What Don’t You See in the Mirror May Hurt You!

What Don’t You See in the Mirror May Hurt You!
When you’re at the gym and you look in the mirror, what do you see?

You’ll probably notice the front of your shoulders, chest, biceps, stomach,
hips, and the front of your thighs. Because of this the majority of people
tend to concentrate on working those muscles that they can see and feel
they need to work on the most.

The problem is they neglect all of the posterior muscles, which are
extremely important for posture and to keep all of the various muscle
complexes balanced and working properly. A lot of people eventually run
into shoulder, lower back, and knee problems not because they injured
the joint itself, but because they have been slowly building an imbalance.
If someone is only working what they can see in the mirror, or just going
through a weight machine circuit that is usually focused predominantly on
pushing movements (chest & shoulders presses, chest flys, and
quadriceps extensions), it is likely this person will over time create
imbalances that can lead to serious joint issues.

If this sounds like you, try giving your “pushing & pressing” exercises a
back seat and concentrate on your “pulling & rowing” movements.

One example of a “pulling or posterior” workout may look like this:

1A.  Lat Pulldown
1B.  Dumbbell Deadlift

2A.  Dumbbell 1 Arm Row
2B.  Dumbbell Stiff-Legged Deadlift

3A.  Quadruped Pose
3B.  Stability Ball Bridging

After paying more attention to your posterior muscles, I think you’ll be
amazed at how much better your posture is and how many fewer aches
and pains you have in your shoulders, lower back, and knees!

Good luck and enjoy your workouts!

Committed to your Success,

Stephen Cabral, CSCS, CPT, NS
Author of Fatlossity – Lose5in7 Weight Loss System
Health Consultant for MTV, Nutritiondata, Diet.com, Gather, EDGE

Stephen Cabral is a national health correspondent with over 10 years of credentials. He
holds national and international certifications in strength & conditioning, personal training,
yoga and nutrition. For more information on his Free Trim, Tone & Tighten Newsletter
seen by over 100,000 readers each week sign up at www.StephenCabral.com

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