Too Much of a Good Thing

The phrase "too much of a good thing" can be applied in some shape or form to lots of things (depending on your definition of "good").

 

Too much alcohol - makes you feel terrible, too much pudding - also makes you feel terrible, too many late nights and parties - terrible; and you can add to this list "exercise".

 

Wait - This is NOT an excuse to just do the odd bit of exercise and me saying "you don't want to do too much - it's bad for you." That's not what I'm saying at all.

 

I'm talking about issues caused by repetitive movements. Here are a few tips to make sure that you don't make exercise "a bad thing".

 

CARDIO KINGS:

1) Off ya bike!

Imagine in your head a perfect posture. Head upright, spine in a neutral position, hips below shoulders. Then imagine your position on a bike. Far from this perfect posture correct? I'm not saying "never cycle" but if you want to repeatedly compromise your bodies natural shape and form then cycle every day. If you DON'T, then get off of your bike and add variety to your cardio. Also add in corrective resistance work and mobility work between bike sessions.

2) Run on the other side of the road

Most roads are cambered so if you do a lot of road running try to run on different sides of the road in order to avoid repetitive strain issues from an unbalanced running style. It's as simple as that!

3) Add resistance

Making resistance work a part of your weekly gym schedule with have multiple benefits to aid your bodies recovery and general robustness: 1) You'll be stronger and more efficient when it comes to your cardio sessions, 2) You'll be stronger and more robust when it comes to injury avoidance, 3) You can un-do  some of the repetitive strains added to your body by countless hours of cardio. 4) You'll give your body a break from the usual cardio and offer it an alternative stimulus.

4) Find a kinder surface

If you're a regular runner then road running can be very unkind for your joints. try to add variety and find a kinder running surface such as an athletics track.

5) Run correctly

Most people think they can run because they can move at a walking pace and then do some movements that make them move a bit faster. There is in fact a lot more technique to running than many people understand. If you intend of running regularly you should seek the advice of an experienced running coach. Not only will this help you to avoid injuries but it should also make you more efficient. You wouldn't buy a car and just "give driving a go" as you'd probably damage it. So why would you take the same risks with your body; an object that can't be replaced when damaged?

 

GYM FOLK:

1) Pull more than you push

Most things we as humans do are in front of us and require us to hold our arms in front to do so; driving, eating, typing etc. This often causes a shortness in the anterior muscles (front side of the body) causing a rounding of the shoulders and neck. Try to un-do the everyday tensions by focusing on "pulling" work in the gym far more than you do "pushing" work. For people that perform push ups and sit ups every morning.. stop it!

2) Move freely

It's important that you allow the body to move as it's designed to. Try to include a variety of movements in all sessions. As well as your standard push and pull work make sure that you rotate, hinge, lunge and crawl or climb. Don't be limited by resistance machines and conventional exercises, use your own body, move naturally and incorporate elements of play into your exercise regime.

3) Don't train the same muscle groups consistently without sufficient rest

By not allowing sufficient rest for muscles your body will not be able to repair, adapt and grow. If you have a set gym routine that you cover every time you're in there then this needs adjusting. If you're not sure how to do this then see a professionals help and ask them to design your gym programmes in 6-8 week blocks and then re-visit them for a new set,

4) Train the body equally

Most people (males especially) like to train what they can see. Usually their chest, abdominal area and biceps are the main focus week-on-week. Training with this as your sole focus not only leaves the symmetry of your body all out of whack, but also causes additional strain for areas of the body that are weaker and are forced to operate in an alternative, incorrect way in order to compensate for the weakness. For example, neglecting your legs and glute muscles may lead to back pains due to a weakness in that area.

5) Train limbs individually

It can be tempting to stick with resistance machines or barbell work for the majority of your resistance work. However, often these exercises to do not highlight areas of weakness or imbalance in terms of strength or range of movement. It can be hard to definitively say where the majority of the effort is coming from. For these reasons it's important to regularly train single limbs, uncover areas of weakness and imbalance between the left and right side of your body and then address these issues.

 

EVERYONE:

Foam roll and stretch

Everyone (in my opinion) should foam roll and stretch regularly. Even if you're not a regular exerciser you need to undo the unnatural confinements, positions and strains that your lifestyle imposes on you. We're not designed to be sedentary; we should move be mobile and be free. Help your body out and give back regularly.

 

Ultimately, it's about finding a good balance that suits both your lifestyle and your own personal rate of recovery. Listen to your body, think prevention rather than cure when it comes to injury and recovery, don't put all of your eggs in one basket and don't have "too much of a good thing."

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10 Coaching Cues I Wish I'd Been Given

 

Often when learning a new exercise a good cue, choice of words or something to focus on can be the "eureka!" moment that you need in order to grasp the desired technique. The point when you "get it!"

Every person is different, some are visual learners, some like to listen to coaching cues and tweaks while others need to be physically put in the correct position first time round; most benefit from a combination of all three.

However, these are 10 things to focus on / cues / top tips when practicing lifts or, ideally, if you're new to specific exercises. It's much easier to learn something than it is to re-learn something.

BENCH PRESS
1 - Push Yourself into the Bench: After you have lowered the bar to your chest, instead of focusing on pushing the bar away from you, imagine that you are trying to push yourself into the bench and drive away from the bar. As you press yourself into the bench you will engage your lats and also make yourself wider. This gives you a much wider and more stable base to press from while allowing to push with maximal effort.

DEADLIFTS
2 - Deadlift in Socks: Deadlifting in socks has multiple benefits. 1) You're instantly lower to the ground and so you don't need to lift as far (sounds petty but it makes a big difference). 2) It allows you to keep your weight predominantly on your heels and engage your hamstring better while not tipping forwards too far ahead of the bar. 3) It give you 100% recoil from the floor; no power is leaked and dispersed through the cushioning in your shoes. 4) The proprioception in your feet is improved and you are now much more grounded, balanced and stable.

3 - Take the Tension Out of the Bar: Just before starting your deadlift, squeeze your shoulder blades back and take the strain of the bar a little. If you're lifting and you can hear the bar clinking into place as it fills the hole in the plate then you're doing it wrong; it should be a silent lift without plates clinking during the initial pull. This will avoid you having a second pull as you hit resistance. By doing this brace/squeeze of the shoulder blades you will help to keep your spine in place throughout the lift. If you're not quite sure what I mean, check out this quick video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iboVuB-Ig3k 

SQUATS
4 - Screw Your Feet into the Floor: Before squatting, imagine your feet are on two plates. Without moving the position of your toes, screw your feet into the floor (right one clockwise, left anti-clockwise) to create some tension and stability in your hips and improve the knee alignment. Try to keep this tension as you sit into the squat position and it will improve your posture, stability and knee alignment throughout the exercise.

5 - Move Your Hips First, NOT your Knees: A common mistake, particularly among women (that's not sexist - it's factual) when squatting is that the knees ride forwards towards the toes. This is an ineffective movement pattern that will add unnecessary strain to your back and knees and not allow you to lift as heavy or as safely. Most people assume that the first movement for a squat is to bend at the knees.;in fact, in order to engage the hamstrings and glutes correctly and maintain a strong position it's important to tuck your hips  and move your hips backwards first. This will keep the weight on your heels and avoid the knees from riding forwards.
This guy talks you through it: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dbxxs1PErLQ

6 - Break the Bar: Being a lower body exercise, many people under estimate the importance of the upper body when squatting. Make sure that you don't relax your hands and rest them on the bar. instead, grip the bar tightly and try to "break the bar" over your shoulders as you squat. Brace/Pull down the most at the bottom of the squat. This will add the required tension in the upper back to keep you more upright and squat with the desired posture.

KETTLEBELL SWINGS
7 - Hinge Don't Squat: A kettlbell swing is a hinge movement, NOT a squat. If you want to swing with more power then hinge more, don't squat lower. The kettlebell should never swing near to your knees, it should only just clear your groin no matter what weight or range you swing with.

8 - Keep the Arm in Contact with the Body for as Long as Possible: During the back swing and the swing try to keep your upper arm and body in contact with one another for as long as possible. It's not an upper body lift so the effort should come from the hip thrust rather than any upper body strength. On the way down you shouldn't sit back and wait for the kettlebell to come down (ESPECIALLY as you swing heavier). This limits your potential power output. Instead, wait for the kettlebell to fall and pass under with you as your arm re-makes contact with the body. Watch this video if you're unsure: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_XjJjLc7NE 

PULL UPS
9 - Push Your Chest Towards the Bar: During all "pull" exercises (pull ups, bent over row, seated row etc) it's important to avoid internal rotation of the shoulder. Instead, exaggerate a good posture by bracing in the lower back and maintaining a natural arch in the lower spine, pushing your chest towards whatever object you're moving as you pull. This is probably easiest with a bent over row or seated pull - try to hit your upper ribs on the bar or handle as you pull.

GENERALLY
10 - Warm Up Specifically and Mobilise Specific Joints and Groups of Muscles: I over-looked the benefits of a specific warm up for a long time. A decent warm up (where you ACTUALLY feel warm) should leave you feeling warm, mobilised and mentally ready for the workout ahead. not only will this help with avoiding injuries but it's also crucial to offer you the mental preparedness for maximal effort. Consistently warming up well and mobilising post workout will also help to improve mobility issues and can improve rehabilitation time from injuries and minimise discomfort from existing injuries or muscular soreness - don't keep skipping this!

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