When does progression just become a risky exercise? It’s a fine line and is the post I’ll help you design exercise that is challenging yet safe and specific to our goals.
The harder we make the exercise, the better it is for us?! Right? Well, actually, NO. We like to be challenged, we like it when we need to work to be able to execute an exercise perfectly.
Your brain is wired to function this way, to solve problems and to become better, however, there comes a point when the risks of perming and exercise outweigh its benefits. This is common with Personal Trainers, as a Personal trainer myself I understand the compelling thought of creating increasingly demanding exercises for clients, all too often however it actually has very little to do with the client’s goals and becomes a challenging exercise with some unnecessary risks.
Building progression without making it a risky exercise
If you are a personal trainer, there is absolutely nothing wrong with keeping with the basics. if the exercise is relative to the client’s goals, specific to their training outcome and it’s effective, it’s likely pretty good. Sure, sometimes you’ll need to try and make it more fun but that’s something you will need to put your head into without compromising the safety of the exercise.
Stand on one leg, on a BOSU with a kettlebell, swing up to the snatch position and do a side bend!
OK, I just made that up, but you get my point about risky and unnecessary exercise simply for the benefit of making a demanding exercise.
KEEP IT SIMPLE STUPID
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Things to think about when designing an exercise?
- Is it specific to my clients goals?
- Is it achievable?
- Is it necessary?
- Is there a safer exercise that will be just as effective?
- Do the Risks outweigh the Benefits?
The example I will use as an exercise where the risks do indeed outweigh the benefits is an exercise that I wanted to master myself, I have to say there was no reason to be able to it do other than I wanted to, if your client told you that you should tell them it’s a bad idea.
The exercise is Standing on a Fitness Ball, I don’t know what compelled me to want to do it, but I did and it took practice, several fails and a couple of bruised body parts. Here’s a video of me doing the exercise, It’s good to have a party trick, I guess most Fitness Professionals do, if you fancy doing this well, start my mastering kneeling on the ball.
Standing on a fitness ball example
This video is quite old, around about 2007 while I was working as a Fitness Manager for a Leisure Centre. And while I was working on another website called ‘mygymworkout’ which I eventually shut down due to not having enough time to keep it updated.
So remember to keep the exercise simple and tuned to your client’s goals. Make sure the Risks DO NOT outweigh the benefits
if you have any examples of borderline useful exercises, do get in contact.