Building the Foundation

After reading the Supple Leopard by Kelly Starrett I was inspired to review all movements and mechanics. Weakness in the movement chain may not be visible or noticeable immediately. A trainer may not push the movement far enough to fatigue or not to a heavy enough weight. For example a client might have perfect forward squat form for 5 reps or at 15lbs. But asking the client to do 15 reps or use 50lbs may expose weakness. 

I decided to do a self assessment of all my movements. Engaging in this assessment is the one step back to take three steps forward approach. Why one step back? To properly assess certain movements means starting at body weight. It can be a huge hit to the ego to be doing body weight squats or light shoulder press while the guy next to you is putting up big weight. The idea behind this exercise is to ensure proper movement for all reps and/or weights. Incorrect form with heavy weights can lead to injury. Incorrect form can lead to muscular irregularities (such as synergistic dominance or altered reciprocal inhibition) which can lead to not only injuries but also poor performance. 

I recommend taking the time, either self assessment or from a personal trainer, to review your form on squats, bench press, shoulders and all Olympic movements. This should even be extended to running and swimming. Proper form on all movements is the most critical but overlooked aspects of fitness training. 

--rich