We all know the look. Weightlifting shoes. Knee Sleeves. Weightlifting belt. Wrist wraps. And all we’re doing is “Nancy” which is 5 rounds of 15 overhead squats at 95lbs for men and 65lbs for ladies and a 400m run. There’s utility in all the fancy “apparel” stuff that gets marketed to us but are they something you should always be wearing no matter the workout? What if a friend or relative asked you to help them move? What if you showed up and realized you didn’t have your weightlifting shoes or belt with you? Would you tell them that you have to go back home and get them before you can help? The whole point of our program is to develop real world functionality and capacity. And, in the real world you might have to call upon that functionality and capacity at a moment's notice. There’s not gonna be time to warm up and stretch and put all your fancy equipment on. You’re just going to have to jump right in and get it done. You’re going to have to remember to utilize proper technique and figure out the most efficient and safe way to move the object. If we’re constantly dependent on our equipment to help us move weights or just move in general, are we really developing capacity and functionality the way we’re supposed to? If I have a car that can only go 75mph or faster when it’s perfect weather outside, what happens on the days that it’s not? Am I supposed to just walk in the rain? You need to understand why you’re using all the equipment and be able to differentiate if you’re using it as a necessity or a crutch. On days that we lift a 1 rep max, sure, if you’re really looking forward to trying to set a new PR and you think the equipment is going to help you get there, go for it. But, if we’re doing a simple conditioning piece that calls for a light barbell and you have to put on all your stuff to do it, what are you really saying? To me you’re saying that you should probably scale the workout and spend some time after the session working on mobility. Be aware of your ability. We shouldn’t be walking around in pain. We shouldn’t have pain working with an empty barbell. Movement is meant to be rehabilitative and preventative of injury, not a reminder of it. To learn more about how you can use fitness to improve your health, schedule a time to talk with us.
