Many people join our studio to lose weight, get stronger, or strength train around nagging injuries like a sore lower back or achy knee. During their initial consultation, I always remind them that their most important muscle is the heart. Whatever your goal, two priorities drive every program at our gym: mobility and cardiovascular health. You cannot get stronger, burn fat, or “tone” muscle if you lack adequate movement and a cardiovascular fitness baseline.

Movement competency can be measured using tools like the Functional Movement Screen (FMS), and body composition by methods such as skinfold calipers. However when it comes to fitness level, the gold standard for aerobic capacity remains the VO2 max test.​

VO2 Max Test

     The VO2 max test is a graded exercise test (GXT) increasing in intensity—through speed, resistance, or incline, either continuously or in stages. It requires absolute, maximal effort, often pushing you to a 10 out of 10 on exertion, or until physical exhaustion, regardless of encouragement. Using a metabolic cart and oxygen mask, it directly measures your peak oxygen consumption in milliliters per kilogram per minute ( ). VO2 max provides a powerful benchmark for aerobic fitness, widely respected for athlete profiling, training recommendations, and overall health assessment.​

Submaximal Test

     Submaximal tests use set and moderate intensities over a fixed time or to a target heart rate, stopping before exhaustion. These protocols—whether running, cycling, or other modalities—are safer and more practical for people unable or unwilling to perform at high intensity. They estimate rather than directly measure VO2 max, but offer useful data for tracking progress, determining training zones, or evaluating fitness in broader populations.​

What We Do at the Studio

    We don’t administer VO2 max or submaximal tests in our studio; many who join are aware their aerobic capacity may be limited. I don’t believe it’s productive—or inspiring—to push them to fatigue just to collect a number. For high-level athletes, VO2 max testing offers real value. However, my approach as a coach is rooted in first principles thinking: break problems down to their basic truths, then work upward. The true question is: What are we trying to achieve, and for whom?

A less intimidating, effective method is to monitor heart rate during strength training and track recovery time. For example, by measuring heart rate recovery after twelve intervals of 30 seconds of strength and power exercises—each followed by 15 seconds of rest—we get actionable data. Is it as quantifiable as VO2 max? No, but it is more practical, encouraging, and effective for the general population looking to improve overall fitness.

Final Thoughts

     Testing has merit, but not all tests have equal value. When evaluating fitness, my deepest trust is still in my coaching experience, and my ability to observe and communicate. Technology is a wonderful tool, but it will never replace the skilled eye and support of a dedicated coach.

     Protein has finally risen in the pyramid of nutritional discussions, and people are starting to accept its importance and value in their dietary life. As in all hot topics, along with the popularity of a current trend, there comes with it a host of misinformation. As a person who has spent the last thirty-four years of his life in the fitness industry as a trainer, I have witnessed how polarizing nutritional talk can become. Behind religion and politics, I believe nutritional talk can be just as emotional for people. My objective in this post is not to recommend or tell you which protein to supplement, but rather bring your attention to a few terms you should be aware of when shopping for a protein powder supplement. I’m not going to discuss the science of what a protein is and its effects on human tissue, but rather the amino acids that configure a protein, the bioavailability of distinct types of protein, and then provide a few examples of the different types available on the market.

     Proteins are built from a standard set of twenty amino acids; in ribosome-based protein synthesis, many organisms also use two additional special cases, bringing the total to twenty-two in some contexts.

The twenty standard amino acids

     These are the common “proteinogenic” amino acids incorporated by ribosomes into proteins: alanine, arginine, asparagine, aspartic acid (aspartate), cysteine, glutamine, glutamic acid (glutamate), glycine, histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, proline, serine, threonine, tryptophan, tyrosine, and valine.

Essential vs nonessential (human nutrition)

     Of the standard twenty, nine are essential in human diets because they cannot be synthesized endogenously (created by the body): histidine, isoleucine, leucine, lysine, methionine, phenylalanine, threonine, tryptophan, and valine. The remaining eleven are nonessential because the body can produce them.

     When investigating a protein supplement, confirm that it has all nine of the essential amino acids, because without that it is incomplete.

     Common eating preferences that dictate protein choices include dietary patterns, ethical beliefs, health conditions, culinary habits, and cultural or religious practices.

Popular Diet Patterns

• Vegetarian: Avoids meat and fish, often consumes dairy, eggs, legumes, nuts, seeds, and soy for protein.
• Vegan: Avoids all animal products, relies exclusively on plant proteins (beans, lentils, tofu, nuts, seeds, grains).
• Pescatarian: Eats fish and seafood, sometimes includes dairy and eggs but no red or white meat.
• Flexitarian/Omnivorous: Includes both plant and animal protein sources, varying preferences for lean meats, fish, dairy, eggs, and plant-based options.

Health and Lifestyle Choices

• Low-fat/Heart-healthy: Often prioritizes fish, lean poultry, legumes, and low-fat dairy, limits red meat and saturated fat sources.
• Low carb/Keto: Favors animal proteins like meat, fish, eggs, and some dairy while minimizing legumes and grains.
• Allergen-free: May avoid dairy, eggs, or soy due to food allergies, choosing alternative sources like meat, fish, or legumes.

Cultural and Religious Preferences

• Cultural backgrounds may affect preferred protein, such as the prominence of lentils in Indian cuisine or tofu in East Asian diets.
• Religious practices may restrict specific meats (such as kosher or halal requirements, or Hindu avoidance of beef).

Practical Considerations

• Cost and convenience: Surveys show these are significant factors; beans, eggs, and processed plant proteins are often chosen for affordability and accessibility.
• Perceived health benefits: Individuals may select certain proteins for their health impact, like plant-based proteins for managing cholesterol or fish for Omega-3 fatty acids.

Different protein supplement sources have distinct bioavailability percentages, meaning the proportion absorbed and utilized by the body varies notably depending on the type.

Key Considerations

• Animal-based proteins (whey, casein, egg, milk) generally have higher bioavailability due to complete amino acid profiles and better digestibility.
• Plant-based proteins (soy, pea) typically fall behind animal sources because of incomplete absorption and lower amounts of certain amino acids like leucine.
• Many supplement labels use “PDCAAS” and “DIAAS” scores to represent protein quality and digestibility—values close to 1 (or 100%) indicate optimal bioavailability.

     Bioavailability can influence supplement choice based on goals (muscle building, recovery) and dietary preferences, making whey isolate one of the most efficient sources, while plant-based proteins are suitable when dietary restrictions require them. This simple means that if one chooses plant-based protein, applying math, you may need to consume more of it to equate to consuming Whey isolate or egg.

     Protein supplements available on the market are diverse, offering options for a wide range of dietary preferences and needs. 

Animal-Based Protein Supplements

• Whey Protein: Derived from milk, includes concentrate, isolate, and hydrolysate forms.
• Casein Protein: Also, milk-derived, slower digesting, available as micellar or hydrolysate.
• Egg Protein: Sourced from egg whites, high in bioavailability.
• Collagen: Extracted from animal connective tissue, popular for skin and joint health, but not a complete protein.
• Beef Protein: Made from beef isolates, less common but available.

Plant-Based Protein Supplements

• Soy Protein: Popular choice, a complete protein, often used for vegan and vegetarian diets.
• Pea Protein: Hypoallergenic, good amino acid profile, used alone or in blends.
• Rice Protein: Typically blended with other plant proteins to create a complete amino acid profile.
• Hemp Protein: Contains fiber, omega-3s, and is less processed.
• Pumpkin Seed, Oat, and Other Novel Proteins: Used in specialty or allergen-friendly products.

     Hopefully, this clarified some of the confusion with protein supplements and will allow you to make a better decision when shopping.

     September commonly symbolizes a few different things for people. If you’re a parent and exhausted from attempting to keep your kids occupied during the summer months, September equates to Back to School for you and a bit of normalcy to your schedule. I have a few moms at the studio who are cheering for the summer to arrive in Mid-April, only to have them in full agreement by the 4th of July that Mid-August and school can’t come soon enough. If you’re a sports fan, specifically a football fan, September and the fall months mean football season for you. For those who have been stumbling through their fitness program for the last sixty days, September just feels like the right time for a reset. If you’re one of those people, there’s psychology behind why you may feel this way.

     Behavioral scientists describe the September effect as part of the “fresh start effect,” when life transitions feel like natural opportunities to begin again. The start of a school year, a new season, or even a new month can provide a psychological boost that motivates people to recommit to routines. In Las Vegas, as the heat begins to break, it inspires outdoor activities. Bike rides, hikes, and brisk walks after dinner start to emerge on the schedule for many. Summer schedules tend to be a bit looser, autumn brings routine back to the calendar, sharper routines, and an overall sense of renewal. The 100 days between mid-August and Thanksgiving tend to be the busiest at the studio. It’s not uncommon for me to see someone go on vacation in June and then watch them struggle to get back to the gym until late August and early September. If you fall into that category, here are a few tips to help you get back on track.

     Like January, don’t try too much at once. Going back to five days a week of training after a couple of months of inactivity is setting you up for failure. Start with two to three days a week. Discipline is a muscle, and you’ll need to build it back up. Trying to do too much at once can lead to excessive muscle soreness and D.O.M.S (delayed onset muscle soreness). Struggling to get out of the car and upstairs is a great way to demotivate yourself. Remember Rome wasn’t built in a day, so take your time and ease back into a routine.

     Once you walk through the door of the gym, don’t blow off your warm-up. I have a quote on our wall at the studio, which I point to when needed- “No Time to Warm up, No Time to Workout.” Foam rolling, soft tissue work, and mobility drills aren’t only beneficial towards your workout and performance, they help you avoid injuries. The last thing you want to experience in your first week is a strained calf muscle or cranky lower back. It’s the person who hasn’t been training that needs a good warm-up the most. Warm-ups are not meant to entertain or impress; just do them.

     You can’t out train a poor diet, so part of the autumn reset is getting your nutrition back in order. The fourth of July is past, so put down the hotdogs and get back to lean cuts of protein, whole grains, and vegetables. I’m agnostic to specific diets, I approach it like I approach training. It must be personalized to you. Vegan, keto, paleo, and intermittent fasting, they all work and can produce benefits. It matters on the person. I like to keep it simple and address hydration first. Make sure you are getting in enough water. I was able to attend a lecture this summer from certified clinical nutritionist, Robert Yang. He recommends drinking half your body weight in water daily. That means a 200-pound male should drink 100 ounces daily. To avoid getting up throughout the evening to urinate and disrupt your sleep, he suggests front loading your water. Immediately after rising in the morning drink 25% of that daily intake, or 25 ounces for this example. During and around exercise consume 50% of your daily intake (50 oz), leaving 25% to be consumed with meals and throughout the day.

     Finally, the colder weather and busy schedules during fall often coincides with higher rates of colds and flu. Exercise is one of the most effective tools to strengthen immunity. Moderate activity such as brisk walking, cycling, or strength training improves circulation of immune cells, helping the body respond more efficiently to pathogens. For example, someone who walks for 30 minutes five times a week may experience fewer respiratory infections than someone who is sedentary.

          September feels like a clean slate, and science explains why this moment fuels motivation. The season offers both external triggers and internal drive to create meaningful change. By avoiding common mistakes, setting realistic goals, easing back into it, and prioritizing nutrition, exercisers can use the September reset as a springboard to lasting success.

     As we draw closer to the kickoff—no pun intended—of the NFL season, I’ve been thinking about the importance of staying healthy throughout the year. Injuries have shortened many promising careers, and we’ve all seen athletes who never quite return to form after a setback. Then there are the nagging injuries that don’t sideline players completely but must be managed week after week. Many past and current NFL players will tell you that, by midseason, everyone is carrying some kind of injury.

     That got me thinking about the parallels between professional athletes and active adults in their mid-fifties to seventies. By that point, most people have been diagnosed with something—tendonitis, arthritis, or maybe a minor tear—and they’re trying to keep up their workouts despite the pain. For them, staying active is their Super Bowl, and every small training victory is another step toward living the life they want.

     Early in my career as a trainer, when someone told me they had an achy back, knee, or shoulder, my immediate response was: take some time off. My logic was simple—I didn’t want to make it worse. I also knew I wasn’t a doctor, and I wasn’t going to play one by trying to diagnose their issue. (I still remind my doctor friends: I won’t diagnose injuries if you don’t assign workouts!)

     What I observed over time was surprising. Many people didn’t get better with rest alone. In fact, especially for those over 55, some got worse, simply becoming stiffer. That’s when I shifted my mindset. Instead of telling them to quit training, I helped them modify. Respect the injury, never ignore it, but don’t stop moving. Today, this “train but adjust” approach is widely adopted across the fitness industry.

 
Lower Back Pain

     Lower back pain is one of the most common issues I see. It can come from a single incident or from overuse. The biggest mistake? Obsessing over what caused it, a bad night’s sleep, poor office posture, dehydration, or that last workout. More often than not, it’s an accumulation of all these factors.

     I take a “reset approach.” Focus first on exercises that restore posture and encourage a neutral spine. (If you want a deeper dive into what “neutral spine” means, I wrote about that here:  What is Neutral).

     I avoid heavy spinal compression, like overhead pressing, and instead turn to bodyweight drills and TRX work, since the load is always adjustable. In more severe cases, I bring in floor-based movements. Pain often distorts posture, such as shoulders hunching  forward, the upper back rounds. Training in a supported floor position lets gravity help restore proper alignment.

 
Knee Pain

     As someone who lives with severe knee arthritis, I know firsthand the frustration of constant knee pain. Whether it’s from too much activity or too little, the outcome feels the same—it hurts. Over the years, I’ve trained plenty of clients with meniscus tears, ACL reconstructions, and knee replacements.

     The first rule? Eliminate unnecessary load. Focus instead on mobility, since inflammation often limits range of motion. Movement itself can act as a pump, flushing out swelling and improving function.

     I prioritize training the muscles that stabilize the knee, which are primarily the posterior chain: the glutes, hamstrings, and erector spinae. That means plenty of bridging variations. I also add core work, which is not an obvious connection, but essential. Think about it: the pelvis dictates the alignment of the femur, which directly determines the stresses placed on the knee.

     Finally, I make sure to train the lateral glutes, especially the gluteus medius. This small, but powerful muscle, prevents the knee from collapsing inward (a valgus collapse). Something as simple as lateral miniband walks can go a long way in reducing knee discomfort.

     I believe that movement is medicine. The goal isn’t just performance—it’s longevity. Keep moving, proceed with caution, and never force through pain. For most of us, the game isn’t the NFL playoffs, it’s the game of life. The better we move, the longer we stay in it.

     Core training has become a consistent pillar in the fitness and strength training worlds. While health care professionals agree on its importance, there is little consensus on what truly constitutes the core, its function, and the best way to train it. This lack of clarity often leads to confusion about effective core training strategies.

What Is the Core?

     Dr. Stuart McGill, a renowned spine biomechanics expert, defines the core as a complex of muscles that surround and stabilize the spine—not just the abdominal muscles associated with a "six-pack." According to McGill, the core includes muscles that wrap around the spine from all directions: top, bottom, front, back, and sides. These muscles must coordinate to provide stiffness and stability to the spine, which is crucial for protecting the back from injury and enabling efficient movement of the limbs. In McGill's view, the core musculature forms a box-like structure around the spine.

     Movement expert and physical therapist, Gray Cook, further emphasizes that the core’s main function is to create a stable platform—proximal stability for distal mobility—allowing the arms and legs to move efficiently and powerfully. For Cook, core training is about improving movement quality and ensuring that the deeper, stabilizing muscles are coordinated and activated before the larger, superficial muscles.

The Three Planes of Motion

The body moves in three planes of motion:

• Sagittal Plane: Divides the body into left and right halves. Movements are typically forward and backward, such as flexion and extension.
• Frontal Plane: Divides the body into front (anterior) and back (posterior) regions. Movements are side to side.
• Transverse (Rotational) Plane: Divides the body into top and bottom halves. Movements involve rotation or twisting.

When designing a core training program, it’s important to include exercises that address each of these planes. Some drills can even engage multiple planes at once. A common mistake is to focus on only one plane, leading to imbalanced development.

Integration Over Isolation

     Another frequent error in core training is isolating muscles rather than training them as part of integrated movement. The body moves like an orchestra, with all muscles working together in concert. Dr. Shirley Sahrmann, a leader in movement system impairment and core stability, states:

“The core should be trained as part of integrated, functional movement, not as a collection of isolated muscle contractions. This approach ensures that the body learns to stabilize and move efficiently during real-life activities.”

Exercises that attempt to isolate the core may not translate to improved movement or reduced injury risk if not integrated into broader movement retraining.

Sample Core Workout

Try this workout to strengthen your core across all planes of motion:

Cable Rows from Side Plank
Using a resistance band or cable pulley, perform rows (horizontal pull) from a side plank position. Complete 3–4 sets of 10–12 repetitions on both sides.

Kettlebell Overhead Press with Internal Rotation
Holding a kettlebell or dumbbell, perform an overhead press. As you press the load overhead, internally rotate the foot on the same side. Complete 3–4 sets of 6–8 repetitions with both arms.

Lunge with Rotating Load
Holding a kettlebell, take a reverse step into a lunge while rotating the kettlebell to the side of your torso. Complete 3–4 sets of 8–10 repetitions on both legs.

     A key part of making progress with your trainer is the feedback loop—the ability to receive, understand, and adjust based on feedback. In technology, this process often determines success or failure. It’s common for a piece of software to be released with the understanding that it’s imperfect. Users provide feedback, and developers make necessary adjustments over time. This initial usage is essentially a beta test. Consider the evolution from the first iPhone to what’s available today: we forget that the original lacked an app store, had poor reception, and was only available from AT&T.

     The same feedback loop exists in the trainer-trainee dynamic during exercise. Assuming the drill is appropriate, the coach may offer a few critiques on form. From there, several scenarios can unfold:

Scenario One: The person trusts the coach and attempts to adjust. The coach, not expecting perfection, positively acknowledges these efforts. Over time, execution improves.
Scenario Two: The coach isn’t mindful to their wording. The person takes the critique personally and asks for a different exercise. The coach, wanting to avoid conflict, complies. The area of weakness remains unaddressed.
Scenario Three: The coach recommends an exercise, but provides no feedback as the trainee performs it incorrectly. The trainee misses out on the benefits, and the weakness or dysfunction persists. (This is also common in the physical therapy model.)
In each case, communication—or the lack thereof—is central. The value of having a coach is immense. Great athletes often credit their coaches for unlocking their potential: Muhammad Ali had Angelo Dundee, Michael Jordan had Phil Jackson, and Patrick Mahomes has Andy Reid. A good coach knows when to push, when to pull back, and when to pivot. They understand the weight of their words and choose them carefully.

     In today’s world, where convenience is king, hearing “you need to work harder” can be disruptive. Yet, discomfort is sometimes the medicine we need. I’ve described how pushing a weighted sled or doing intervals on an Airbike is tough, but the benefits of strength, improved cardiovascular health, and reduced body fat are worth it. It’s not always about finding a hack; sometimes, you simply have to put your head down and work. While modern life offers rapid improvements, like food cooked in a microwave, exercise requires a “slow cooker” mindset.

     Within the feedback loop, coaches help temper expectations. Progress in exercise isn’t linear; daily improvements are unrealistic. For example, you might not lose body fat in a month or increase your weights every session. Adaptations can be so subtle that it’s hard to tell if you’re improving. This is when you must trust the process. Whether your goal is fat loss or muscle gain, progress can be emotional. We all want results faster than is realistic, but having someone to keep you grounded and focused on practical goals is invaluable. Sometimes, we overcomplicate what needs to be done. First, ask if the program is based on proven strategies? Second, am I getting everything I can out of it? If you answered yes to the first and no to the second, work with your coach to turn that second answer into a “yes.” Use feedback as the powerful tool it is, and turn your goals into reality.

     Isometric training has been practiced for centuries. The earliest adopters included martial artists in India, China, and Japan, as well as Buddhist monks and yogis. Evidence suggests that isometric exercises date back as far as 3000 BC, with ancient practitioners developing static postures for both physical conditioning and spiritual or ritual purposes. Today, isometric exercises are widely used in rehabilitation and are a standard approach in physical therapy. Recent research supports the idea that this safe training method can promote muscle growth and improve joint and tendon health. If you train at the studio, you have experienced some form of isometric training within your program.

     Isometric training involves exercises in which muscles contract and generate force without changing length or causing movement at the joint. In other words, the muscle remains at a constant length under tension, and the joint angle does not change during the contraction. The term "isometric" comes from the Greek words isos (equal) and metria (measuring). One benefit of isometric exercise is that it requires minimal, if any, equipment, making it accessible and commonly used in school gym classes. For many, their first exposure to isometrics is the wall sit. In this exercise, you position your back against a wall with your knees and hips at a ninety-degree angle and your thighs parallel to the floor. The resistance comes from gravity. You hold this position for a set period, starting at 10 seconds and potentially exceeding one minute.

Within isometric training, there are three primary types of muscle contractions. These can be combined to significantly increase neurological response and muscle fiber recruitment, leading to greater force production:

Static Contraction: In this type, you contract the muscle without moving or pushing against anything. Bodybuilders often use this when posing.

Yielding Contraction: This involves holding a position against resistance, stimulating higher muscle fiber recruitment. Examples include holding the top position of a pull-up or a plank.

Overcoming Contraction: The most powerful type, this involves pushing or pulling against an immovable object, such as pressing against a wall.

     Isometric exercises have also shown positive results in increasing mobility. In Supertraining: A Scientific Teaching Method for Strength, Endurance, and Weight Training, author Mel Siff, PhD, cites research with renowned Russian sports scientist Yuri Verkhoshansky: “All fitness conditioning, including flexibility enhancement, relies predominantly on neuromuscular stimulation.” Professional athletes across multiple sports now incorporate isometric stretching to increase mobility and minimize injury risk.

     A few examples of how we use isometrics at the studio are:

• Holding the top position (hip extension) of a single leg bridge for five seconds. Many people never reach full hip extension when performing bridges. The usage of isometrics in this drill allows the user to reach full hip extension, which generate a full contraction of the glutes.

• Holding the bottom position of a lunge for thirty seconds. Lunges, and all their variations, are one of the more challenging drills we program into workouts. What makes them a good exercise, deceleration, is also what makes it tough for people to perform them with good technique. Using an isometric in the mid-range of the drill allows people to “put the brakes on” and execute with perfect form.

•  Using Mobility Sticks, holding and pressing your foot against the stick laterally for a five second hold. It’s common for people to have trouble engaging some of their smaller muscle groups, such as gluteus medius. What these smaller muscles lack in shear size, they make up for in responsibility. The gluteus medius is a key stabilizer of the pelvis. Its main function, beyond hip abduction and rotation, is to maintain pelvic stability, especially during activities that involve single-leg weight bearing such as walking, running, and standing on one leg. An internationally recognized physical therapist, Diane Lee, writes in her book, The Pelvic Girdle, the importance of training the gluteus medius for optimal function and stability of the lumbopelvic-hip complex. She highlights that the primary function of this region is to safely transfer loads, while meeting the demands of movement and control.

     Another critical reason we like to use isometrics at the studio is because they are a tool we can use with anyone. They play a role with helping beginners, those nursing an injury, to increasing difficulty in an exercise for the advanced. That’s important because part of our job is to meet our members where they are.

     Early in my training career, back in the early 1990s, I spent most of my time training clients with an isolated approach. I divided the body into muscle groups such as quadriceps, hamstrings, calves, lats, pectorals, deltoids, biceps, triceps, and abdominals. I would then group two or three of these muscle groups into a single workout and select two to three exercises per body part. Pretty simple.

     The “classic” split was chest, shoulders, and triceps on day one; back, biceps, and abdominals on day two; followed by legs (quadriceps, hamstrings, and calves) on day three. This style of training has its benefits: you can increase muscle size, or hypertrophy, within a specific muscle. It was also easy to implement, especially as the gym industry was booming. Facilities were expanding from 5,000 to over 30,000 square feet, and new machines were developed to fill these larger spaces.

     Around the turn of the century, circa 2001–2003, some strength coaches began to question this protocol. They asked: if a muscle is larger, does that necessarily mean it’s stronger? Just use the eyeball test and watch Olympic lifters. They can lift and control enormous loads, two to three times their body weight, and yet, they often don’t appear especially large or overly muscular.

     It was during this time that a shift toward movement-based training began. Instead of isolating the quadriceps with leg extensions, I began to favor lunges or squats. Instead of training the chest with a machine fly, I’d choose a horizontal pushing exercise like a push-up, sometimes with my feet suspended in a TRX for added core engagement. As time went on, research began to validate this new approach, showing that a global or movement-based style of training engages more muscles throughout the body.

     The big breakthrough was the realization that we don’t move in isolation. We’re not robots and our muscles work together in concert. Take the goblet squat with a kettlebell, for example: as you lower into the bottom of the squat, your hamstrings contract while your quadriceps lengthen. As you drive out of the bottom position, the quadriceps contract and the hamstrings stretch. And that’s not even mentioning the glutes, which are also heavily involved. The squat is anything but isolated. Many argue that what makes this exercise so beneficial is the sheer number of muscles engaged in a single movement. Yet, if you visit any big-box gym, you’ll often find a line for the leg press machine and empty squat racks.

     I believe the biggest difference between these two approaches is that movement-based training requires more motor control. Your brain, as the center of your nervous system, sends signals to your muscles to contract and relax. The better your motor control, the more effectively you can control your muscles. Just watch a child learning to walk. They stumble and fall as their body learns to coordinate itself, becoming stronger and more competent over time.

     I’ve shared before how, after winning a national bodybuilding competition, I strained a hamstring playing softball at a family picnic. My legs were well developed, but at that time I didn’t have the motor control needed to sprint quickly and generate a series of forceful muscle contractions from a standstill.

     So, what’s the answer? Which approach is best? What if you want to move like a gazelle and look like a cartoon superhero? Maybe the recipe is to incorporate elements of both styles into your training.

     Perhaps the optimal approach isn’t to choose one or the other, but to blend both. Train for strength and power using movement patterns and use isolation training to build hypertrophy in specific areas, if that’s your goal. Instead of arguing that one method is superior, consider that you can train for both functionality and aesthetics. I believe it’s possible, but you need a strategy.

     Using a movement-based approach for a strength training program design, one of the basic tenets is to push or press load. That can include both horizontal and vertical directions. Pressing a load horizontally with success requires that you select the proper load amount. A push-up is a horizontal press, but for either a beginner or a deconditioned person, it may be too high of an entry point. In that situation, we can opt for a TRX chest press, where we can adjust the load by positioning the person appropriately, or a standing press using a resistance band. The band press also has the benefit of increasing load when the person is at their strongest point in the strength curve. Vertical pressing has a few other considerations, other than simply load selection. Tissue quality of the thoracic spine and pectoralis, scapula movement and control, postural issues, and alignment all play a role in determining if a person is a suitable candidate for overhead pressing. Ignoring any or all these elements can set someone up for pain and/or an injury. I like to use the analogy of driving with your emergency brake on. You can get your car to move with the brake on by pressing the gas, but understand that you are prematurely wearing down parts. Pressing a load overhead with poor posture and lack of mobility in the upper back can produce a similar outcome of excessive wear of joints and connective tissue.

ASSESSMENT

     Prior to having someone attempt to press a weight overhead, I first assess if they have the ability to get their arm efficiently overhead without load. This is called shoulder flexion. Load just magnifies the force placed upon the joint, so if there is a compromise of movement without weight, weight will only make matters worse. When putting the shoulder into flexion the humeral head rolls posteriorly and glides inferiorly on the glenoid fossa (shoulder joint) for the first 60° of movement. After this, the humeral head remains stable within the glenoid fossa. As far as joint range of motion, the normal range for shoulder flexion is approximately 0–180°, starting from the arm at your side to fully extended overhead. I am currently using the Functional Movement Screen (FMS) to determine this. There are other assessments available, but I like this option for ease of administration. It requires you to take a measurement. Regardless of which assessment you choose, let’s agree that some type of assessment or screening should be applied. I follow the credo of “If you’re not assessing, you’re guessing.” If they can display adequate movement, then we must exercise good judgement with what load to use. If they don’t, we should investigate why and then use a strategy to improve the disfunction. One example of this, which I frequently see is poor thoracic (upper back) extension or the inability to dissociate thoracic movement from the glenohumeral motion, which creates a restriction of shoulder mobility. This often leads to compensatory movements like excessive spinal arching during overhead activities. We’ve experienced success by having this person initially foam roll their upper back using Grid and Rollga foam rollers and then graduating to trigger point work using hard balls, such as the Acumobility balls.

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SCAP “J” MOVEMENT

     During healthy shoulder flexion the scapulae glides upward on the ribcage in a “J” shape. Internationally recognized physical therapist and author of Diagnosis and Treatment of Movement Impairment Syndromes, Shirley Sahrmann, states that “scapular disfunction occurs due to dominance or stiffness of downward rotators (e.g., rhomboids, levator scapulae, latissimus dorsi (lats), pectoralis minor/major) and reduced activity of upward rotators like the serratus anterior and trapezius.” To address this, we have used a two-step process of foam rolling the lats and pec minor area partnered with scapulae CARs (controlled articular rotations) or overhead reaches performed using a band or by rolling a foam roller against the wall using the forearms. The end goal of re-establishing good scapulae “glide” can take some time, depending on the amount of time the person has been in this state of impaired movement.

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CONTROL

     Sometimes the person will possess the ability to get the arm overhead without proper control. This can lead to winging of the scapulae. As compared to the shoulder blade sitting on the ribcage, it starts to detract, giving the appearance of a wing on their back. After observing this, one of the exercises we like to implement is the TRX “Y” flye. We coach the person to maintain a plank by stacking their body, ribcage over pelvis, as they pull themselves into the “Y” finished position without shrugging in the upper traps.

     There are times when pressing overhead is contra-indicated for someone and should not be in their program. This is when having a coach is helpful and can redirect their focus and energies to other areas to focus on. I don’t believe in categorizing exercises as bad, but rather, exercises some people should not perform.

   As a personal trainer I am frequently confronted with people who wish to make a change. In most scenarios, the change tends to be physical, a desire to change the outward appearance. I’ve also encountered those who wish to make a more cerebral change by embracing a healthier lifestyle. In all situations, I explain that the key is going to be consistency. Committing to an exercise regime (two, three, or four days a week) will make a positive difference and steer you in the right direction, but even the best executed program can sometimes fall a little short. Every day we perform small minor tasks that make our lives easier in one way but come at a cost in another. This may be the amount of time we spend on our phones, which places us in a poor posture (downward head position), or the time spent binge watching a new streaming series, which adds to our sedentary time, or the consumption of overly processed foods, which can lead to excessive calories. Now, I’m not a monk and have participated in each of the prior mentioned scenarios, but as in all course corrections, I believe the first step is acceptance of a problem. So, what’s the fix? How do you undo the evils of modern society? You allocate time every day to reset.

     The immediate response to my suggestion may be, “Add MORE to do in my over-scheduled day? That’s not happening.” The amount of time I’m recommending is ten minutes. You will intentionally spend ten minutes every day making yourself better. Ten minutes to get your mind and body right. A big part of this process is how you mentally approach this task. I’m a firm believer that we make time for what’s important to us. We also tend to shy away from work, remember how the river flows towards the path of least resistance. This is not a workout and is not meant to challenge you. Making a substantial change doesn’t always require you to make a substantial investment in money, time, or in this case, effort. As I mentioned earlier, the key is consistency. The change happens over time from the effects of compounding.

     Consider you’re an accountant and you suffer from tightness in your hips and lower back from sitting at your desk. Ten minutes of mobility work performed every morning right when you wake up will go a long way. If you’re a dentist or mechanic who suffers from neck and back problems, due to standing in a compromised position of a forward head position for extended periods of time, 10 minutes of re-aligning your spine on a foam roller can navigate you out of pain over time. You may need ten minutes of quite meditation to calm your mind and lower the anxiety levels that trigger you to make poor eating choices.  

     Don’t try to fix too much at once. Prioritize and pick one thing you wish to improve. Create the daily habit and then start. Don’t strive for perfection. Accept that there will be missteps along the way, don’t let that deter you. Disregard the “All or nothing mindset” and embrace the process and remember you’re playing the long game. Track and keep a record of everyday you complete the task. That’s how you’ll keep score.