Is the Gym causing you Injury?
Most of the equipment found in gyms and health clubs is designed by bodybuilders, intended for sculpting a bodybuilding physique. Largely popularized in the 1980s by bodybuilder movie stars such as Lou Ferrigno, and almost single-handedly by Arnold Schwarzenegger, bodybuilding equipment took over the health and fitness scene and is still today the mainstream way of exercise. Sculpting a bodybuilding physique however, has nothing to do with building strength or a physique able to perform athletic movement. Bodybuilding equipment is purely designed to make you physically ideal based on a number of judging criteria – all based on looks rather than function or performance. If we take a look at this physical ideal, it encourages massively sized and defined peripheral muscles (i.e. chest, lats, shoulders, biceps, quads, hamstrings and so on), while encouraging the core muscles to be minimal as to accentuate the size of the peripheral muscles.
The only strength building equipment in gyms is:
Squat racks
Chin-up bars
Barbells + plates
Dumbbells
The rest is bodybuilding equipment. It is designed to isolate the muscle being trained, so that maximum blood volume, or pump as it would be called, can move through the targeted muscle. The core muscles together comprise the largest volume of muscle in the body. So it would make sense to completely isolate the core so that no blood flow is needed to move through them. Secondly, as mentioned above, a relatively smaller waist gives the peripheral muscles greater size and definition.
The problem with this is that when everyday Joe starts working out at the gym to get bigger and stronger, he finds that after a few weeks, months or years at the gym, he is definitely able to push and pull larger weights. His peripheral muscles have undoubtedly grown stronger from being trained throughout various movements in the gym. His core muscles however haven’t seen a single day of training. They are no stronger than they were the day he first stepped foot into his local gym. Joe feels stronger, is stronger in his biceps curls and bench presses, has put on significant muscle size, but has the core strength of a 12 year old girl.
Next thing everyday Joe finds himself at work where Maggie says “Joe, you’re big and strong, could you please help me shift this desk?” “Sure thing” Joe replies. “Ah ah, don’t worry, I’ve got this. I lift 3 times this weight in the gym”. Next thing, Joe has strained his back and has given him an injury.
Or
Joe starts training with Greg. Greg performs strength training movements as part of his program. Greg suggests that instead of doing leg presses (which is what Joe does), they do squats (which is what Greg does). Joe agrees, thinking them to be virtually the same exercise. But he has no idea that comparing the squat to the leg press is like comparing chalk and cheese – Leg presses isolate the core muscles (pulling them out of the equation completely), whereas squats require tremendous core strength (making them utterly essential to preventing lower back injury). Joe being able to leg press 400lb, throws on 250lb on the bar as a warm-up set and ruptures a disk in his back.
Scenarios similar to these are extremely common. Statistics show that 7.5 in 10 people will in some point of their adult lives suffer some form of biomechanical injury – meaning injury to the back, neck or joints. We are in fact the most biomechanical injury prone society in recorded history. Many people might argue that this is due to living longer (causing more wear on the body), or due a greater understanding of biomechanical injury and hence greater number of records. Firstly, people are more frequently starting to experience biomechanical related injury and pain while only in their 20s or 30s. Secondly, yes, people may not have been as aware of biomechanical injuries and of safe lifting practices in the past – but that is almost testament to the importance of core strength development. If people today have a greater awareness of safe lifting practices, but more people are continuing to become injured and suffering from debilitating pain, surely something is lacking. And that my friend is core strength.
In my opinion, the model of health and fitness that has reigned supreme and been the mainstream training practice in gyms and health clubs all over the world for the past 30 years, is largely responsible for this trend in biomechanical injury. People using bodybuilding equipment – developing over-trained peripheral muscles and under-trained core muscles. I’ve worked alongside physiotherapist and trainers that have prescribed gym exercises as rehabilitation for debilitating biomechanical injuries – which in most cases only proliferates the underlying issue because of the very reason I have expressed all throughout this article.
Using bodybuilding (gym) equipment –> underdeveloped core à overdeveloped extremity muscles –> false illusion about personal strength and ability –> injury when lifting, performing athletic or everyday movement or postural deviation due to muscle imbalance.
I think it is time that people became informed about the purpose of gym equipment so that they can make an informed decision about how they would like to train and for what purposes. I don’t believe that gyms are trying to be intentionally misleading about what gym training has to offer. I believe that for the most part, they are simply just as uninformed as are the rest. I have said it before and I will say it again – I have nothing against bodybuilders and the bodybuilding principles of training. I just think a spade needs to be called a spade, and an art (bodybuilding) needs to be called an art.
With love, gratitude, presence and certainty,
Karl
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