Lifting Rocks?

Nowadays you can’t take two steps without coming across someone trying to sell you the next big thing in fitness. The truth is, a lot of what these people are selling is actually good for you…. and a lot is total crap. For the average person it can be hard to tell the difference. The human body is a complex system of moving parts and don’t get me started on how difficult it can be sometimes to understand proper nutrition. However, you have to think logically about what your doing. A personal trainer friend of mine uses this analogy whenever someone comes in and asks if they should do P90x, CrossFit, or whatever the new fad is. He tells them “Look, if you took rocks and carried them from one side of your back yard to the other for an hour a day, would you get stronger?” They say “Yes” and he replies “Should your workout consist of you lifting rocks in your backyard?” They say “No.” Of course not!!! Why would you lift stones when you can lift in a gym or at home with weights? The fact is, there is a hierarchy to everything in life. You have to prioritize how you workout.

Would doing P90x get you ripped and in great shape? Yes, Potentially, but shouldn’t you prioritize stability, core strength, and form before you start doing box jumps and Olympic lifts? I cant tell you how many people come to my gym complaining of knee or back pain after trying one of these workouts.

So what should you do? My first piece of advice would be to go to a

gym and find the most experienced and credentialed trainer you can find. Have them perform an evaluation on you. (A lot of trainers will do this for free in an attempt to get a sale) Make sure your evaluation applies to your everyday life. Most gyms will take body fat percentage and test your strength which is fine just make sure its applicable to everyday scenarios. Fro example, seeing how much you can bench is pretty much meaningless to the average person. Instead make sure they do what is known as a functional evaluation.

What is a Functional Evaluation?

A functional evaluation is a series of tests that will test your body for muscle tightness, muscle weakness, imbalance, stability, core strength, postural distortions and poor motor patterns. This test will give you a breakdown of how well your body is moving. From this test you can determine and individualized program that will allow you to hit your goals but also reduce pain related to daily activities. At the end of the day it is important to be able to move pain free. Would it be cool to have six pack abs that you could flash to friends and family? Yes, but isn’t it cooler to not have lower back pain all day?

Chris Petraglia BA, NFPT MT