How to Really Get Stronger
“We are only as strong as our weakest link” is a popular saying and one that best describes the muscles in the human body. Building up a strong healthy physique is important, but in our quest for the body beautiful we tend to concentrate on our more well-known muscles and the ones that will make the biggest difference to our appearance (We’re soooo vain! – Beeble).
An Example
We will concentrate on exercising the Pecs, Lats, Deltoids, Biceps and Triceps but will more often than not forget about exercising the Rhomboids, Supraspinatus, Infraspinatus, Teres Major and Minor. (I’m not playing Scrabble with you! – Beeble.) Let’s face it guys it is much easier to show off your Biceps than it is your Teres Major!
Another Example
It is exactly the same with the legs: we concentrate so hard on working the Quads, Hamstrings and Calf muscles that we forget to train the supporting muscles like the Abductors, Adductors, Soleus and iliopsoas muscles. These are just examples and there are many many more muscle that we are neglecting and failing to train.
Why aren’t we training these muscles?
There are a couple of reasons why some muscles are ignored and the first being the vanity card. It is much easier to see changes in our physique by training the larger muscles and it is these muscles that some believe are the key to having the body beautiful.
Secondly the modern day gyms have many pieces of equipment all dedicated to the major muscle groups, but you will need to have some training knowledge to be able to train the smaller muscles. Unfortunately the education is not always there to get people exercising the smaller muscles and nor is there the demand. You don’t hear of many people asking a personal trainer that they want their rotator cuff muscles to be just like Madonna’s or anyone else’s for that matter.
So what is the problem?
The problem of ignoring some muscles and training others is that you create an imbalance in your body. On the one hand your main muscles are very strong and well trained but they are being backed up by very weak and potentially fragile supporting muscles. This means that you will have a greater chance of injuring the smaller muscles with one of your more developed muscles. The smaller muscles just won’t be able to cope with the strength difference and could be literally torn from the bone.
Okay so rather extreme, but it is possible and should be considered a serious worry especially to sports people who don’t focus on the smaller muscles. As I said at the start “You are only as strong as your weakest link”
How can you train these supporting muscles?
You could learn all about the body and the function of these muscles and then with a trainer or fitness professional go about learning the correct form to train these muscles. This will take time and money and is probably the most effective way but not the most efficient or cost effective way for everyone.
A simpler way is to make small changes to your training which means you will have to be strict with yourself. The secret is simple: use the body as it is meant to be used, activating the smaller muscles that will be needed to support all your movements.
An example…
If you need someone to hand the dumbbells to you for an overhead shoulder press then this means to me that your deltoids are far too strong for your rotator cuff muscles. Only pick a weight that you can get into position safely on your own and build up from that.
Use more free weights
If you use static machines then try and start using more free weights. The static machines fix you in position and then isolate a muscle for you to exercise (usually the bigger muscles – Beeble). With free weights you have to use supporting muscles to help you get into position and there is much more freedom of movement during the exercise. Of course this means that your supporting muscles will be used much more, which is what we want.
Avoid the bench; try the Swiss ball
If you already use free weights but are in the habit of using them with a bench then try avoiding the bench and making use of a Swiss ball (aka fit ball) for your exercises. There is a right way to use the Swiss ball with exercises and many wrong ways so make sure you get a fitness professional to show you the correct technique. The great thing about the Swiss ball is that your body has to adapt to its natural tendency to want to roll away. This means you will be using supporting muscles a lot more as well as key core muscles to hold your position. To really spice it up try using just one dumbbell at a time as this really pulls the body over to one side and you have to activate your core muscles to keep the balance.
The advantages
Of course by training the body as a whole system rather than individual muscles it is being challenged a lot more and this will, more often than not, equate to faster results.
The body will be able to fend off potential injury situations by having less weaknesses and there is far less chance of the body injuring itself because there will be less imbalance between muscles.
Now this advantage is based on opinion but by training the body as a whole you will be creating a more natural and even looking body. With curves and lines in all the right places – well as much as your genetic make up will allow.
Summary
You may think I am being picky but if you train over a long period these small changes can make a huge difference. By not making these changes you end up creating a body that is waiting to be injured.
Try it and see how you get on, remember it is not always how much you can lift, push or pull but how well you can lift, push or pull.
Make sure you always get an exercise professional to show you correct technique for any new exercise before performing it.
