How to stop being a “Fitness Douche Bag”
We have to get smarter in the way we program exercises for clients and ourselves. I am sick of seeing people flailing around doing 100s of reps with really poor quality (think burpees), or just adding MORE and more weight to the bar….all in the name of what?
Is that “fitness?” Poor form and little emphasis on technique? No connection to our bodies? Is it all just a means to an end?
Smart fitness people know that what follows AMRAP (as many reps as possible) is the phrase “…WITH GOOD FORM.” But more and more often I see this concept perverted into “AMRAP… in ANY manner in which you can get it done.” Gross.
Beyond adding tons of reps or weight to exercise and beating your body into the ground, try tweaking the variable of TEMPO and start incorporating pauses and holds.
THE FIRST 3 reps: explode in and out of each position, but “stick” and hold the Plank and then the Loaded Beast (quadraped) position on each rep. The longer you hold, the more your upper, lower and core will activate, integrate and communicate with each other.
If I see one more post like “it wasn’t pretty, but I got it”, I’m going to shoot myself. No, if you didn’t complete the exercise with good form you DIDN’T “GET IT.” You progressed yourself too quickly or you are attempting to lift too much weight, too many times. Stop.
Beyond looking like a “fitness douche bag”, mindlessly going too fast can and will hide any weakness or imbalances you may have lying under the surface. You have to EARN THE RIGHT TO progress to a rapid pace. Remember that.
Monday Lesson: try tweaking TEMPO and using PAUSES and HOLDS in your workouts. Your body (and results) will thank you.
Stay determined, focused and addicted to improving yourself,
Dr. Laura Miranda DPT, MSPT, CSCS
NYC Fitness Freak & Physical Therapist Technique-Geek
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