Getting In Shape First?!

I hear this on the weekly basis:

"I want to get in shape before I work with a trainer."

For the next month I see them working on on of these:





Here are some reasons to work with a trainer before "getting in shape for a trainer":

1. Imbalances - Try a one leg squat to a bench. I haven't seen a case where one leg is equally as strong as the other leg. I've covered this a bit in an earlier blog but these imbalances not only in your legs can lead to not so nice compensation patterns down the road. This is a big reason your lower back or knees hurt, not your lower back or knees.

2. Muscle Mass - Resistance training is the key to fat loss. Plain and simple the more muscle mass you build, the more fat you are going to burn off while not training. Guess what, you burn off most of your calories while not training. Wouldn't it make sense to build incorporate resistance training to your training, instead of losing muscle mass while going for a jog on that treadmill.

3. Program Design - People like to do things that are easy in most cases. Plain and simple. You can also pick up some new movements instead of using the same ones you've used for the "past 20 years".

4. Diet Tips - I see people who start on their quest in "becoming healthy" start off very well. Or so it seems. Short-term diets are just that short-term. Carb tolerance and carb intake in general is something that is overlooked I think in most cases. Look for a lifestyle change not that quick fix.

5. Each Situation is Different - You shouldn't be following a program that you picked up from someone else that seemed to work for them. Each individual is different and has different things to be addressed. This can lead to quicker results.

6. Exercise Technique - I have clients who come to me with the notion that squats hurt their knees. After about 2 minutes of correcting their form they can squat pain free. This example goes to any other exercise that you perform. If it causes pain by all means stop doing it but in most cases I see form is the problem. Faulty movements lead to pain.

7. Education - Ever heard of self myofascial release? Or used a dynamic warm up? Or know what the main cause of knee/low back pain is? If not that's even more reason to find someone who can educate you on not only these areas but YOUR needs as well.

Compensation Patterns

I get the question quite a bit about what causes compensation patterns in individuals. First lets look at a what a compensation pattern is. It is a way your body compensates or changes its "normal" or meant to be movement pattern.

Take walking for example. Lets say you have tight hip flexors (the muscles on the front part of your hips). This no big deal right? Wrong. This can cause big problems down the rest of the leg not to mention up the chain. Because of these tight hip flexors, anterior pelvic tilt is next on your list of problems, leading to internal rotation of the femur and tibia over time. No big deal again, WRONG. These internally rotated femurs can lead to tight IT bands/adductor's, which in turn can lead to knee/back pain. I won't get into things down the rest of the leg and the problems that can arise in that opposite shoulder and spine.



Now lets say one hip flexor is tighter than the other. Ever hear someone walking from a mile away with one foot pounding into the ground? That leg on the side of the tight hip flexor can end up getting shortened causing it to constantly pound into that group time after time. That is one of many causes of compensation patterns that can arise just because of those tight hip flexors.

You also see quite a few patterns in athletes if work isn't done to iron out these imbalances before they get to far. Take a baseball player swinging a baseball bat. The tourque of the front side leg is going to take a beating if that lead legs exteral rotation isn't up to par.

The Hips Are A Powerful Thing

So how do I fix this? I can tell you how to make it worse. Keep doing what you've been doing!

Is that treadmill walking/running helping your compensation patterns?

Well for the price of only $9.95 you can....kidding! Things such as myofascial release on a foam roller and lots of single leg work can go along ways.