MILO BRYANT: Gym is for workouts, not clowning
Some of the things folks are doing in gyms these days completely baffle me.
You know who I'm talking about because you've seen him: He's the guy who tries to turn the gym into a circus sideshow.
The Balancing Bozo
This is the guy who grabs a couple of dumbbells (appropriately named) and tries to stand on a physioball and do curls or presses. He'll say he's working his core while attacking his shoulders or arms. Actually, he's preparing for an express trip to the emergency room. The only time our feet should be on a physioball is if our feet are elevated higher than our heads and we're doing hamstring or core body work.
Sit on the ball with the feet off the ground. That's a great balance exercise. Try to slowly rock the body forward so that the back is on the ball instead of the butt. Then try to slowly rock back to the seated position. That's a good balance exercise. Outlandish stuff in the gym gets people hurt.
Don't be a Bozo.
Looney Leg-press Guy
Here's the nut who walks around the weight room looking for the 100s and 45s and stacks them on both sides of the leg-press machine - then fills the top of the machine, too. And just for good measure or for the supposedly aesthetic benefit of the cutie standing in the squat rack, he tells his training partner to get on the leg press, too. That's about 1,200 pounds on the press brought down to less than 15 percent of his complete range of motion with his hands pushing his knees!
That's just ridiculous. Want to show some real strength mixed with a lot of flexibility and stability? Work up to doing a single-leg squat in the pistol position with 50-pound dumbbells or kettle bells in each hand.
Most of us don't know anybody who has had to press 1,200 pounds in his everyday life. But we all know somebody who takes the stairs. We all know people who hike. None of us needs to press 1,200 to enjoy life.
Don't be a Looney.
Mirrorman Mickey
Mickey is the guy who hits the gym and works everything he sees in the mirror - and trains only those things. He does tons of curls for the girls. The bench press is his favorite piece of equipment. He does enough crunches for an army. Then the guy monopolizes shoulder press and leg extension machines. But ask him about his gastrocs, infraspinatus, rhomboids and erector spinae and he looks at you like you're stupid.
Remember folks, our bodies need equality, balance. We have to work the muscles we don't see in the mirror as intelligently as we work those we do see. If we don't, we're an injury waiting to happen.
Don't be a Mickey.
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Bryant is a former Gazette reporter now living in San Diego. He holds training certifications from the National Strength and Conditioning Association, USA Weightlifting and the Titleist Performance Institute. Reach him through the "contact" link at www.nobullfit.com.
