AN INADVERTENT TALENT FOR PHYSICS

Undoubtedly, we have an incredible talent for physics, even without being aware. We have no problem balancing a 5+ feet structure on a 1 square foot base; while moving it in any direction we please, a thing that we do every time we walk, run, or jump. From going upstairs to carrying an object, every physical task requires the detailed evaluation of weight, balance, speed, and acceleration; which is extensive evidence of the subconscious understanding of physics we have.

EXERCISES ARE UNNATURAL MOTIONS

Our design doesn’t aim for us to ‘perform exercises’; it aims for us to ‘resolve challenges,’ which means we find the easiest or most efficient way to perform any action.
While many exercises (functional exercises) aim to mimic motions we frequently perform in the ‘real world’, our instinct to perform them most efficiently often overpowers our desire to maintain good technique. When facing a brand new exercise, we may not know how to execute it properly, but we sure know how to perform it in the easiest way possible.

PROPER TECHNIQUE IMPLIES FIGHTING THE INSTINCTS

Proper technique requires a conscious effort to allow each exercise to challenge the muscles they intend to target. To use an example, a triceps exercise shouldn’t morph into a shoulder/chest exercise while getting tired, or we are too quick to give it a try without having proper supervision or instruction, but it happens much more often than we realize; we are simply “wired” that way.

MAKING IT PERFECT

Someone said once: “Practice makes perfect.” That applies perfectly to the techniques we execute. Dancing, boxing, or even tying our shoelaces requires a repetition of movements. Experts have been performing their motions over and over again to the point in which they can set their bodies on “auto-pilot”, relying on procedural memory to complete the activity.

Often, we refer to the “auto-pilot” as “muscle memory”, but in reality, we should give some credit to the nervous system. Any exercise, as simple as it may seem, requires the action of several muscles to contract (concentrically), stretch (eccentrically), or maintain their tension and length (isometrically). The brain must transmit that information with remarkable precision (to every muscle involved). The only way to create the “perfect formula” for our brain to follow, without analyzing every single detail, is by performing the motion over and over again.

QUALIFIED ASSISTANCE

One of the advantages of working with a personal trainer is to learn the proper technique for each exercise, but in reality, it is a bit more complicated than it sounds. Proper technique requires many points to align adequately. Still, even if we perform a perfect exercise once, it doesn’t mean that we will repeat it every time, especially when getting tired.
Understanding the points to align is just half of the battle; we must be able to utilize our proprioceptors to “feel” the posture and verify the angle, tension, and pressure on every single joint involved.

EXERCISES, AN ADAPTATION TO MODERN LIFE

A talent for physics can often override an exercise’s proper technique

Although we are not designed to perform exercises, we are indeed designed for an active life. Our talent for physics allowed us to catch prey, run from predators, collect fruits and herbs, find shelter, and (among other things) have a life expectancy of 30 to 40 years.
The evolution of modern life has gone much faster than our physical evolution; obviously, we didn’t evolve (or perhaps haven’t yet) to sit for extended periods, restrict physical activity, etc.
Working out is a way to compensate for the lack of adaptation to modern life, allowing us to maintain a healthy body, which combined with the advances of modern medicine and science, also has expanded our life expectancy dramatically.