When I meet a new client, or
whenever I’m helping someone new to the gym, I always assess how they are with
basic movements. For example, I like to ask them to perform a push-up, even if it’s
knee push-ups. When they’re done, I ask them where they feel it. Quite often it’s
in the arms, specifically the triceps.
And herein lies the problem. Whenever people
hit the gym and lift weights, they go through the motions. They perform the
movement, but they’re not really performing the movement, if you know what I
mean. Let’s go back to the push-up example. Push-ups are a great upper body
exercise that primarily targets the chest, yet people use their triceps to
push. They think because the arms are moving that it's the arms that do most the work. So I tell them, focus on your chest to do the pushing (which is what they
should be doing in the first place), and they immediately notice a difference. They
find it’s a little easier to perform them now. Why? Well the pec major is a
primary mover and meant to do the lifting; the triceps are secondary and
shouldn’t take on the entire load. When you focus on the primary mover, you make it a little bit easier and you will see greater strength gains.
Pull-ups are another great
example of an exercise people don't perform correctly. People use their biceps too much
instead of their lats. When done right, you should feel it behind and below
your shoulders. One of the best exercises out there, the squats, is another one
that people don’t think to perform correctly, but that is an article in itself.
The next time you’re in the gym,
think about the movements you’re doing and the muscles that should be working. When
you start thinking about the movement, you should see quicker improvements in
your performance.
