Don't Force Square Pegs Into Round Holes

I’ve grown to love this expression as it relates to our individual uniqueness and choice of strength training or other fitness-related activities.  Through personal experiences, study, and the opportunity to observe clients, it has become very clear that not every exercise was or is designed to fit every body. 

Contrary to what some may view as popular belief, not everyone was built to run, nor was everyone built to squat deep, deadlift from the floor, or press weights over their head.  Attempting to overcome nature in this way has resulted in countless unnecessary injuries, orthopedic surgeries, and/or stints in physical therapy.  There is a better way.

In the simplest sense, there are characteristics about an individual’s joints, bone structure, build, and muscle physiology that make them good at some exercises and not so good at other exercises.  By “good” in this case I’m referring to being efficient, adaptable, or that your body easily accommodates a particular movement.  Choosing exercises adapted to your body, instead of forcing your body to do a movement it physically cannot do, will result in greater strength, stamina, and ultimately, better results.

Identifying which exercises will fit best starts by looking for the available range of motion a person has around the joints being used in the exercise.  Although range of motion can be impacted by flexibility, which is a characteristic that can be modified in some cases, it is the simplest way to identify structural limitations to exercise.

An overhead press is one of the best examples in this case.  All overhead movements require a person to able to actively raise his/her arms directly overhead without altering the position of the spine.  If you can NOT achieve this position without a weight, I guarantee you will compromise the health of your spine and your shoulders if you try to do them as part of your exercise program. 

For a quick assessment, lie on your back with your feet on a chair (knees bent).  Raise your arms overhead and allow them to rest on the floor.  If you can do this, you are likely cleared to press weights over your head.  If not, you might explore whether there is a way to improve your range of motion.  Until this position is achieved, however, you should avoid overhead exercises.

Although some limitations might be temporary obstacles, the failure of consistently applied strategies to improve range of motion in a joint will likely confirm a structural limitation and the need to avoid certain movements permanently.   

To summarize, if you choose exercises that fit your body, you will get stronger, build stamina more quickly, and have an enjoyable experience with exercise in general.  However, if you choose exercises that don’t fit with your body, you’ll likely be able to muddle through some workouts, but over time, you’ll start to experience chronic aches and pains that cause setbacks and ultimately a distaste for exercise.  You can see how that might hamper your ability to achieve your goals.

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