Too much of a good thing- Part 2

by: AndreaDow
Total views: 1168
Word Count: 266

Another difference between guys and gals in the gym is ego.

Guys are more guilty of this than women, but all parties must read on. Guys really like working the “mirror muscles” like the chest (watching one more arched back from a bench press and I think my back will break), biceps (how many bicep curl motions do we actually do in real life?), front deltoid (here we go with hoisting up the weights by arching the back again), recuts abdominus (those 6 pack abs may look good, but the deepest, most important abdominal muscle layers could be weak) and quadriceps. What about the back of the shoulder, the rotator cuff, the transverse and oblique abdominal muscles and the hamstrings? Make sure your weight lifting routine has an equal number of exercises for the upper and lower body along with the exercises working the front and back side of the body. A good weight lifting routine should have a combination of pushing, pulling, level changing and rotating. Make sure to stretch your body and don’t repeat weight training for the same muscle group on consecutive days. You will end up with more pain than gain if you overwork your muscles. Bouncing, heaving and jerking can stay with your ego at the door.

Again, another reason why pilates is great. It is a naturally balanced routine for the body that avoids overworking, jerking and poor posture. It builds long, lean muscles without added bulk. Cross train, spice it up, try something new, and get your core in shape!

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