By: Steve Avellino/Gym Director
(Always consult a physician prior to starting any exercise program.)
Hello again, my “fitness friends.”
Last month I began a new series of articles in an effort to cover the “basics” of exercise. I began our journey with a discussion on the importance of warming up and cooling down.
Well, this month is one of my personal favorite topics…”LESS IS MORE.”
(Let me explain.)
I see it everyday.
People try to do things to their bodies that are so counter-productive to the cause that it makes me cringe. At least twice a week, I walk over to somebody and ask them, “What are you trying to do?”
Invariably, they respond with a “specific” muscle strengthening goal. However, the picture I see is quite different.
In fact, as I watch them trying to lift a certain amount of weight (either on a machine or using dumbbells), which is much too heavy for them, they start to take whatever means necessary to achieve the lifting goal, while throwing out any sense of safety in the process.
Remember, skeletal alignment and proper muscle engagements are critical to the success of any exercise. If your goal is to lift weights using the bicep or tricep muscles of the arm, yet the weight is too heavy to manage a proper contraction, you will find yourself compensating in all kinds of “swinging and swaying” ways, just to lift that weight.
As a result, you are not working with the muscle that you had intended, and, even more importantly, you are clearly putting yourself at risk of injury.
Every single day, exercise enthusiasts show up at gyms all across America, and use preconceived notions of “how much weight to lift” and “how often they should lift it.” However, the answer to “how heavy” and “how often” isn’t based in any book or magazine. It’s based on your ability to safely, efficiently and effectively lift that weight.
My biggest concern about the world of fitness and wellness is the way in which the industry generalizes about specific range of motion and weight bearing exercises.
People are so different from one another. I can have two men of the same height, weight and age perform a series of exercises, and have totally different responses to the same stimulus.
My friends, you can accomplish so much more for your body if you leave your ego at the door and seek professional advice, when needed. SAFE and PROPER exercise form has to be the number one priority when you walk into any gym. If you need help, ask a certified fitness trainer. Make the time that you spend in the gym a great experience.
Once you learn “how” to exercise, you’ll be able to minimize risk, and enjoy the fruits of your labor.
And isn’t the goal?
Ciao for now!!!
