Foundation is everything! You wouldn’t build a house on loose shifting sand, and fitness is no different. Or, as Gray Cook of Functional Movement Systems says
“Don’t add strength to dysfunction”.
When many folks are beginning to work out they go right from their desk and sofa to a boot camp, or (if they’re an introvert) an online fitness class. But, in those crowded and impersonal spaces, who is watching your form?
If you are new to working out, and you are in a fitness class where the instructor is not coming around to each individual person and helping them with form, then you are not getting the full benefit of your efforts.
At Square One Fitness our trainers are trained in the Certified Functional Strength Coach and Dynamic Neuromuscular Stabilization systems. These are designed to help people use good form to generate a lot of force!
For instance, let’s talk about your shoulder. Most of the stability of your shoulder comes from a suction-cup like connection between your arm and your shoulder blade. The role of the rotator cuff is to centrate (center) your arm into that cup.
Think about a suction cup on the shower wall, if you deform one of the edges the cup will fall off. Luckily, nothing that dramatic happens when your shoulder isn’t centrated, but you get the idea!
Also, muscles want to be at a certain length to function best. A muscle that is stretched too long or bunched up too short won’t generate good force.
Here’s another Gray Cook quote that illustrates this concept: “Your brain is too smart to allow you to have full horsepower in a bad body position, it’s called muscle inhibition”
If someone isn’t helping you with form, and things like joint centration, and how to position your body for best strength, then you may run into injuries. And, that is very counterproductive to fitness!
We are here to help YOU as an individual person, to get stronger and to do it on a great foundation.
Ready to try a class and see what can happen when someone is working WITH you, not AT you?