What are you doing?

Over the last few years health & fitness has blown up on all levels. Concepts about strength training, endurance training, nutrition have all gone through total overhauls. With the help of the internet there is more available information then ever, compound that with social media and it spreads faster then warm organic butter on spelt toast. You can see this in the gym if you pay attention, there are people training specifically and they are consistent in how they approach workouts, then there are those who have dressed the part and are following what ever came up that month in Men's Health.  With all this information out there it brings the question, are you doing to much? Too little? What exactly are you doing?

As a recently graduated Kinesiology major, and a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist. I find I look at my workouts differently.  I analyze movement on a different level, as any good trainer should. There are a lot of movements, (despite what we may think) that are not natural. 

We have seen this with the blow up of barefoot running. Pretty much telling everyone they are running wrong because of there shoes. I guess this may be true to some point but on the other side we don't all have the flat feet required for efficient bare foot running.


Then there is crossfit. Getting anyone and everyone to do power lifting. Which in turn has brought on an obsession with the squat. And these gym produce some nice squats and dead lifts. You can go to any gym take a seat and watch a variety of horrible squat techniques. Just another example of a functional movement that we take for granted and are probability doing wrong.

This is where an educated trainer can be helpful, even if you don't need or want someone in the gym with you. I am not talking about the guy that took the weekend course or was a model or competes in fitness competitions. I am talking about some one educated. Someone that knows how to do research and can filter through what is valid for you. Having someone with an in depth understanding of physiology can help you to decipher the myriad of information and help you to set proper realistic goals, and make sure your doing the appropriate work to get there. The same way you go see a physiotherapist or masseuse during rehab why wouldn't you see a professional when getting bigger stronger faster?

This is where I hope we will see some regulation in the personal training field. Not because I don't think some of those "other" trainers are not good, some of them have more experience then me, and you could argue that this is more valuable. But I do believe that there should be one step in the certification process that teaches trainers how to do research. As I am beginning to work in the field I really see the value in being able to back up the programs your prescribing with some reason why. Sure you can get people moving and get them to loose some weight, but why not teach them how the body is loosing the weight while its happening? I think being able to do research and educate clients will only help the whole industry, and moving forward to make the profession of training people more professional. Because it should be. As a trainer your working with peoples most valuable asset there health. So next time you have a workout with your trainer or if your just hitting the gym on your own I challenge you to ask why? Why am I lifting in this rep range? What are my goals? Is what I am doing now moving me closer to my goals? If you cant answer your own questions with some confidence, go out and find the answer. Skip the mess that is on the internet, skip the local macho man at the gym and speak with an educated professional they would be more then happy to help you out, and who knows maybe you will pick up a new training partner to push you farther then you thought possible.

Go out there and get after it!


D


Free press article:
http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/life/health/brains--or---brawn-188634221.html