What are Your Training Priorities?

Most of us begin our journeys into fitness with an interest in becoming stronger and/or looking better. So, naturally, we follow trends in training such as bodybuilding and power lifting- which appear to provide a direct path to these results.

However, what if there were more fundamental areas of fitness, which, because they aren't as exciting or glamorous, tend to get neglected? And what if these areas provide the foundation that's needed to build true, long-lasting strength and also reduce chances of injury?

Hopefully, it is common sense that flexibility/mobility and stability (especially in the core) are this foundation. Without enough range-of-motion of joints, or the body being able to stay balanced in the field of gravity, our strength and power can never be expressed to its potential.

A helpful understanding to better incorporate flexibility and stability into your work-outs is by considering two main functions of muscles: to hold joints in position and maintain balance (tonic) and provide the ability to move quickly and explosively when needed (phasic). Strength and power training mostly improve the phasic function of muscles, but that function depends on the structural integrity and ability of joints to move through different ranges of motion. The latter is what dedicated flexibility and stability training provide.

To practically incorporate these foundations into your training, there is much information on the internet available that can help. However, its important to analyze and assess yourself and your unique strengths and needs before creating and beginning a new program.

For this purpose, books such as How to Eat, Move, and Be Healthy and The Golf Biomechanics Manual are extremely helpful for self-study, and personalized coaching sessions can accelerate progress even faster.