Are You Performing Workout Cliches?
There are things, no matter how long you work in a field, or study incessantly, that you will never be able to make sense of. One thing I have never understood during my 20 years as a personal trainer in Austin, with the exception of nutrition and supplementation, is why there is such a preoccupation with all of the workout cliches out there. Take quantities for example. Why is it that so many people perform 3 sets of 10 repetitions of any given exercise? I fully understand beginners latching on to a long held workout clichés, but seasoned lifters, and even some personal trainers?
There are seemingly many variables in every field of instruction. For example, within the parameters of being a personal trainer, not every client is the same. While that is obvious and it seems like a waste of space to type, it is something that is often times ignored by some personal trainers. Usually the inexperienced and under educated ones. Not everyone has the same maximum heart rate, nor the same metabolic rate, nor the same genetics. As individuals, clients need to be trained according to what is not only going to be the most effective ways, but the most efficient, and of course, the safest way possible.
One thing I have always tried to convey to clients over the years, is feel and focus. Feel the reps as opposed to counting them methodically, and focus on the contractions of those muscles throughout the range of the repetition. This is an example of shunning workout cliches, and actually accomplishing something. When doing so, you’ll likely realize that you can either do more reps, and thus recruit more muscle fibers, and in turn, make better and faster gains. Conversely, if you’re shooting for 10 reps, for example, and you’re having to cheat in order to satisfy your quota of 10, and risk exacerbating any tightness’s and other imbalances, you’re really not getting further ahead in your fitness goals, but in fact, you’re regressing.
There are a million theories, formulas, strategies, and opinions on how to get in better shape, be stronger, faster, etc. Those who truly succeed, however, are the ones who know how to listen to their bodies and in turn, get the most out of every workout without risking injury. Even if it means spurning workout clichés and folklore.
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Andy
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