The Myth of Magic Exercises - Why you need to do you and not wear 'The Wrong Trousers'.

The Myth of Magic Exercises - Why you need to do you and not wear 'The Wrong Trousers'.

Firstly, this is a staged photo, took today after a long day on and off the gym floor, so if I don't look very photogenic which is highly likely your thought, then I know!

Realities of life aside, If you’ve ever seen the F1 racing, or any motorsport, you will be aware that they use different types of tyres to fit the conditions?

If you’ve ever bought a road bike, even a fancy suit, you’ll know that you get measured up, so it fits correctly?

But this logic, bizarrely gets lost when it comes to physical training….

Fitting the wrong exercises to your body is one of the most common errors you can make with both strength and conditioning. Leading you to diluted results, greater risk of injury and a training regime which under delivers.

However, I fully understand why people do this....

When you search Youtube, read through Google and turn the pages of fitness magazines, there is narrative that certain exercises are ‘godly like’ figures that posses magical powers that will transform you.

In my bizarre and very British sense of humour, I illustrated this point on a recent video (below). The point being, that there are no ultimate exercises, as what is ultimate is totally unique to you, your goals, abilities and even character.

So, what can you do to avoid this and optimise your results with your physical training?


ONE IMPORTANT MYTH I MUST SHARE...

Particularly in the personal training world, there is a very simplistic view that because everyone needs to get stronger in similar places, that you don’t need to get too individualised and picky over exercises – non sense.

My experience coaching in both elite sporting and general populations shows, it’s the latter who likely need even more consideration with exercise choices. This being because they are not as physically well developed or have the training experience of an elite athlete.

On contrary, there is also a belief that elite athletes all do these same exercises – squats, deadlifts, clean and jerks. Again, non-sense…

It may surprise you, but even in the highest calibre international athletes I have coached, many of them didn't do back squats and conventional deadlifts. This includes some of the highest internationally capped players in rugby.

Only this morning, coaching a former pro rugby player, he spoke about how he finds a hip thrusting/lifting exercise, creates better results than a deadlifting exercise for him.

But next to him was a former competitive track runner, who was deadlifting superbly, as that exercise currently works great for him.

And then prior, there was someone overcoming a life-threatening illness who has a big role in global logistics. A split squat would be a dreadful exercise for them, but a split stance hip lift was great.

If you want your training to be optimal, i.e. deliver greatest results from every rep, set and second, then you need your exercises to fit you, regardless of goal or ability.

?

HOW TO AVOID THE WRONG TROUSERS

To achieve this you want to ensure the exercises/tools you use, are limited by the very thing you want to improve (and not something else).

For many people new to strength training or with common issues like back pain, conventional squat exercises and deadlifts are limited not by the strength of the muscles you want to train (gluteals, hamstrings, quads). But rather the lack of stability in your spine, notably your lower back. This can make this well known king of exercises often not a great starting point for many.

In the upper body, many people who bench press before gaining any good initial strength improvements in muscles that stabilise their shoulders, end up quivering under the bar, turning what could be a good chest/shoulder exercise into a bad one, as shoulder stability limits it, not strength in the target muscles.

With conditioning and fitness work, if you try doing shuttle runs and burpee broad jumps having had a history of knee cartilage problems, its likely knee pain will limit you and not your fitness. Or if you do a class with lots technical movements and exercises, the limiter won’t be your fitness, but rather your skill.

This is why the thing that limits you when you train has to be the very thing you need to improve for your goals, not something else.

The Wrong Trousers - they didn't help Wallace, they also won't help you.


REMEMBER WHY YOUR ACTUALLY DOING IT

It isn’t to say you can’t do such exercises as those mentioned above, but that there are alternate options you need to use, or consider before even thinking about doing them. For example with someone who has little to know strength training experience:

  • Hip lifting and split squatting, before conventional squats and deadlifts.
  • Landmine pressing and press up’s, before bench press and shoulder press.
  • Inverted rows and single arm pulls, before bent-over row and pull ups

And secondly, even after years, some exercises will never suit your body well and in this case, that’s fine, don’t fight it. Unless you’re training to be a powerlifter, Olympic lifter, of functional fitness athlete, you don’t have to subscribe to any specific exercise.

I know these words will be like pouring Jack Daniels on an open wound to some coaches. But all opinion aside, unless your goal is to be greater at a specific exercise, which for most of the world isn’t the case, then there is no logical argument to say you HAVE TO do a certain exercise.

Day in, day out me and my team see every type of person in society, and in the vast majority of cases they are training not for the sake of it, but using it to improve something else which matters to them:

  • How they look
  • How they feel
  • How they perform in something they love (e.g. sport)
  • Resolving injuries
  • Overcoming life changing/threatening illness

So what matters is using the most effective exercises (tools) to achieve these based on your abilities. Not doing an exercise for the sake of simply doing an exercise.

You need to do you.

Have a great weekend

Dave

If you have goals that truly matter to you with your fitness, performance, body and health and want to achieve life changing results but through the most trusted, experienced and expert coaching. DM me here on LinkedIn to learn how our support either in person at our facility, or via online coaching support.

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