Deciphering Five Common Gym Cues
What the heck is he talking about?
That’s what some of our new clients are probably thinking when they hear me talking to some of our veteran clients. It’s not that I’m talking in some weird forbidden code, it’s that I’m coaching clients to perform their exercises more effectively and sometimes…well I have to admit, it sounds like a weird forbidden code.
In today’s article I’ll reveal…well…what the heck I’m talking about with five of my most common cues and why they’re important in making sure that people are getting the most out of their workouts.
Relax your shoulders. If I had a nickel every time I said this, I’d have a Brinks truck full of nickels. Tight necks and shoulders are the number one issue we see and that’s because everyone is so used to looking at phones and computers that shrugging has become a habit. Learning to correctly use your shoulder blades is the cure.
Get tall. Your body loves straight lines. Your body also loves strong positions. Getting tall keeps your back straight, your shoulders in a good position, and your core engaged. Those are all important if you want to feel good.
Set your core. You may have heard this one before, but so many people do it wrong I think it’s important to bring up. You DO NOT set your core by sucking it in. Stand up and lightly push your fingers into the sides of your abs. Now, using your abs, push your fingers out. Notice how much more stable you feel in your midsection? That’s how you set your core.
Grab the floor with your feet. The foot has 29 muscles and over 200,000 nerve endings. Grabbing the floor with your feet (think heel, big toe, little toe) activates many of those and improves your entire body’s ability to balance and physically connect to the world around you.
Hold and exhale. Generally speaking, you want to do exercises with a quick pace as long as your form is under control. Core exercises are the opposite. You want to do those as slow as possible. This gives your core time to work and stabilize. With many of those exercises a good hold and strong exhale activates the core even more. Take your time!
I hope this helps understand some of my strange language, but understanding only goes so far. The application is what’s important. Let me know if I can help with that.
