There are many issues that social media has caused with the fitness industry, but up there is the forming of camps. Having a single stance on something makes it easier to acquire "followers" - ie people who subscribe to your religious approach to science. The more extremist, the better. Socmed gurus will tell you to "pick your niche", but what that often means is "pick your viewpoint". Being argumentative also aligns with the platform's algorithms - discussion = engagement = traction in the form of comments and sends. Zealots prosper.
-
I don't say this as someone who's sat on their high horse immune to it all. I bloody love a contentious debate, and it's often very hard to resist the temptation to get into a mud wrestle. There’s hypocrisy here - I’m working on it.
-
Biomechanics to me is the understanding of movement relative to gravity. The RTS syllabus defines exercise as "internal force production in response to external force application". An increased knowledge of what is taking place internally and how to manipulate the external resistance allows greater exercise analysis, design and individualisation - whether that's to accommodate someone's lack of tolerance, or improve the loading of a particular muscle group throughout it’s full contractile range in a seasoned gym user. It's tools in your arsenal as a coach, that are easy to underestimate and play down. Yes, obssessing over mechanics and the optimisation process to the point where it takes you 1.5hrs to set up a machine for a set of 5 reps at RPE0.5 because your form slacks by 8% as soon as you get within 20 reps from failure is counterproductive... but no one with a brain is suggesting that. As a PT it's literally our fucking job to make sure people move AS WELL AS POSSIBLE, as intensely, as frequently and as regularly as suits their goals/priorities. The myriad of variables involved in this are completely client-specific.
-
What I’ll never understand is why you can't do both. What's wrong with constantly chasing optimal resistance profiles and movement mechanics AND seeing how close you can get your client's balls to the wall? It doesn't have to be AT THE EXPENSE OF.
-
[Rant continued in comments]
