Does anybody else find lower body training really boring? Is it just me? Doing squats, lunges and leg presses, although necessary, always bore me. I try to find ways to make these less boring; usually trying to move away from machines to something “free-er”.
Last week, I asked Adam to show me how to do a “real” squat working in the squat box. At the time, he set forth a week plan before we worked out: doing a hard lower body workout, resting, doing a light full-body workout, resting. Stretching in the morning before we work out.
THIS is one thing I really appreciate about Adam. I give him a request or a goal, and he takes in the whole action to make it possible. The workouts to prepare for something, the rest time to heal.
I have tight calves and hamstrings, so often when I do squats or leg presses I do not use my glutes enough. The pressure/weight is transferred up to my lower back, straining the muscles and giving me pain. ANOTHER reason why I don’t like the lower body stuff! Pain is teh pits!
Adam made sure I concentrate my form NOT on getting as low as I can, but on keeping my core strong on concentric move and only lower to the point where I begin to bend forward. During the negative move, pressing down from the glutes through my heels. As I get stronger and “stretchier”, I can work on getting lower.
I enjoyed doing squats this way better than the squat machine or the squat sled. I felt more in control of my position with the weight which means I’m more likely to do these. Yay for me!
Afterward, we were talking in his office.
“Adam, I’ve had trainers tell me: you owe me 10 minutes of cardio or finish up this strength training (when we’ve run out of time). You often tell me how to plan my workouts for a whole week.
“I have NEVER had a trainer tell me: Go stretch before you shower. If trainers do not emphasize the importance of stretching, why will your clients?”
He looked at me for a second, thinking.
“Ok, I’m doing it now! Go stretch for at least 10 minutes!”
And I did!
Weight For Deb 