Learning To Run
I'll let you into a secret.
No, Not THAT secret!!!!
A different one.
This blog is not about learning to run.
It's not actually about running at all.
Although this bloke, has already got that stuff nailed!!!
It's about being a beginner
Something we all have been at some point.
Taking baby steps.
Something that it's not always easy to do.
Jedi Level
When I post on my Facebook page or Instagram account it is usually a photo or video of a client doing something impressive, achieving something they have been working towards like hitting a new personal best.
My aim with these posts is to highlight the progress these awesome people are making.
I’m proud of them and they should be proud of themselves.
Sometimes a post will be me playing about with a new lift or demoing an exercise that I think maybe of interest.
Whether it is me or a client in the video it usually involves an exercise that is a bit more advanced or of a higher difficulty level.,
The internet is full of them.
Things like this.....
(I'm not claiming I can do any of the things in this video btw)
People performing impressive feats of strength or athleticism.
People making very hard stuff look easy.
They can be inspiring, they can provide motivation and something to work towards, they are great to watch, and these types of videos have their place.
But the flip side is that I think that sometimes these kinds of images can put people off from joining a gym or trying something like weight training.
The gym can be a scary place for a beginner and the thought of learning to lift weights can be an intimidating one.
Videos like the one above can give the impression we should all be capable of Jedi level training manoeuvres as soon as we step into the gym.
Do Or Do Not, There Is No Try!!!!
Not strictly true my Master!!
Have you ever watched a top strength athlete, YouTube fitness superstar or professional sportsman/woman/person/non gender specific individual and thought "I can do that" ??
"That looks easy"
Yeah, me too!!!
They make that stuff look too easy, don't they?
It's because they are REALLY bloody good at it.
I think it’s great to celebrate what people are capable of when they work hard and put their mind to it. (That's why I post my client videos!!)
I can appreciate the amount of practice and admire the level of skill it takes to make something look so effortless, but what these types of posts and videos don’t do is show how long it takes and the dedication required to acquire these superpowers.
These top-level people have practiced for 1000's if not 10,000's of hours.
But they were all beginners at some point in the past.
Like Star Wars Episode IV A New Hope a great adventure must start somewhere!!
Or should that be The Phantom Menace??
Maybe that was a bad example
But you get the picture!!
Begin Your Training
The reality is that you must work towards these things.
We all need to begin with the basics.
Learn the correct techniques,
This is where all the clients who train with me start.
At the beginning.
Deadlifts may look simple
Bend down and pick something up.
Squats can't be that hard.
Bend your hips and knees and stand back up again.
Jedi level achieved??
Not strictly true my Master!!!
There are ways to do these exercises and there are ways to do them WELL.
This should always be your goal.
The first step for me with any client is for them to get a grasp of how to perform these seemingly simple, but actually quite complex coordinated movements before we can start to progress onto more challenging things.
Learning how your body moves, how to control your limbs, keeping certain body parts locked into position and unlocking or bending others can be a surprisingly tricky thing.
Controlling your breathing and knowing how to create tension, not in an oops I’ve said something inappropriate kind of way, but in an intra-abdominal kind of way, takes practice.
What you first thought was a simple bend down and pick something up situation has suddenly become a lot more complex.
Control, You Must Learn Control!!!
There are infinite ways to make exercises harder, (sometimes all you need to do is do them correctly) but what's the point if you're not maximising the potential of the simplest version?
I don’t think I have ever posted photos of brand new clients before.
Normally I wouldn’t dream of asking someone that has just stepped into the gym to put themselves out there on the internet for the world to see.
It’s a big enough decision to start training for most people never mind letting everyone know about it as well.
Saying that, all these epic people have started training with me in the last few weeks and they all gave permission for me to include them in this post, (lovely people that they are).
Getting to grips with the basics, learning from scratch and practicing correct technique, we've got
Andy working on the Goblet Squat
Emily performing a Lat Pull Down
Charlotte also working on the Goblet Squat
Olly fine tuning his Deadlift by pulling from the rack.
Each of these exercises are fundamental weight lifting movements,
For me, they are the basics, they always have and always will be the most effective way to work out.
You can and will see changes in your physique by using them, your body will become stronger, your posture will improve, and you reduce your chances of injury (massively) just by using the correct technique.
Building competency in these exercises is just the starting point, from here your options are endless.
Once you have got these movements dialed in then, it a case of where do you want to go next??
Punch It Chewie!!!
If you'd like to start learning get in touch.
