Train your Weaknesses not your Strengths

To my Clients,

I have finished reading Marty Gallagher's book, The Purposeful Primitive. Each Chapter was fascinating, but one stood out in my head. "Physical and Psychological Weak points." He states in this chapter, "What's the toughest lesson to learn in all of fitness-dom?" Marty says, "I would nominate prioritizing weaknesses and NOT continually playing to our strengths."

How often do we train a body part or an exercise that we like because it looks good and feels good and we just like doing it? What eventually happens is that our body becomes asymmetrical and unbalanced. We do not realize we are doing it, unless we have the training to notice it. The majority of the fitness population train in this way. We do not know any better, because nobody informs us that their is a better way to train.

After reading this chapter and thinking about what I learned at the FMS workshop I realize that if we spend the time on our weaknesses or asymmetries, we will make our body as a whole stronger. So, stop doing those bicep curls all the time and do some Turkish Get Ups. For those of us who are trainers, you will be amazed at what you can learn from your client, watching them do a TGU. I had 2 new clients today doing the TGU. I noticed that one of them could not extend their hips completely. We can draw many conclusions from this. Bottom line is: I knew what I had to work on.

Focus on your weaknesses. "People who do the same thing for too long become fossilized and incapable of change. Without change, without subjecting the body to new and different tests and stresses, nothing of any physical consequence will occur," says Marty Gallagher.

This is a tough thing to do, as much as you like your routine, DEVIATE from it. Make your weaknesses strong and become symmetrical.

For those who I have screened, I will be giving you a description and picture of your corrective exercises that you should do everyday. Then we will retest.

Phil Scarito, RKC, CK-FMS