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What's Under the Hood? Why Strength Is More Than What You See in the Mirror
A nice paint job gets your attention. But if the engine knocks, the suspension is shot, and the dashboard lights up like a Christmas tree, you probably have some things to address before buying racing stripes.
Training works much the same way. There's what we see in the mirror, and then there's everything responsible for keeping that person moving.
About those mirrors
We have plenty of mirrors here. Arguably too many. They're expensive to install, a pain to maintain, and even more expensive to replace. So please don't break them. That's my entire facilities budget announcement for today.
I've never been a huge fan of relying on mirrors to coach exercise technique. Watching a biceps curl? Sure. Enjoy the show.
But trying to watch yourself from the side during a loaded movement can change the very position you're trying to check. Your head turns, your body follows, and suddenly you're doing something different just to see whether you're doing the original thing correctly.
That's where a coach's eyes, and sometimes a well-placed video, can help. Besides, the mirror only tells part of the story.
So, what's happening under the hood?
How's the engine? The frame? How are the struts and tires holding up? Are we keeping everything maintained, or waiting until something starts making a noise before we pay attention? (And yes, I realize some of us have been making noises getting out of chairs for years.)
Looking good is a perfectly reasonable training goal. Build the shoulders. Train the arms. Wear the shirt you've been saving. But let's also build the machinery that makes the whole thing useful.
Strength doesn't have one look
Bigger muscles and heavier weights can be part of the picture. But they don't tell us everything about how someone moves, controls their body, or handles the demands of daily life.
Powerlifting, bodybuilding, and general strength and conditioning all have different priorities, and there's room for all of them. The real question is: what are you training for?
Why we train on one leg
Someone can be very skilled at moving a heavy barbell with both feet planted and still find a supported single-leg exercise surprisingly challenging. That doesn't cancel out their strength. It just shows us another area worth developing.
Think about walking. Every stride includes a brief moment when one leg supports you while the other moves forward. Whether you take 5,000 steps a day or 15,000, that's a lot of repeated work over the course of your life.
Single-leg exercises give us a way to practice the strength, balance, and control those demands require. Split squats, step-ups, and other variations all have a place, with support and load adjusted to the person.
Does that make two-legged exercises obsolete? Of course not. It gives us a reason to train both. We want an engine that produces power and a chassis that can handle it.
Training for the long haul
Dr. Vincent Brunelle once shared a thought with me that has always stuck: looking good can be a byproduct of training, but we should be working to move as well as we can for the rest of our lives.
That's a pretty good mission statement.
Have a wedding coming up? A vacation? A high school reunion where you'd like someone to quietly reconsider their assessment of you from 1998? I understand.
But I'm also impressed by the person who keeps showing up long after the event. The person building strength they can use year after year: carrying things, climbing stairs, getting off the floor, and staying involved in their own life.
The paint job deserves some attention. So does everything responsible for getting you down the road.
Let our coaches look under the hood
Not sure where to start? Our Five-Week Quick Start Trial is $249.99 for new clients and includes:
One one-on-one personal training session
Five small group personal training sessions
Five weeks of unlimited classes and open gym
Access to the TrainHeroic programming app
It's a chance to work with our team, build consistency, and find a training approach that fits your goals and starting point.
Start your Quick Start Trial, or share this with someone who could use a little help getting their engine running.
Let's build something you can keep driving.
Always. Moving. Forward.
Sean St. Onge, General Manager, Ocean State Community Wellness
