I hit the hard re-set button in the second week of the New Year. The first week can have a bit of a hangover effect, no New Year’s partying pun intended. After completely recovering and putting away all remnants of the prior year, it’s time to get down to business. In my last post, I shared how I have compiled my version of a Ten Commandments of Training. After I started the post, I realized it was too large for a single post and decided it would be better received if split into two posts. If you didn’t read the prior post, please go back and check it out.
Commandment Six: There are no such things as bad exercises.
This one may set off alarm bells with my fellow personal training brethren and strength coaches. Years ago, a popular theme amongst blog articles was which exercises you should not do. This opens the door for heated debates within the training community. Much of it was because of simple human nature. Many of us take offense when someone labels something we hold in high regard as a waste of time. You may think an exercise is not a valuable possession, but then you probably aren’t a trainer. Trainers and coaches love to put exercises on pedestals as the key to success. I know I have my favorites. Where I come to differ is that I will not force a person to engage in a drill if it’s not a good fit for them. It’s like the square peg in a round hole analogy. So, what determines fit for someone? Their movement competence, skill level, strength, and desired goal. Show me an exercise that you believe no one should ever do and I will show you someone who can either safely perform it or it aligns with their goal. Just for the record, we don’t prescribe Burpees at the studio, and our members are thrilled.
Commandment Seven: I wish I did more mobility when I was younger, said by everyone over forty.
You don’t realize the value of things until they are gone. As society has shifted away from the post-industrial revolution and most jobs have minimal physical demands placed upon them, most people experience a decrease in mobility as they age. This decline can be based upon what someone does for a living and spends the bulk of their day doing. As the world moves towards more technology and people find themselves seated looking at computer screens, I expect this trend to continue. If you incorporate mobility exercises into your training, I applaud you. Just remember that it may take over five to ten minutes of exercises performed three days a week to offset the sitting coupled with the possible in-activity you do for five hours and up daily. If your goal is strength and not mobility, remember that in order to get strength, you must build it upon the foundation of good movement quality. Strength training, performed with poor movement, is like building a house on sand.
Commandment Eight: Soreness doesn’t mean a workout was good.
I blame this on the fitness community. “No Pain, No Gain” and “Feel the Burn” were ingrained in the pop culture as the fitness revolution took off in the 80’s. Delayed onset muscle soreness, or DOMS, is the muscle soreness that can be experienced post exercise. What we’ve learned is that soreness is linked to high-intensity exercise and a change to your exercise program. We can also link it to over-training. If your goal is to improve muscle endurance, which requires more recruitment of slow-twitch (Type 1) muscle fibers, you may not experience any soreness from the type of training that entails. You can have an effective workout and not have soreness. So next time you wake up following a challenging session with your trainer, don’t feel short-changed.
Commandment Nine: Don’t judge your progress by the progress of others.
This could be a life lesson. As my 1st grade teacher, Mrs. Serota, told me, God made us all unique. Everyone’s make up and genetics are different. Some will experience quick results, while others will be hard-gainers. I have a good friend, Coach Robert Dos Remedios, who is a community college strength and conditioning coach in Southern California. Fifteen years ago, his football team won the National Championship, earning him strength coach of the year accolades. I asked him what did he do differently that year? He shared, “Nothing, I had mutants for athletes. They got stronger just looking at weight.” Compete against yourself and remember to mark your progress by your personal improvements.
Commandment Ten: Get Stronger.
There is not a single population or demographic where strength is a detriment. The medical community has finally made the shift to widely prescribing strength training as part of all wellness and anti-aging regimes. Past myths that strength training will make woman bulky or stunt the growth in children have finally been debunked by credible research and science. As far as health benefits, getting stronger is one of the easiest things you can do that will instantly produce health benefits.