Exercise Tips for BIG
Gains Without Pain
Provided
by American
Council on Exercise
Imagine explaining to your
great-great-great-great-grandparents what the biggest health threat to the
industrialized world currently is: “We have too much food and we don’t
physically labor hard enough.”
We’re not inherently lazy. It’s just that the necessities of
daily life no longer require a high level of physical exertion. It appears,
however, that we need to breathe hard, sweat and be challenged physically to
maintain health. We now have to consciously add this movement to our day in the
form of exercise.
Time spent exercising is a window of opportunity to either
overcome some of the physiological and/or biomechanical deficiencies we’ve
created through inactivity or potentially make them worse. When an exercise
program is done improperly or does not align with the needs and abilities of
the exerciser, pain and injury can lead to a total departure from the program.
Just about any form of exercise is better than no exercise.
However, to ensure an exercise program is guiding the body away from pain and
injury, consider the following tips:
Focus on Exercises That Reverse the “Sitting” Posture
While sitting, most of the spine and articulating
joints adopt a “flexed” position. If done for prolonged periods, this position
could lead to poor posture, pain and joint dysfunction.
When choosing exercises and movements to prioritize in the
gym, consider those that are opposite to that of sitting:
- Hip Flexors During Sitting: The hip flexors are held in flexion.
- Exercise Suggestions: Prioritize hip extension with exercises such as the
deadlift, bridge and swing variations.
- Lumbar Spine (Lower Back) During Sitting: The lumbar spine is flexed, adding compression to
the disks.
- Exercise Suggestions: Prioritize natural lordotic
curve and pelvic control with exercises such a bird-dog variations, prone
arm/leg lift variations and plank variations.
- Thoracic Spine (Upper Back) During Sitting: The thoracic spine is flexed, which adds to the
compression in the lumbar spine and slopes the shoulders forward.
- Exercise Suggestions: Prioritize thoracic extension and scapular
retraction with exercises such as back extension variations, deadlift
variations, row variations and horizontal abduction variations (e.g.,
reverse flyes)
Exercises that actually mimic the sitting position, such as
abdominal crunches, should be minimized.
Create Muscular Balance Around the Joints
There are two primary ways to create physical pain and dysfunction: Do nothing
or do too much of one thing. In either of these cases, an imbalance of
strength, stability and mobility is created around a joint. Eventually, this
prevents the joint from working properly, resulting in pain and a decrease in
performance.
Select exercises that challenge opposing muscles, either
within a workout or over the course of a workout week. For example:
- For every “push” (push-up, bench press, military press,
etc.), perform a “pull” (rows, pull-ups, lat
pull-down, etc.).
- Check out this article for "pull" exercise
ideas: ACE-SPONSORED
RESEARCH: What Is the Best Back Exercise?
- For every “quad dominant” exercise (squat, lunge, leg
press), do a “hip dominant” exercise (dead lift, swing, bridge, etc.).
- Check out this article for “hip dominant” exercise
ideas: ACE-SPONSORED RESEARCH: What Is
the Best Exercise for the Hamstrings?
- For every “trunk flexion” exercise (crunch variations),
do a “trunk extension” exercise (back extension variations, prone
extension variations, dead lift variations)
- Check out this article for “trunk flexion” exercise
ideas: Reality Check: Are Planks Really the Best Core
Exercise?
- For every exercise done in the sagittal (forward and
back) plane (pushes, pulls, squats, lunges, dead lifts, etc.), do an
exercise in either the frontal (side to side) plane (lateral lunges,
lateral raises, lateral shuffles, etc.) or transverse (rotational) plane
(chop and rotation variations).
- Check out this article for shoulder exercise ideas: Dynamite Delts: ACE
Research Identifies Top Shoulder Exercises
To take it a step further, consider exercises that focus on
reversing the “sitting” posture (pulls, extensions, hip dominant, etc.) and do
two of these exercises for every one of the others (flexions, quad dominant,
pushes, etc.)
By attending to the balance of strength around a joint,
mobility and function can be maintained and the likelihood of pain and injury
is minimized.
Whole-body Warm-up
After sitting all day, the joints, tissues and general
physiology of the human body isn’t prepared to take on the challenges of
intense movement and load. Always perform a whole-body warm-up that
enhances communication between the brain and body, while helping joints and
muscles emerge from the sitting position so they can work effectively.
Do It Right
For the most part, the common exercises you know and love can actually improve
your overall function, resilience and vitality. That is, when they are done
correctly.
When exercises are done correctly, joints move the way they
are supposed to. The proper muscles work to mobilize and stabilize joints. This
harmony creates improvements in function and performance. Muscles get stronger
and joints stay healthy.
When done incorrectly, joints don’t move the way they are
supposed to. This can cause a shift of load away from muscles and into a
compromised joint. To protect against a potential injury, various muscles must
compensate, detracting from the challenge to the intended muscle group.
Take the following steps to improve your exercise technique:
- Consult with a certified health and exercise
professional. A certified personal
trainer can help make sure you are performing exercises correctly in
addition to helping you create a balanced, effective program.
- Slow down. Every
six to eight weeks, decrease the resistance you use by about one-third.
Instead of counting reps, time each round for 40 seconds. During these 40
seconds, attempt to perform 10 or fewer repetitions. This places the focus
on movement technique and tempo while still delivering a challenge.
- Rest.
The current trend of high-intensity interval training has encouraged
exercisers to slash rest times. While decreased rest times can be
beneficial when used correctly, they can also detract from the focus on
proper execution of an exercise. Make sure rest periods are long enough
for your body to recuperate and perform the next set of exercises
correctly.
Exercise is an opportunity to break the modern daily mold of
inactivity. Just about any form of exercise is better than none at all.
Following these tips, however, can ensure your exercise program helps you stay
active, pain-free and performing at your best for life.
AUTHOR
Brett Klika
Contributor
Brett Klika, CEO of SPIDERfit Kids (www.spiderfitkids.com)
and an IDEA Personal Trainer of the Year is a personal trainer, author, and
international motivational speaker inspiring men, women, and children around
the world to create a culture of wellness in their home and live the best
version of their life. Contact Brett with questions or comments at
brett@spiderfitkids.com.