Best for Fitness?

I was recently taken aback by a client’s statement. While discussing the option of reopening a permanent location, she informed me that when people go into a fitness studio, they have a minimum expectation of exercise equipment. However, as fitness knowledge has advanced we have learned that stationary equipment is not only unnecessary but can be a hindrance.

In the 1970s, Nautilus came out with their first exercise line of machinery. The intention was to use each piece of equipment for a specific type of training called HIT (High Intensity Training). The cams on the machine allowed bodybuilders to hold the static position safely. So, an example of HIT training using Nautilus equipment is the leg extension. You can extend the leg while sitting and hold that position statically for a period of time. Also, Nautilus figured out that they could make a profit by selling a whole line of equipment to gyms. This would, theoretically, allow clients who go to the gym exercise “safely” without the fear of dropping weights or getting injured.

The pinnacle of success for exercise machines occurred from the 1980s thru the 1990s. Every gym had to have at least one line of equipment in order to be considered a proper gym. However, around 2000, fitness experts began to come out and criticize the sole use of exercise machines. They had three main concerns: active injury, passive injury, and limited ability.

Since the machines are “stuck” using the same exact motion every time there is an increased chance for overuse injuries. Imagine a biceps curl machine moving up and down only. This could create an injury similar to tennis elbow since the tennis player must perfect the same exact stroke every time.

Because the person must sit in order to use the machine, the core muscles of the body are not activated (at least not very much!). The best example is the upright, seated chest press machine. The person pushes the weight in front of their chest while having a fairly relaxed core. The sitting position deactivates the hip flexors (the muscles in the front of the hips) and abdominal muscles. If the person is rounding their back, this can increase the chance for injury as well.

Life is full of movement and muscle isolation alone is not functional. Functional training is simply exercising in a way the body was meant to move, not force your body into unnatural positions. Machines can only work a few body parts at a time. When a person uses more functional equipment like dumbbells, bands, kettle-bells, etc. they are able to imitate real life movements and work on the kinetic chain of movement.

You can visualize the kinetic chain this way: imagine you want to lift a box and put it on a shelf above you. This requires you to reach above your head. You pick up the item from the floor and your legs and core are activated in order for you to lift. As you move to stand upright, muscle activation changes from your legs and core to your upper body and arms. When you begin to place the item over your head, the shoulder, arm, and core muscles are activated in order to allow you to complete your lift. This movement simply cannot be replicated with traditional resistance machines.

The observation of the obvious limitations in resistance machines has created a paradigm shift in the way we think of health and fitness. A return to “old school” techniques arose and post-modern functional training emerged. The beautiful thing about functional training is that you need very little equipment in order to achieve outstanding results. This equipment can be considered “low technology” because they are simple pieces of equipment, very similar to what the Greeks and Spartans might have used when preparing for battle or the Olympic games. Dumbbells, tires, jump ropes, stability balls, rubber tubing or ropes are really all a person needs to get into the best shape of their life! Plus, they are all easily stored or transported.

The paradigm shift takes the emphasis away from the machines and puts it towards the knowledge of functional movement. However, returning to my concerned client, since the masses have been exposed to the “machine era” of fitness they have been conditioned to think that only the machine will give them the desired result. I am here to tell you it is not the machine that will give you the desired result. All you need is simply the correct knowledge to transform your body and health! If you only have some free weights that challenge your body, you have the ability to do great things.

Be Better,

Dexter