Most of us who train walked into the gym the first time with no real idea of what we were suppose to do, besides trying to look strong, and to build up to doing powerful lifts. Depending on the location of your gym there may be gym rats that research their workouts and pay great attention to how they perform their exercises. More than often though you see the type of training that would make your joints cry if they only had eyes.
Those of us that train can be a stubborn bunch who often think we know more than others, even those that are skilled in exercise sports science. We can avoid very common respectable advice and warnings. Our stubbornness can lead us to unnecessary injuries, which can force us to halt our training, and delay results in strength, and gaining muscle.
There are numerous benefits that can be learned from a trained physical therapist or physical therapy assistant. Most people think of a physical therapist, and generally accident or injury recovery is what comes to mind, not physical strength training. A physical therapist with a background in sports science, and sports medicine can also be an excellent tool for injury prevention, which for those of us that train in the gym or for a specific discipline is just as essential as the strength and muscle we gain.
Physical therapists work to balance the muscles of the body, and achieve optimal muscle activation. Muscle activation and a balanced muscle system will go a long way to preventing injuries that can accumulate with years of hard training. Understanding correct techniques, and muscle activation can also keep you in the gym training longer, safer, and more effective. While muscle imbalances may not be a massive problem when we first begin our training, it can lead to chronic joint problems that effect our daily lives as we age. The ultimate goal of training is to increase strength, muscle mass, or sports specific abilities, the more time one can spend in the gym training, the more likely hood they will achieve their training goals.
A workout instructed by a physical therapist can tend to feel very form focused to most of us who train on a regular basis for strength. A physical therapist will pay detail to form, and essentially have you doing lifts and pushing weights that you would be embarrassed to admit to friends. They in a sense break you down and show you how strong the exact muscles you have are when used properly. The human body is a master of compensation, and most of us that train even with the best of intentions fail to pay attention to proper form to complete extra sets, reps, and stronger lifts. Body building techniques used by famous strength coach Charles Poliquin are very form based, with a high level of detail paid to the way the muscles operate with the joints to ensure developing not only functional muscles that work for strength, but also muscles that are aesthetically pleasing. The Influence of physical therapy on modern scientific body-building is very evident.
A correction to form will allow you to focus on building your true strength, through your proper muscle activation. Essentially with proper activation and balance you have the potential to get much stronger. This can lead to stronger lifts, increased speed, increased mass gain, and increased sports specific performance. The benefits to having muscles and joints that work properly goes beyond just cosmetics, and strength, it will also keep your body healthier longer period. Flexibility and the movement of fluid through the joint is essential for the health of the muscles and the joints. Lifting heavy weights like many of us do when we hit the gym can have a compounding effect on the body if it is not counteracted with stretching, and it is not done in a proper manor that follow the biomechanics of the human body.
While many of us that begin training are on a tight budget it is should still be noted that utilizing the techniques of a skilled therapist, or a personal trainer whom has completed an associates degree as a physical therapy assistant may just save us injury, time, and improve the results we achieve along the way. Bottom line, think of what is best for the longevity and strength of your body, not a short term gain that may lead you to long term pain.
