5BX
Encyclopedia
The 5BX Plan is an exercise program developed for the Royal Canadian Air Force
(RCAF) by Bill Orban
in the late 1950s, first published in 1961. The plan was developed for men; a corresponding program was developed for women under the name XBX
(Ten Basic Exercises).
, and the last an aerobic exercise
. As the individual progresses within the system, the number of each type of exercise that must be performed increases and the difficulty of each exercise increases.
A walk or run may be substituted for the final exercise; the distances to be covered and the time to be taken are also specified in the plan.
While performing research in Illinois
, Orban had noticed that, when testing oxygen intake, long periods of exercise did not necessarily lead to significant improvement. This led him to the conclusion that the intensity of exercise was more important to improving fitness than the amount of time spent on it. This aspect of the plan drew a negative reaction from others in the field but the 5BX program proved its worth in the three years of testing that the RCAF performed before releasing the program.
Twenty-three million copies of the 5BX booklet were sold to the public. It became popular around the world and was translated into thirteen languages. Orban, creating the program as a public servant, received no additional income from the success of the plan.
The exercises are no longer performed by the service as of 2008, and are considered unnecessarily hazardous in part because they are unsupervised. Many exercise physiologists consider the sit-up
in the higher levels to be capable of causing spinal injury, and, therefore, unsuitable for an unsupervised program. Children under the age of 17 were at risk of heart failure and lung weakness due to the intensity of the exercises and therefore were not required or advised to demonstrate the 5BX for any public school. The sit-up exercise can be replaced with the more modern crunch
.
John Walker's
book The Hacker's Diet
contains a simplified version, that is claimed to be suitable for everyone. The original 5BX programme has also been updated by three Australian fitness trainers under the title The Goodbye Couch! Len Deighton
's novel Only When I Larf
contains a reference to this program.
In a CBC Radio
interview in 1970, George Burns
remarked that he was devoted to the RCAF exercise plan and performed the exercises every morning. Burns lived to become a centenarian
.
Category:ExerciseCategory:Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF) by Bill Orban
Bill Orban
William Robert Orban was a Canadian athlete, scientist and academic. He was a pioneer in the field of physical fitness, best known for creating the 5BX programme in the late 1950s....
in the late 1950s, first published in 1961. The plan was developed for men; a corresponding program was developed for women under the name XBX
XBX
The XBX Plan is an exercise program developed for the Royal Canadian Air Force for women. The program consists of charts that get progressively more difficult, and takes 12 minutes per day after users get past the beginning levels....
(Ten Basic Exercises).
The 5BX plan
The 5BX Plan is composed of six charts arranged in increasing order of difficulty. Each chart is composed of five exercises that are performed within 11 minutes. The first four exercises are calisthenicsCalisthenics
Calisthenics are a form of aerobic exercise consisting of a variety of simple, often rhythmical, movements, generally using multiple equipment or apparatus. They are intended to increase body strength and flexibility with movements such as bending, jumping, swinging, twisting or kicking, using...
, and the last an aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise
Aerobic exercise is physical exercise of relatively low intensity that depends primarily on the aerobic energy-generating process. Aerobic literally means "living in air", and refers to the use of oxygen to adequately meet energy demands during exercise via aerobic metabolism...
. As the individual progresses within the system, the number of each type of exercise that must be performed increases and the difficulty of each exercise increases.
Exercises
Throughout the charts and levels, the five exercises are the same, but more difficult variations are introduced:- StretchingStretchingStretching is a form of physical exercise in which a specific skeletal muscle is deliberately elongated, often by abduction from the torso, in order to improve the muscle's felt elasticity and reaffirm comfortable muscle tone. The result is a feeling of increased muscle control, flexibility and...
- Sit-upSit-up (exercise)The sit-up is a strength training exercise commonly performed with the aim of strengthening the hip flexors and abdominal muscles. It begins with lying with the back on the floor, typically with the arms across the chest or hands behind the head and the knees bent in an attempt to reduce stress on...
- Back extensionBack extensionBack extension is a strength training exercise. It is done for strengthening lower back muscles.Using equipment, it can be done by lowering the body from a stand and raising back using the roman chair, or using a back extension machine where body pushes a weight backwards.Without using equipment,...
- Push-up
- RunningRunningRunning is a means of terrestrial locomotion allowing humans and other animals to move rapidly on foot. It is simply defined in athletics terms as a gait in which at regular points during the running cycle both feet are off the ground...
in place
A walk or run may be substituted for the final exercise; the distances to be covered and the time to be taken are also specified in the plan.
History
The RCAF asked Orban to develop a fitness program for their pilots, a third of whom were not considered fit to fly at the time. The plan was innovative in two respects. Firstly, it did not require access to specialized equipment. Many RCAF pilots were located in remote bases in northern Canada, with no access to gymnasium facilities, so it was important to offer a means of keeping fit without their use. Secondly, the plan only required 11 minutes per day to be spent on the exercises.While performing research in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, Orban had noticed that, when testing oxygen intake, long periods of exercise did not necessarily lead to significant improvement. This led him to the conclusion that the intensity of exercise was more important to improving fitness than the amount of time spent on it. This aspect of the plan drew a negative reaction from others in the field but the 5BX program proved its worth in the three years of testing that the RCAF performed before releasing the program.
Twenty-three million copies of the 5BX booklet were sold to the public. It became popular around the world and was translated into thirteen languages. Orban, creating the program as a public servant, received no additional income from the success of the plan.
The exercises are no longer performed by the service as of 2008, and are considered unnecessarily hazardous in part because they are unsupervised. Many exercise physiologists consider the sit-up
Sit-up (exercise)
The sit-up is a strength training exercise commonly performed with the aim of strengthening the hip flexors and abdominal muscles. It begins with lying with the back on the floor, typically with the arms across the chest or hands behind the head and the knees bent in an attempt to reduce stress on...
in the higher levels to be capable of causing spinal injury, and, therefore, unsuitable for an unsupervised program. Children under the age of 17 were at risk of heart failure and lung weakness due to the intensity of the exercises and therefore were not required or advised to demonstrate the 5BX for any public school. The sit-up exercise can be replaced with the more modern crunch
Crunch (exercise)
The crunch is one of the most common abdominal exercises. It primarily works the rectus abdominis muscle.-Form:A crunch begins with lying face up on the floor with knees bent. The movement begins by curling the shoulders towards the pelvis. The hands can be behind or beside the neck or crossed over...
.
John Walker's
John Walker (programmer)
John Walker is a computer programmer and a co-founder of the computer-aided design software company Autodesk, and a co-author of early versions of AutoCAD, a product Autodesk originally acquired from programmer Michael Riddle...
book The Hacker's Diet
The Hacker's Diet
The Hacker's Diet is a diet plan created by the founder of Autodesk, John Walker, outlined in an electronic book of the same name, that attempts to aid the process of weight loss by more accurately modeling how calories consumed and calories expended actually impact weight...
contains a simplified version, that is claimed to be suitable for everyone. The original 5BX programme has also been updated by three Australian fitness trainers under the title The Goodbye Couch! Len Deighton
Len Deighton
Leonard Cyril Deighton is a British military historian, cookery writer, and novelist. He is perhaps most famous for his spy novel The IPCRESS File, which was made into a film starring Michael Caine....
's novel Only When I Larf
Only When I Larf
Only When I Larf is a late 1960s British comic thriller describing the activities of a team of three fictional confidence tricksters led by Silas Lowther , his girlfriend Liz Mason and wannabe apprentice and Liz-worshipper Bob...
contains a reference to this program.
In a CBC Radio
CBC Radio
CBC Radio generally refers to the English-language radio operations of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. The CBC operates a number of radio networks serving different audiences and programming niches, all of which are outlined below.-English:CBC Radio operates three English language...
interview in 1970, George Burns
George Burns
George Burns , born Nathan Birnbaum, was an American comedian, actor, and writer.He was one of the few entertainers whose career successfully spanned vaudeville, film, radio, television and movies, with and without his wife, Gracie Allen. His arched eyebrow and cigar smoke punctuation became...
remarked that he was devoted to the RCAF exercise plan and performed the exercises every morning. Burns lived to become a centenarian
Centenarian
A centenarian is a person who is or lives beyond the age of 100 years. Because current average life expectancies across the world are less than 100, the term is invariably associated with longevity. Much rarer, a supercentenarian is a person who has lived to the age of 110 or more, something only...
.
External links
- This is the actual booklet as a free pdf
- The 5BX and XBX programs are available for free here
- 1961 CBC radio interview with RCAF
- August 2009 British Newspaper Article about the original exercises with link to updated programme
Category:ExerciseCategory:Royal Canadian Air Force