So, I was at the gym today knocking out the first of my 3 weekly workouts. While I train my athletes at D1 Sports Training, I work out at the local YMCA. It’s a great set-up . . . nice weight room where I have all the space I need in the free weight section, while the majority of the other members are slugging around on the machines and treadmills. Got a nice Olympic pool, basketball court, and racquetball courts in case I want to break up the monotony of the weight room.
I’m going through my usual routine of lifts and multi-joint movements designed to recruit my major muscle groups, integrate the core, and elevate my heart rate, all performed with the goal of burning fat and building lean muscle.
I always wear my iPod when working out, part to provide entertainment but also to tune others out and avoid turning my workout time into social hour, like so many people do.
When, out of the corner of my eye, I see a guy just getting up after his umpteenth set of bench press, and I could tell he was motioning to me for some reason. He had a question. Now, before I reveal this gentleman’s question, let me ask you to view the following video . . .
. . . I show you the video because that was the exact movement I had just completed before this guy stopped and asked, “What was that exercise you were doing? Was that for your forearms?”
Even though his inquiry wasn’t even remotely close, don’t feel bad if you would’ve asked the same question. Heck, I was even encouraged that he took an interest in a foreign movement that he had never seen before.
I want to be careful with how I present my thoughts here, because I don’t want to come across as the arrogant trainer who looks down his nose at everyone in the gym. That’s not at all where I’m coming from.
The point of this post is that the exchange I had with this guy reminded me of just another reason why athletes, and anyone who works out for that matter, are not getting the exercise results that they would like to see . . . there hasn’t been clear enough instruction on the objectives and focus of each individual movement within a workout plan.
Instead, we have people training who are simply mimicking exercises they have seen others perform and are going through the motions without a consciousness of how their bodies should be functioning to carry out a given movement.
Take, for example, the Pallof Press shown above. This is the exact movement I had just completed when Mr. X confronted me. The value of this 
exercise, when performed from a tall kneeling position, is that you can train the core (especially the obliques), glutes, and chestin one movement because of the pressing motion that is performed while stabilizing the body against the resistance of the cable.
I would like to think that my clueless gym friend could’ve reached that conclusion had he really analyzed the movement, but I can’t assume that. And, furthermore, we as trainers and coaches should never assume that our athletes know all the intricacies of each lift, no matter how elementary it may seem.
To prove a point, let’s take the gold standard of all lifts, the bench press. I am willing to bet that there isn’t an athlete above the age of 10 who isn’t familiar with the bench press. So, what usually happens when it’s time to introduce the bench press as part of a routine?
“Alright, Billy, the next lift is the bench press. You know what to do. Go ahead and give me 3 sets of 6 reps.”
And, while Billy could probably grind through those 3 sets and gain some benefit from the activity, we’re doing Billy a great disservice if we’re not preparing him better for the movement. A more appropriate introduction to the bench press, no matter how familiar it is, would go something like this . . .
“Billy, our next movement is the bench press. It primarily strengthens the chest, shoulders, and triceps with secondary involvement from the upper back, lower body, and core musculature. As you position yourself on the bench, line up so your eyes are directly under the bar, and retract your shoulder blades back and down to set your scapula in a stable position. This should pop your rib cage and chest up. Set you feet underneath your knees, not out in front. ”
“Grip the bar with your hands placed about 1 and a half times your shoulder width, while continuing to keep your shoulder blades back and down. As you lower the bar, keep your upper arms at a 45-degree angle to the torso, and tuck the elbows instead of letting them flare out, as this keeps the scapula set making the movement easier on the shoulders.”
“Take a deep breath of air so the chest rises to meet the bar as it descends, and lower the bar until it lightly touches the chest. While pressing the bar up, drive through your heels, and imagine trying to push yourself away from the bar and through the bench. You will be able to activate the triceps more by trying to “spread” the bar. As you complete the lift and lock the weight out, aim to keep the shoulder blades set and remain tight there as you descend into the next rep.”
That explanation may seem over the top to you, but what we’ve created now is a mindful athlete who is conscious of his body and how it’s functioning to perform a movement. This should go for anyone working out. You will get EXPONENTIALLY better exercise results if you simply know your movements and can focus your attention on the parts of your body that should be performing the work. This will promote productive muscle contractions and efficient stabilization through all movement.
Most importantly, never be afraid to ask to for help. Ignorance certainly is not bliss when it comes to getting results from your workouts.
Your Coach,
Brian Utley
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