Chiang's Exercise

CHIANG’S EXERCISE Copyright © 2009

by Kam Chiang

CHIANG’S EXERCISE

A UNIQUE ISOMETRIC BODYBUILDING FITNESS PROGRAM STAY FIT IN JUST FIVE MINUTES A DAY

KAM CHIANG 1

CHIANG’S EXERCISE Copyright © 2009

by Kam Chiang

STAY FIT IN 5 MINUTES, HAVE MORE TIME FOR OTHER THINGS IN LIFE.

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1. CHIANG’S EXERCISE ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ STAY FIT IN JUST 5 MINUTES A DAY

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CHIANG’S EXERCISE Copyright © 2009

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“CHIANG’S EXERCISE” It is a unique and unprecedented isometric bodybuilding fitness program that I have developed and practiced for more than thirty years. It emphasizes muscle building, joint exercise, and deep breathing. It can help you stay fit in just five minutes a day. It is suitable for both men and women of all ages. You don’t need any fitness machines or equipment. You don’t need a place bigger than where you can stretch your arms. It is an ideal fitness program for exercise at home, in office, and in school.

It is different from other five-minute exercises, which only work on a certain part of body. “Chiang’s Exercise” is a complete workout of all the major muscles and joints in your entire body. It consists of fourteen mini exercises, each with a specific purpose to work on a particular set of muscles or a particular part of your body. People who haven’t flexed muscles before may have difficulty in controlling muscles at the beginning stage. Don’t worry. Just do your best. As you practice more, you will be able to control your muscles increasingly and tighten them as you wish. Although Exercises 6a and 7a are recommended for men, and Exercises 6b and 7b are specially designed for women, you can choose the one that is suitable for you or do all of them. Don’t misunderstand that the “Chiang’s Exercise” is more for men than women because of emphasis on muscle building. The reason women accumulate fat in the arms, butt, and upper thighs is because of lack of physical exercise and muscle tightening. My exercise will help women prevent fat buildup in those areas. Avoid doing Exercises 8, 9, 10 and 11 right after a full meal, because they involve training muscles of the abdomen and waist area. These exercises may not be suitable for pregnant women.

“Chiang’s Exercise” will help you to increase muscles and reduce body fat. To benefit from this short fitness program, you should do it daily. You only have to do it once a day to stay fit. If you want to lose weight and build bigger muscles, you should do more times. The more you do, the faster you will reach your goal. It is best to do it in the early morning before 4

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breakfast. This is the most effective time of day to lose weight by exercising, because you are burning calories from body fat, unlike your daytime exercise that burns food calories. Morning exercises also help you to get rid of the carbon dioxide in your body that has accumulated overnight while you were sleeping. You will feel fresh and more energetic, as accumulation of carbon dioxide is what can make you feel tired and sluggish. REMEMBER: START YOUR DAY WITH THE “CHIANG’S EXERCISE” EVERY DAY. All other workouts and fitness programs, whether you do them regularly or once a while, will be fun and a bonus, no more a burden. You do them because you like to, not because you have to.

“Chiang’s Exercise” is illustrated in sixteen pages (illustrations are drawn by the author). Study the instructions and descriptions of each exercise and practice them accordingly. Pay attention to the arrows in the figures showing the direction of movement. It may take a little time to learn them at beginning. When you become more familiar with the program, it only takes about five minutes to do the entire exercise. You can spend more time doing them if you are at leisure, or repeat certain mini exercises for some parts of your body that need more work. Sometimes you may enjoy looking at yourself in front of a mirror and watching the improvement of your muscle tone.

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EXERCISE 1 (UPPER BODY AND DEEP BREATHING) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with your arms down at your sides.

B.

Breathe in while you cross your arms in front of your abdomen and start to lift up both arms slowly.

C.

Breathe in as much as you can to expand your lungs to their maximum capacity as you raise both arms straight above your head.

D.

Slowly breathe out while you slowly lower down your arms in a semicircle, returning to your starting position.

E.

Repeat this exercise three to five times. Take one or two normal breaths between each repetition.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: We accumulate carbon dioxide over night while sleeping. Deep breathing and arm movement will help you to get rid of the carbon dioxide in your body, so that you will feel more energetic to start your day. At the same time, it increases the capacity of your lungs and brings in more fresh oxygen for the brain that is essential for a healthy brain. This exercise gives a full upright movement and rotation of shoulder joints, which helps to strengthen muscles in the shoulder area.

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EXERCISE 2 (CHEST AND ARM MUSCLES) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Step the left leg forward, bending the knee slightly, while keeping the right leg straight. Lift both arms up in front to the same level as your shoulder with palms facing up.

B.

Then swing both arms sideways and back to form a straight line with your shoulder, giving a maximum expansion of your lungs and chest muscles. Return both arms to the front and swing back again. Repeat three times.

C.

Step the right leg forward, bending the knee slightly, while keeping the left leg straight. Lift both arms up in front to the same level as your shoulder with palms facing up.

D.

Swing both arms sideways and back three times as described in B.

E.

Repeat A to D one more time.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: This exercise is a workout of your chest and arm muscles. It gives you a positive body posture of standing straight with the chest up and expanded, and shoulders wide and level. This exercise also provides movement for your shoulder joints. Together with Exercise 1, they may help to prevent development of arthritis in the shoulder area.

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EXERCISE 3 (UPPER ARM MUSCLES) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with both arms down at your sides, palms open and facing forward.

B.

Slightly raise your lower arm. Close all fingers toward the center of the palm to form a tight fist, as if each finger is pulling a heavy weight.

C.

Bend your fist towards the upper arm direction, slowly lifting up the lower arm, as if you are lifting a very heavy weight. You will feel both lower and upper arm muscles getting tight and hard.

D.

Continue lifting up your lower arm slowly until your fist is close to your shoulder or chest, as if you are lifting the weight higher. Tighten your upper arm muscles as hard as you can for five to ten seconds.

E.

You can do both arms together at the same time, or separately, one after another.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to give a good workout of the upper arm muscles, so that you will have a big biceps in the upper arm. It also increases the lifting power and strength of your arms, as well as some workout of hands and lower arms.

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CHIANG’S EXERCISE Copyright © 2009

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EXERCISE 4 (LOWER ARM MUSCLES AND WRIST) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with both arms down at your sides, palms facing forward.

B.

Slightly raise the right arm with the palm facing up.

C.

Slowly close all fingers toward the center of the palm to form a tight fist, as if each finger is pulling a heavy weight. You will feel your lower arm muscles are all tightened, as well as some upper arm muscles. At this moment, your fist is still facing up.

D.

Slowly twist the fist inward and turn it facing down as if you are arm wrestling with someone who is pulling your arm in the opposite direction. You will feel your lower arm muscles getting tighter and harder. Continue tightening the lower arm muscles for five to ten seconds.

E.

You can do both arms together, or separately, one after another.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to give a good workout of your lower arm muscles and wrist, as well as the hands and fingers. It also increases the power and strength of your entire arm.

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EXERCISE 5 (FINGERS, HANDS, AND LOWER ARM MUSCLES) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with both arms down at your sides.

B.

Close your fingers to form a tight fist, as if every finger is pulling a heavy weight.

C.

Open your hand with all fingers stretching out and widely separated. Close and open your hand repeatedly as fast as you can until your lower arm muscles are tired. It takes only a few seconds for your hand to feel exhausted. You can do one hand at a time or both hands at the same time.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: There are nineteen joints in each hand. If you don’t do hand exercise often, calcium and other minerals may deposit and accumulate in the joint area, preventing smooth movement of bones, causing pain and inflammation. If this phenomenon increases, it will cause arthritis in old age. Exercise 5 gives you a full movement for all your fingers and helps to break down mineral crystals in the joint area. Therefore, it may help to prevent development of hand arthritis. Hand exercise is often neglected by many fitness programs and big workouts. My hand exercise in short, yet very effective. It only takes 5 seconds. It is also a good workout for the lower arm muscles, which control all the movement of fingers and hands.

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EXERCISE 6a (for men) (SHOULDER AND NECK MUSCLES) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with both arms down at your sides and palms open.

B.

Close all fingers toward the center of the palm to form a tight fist. Slowly raise both lower arms to waist level, as if you are lifting a heavy weight in front of you.

C.

Force both shoulders downward, as if your arms are carrying very heavy weights that pull your shoulders down. This motion will push up shoulder muscles forming a slope with the neck and arms.

D.

Slightly bend your head backward and force the neck downward. This motion will tighten your neck muscles. You will find that your shoulder and neck muscles are tight and hard.

E.

Hold this position and keep on tightening your shoulder and neck muscles for five to ten seconds. Stop when your muscles are tired and exhausted.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to give a unique workout of your shoulder and neck muscles, so that you have the look of a bodybuilder. It also provides a workout of hands and arms.

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EXERCISE 6b (for women) (UPPER BODY AND ARMS) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with legs slightly apart and both arms down at your sides.

B.

Raise both arms high above your head, forming a straight line with the side of your body.

C.

Tilt your arms and upper body to the right side, as far as you can. Then return to your upright standing position.

D.

Tilt your arms and upper body to the left side, as far as you can. Then return to your upright standing position.

E.

Repeat this exercise three to five times on each side.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to strengthen your waist and back muscles and to prevent fat accumulation in the waist and abdomen area. It also helps to reduce fat accumulation in the arms by means of gravitation. Men can do this exercise as well.

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EXERCISE 7a (for men) (CHEST AND ARMS MUSCLES) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight. Lift both arms up sideways to your shoulder level to form a T shape with your body.

B.

With hands in fists, slowly pull both fists towards each other, as if both arms are pulling very heavy weight.

C.

Tighten all chest and arm muscles when your fists are almost touching the chest area. Hold this position for one to two seconds.

D.

Then slowly pull both arms away from each other, as if you are pulling something apart with force until you return to the original T shape body position.

E.

Repeat B to D three to five times or more until you are tired. Tighten your chest and arm muscles all the time while you are doing this exercise. Don’t let any muscles have a chance to rest until you finish.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to build chest and arm muscles. It also helps to increase the physical power and strength of your body. Women can do this exercise as well if they wish, but be aware that this exercise may reduce the size of breasts as it turns the fat tissues into muscles.

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EXERCISE 7b (for women) (ARMS) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with both arms high above your head forming a straight line with the side of your body.

B.

Use the left hand to hold the right arm wrist tight. Slowly slide the left hand down the entire right arm to the underarm area.

C.

Then use the palm moving sideways towards the breast area.

D.

Use the right hand to hold the left arm wrist tight. Slowly slide the right hand down the entire left arm to the underarm area. Then use the palm moving sideways towards the breast area.

E.

Repeat B to D three to five times.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The purpose of this exercise is to prevent and reduce fat accumulation in your arms by squeezing the fat cells, moving them downward to be stored in the breast area. Together with Exercises 3 and 4, you will reduce fat buildup in your arms.

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EXERCISE 8 (CHEST AND UPPER BODY) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with your arms down at your sides.

B.

Breathe in while you slowly raise the upper arms sideways, as high as you can. Keep your hands at your waist.

C.

Breathe in as much as you can to expand your chest and lungs to their maximum capacity. At the same time, suck in your waist as much as you can to make a big V shaped upper body. You can breathe normally or hold your breath, while you continue sucking in your waistline. Hold the V shaped upper body for five to ten seconds. You can use your hands to slightly force the lower ribs inward while you are doing this exercise. You’ll gradually build a good V shaped upper body, because the lower ribs are connected to the breastbone by cartilage that can be altered over time.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: This exercise helps you to increase your chest size and reduce your waistline. In time, you’ll have a V shaped upper body, with large chest and small waist. It also helps you to maintain a good body posture: chest up, back straight, shoulder broad and level. Good body posture is very important in your appearance that makes you look good and feel confident.

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EXERCISE 9 (WAIST AND ABDOMEN) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with both arms down at your sides.

B.

Breathe in while you slowly raise your lower arms to the waist area. Keep your hands at the waist.

C.

Hold your breath. Suck in your waist and abdomen area as much as you can to make it flat and small. Continue to tighten all muscles in the waist and abdomen area for about five to ten seconds or until you are tired or need to breathe.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to increase the muscles and reduce body fat in the abdomen and waist areas. This exercise will help you to prevent the belly from getting big and fat. Most of us have the problem of a big belly, because it is the first place that fat accumulates when we start to gain weight. Remember to do this exercise whenever you have a chance. You can do it when you are walking, standing, or sitting. The more you do it, the smaller the size of your waist will be, and the less fat on your belly. Note: Exercises 8, 9, 10, and 11 involve training of your muscles in the abdomen and waist areas, so avoid doing these exercises right after a full meal or drink. These exercises are not suitable for pregnant women.

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EXERCISE 10 (THIGHS, ABDOMEN, AND BACK) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with both hands at your waist.

B.

Kick the left leg forward and up as high as you can. Don’t move the leg backward before you kick, like when kicking a soccer ball. This exercise requires you to kick in slow motion. A powerful and fast kick only uses the leg muscles, whereas a slow kick and lifting the leg upward requires using the abdomen and back muscles, as well as the upper thigh muscles.

C.

Lower the left leg down, back to the standing position.

D.

Kick the right leg forward and up as high as you can, as described in B and C.

E.

Repeat this exercise three to five times for each leg alternately.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to increase muscles in the abdomen area to prevent having a big fat belly. It also gives a workout of both the upper thigh and back muscles. Both Exercises 10 and 11 help you to increase the strength of the back muscles. If you do them daily, you will have less back pain and problems. These exercises also give you a full movement of hip joint, which may help to prevent arthritis in the hip area.

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EXERCISE 11 (THIGHS, WAIST, AND BACK) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with both hands at your waist.

B.

Lift the left leg sideways and up, as high as you can into a sidekick position. This exercise requires you to do it in slow motion. A slow motion requires a combination of thigh, waist, abdomen, and back muscles.

C.

Lower the left leg down, back to the standing position.

D.

Lift the right leg sideways and up as high as you can, as described in B, and then back to the standing position.

E.

Repeat this exercise three to five times with each leg alternately.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to reduce the fat accumulation in the waist and tummy area. It gives a good workout of all muscles in the upper thigh, waist, abdomen, and back. This exercise will increase the strength of your back muscles and help you to reduce back pain and problems. Many old people require a hip replacement because of arthritis in the hip joint. Daily practice of Exercises 10 and 11 may help to prevent arthritis in the hip area.

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EXERCISE 12 (THIGH MUSCLES AND KNEES) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Stand straight with legs slightly apart.

B.

Squat all the way down. Then use the thigh muscles to push your body back up to the standing position. Repeat this exercise three to five times.

C.

After returning to the standing position, use all your strength to tighten the muscles in both thighs as hard as you can, for five to ten seconds. It should not take more than ten seconds before your thigh muscles are tired and exhausted, unless you have not tightened them hard enough.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to give a good workout of your thigh muscles and knees. It may help to reduce knee problems and arthritis in old age.

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EXERCISE 13 (LOWER LEG MUSCLES) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Sit with the back straight up. You can do this exercise either in a sitting or a standing position. Sometimes, a sitting position is better, so that you can concentrate on working your muscles rather than trying to balance yourself on one leg.

B.

Lift the right leg slightly above the ground, with the foot in a relaxed position.

C.

Bend the right foot up as high as you can, as if there is a heavy weight on your foot. This motion will tighten the lower leg muscles. Tighten the lower right leg muscles as hard as you can, for five to ten seconds or until your muscles are tired and exhausted.

D.

Do the same for the lower left leg muscles.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: The main purpose of this exercise is to give a good workout of all the muscles in the lower leg.

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EXERCISE 14 (ANKLES, FEET, AND TOES) ______________________________________________________________________________

DESCRIPTION OF EXERCISE: A.

Sit with the back straight up. You can do this exercise either in a sitting or a standing position. It is best to do it in a sitting position, so that you don’t have to worry about balancing yourself on one leg.

B.

Slightly raise the right foot above ground. Wiggle your foot all the way to the right and all the way to the left three to five times to give a right and left full movement of your ankle.

C.

Bend your right foot all the way up and all the way down three to five times to give a full up and down joint movement of your ankle.

D.

Close and open toes as fast as you can until your lower leg muscles are tired and you cannot continue any longer.

E.

Do the same for the left foot as described in B, C, and D.

PURPOSES OF EXERCISE: This exercise gives a good joint workout of the ankle and toes. Many people have gout (a form of arthritis in the toes), which is caused by deposits of the uric acid crystals in the joints. Most people do not exercise their toes, therefore, allowing the deposits to accumulate, causing arthritis. The toe exercise (described in D) may help to prevent development of gout by breaking down the acid crystals and other mineral deposits in the joints.

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REMINDER: “Chiang’s Exercise” emphasizes good body posture. When you do the exercise, you should always stand straight, chest up and full, shoulders wide and level. You should always maintain a good posture. Good posture makes you look good and feel confident, whereas bad body posture with an arched back makes you look old, weak, and lacking in confidence. Bad posture is caused by sitting or standing in a slouch, particularly during a young age. Remember to sit and stand with your back straight.

When you tighten your muscles, you must tighten them as hard as you can until your muscles are tired and unable to continue any longer. The fourteen mini exercises are arranged in a systematic order starting from the head and ending at the toes, so that you will remember to work all muscles and joints of your entire body. You can do the exercises randomly if you prefer, or repeat any mini exercises if you wish. Once you have learned how to work on different parts of your body, you don’t have to remember the name of each mini exercise.

I recommend that you make copies of all the exercise illustrations and pin them up in the bedroom, so that you can follow the illustrations to do a complete “Chiang’s Exercise” before breakfast every day. After you have practiced the exercise for a month or so, you’ll remember how to do them without the illustrations.

If you are overweight and trying to lose weight, as well as to get fit, you should repeat the entire exercise one or more times during the day. Remember to tighten belly muscles whenever you have a chance to prevent getting a big fat tummy. Don’t let yourself make any excuse for not doing the exercise. You can change FAT to FIT with just five minutes of daily exercise.

“Chiang’s Exercise” is also suitable for kids (adult supervision is advised). If you have kids, teach them how to do “Chiang’s Exercise” so that they can start exercising early. Good habits start at young. Nowadays, kids spend more and more time in front of the television and 38

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computer. They need a daily exercise to help them stay fit. Otherwise, it is very likely that most of them will be out of shape and get fat when they grow up. “Chiang’s Exercise” can give them better physical fitness, and therefore, allow them to have better academic achievement.

EXERCISE TODAY, ENJOY GOOD LOOK and GOOD HEALTH FOR LIFE.

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2. MORE MUSCLES LESS BODY FAT ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ FIND OUT HOW “CHIANG’S EXERCISE” CAN HELP YOU BUILD MUSCLES IN JUST FIVE MINUTES A DAY. HOW “CHIANG’S EXERCISE” CAN HELP YOU PREVENT DEVELOPMENT OF ARTHRITIS.

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You probably wonder how five minutes of exercise a day could be enough to stay fit. Physical fitness is like any other professional job. If you know how to do it, you can do it well and fast. If you don’t know how, you take a longer time. To make exercise more effective, we must understand how our bodies and muscles work.

PRINCIPLE OF MUSCLE BUILDING: All our external body movements are controlled by striated muscles, which are attached to different bones by the tendons. When a muscle contracts, it shortens its length, thereby it moves one bone closer to another. One muscle, or a set of muscles, moves a bone in one direction, whereas another set of muscles moves the same bone in the opposite direction. Many body movements are controlled by several muscles that work together in a precise manner. Each muscle plays a specific role in the body movement. The same movement can be used as an exercise or training for that muscle. The more you use a muscle, the stronger and the bigger that muscle will be. Therefore, we can use bodybuilding or different fitness programs to train our muscles and bodies. There are many kinds of exercises and fitness programs that can help you to stay fit. Almost all of them require you to spend at least half an hour, most likely an hour or more each day, to achieve your goal.

Muscles have two states: relaxation and contraction. When muscles are in their original length, they are in relaxation. When they are shortened, they are in contraction. Every movement involves one muscle in contraction and another muscle in relaxation. For example, when you lift an object, the muscle (biceps) in the front of your upper arm contracts, thereby lifting up the lower arm. When the muscle (triceps) on the back of the upper arm contracts, it pulls down your lower arm. When your lower arm is down, the biceps is back to its original length and relaxed. When you repeatedly lift the lower arm up and lower it down, the biceps and triceps take their turns of work and rest. 41

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Let’s take another example. When we are running or walking, one leg is down on the ground, while the other is up above the ground. When the right leg is on the ground, all muscles of the right leg are tightened, preparing to spring forward, as well as bearing the entire body weight. As soon as the left leg touches the ground and takes over the workload, the right leg is up above the ground and has a chance to relax. Muscles of each leg only work for a second or less and have an equal time of rest. They continue taking turns of work and rest while we are running or walking. Consequently, no muscles are brought to their extreme exhaustion. This is why we can run, jog, or walk for a long distance without feeling tired. The alternate use of different limbs and the alternate work and rest of muscles are the fundamental styles of our body movement. They form the basic mechanism of muscles in most exercises and physical fitness, such as jumping, running, biking, dancing, walking, weightlifting, and so on. Since limbs and muscles have a chance to relax during continuous body movements, they are not taken to their extreme working condition in a short time.

To build your muscles, you must bring them to their extreme working condition. To reach the extreme working condition, you must take the muscles to their ultimate contraction. Most exercises and physical fitness do not bring muscles to that point in a short time because of the alternate working and resting conditions. This is why most people need an hour of workout or more every day to stay fit.

On the other hand, “Chiang Exercise” works exactly opposite to other exercises. It has a unique way of training muscles. It requires you to contract a muscle as hard as you can without giving it a chance to rest. You can take a muscle to its ultimate contraction within a few seconds, about five to ten seconds. You will immediately feel that the muscle is tired and exhausted. You work on each muscle of your body separately. It only takes about five minutes to complete a total workout for all the muscles in your entire body. This is why the “Chiang’s Exercise” can help you to stay fit for as little as five minutes of exercise a day, whereas other exercises take an hour or more to be effective. You can understand this principle

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with a simple physical test. See how long you can stand on one leg. You probably will feel tired within a few minutes because all muscles in that leg are working continuously without rest, whereas you can walk for hours before you are tired, because each leg takes its turn of work and rest.

Let me give you an analogy to explain this muscle building theory in a better way. Say that you are going to boil two pots of water, using the same kind and size of pots, the same amount of water, and on the same burners on a stove. Pot A: You turn the heat on high and leave it on high. Pot B: You turn the heat on high and then turn it off. You continue turning it on and off, on and off. Within a few minutes, the water in Pot A starts to boil, whereas the water in Pot B is still just lukewarm. The reason is quite simple. The heat in Pot B is intermittent, not continuous. Therefore, it takes a longer time to bring the water to its boiling point. Most exercises allowing your muscles to work and relax are like Pot B; consequently, it takes a longer time for muscles to reach their ultimate contraction. The principle of “Chiang’s Exercise” is to tighten each muscle as hard as you can, continuously, until it reaches ultimate contraction. It is similar to Pot A, which you keep the heat on high, continuously, until the water boils. To build stronger muscles, you must tighten your muscles to their ultimate contraction, daily. That is exactly what “Chiang’s Exercise” helps you to do in just five minutes a day.

MORE MUSCLES AND LESS BODY FAT: We all know that water will not boil until it is heated to its boiling point at 100℃. When water boils, it changes from liquid to steam. Exactly at what point will our bodies change body fat to muscles? To build more muscles, you must frequently work your muscles to their extreme working condition. In that situation, your body will break down the body fat to make more muscles to support the increasing physical activity. Just like the workers of a factory, if they constantly have to work overtime to get jobs done, the factory will hire more workers to help the overload. Unfortunately, most exercises and fitness programs require an hour or more for muscles to reach their extreme working condition. On top of this, when one’s muscles have 43

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established the strength to support a certain workout, one will have to work even harder to bring the muscles to the ultimate point. For example, a runner who runs thirty minutes every day will gradually build muscles to support a thirty-minute run. His/her muscles will not improve any further, even if he/she continues running every day, unless the speed or the time of running is increased. In fact, if he/she reduced the running time and speed, muscle strength would quickly decrease. This is like a factory that will start to lay off some workers if there isn’t enough work for them to do.

A friend of mine told me that she has been going to the gym for many years, four or five times a week with one or more hours of workout each time. Her weight stays the same, and her body fat and muscle tone all remain the same with no further improvement. It seems that all her exercise and hard work are for nothing. She cannot understand why. The reason is simple. Once you have built muscles to support one hour of a workout, your body is not going to make more muscles, even if you continue your workout every day. In other words, if you want your body to continue breaking down body fat to make more muscles, you must continue to increase your physical activities. That is, if you are a bodybuilder, you must increase your weights; if you do workout every day, you must increase the time or the intensity of the workout; if you are a runner, you must increase your speed or time. Let’s be realistic. We have jobs to do. We don’t have all the time in the world. Most of us cannot afford to spend several hours exercising every day. So, what do we do?

“Chiang’s Exercise” enables you to reach your goal without increasing your time of exercising. The magic bullet of “Chiang’s Exercise” is that when your muscles get stronger, your strength increases. When your strength increases, you can tighten your muscles harder. Then your body will build even bigger and stronger muscles. These sequential processes continue bringing your muscles to their ultimate contraction day after day. Yet you don’t have to increase the time of exercising. Because it still takes about the same amount of time, about five to ten seconds, of continuous tightening for a muscle to reach its ultimate contraction, regardless of your strength or physical condition. As long as you maintain your regular “Chiang’s

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Exercise” daily, your body will continue to break down the body fat and make more muscles. During middle age years, many people will gain some weight. If you do “Chiang’s Exercise” every day, your weight gain will be an increase of muscles instead of body fat.

“Chiang’s Exercise” gives you the exercise that you need to stay fit. If you practice daily, you will have good physique and muscle tone. It does not help you to build big muscles of a professional bodybuilder, like those shown in magazines. To have that, you need special equipment and you must devote several hours to workout every day. Just like a 100-meter track runner has to work so much harder just to get one-second faster.

“CHIANG’S EXERCISE” HELPS TO PREVENT DEVELOPMENT OF ARTHRITIS: There are more than one hundred types of arthritis with many different causes and origin. Exercise may help to prevent some, but not all of them. Two common causes of arthritis are:

1.

Mineral deposits in the joints: Deposits of calcium and mineral in the joint area create roughness in the joint and prevent smooth movement of bones, causing pain and inflammation. For example: A common arthritis in the toes, called gout, is caused by deposits of uric acid crystals in the joints. Most people do not exercise their fingers and toes, therefore, allowing these deposits to accumulate, causing arthritis. In this case, the arthritis is caused by lack of exercise in the joints.

2.

Worn down of the cartilage: There are cartilage at the end of each bone in the joint area, which allows the bones to move smoothly and absorbs shock when pressure occurs. There are several reasons of causing erosion of the cartilage. One of the reason is the excessive “wear and tear” in the joints due to over exercising. Nowadays, many people are very competitive and interested in extreme sports, causing damage of

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joints and worn down of the cartilage. In this cause, the arthritis is caused by over exercising.

How does “Chiang’s Exercise” help to prevent these types of arthritis? In regarding to Case 1, “Chiang’s Exercise” has joint exercises especially designed for fingers and toes, which may help to break down mineral crystals in the joint area. “Chiang’s Exercise” provides exercise for these small parts of your body, which are often neglected by big workouts. In Case 2, “Chiang’s Exercise” has also designed exercises for your knees, ankles, hips, and shoulder joints. It gives full movements for these joints, which helps to prevent mineral deposition in the joints and to strengthen the muscles around it. They are short and effective, so that you will not over exercise your joints to cause erosion of the cartilage.

Therefore, “Chiang’s Exercise” helps to prevent development of arthritis by providing proper and adequate exercises for your joints, yet not to over exercise the joints to avoid damage and erosion of the cartilage.

“CHIANG’S EXERCISE” vs. OTHER EXERCISES: Each of us has a different physical condition and daily schedule. You should carefully choose an exercise not only suitable for your physical strength, but also to fit the time schedule so that you can do it regularly. I will do an analysis and compare “Chiang’s Exercise” with other exercises to help you make a good decision:

1.

TIME AND CONSISTENCY: To benefit from exercise, it is not how fast you can run, how much weight you can lift, or how long or how vigorous you can do it, rather it is how regularly and consistently you exercise. Over-exercising is very hard on your heart and causes many other health problems. Many young athletes suffer heart problem or even die from it. Moderate exercise daily, even if it is for a short time, is better than irregular long and vigorous exercise. Since “Chiang’s Exercise” only takes a few minutes to 46

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complete, it is easy for one to do it every day and turn it into a daily routine. If you cannot maintain a workout regularly, “Chiang’s Exercise” may be your best choice. You can always spare five minutes, no matter how busy your life is.

2.

WEATHER AND PLACE: Outdoor exercises, such as running, jogging, biking, or walking, are often affected by the weather. It is often seasonal and difficult to do daily. Many sports and exercises also require specific places or rooms that usually have to be booked and arranged. “Chiang’s Exercise” is not affected by the outdoor environment or indoor facility. You can do it at home, in the office, any place at any time, and definitely not restricted by the weather.

3.

MUSCLE AND BACK INJURIES: People who do weightlifting often think that they can do more repetitions or heavier weights. They want to get strong quick. Their enthusiasm often surpasses their muscles’ ability. It is quite common that they hurt their arms or back. Many bodybuilders try to lift too much weight too quickly, causing bad body posture with an arched back for life. This is particularly the case with teenagers whose bone structures are not fully developed. When people skip exercise for a week or more, they usually work their heart out when they go back to the gym. They either think they are just as strong as before or try to make up for their absence; they often overwork their muscles and hurt themselves. The truth is that they are not as good as before. Muscles decrease in strength when you are not using them. “Chiang’s Exercise” does not use weights or fitness equipment. You tighten your muscles using your own strength. Once your muscles reach their ultimate contraction, you will lose the ability to tighten them any further. Therefore, it is very seldom that you can overwork your muscles or hurt your body.

4.

TORN MUSCLES AND LIGAMENTS:

Many exercises, such as yoga,

emphasize stretching. Muscles are like elastic bands. Stretching a muscle is like pulling an elastic band apart. If you pull it farther and farther apart, it could lose its elasticity and become incapable of returning to its original shape, or simply snap. Torn muscles, tendons, and ligaments are common injuries in yoga and other stretching exercises. “Chiang’s 47

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Exercise” emphasizes contracting muscles so that they can produce more power and strength. It does not encourage stretching. Therefore, you have little chance of tearing muscles or ligaments. Note that moderate stretching before a sport may be necessary, which helps to loosen your muscles getting them ready for vigorous movement.

5.

FOOT, ANKLE, KNEE, AND OTHER INJURIES: Foot, ankle, and knee injuries are very common amongst runners, bikers, and people who do aerobics. Besides, many accidents are caused by the mechanical failure of fitness machines and equipment. “Chiang’s Exercise” has no jumping, hopping, or dancing that may cause foot, ankle, or knee injuries, and no use of machines and equipment to cause accidents. Amongst all the modern exercises and physical fitness, except for walking and Tai Chi, “Chiang’s Exercise” has the least possibility of causing injury. You do it as your physical strength allows you to, and do it without using machines or equipment.

6.

FITNESS MACHINES AND EXERCISE EQUIPMENT:

Many

fitness programs require special designed machines or equipment. Some of them are big and expensive. If you cannot afford those equipment or don’t want to pay gym fees, “Chiang’s Exercise” is your best choice of fitness, no fitness machine to buy, and no monthly fee to pay. You can do it at home without using any equipment. When you travel, you don’t have to pack exercise equipment. “Chiang’s Exercise” goes with you wherever you go.

7.

BALANCE OF LIFE: In this ever-changing living environment, it has become difficult to balance one’s busy life. It is hard to find time for everything. Business, work, family, and friends, as well as other urgent matters, all eat away personal schedules. You made the appointment; other people change it. Exercise becomes the last on the list and often gets dropped or squeezed out. It is hard to maintain any kind of exercise in a daily routine. Once you start to skip an exercise session, it is easy to do it again and again. “Chiang’s Exercise” is the only exception. You do it early in the morning before you start

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your day. It is short and effective. Whatever happens during the day does not affect the exercise that you have already done. It just makes one less thing for you to worry about.

8.

“EXERCISE TO LIVE” or “LIVE TO EXERCISE”: You also have to decide whether you want “exercise to live” or “live to exercise.” Same three words have two different meanings. “Exercise to live” is that you do just enough exercise to help you stay fit, so that you have a healthy body with plenty of time left to pursue other things in life. “Chiang’s Exercise” can help you to accomplish this. Unless you want to achieve superiority in sports, earn a title and fame, or have a career in physical fitness, there is really no need to over exercise. If time and money are no objects to you, you have the luxury of “live to exercise.” You can choose any kinds of exercises you like, and you can exercise all day just for fun.

HISTORY OF “CHIANG’S EXERCISE”: I was born in Wenzhou, a city located about 230 miles south of Shanghai, on the east coast of China. My elementary school education was under the communist government system. In those days, the Chinese government promoted the idea that all students must achieve “Three Good.” That is Good in Education, Good in Physical Fitness, and Good in Behavior. To comply with the “Three Good” propaganda, all students started their day with the isometric exercise. Every morning, students and teachers gathered in the school field and lined up by classes. The head teacher of each class counted the number of students present. Any student who was absent or late would be lectured and given a warning. Our PE (physical education) teacher stood on the high platform facing us. He was about thirty years old. He had an excellent physique with broad shoulders, big arms, and chest muscles. I was very envious of him, wishing that I would look like him when I grew up. He lead us to do isometric exercise every morning. Isometric exercise consists of several, probably ten, mini exercises, Each mini exercise has a specific purpose of physical fitness, usually consisting of three or four different body movements. He led us to do

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each exercise by shouting one, two, three, four; one, two, three, four; and we followed, just like modern aerobics. This is how I learned and started doing isometric exercise. When I was thirteen years old, I left Mainland China and went to Hong Kong. Land was very valuable in Hong Kong, very few schools had fields of their own. There was no such a thing as morning exercise in school. As I grew from a boy to a young man, I started to like my body just like other kids, often looking at myself in front of a mirror. I always admired the strong muscles of bodybuilders, so I often tightened my arm muscles, sucked in my tummy and waist, and enlarged my chest to make a V shaped upper body. That marked the beginning of my personal bodybuilding exercise. When I was in university, I hurt my back while bending forward to lift up a heavy suitcase. Since then, I have experienced severe back pain several times a year. To deal with my back problem, I developed some exercises to strengthen my back and waist muscles. Surprisingly, these exercises have helped my back a great deal. Since then, they have become a part of my daily exercise. Now, I seldom have back pain. In my thirties, a chiropractor told me that clicking knuckles and moving joints could help to prevent arthritis. With that advice in mind, I started to develop joint exercises for all joints in the body. In recent years, I added the deep breathing into my exercise. I gradually developed a systematic sequence of daily exercise from head to toe, using my muscle building technique and the knowledge of isometric exercise, together with joint and back exercises, and adding the deep breathing as the starter. After thirty years of practice, I have created a new Isometric Bodybuilding Fitness Program, which is unique and unprecedented. Since I am the person who exclusively developed this exercise, I named it the “Chiang’s Exercise.” I have practiced “Chiang’s Exercise” for more than thirty years, a few minutes of exercise before breakfast every morning. I have never done any other workouts or weightlifting in a gym in my life. Honestly, I don’t need any other workouts. I eat a lot and enjoy food, but I have never 50

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had any weight problem. Although I am heavier than I was at twenties, my weight gain is due to increase of muscles, resulted from practice of “Chiang’s Exercise.” Over the years, I have had more faith that my “Exercise” has helped me to stay fit, increase muscles and strength, burn body fat, and maintain normal body weight. Along with these physical benefits, at age seventy-one I do not have high blood pressure, cholesterol or heart problems, no arthritis, diabetes or asthma. I believe that my good health has a lot to do with my daily exercise. “Chiang’s Exercise” has helped me stay healthy and fit. It will help you as well. Why wouldn’t you try? There’s no price to pay, just five minutes a day.

STAY FIT FOR LIFE with “CHIANG’S EXERCISE”: What makes my exercise unique is that it only takes five minutes a day. It is strong enough for all men and gentle for women. It is safe and effective, suitable for all ages. Once you have learned the “Chiang’s Exercise,” it will stay with you for the rest of your life, no matter where you are, or wherever you go. It is the most practical exercise that you can do daily. Even when you are sitting in the office or watching television, you can tighten the muscles of your arms, chest or abdomen area. No one would ever know that you are doing an exercise while you are sitting there quietly. It can become a part of your life like brushing teeth. You don’t have to buy any fitness machines or equipment, no use of drugs or supplements. You don’t have to drive to the gymnasium or pay monthly fees. For as little as five minutes of your time a day, it gives you a good workout for your entire body to help you stay fit, removes carbon dioxide from your body, increases muscles, reduces body fat, tucks in your belly, enlarges your chest, provides exercise for joints to prevent arthritis, and strengthens your back muscles to reduce back problems. What more could you ask?

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Photo 1: Kam Chiang at age 18.

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Photo 2: Kam Chiang at age 30.

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Photo 3: Kam Chiang at age 45.

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Photo 4: Kam Chiang at age 68. Kam Chiang has never done any workouts in any gymnasium in his life. All he did is 5 minutes of “Chiang’s Exercise” every day, without using any fitness machine or equipment. 55

CHIANG’S EXERCISE Copyright © 2009

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STAY FIT, ENJOY LIFE MORE. www.ChiangsExercise.com

SOURCE OF INFORMATION

“Chiang’s Exercise” is originally described and published in the book “Chinese Secrets of Staying Thin and Fit” by Kam Chiang

Copyright © 2009 The United States Copyright Office Certificate of Registration Number: TXu 1-707-504

Available at Amazon.com and Kindle

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