upper and middle back” have typically performed various types of
“Rowing” exercises. These include Bent Over Barbell Row, One Arm Dumbbell Row, T-
Bar Row and Low Pulley Row - to name a few. Today, over 100 years later, little has
changed, in terms of which exercises are thought to be “the best”, for development of
the upper and middle back. However, none of the standard Rowing exercises are
maximally efficient, because they fail to comply with the principle of “Opposite Position
Loading.”

Let’s look at the mechanics of a typical Rowing exercise, with three things in mind - 1)
the direction of resistance, 2) the position of the target muscle’s origin, and 3) the
direction of the exercise’s movement.

Most Rowing exercises typically provide a FRONT pulling resistance - like the Low
Pulley Row, shown below from an overhead view. Let’s call this a “12:00 direction of
resistance”. “Opposite Position Loading” dictates that the greatest load from this
direction of resistance will fall on whichever muscle origin is in the 6:00 position -
directly opposite the line of resistance. Let’s see if that the muscle you most intend to
work.

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In the photos above, I’ve place a red dot at that 6:00 position. As you can see, it’s the
Rear Deltoids (and, to a lesser degree, the Teres major).

The origin of the Latissimus muscle fibers, and of the middle Trapezius muscle fibers,
are on the spine. The spine is positioned at 4:00 of the left arm, and 8:00 of the right
arm. Which means that the Latissimus and the Trapezius will only be loaded with about
half as much load as the Rear Deltoids are getting.

The illustration below allows us to see this more clearly. When the arms are stretched
forward, they will each be holding a resistance that is coming from the 12:00 angle,
when performing a Low Pulley Row. The two, large arrows are showing the frontward
pull of resistance - “the 12:00 direction”. But, the Latissimus muscle and the Trapezius
both originate on the spine. The two smaller arrows indicate the only direction those
muscles can possibly pull, because they are pulling toward the spine. The mid-size
arrows are indicating the direction in which the arms must move - opposite resistance -
when Rowing. Clearly, the arms at NOT pulling toward the spine. They are pulling in a
6:00 direction - and the muscle which mostly pulls the arms in that particular direction is
the Posterior Deltoids.

The Trapezius and the Latissimus cannot contribute much toward a 6:00 direction of
pull. The left Trapezius and Latissimus pull in 4:00 direction, and the right Trapezius
and Latissimus pull in an 8:00 direction (when a person is facing a 12:00 direction).

In the previous chapter, we discussed ALIGNMENT. We established that there needs to

be alignment between 1) the direction of resistance, 2) the direction of movement, 3)

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AND the origin and the insertion of the target muscle. THAT is clearly not happening
when we perform a standard Rowing movement, with a forward-pulling resistance.

Again - think of the “Leaning Tower of Pisa.” You would not stand on the East side nor
on the West side of the Tower, in order to be in the BEST position from which to pull the
rope in Southward direction - opposite the Northward fall of the Tower. This means that
the Latissimus and the Trapezius (which are your target muscles during this exercise)
are NOT in best position to be the dominant force during an exercise that provides a
forward pulling resistance.

Other muscles, therefore, are forced to be the dominant load bearers, because they are
better positioned. In the illustrations below, we see the Posterior Deltoids and the
Teres major - the only two muscles that are positioned directly opposite the forward-
pulling resistance. These two muscles will end up getting the majority of the load,
during any standard Rowing exercise.

Separate from the issue of “loading”, is the issue of movement. We must ask ourselves,
which muscle is creating this movement? Let’s consider the Marionette Doll, shown
below.

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If you were a Puppet Master, controlling the movement of a Puppet’s arms, and you
wanted to make the Puppet perform a “Rowing Motion”, from which direction would you
pull the string that is attached to its arm? You would have to pull from a position that is
along the same path as the movement you are creating. You would have to pull in a
6:00 direction (posteriorly), because that is the direction opposite the frontward pull of
the cable.

You would NOT pull on the left arm from a 4:00 angle, nor would you pull the right arm
from an 8:00 angle. Yet, that is the only angle from which the Lats and the middle
Trapezius can pull. And that is what you’re unrealistically expecting to happen, when
you perform a Low Pulley Row (or any other frontward loaded rowing exercise).

We’ll explore this much more fully in Chapters 18 through 25, but it’s worth noting now
that the two most significant muscles of the “middle and upper back” are the Lats and
the Trapezius. They occupy the largest areas of the back.

As you can see, the Lats (above-left) and the Trapezius (above-right) both originate on
the spine. Therefore, both of these muscles pull toward the spine - toward their origins.
They are obviously not well positioned to participate much in a movement that pulls
straight backward. Nor would they be the muscles that are the most loaded, because a
straight forward resistance does not pull directly opposite their origins.

Since the direction of movement during standard Rowing exercise is not toward the
Trapezius origin, nor toward the Latissimus origin, neither of these muscles will be the
primary beneficiaries of a standard Rowing exercise. Of course, you can “try” to
squeeze your shoulders together at the conclusion of each repetition. But that would
constitute a different direction of movement, from that of your arms. It’s very difficult
to create more than one direction of movement during an exercise, especially when the

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weight is heavy. But, even if you could do it, a straight forward direction of resistance
would would still not fully load the Lats or the middle Traps.

It should also be noted, that the Trapezius fibers DO NOT connect to the arms at all
(see illustration below). So, the Trapezius is UNABLE to participate directly in the “arm
part” of a Rowing movement. This muscle originates on the spine and attaches to the
outer part scapula (shoulder blade). Its primary function is to pull the Scapula inward,
toward the spine. The Trapezius cannot pull on the arms.

The next time you see someone doing a Seated Cable Row (shown below) in the gym,
watch how their primary motion is the arms pulling backward. It’s nearly impossible to
pull in any direction other than straight backward, when doing a Rowing motion with a
straight-forward pulling resistance. But “straight back” is not where the Lats originate,
and it’s also not where the middle Trapezius originate.

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In order to fully load the Lats and the middle Traps, the resistance must originate from a
more lateral (side) angle. Since the Lats and the middle Traps are positioned
(approximately) at 4:00 (left arm) and 8:00 (right arm) positions - relative to a 12:00
facing torso - the ideal direction of resistance should come from approximately the
10:00 (left arm) and 2:00 (right arm) angles.

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There is another muscle that is positioned directly opposite a forward pulling
resistance when doing a Low Pulley Row, and is therefore also optimally loaded. That
is the “Lower Back” (Erector spinae), shown below. Again, “whichever muscle(s) is/
are positioned directly opposite resistance, will be the most loaded - whether you
intend it to be or not.” The forward pull of the cable transfers through the arms, which
pulls the torso-lever forward. Were it not for the Erector spinae muscles (running up the
entire length of the spine), the torso would fall forward like a rag doll, during this
movement.

Certainly, it is NOT the intention of someone performing a Seated Low Pulley Row, to
maximally load their lower back, but that is exactly what’s happening with a forward
pulling resistance. The lower back is receiving 100% of the forward-pulling load, unless
you are using some kind of chest-supported Rowing machine.

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In addition to the Erector spinae (muscle) possibly being “over-loaded”, there is also the
possibility that you might round your spine forward, when performing an unsupported
Rowing exercise (e.g., Seated Cable Row, unsupported T-Bar Row, or Bent-Over
Barbell Row). An overly rounded spine, combined with a heavy forward resistance,
could result in a “herniation” of a spinal disc. The herniation could then press on a
nerve, causing severe back pain.

In the illustration below-left, the “A” arrow indicates the forward pull of a standard,
unsupported Rowing exercise. The “B” arrow indicates the area that is vulnerable to
injury during a heavy, forward-pulling Rowing exercise that not “chest-supported”. The
illustration below-right shows a herniated disc in the Lumbar region of the spine. It also
shows the “pinched nerve”, which is a disc bulge pressing against the nerve.

Despite the traditional belief that Rowing exercises are good for the Lats and Upper
Back muscles, most standard Rowing exercises load the Posterior Deltoids and the
Lower Back much more than they load the Latissimus and the middle Trapezius.

The Latissimus and middle Trapezius only get about 40% - 50% of the load that’s being
used. That’s extremely inefficient. The “cost” (effort and potential injury risk) is far too
high, and the “reward” (development of the Lats and mid-Traps) is far too low for any
standard Rowing exercise to be considered a “good” exercise for the Latissimus or the
middle Trapezius.

The Bent Over Barbell Row (below) is perhaps the worst (least efficient) of all the
Rowing exercises, because - in addition to the direction of resistance being incorrect,
and the direction of anatomical movement being technically incorrect (for the Lats and
Middle Trapezius) - there is also the issue of an unproductive secondary resistance.
The Lower Back has to sustain the weight of the torso, in addition to the weight of the
barbell. This loads the Lower Back even more than does the Low Pulley Row.

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To optimally work the Lats and/or the middle Trapezius, the concentric movement
should be inward (starting from an outward angle), and the direction of resistance
should be directly OPPOSITE the muscle origins - coming from a somewhat lateral
angle (on each side).

- - - - - - - - -
Here’s an ideal alternative - below. The direction of resistance is coming from a 45
degree angle (from each side), and is now originating from a position that is opposite
the origins of both the Trapezius and the Latissimus.

The Posterior Deltoids are now positioned less opposite the direction of resistance - so
they are loaded much less.

The direction of humeral and scapular movement are more inward, toward the spine,
toward the muscle origins - as they should be.

The combined pull (left cable and right cable) produce a composite forward pull that is
approximately 30% LESS than a straight forward resistance - thereby relieving strain on
the lower back.

In other words, this exercise provides more of what we want - which is to load and work
the Lats and Trapezius - and LESS of what we don’t want - to load the Posterior
Deltoids and Lower Back.

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I call this movement, “Scapular Retraction”. Even though it also involves a small
degree of arm movement, it is mostly a scapular (shoulder blade) movement. I hesitate
to call it “Rowing”, because this exercise does not (and should not) produce an
emphasis on the arm movement that is typified by the rowing action used on a boat.

The primary emphasis here should be on shoulder (scapular) movement - releasing

the scapula forward (photos above-left), and then retracting them - pulling the shoulder
blades back and inward, toward the spine (photos above-right).

The reason there should only be a secondary emphasis on the “arm” part of the
movement is because the focus here should be on the middle Trapezius - not on the
Lats. The Lats mostly pull the arms downward, from a slightly more elevated angle
than this. In fact, there is another, far better Latissimus exercise. “Scapular Retraction”
does involve some Latissimus activity (mainly the highest fibers), but not enough to be a
“stand alone” exercise for the Lats. However, this is the absolute best middle/lower
Trapezius movement, due to its emphasis on scapular retraction and its ideal “opposite
position loading.”

- - - - - - - - -

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Let’s look at another example of how we often fail to provide “Opposite Position
Loading” for a chosen target muscle. The principle applies across the board, in every
single resistance exercise we do, whether we realize it or not.

The exercise illustrated below - a “Barbell Front Raise” - has always been considered
an “Anterior Deltoid” exercise. However, it is NOT a very good exercise for this muscle,
and one of the primary reasons is that it is not “opposite position loaded”.

Below, we see a similar version of this exercise, performed with dumbbells instead of a
barbell. I’ve outlined the Anterior Deltoids, so you can observe their position relative to
the direction of resistance. Are the Anterior Deltoids positioned directly opposite
resistance? The answer is, no - not quite. The resistance is pulling straight down - in
the 6:00 direction. But, as you can see, the Anterior Deltoids are not positioned at 12:00
(black arrows) - as they should be. His right Anterior Deltoid is positioned at 2:00, and
his left Anterior Deltoid is positioned at 10:00. Therefore, his Anterior Deltoids will only
receive about 40% of the load. This is a very low percentage of load, considering the
Anterior Deltoids are the primary target of the exercise.

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In the photo below, I’ve outlined the Lateral Deltoids. Are the Lateral Deltoids
positioned directly opposite resistance?. The answer is, yes - much more so than the
Anterior Deltoids. Therefore, they’ll receive most of the load. The Lateral Deltoids will
benefit more from this exercise - even though it’s intended to be an Anterior Deltoid
exercise.

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Again, the direction of the movement is not what causes a target muscle to be
LOADED. The direction of the resistance determines which muscle is most loaded.
Whichever muscle is directly opposite the direction of resistance, will be the most
loaded, regardless of the direction of movement.

In order to LOAD a target muscle, we must deliberately position that muscle so that it is
opposite the direction of resistance. In order to do this, we must either change the
position of the body (or position of the limb) relative to the direction of resistance, or we
must change the direction of resistance relative to the body (or the limb).

The degree of humeral (upper arm) rotation plays a role here, although it is not the only
factor. By causing the palms of the hands to face downward (as they are above), the
humerus is rotated such that the elbows are pointing laterally (to the sides). This
“inward” rotation of the arms causes the Lateral Deltoids to face upward.

Turning the palms of the hands toward the midline of the body (hammer style) or
upward, causes the elbows to point downward (instead of to the sides), and rotates the
humerus externally. This causes the Lateral Deltoids to rotate out toward the sides
(away from the opposing resistance), and rotates the Anterior Deltoids to the 11:00
position - closer to ideal. This now places them in a position to get the highest
percentage of load, from the downward resistance.

As a comparison, let’s look at this version below. The person is still in the upright
position, and gravity is still the direction of resistance. The only change is the external
rotation of the arm, such that the palms are facing inward, and the Anterior Deltoid has
rotated into a better position to OPPOSE the downward direction of resistance. This is
better way to work Front Deltoids - but it’s still not ideal.

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Notice that the Anterior Deltoid is not in the 12:00 position until the arm is raised up. At
the beginning of the movement, the Anterior Deltoid is in the 3:00 position (which is
NOT opposite resistance). This means that the target muscle is not fully opposing
resistance UNTIL the end of the range of motion. Therefore, the “resistance curve” is
not ideal. The Anterior Deltoids are not being “Early Phase Loaded”. They are being
loaded at the end of the Range of Motion, where a muscle is typically weaker. And they
are unchallenged in the early phase, where the muscle is strongest.

As we learned in Chapter 5 - it’s better to load the early part of the range of motion,
because a muscle is stronger when it’s elongated. The muscle is usually weakest at the
end of its range of motion.

So, although we corrected the position of the target muscle by rotating the humerus
externally (in the version above), the “resistance curve” still needs to be improved.
Therefor, in order to make the exercise “ideal”, we need to now change the direction of
resistance, relative to the torso, so that the movement is “Early Phase Loaded”.

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The exercise demonstrated above - Supine Dumbbell Front Press - is much closer to
the ideal mechanics for the Anterior Deltoid. The palms of my hands are facing upward
(toward my head) and my elbows are pointing downward (toward my feet). This rotates
my humerus such that the Anterior Deltoids are positioned opposite resistance. And,
because the resistance is now coming from behind me (“posteriorly”), rather than from
the direction of my feet (like when I’m standing or sitting upright), the resistance curve is
much better. This exercise provides most of the load during the early phase of the
range of motion, and less load during the latter part of the range of motion.

Of course, the Anterior Deltoids don’t “know” whether the elbows are straight or bent.
The Anterior Deltoids only pull on the humerus, and don’t “care” whether the person is
using a longer lever (straight arm / more magnification) with a lighter weight, or a shorter
lever (bent arm / less magnification) with a heavier weight. Therefore, this exercise

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could be done either way. However, using a bent arm (i.e., a pressing motion)
bypasses the potential strain on the Biceps and Biceps tendon (when using a straight
arm), so the pressing motion is the better option here.

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Summary
Understanding the principle of “Opposite Position Loading” allows us to identify which
muscles are loaded during an exercise, and which ones are not. It also allows us to
determine how much (approximately) a muscle is loaded, on a percentage basis.

If a muscle is directly opposite resistance, it is positioned to receive the largest

percentage of the available load. If it is positioned to the side of the opposing
resistance, it may only be loaded with half, or a quarter, of the available resistance.

By positioning a target muscle directly opposite resistance, and positioning non-target

muscles so that are they are not opposite resistance, we are able to maximize our
efforts and minimize wasted energy.

In the beginning of this chapter, I could have also asked, “If the Tower is leaning directly
North, where would the greatest load be?”. The answer is, “directly South” - opposite
the direction of the Tower’s lean.

So, if your goal is to get the most amount of load on a specific target muscle, you should
position that muscle directly opposite the direction of resistance.

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In the photos above, I am performing a “Lying Side Dumbbell Raise”. Think of my right
arm as a mini “Tower”. When this “tower” moves from the vertical position, and begins
to “lean” (let’s say “North”, as shown by the compass I’ve placed on my arm), it will load
whichever muscle is positioned opposite that lean. In this case, that’s where my Lateral
Deltoid is positioned - on the “South”. The Load would not be on my Front Deltoid, nor
on my Rear Deltoid - which could be regarded as the West position and the East
positions.

This is precisely what makes this exercise a “Lateral Deltoid exercise”. The
“falling” (lowering) of my arm is opposed (resisted) by the muscle that is positioned
opposite my arms’s tilt - exactly as if it were a “Leaning Tower”.

Then, the concentric “lifting” of my arm occurs as a result of my Lateral Deltoid pulling
this “mini tower” in a direction that is opposite its direction of “falling”. Again, this is just
like the example of the “Leaning Tower of Pisa”.

Now, in the photos below, I’ve tilted my arm (this “mini tower”) in a Western direction.
So, the load shifts to the East side of this “Tower”. The Posterior Deltoid is positioned
there, so the Posterior Deltoid becomes the load bearer. In causing this “tower” to lean
to the “West” (instead of “North”), I have selectively loaded a different muscle (different
from the previous example), simply my changing the direction of this “Tower’s” lean.

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What do you suppose would happen if I lean this “Tower” (my arm) in a direction that is
BETWEEN the North and the West direction - in a Northwestern direction - shown
below?

The load is then shared between the two muscles - partially on the Lateral Deltoid and
partially on the Posterior Deltoid. Each muscle bears a percentage of the load. In other
words, they are cooperating with each other, in a combined effort - but neither of them is
working as much (nor as well) as each muscle could, if the “tower” (the arm) was
leaning entirely North or entirely West.

As you can see, this rule of Opposite Position Loading coincides perfectly with the
principle discussed in the previous chapter - Alignment. Perfect alignment requires
that the direction of resistance be on the same plane as the direction of movement, on
the opposite side of the concentric motion, and on the same plane as the origin and
insertion of the target muscle.

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