Thanks for the info. I will steer cleer of BB.com.. it was just the first thing that came up on google and I was mostly just searching for exercises for the different groups. I am actually considering buying a book, but I wouldn't even know where to begin.
It's tough for me to recommend books. I'm of the type who likes to understand the fundamental concepts that go into any and all resistance training routines. That said though, those fundamental concepts are hard for most people to grasp. They're too busy looking for the one particular program packaged or built by someone else.
And the fundamentals aren't taught in class, by a trainer or in a book in neat little packages.
The fundamentals are learned through the understanding of anatomy, physiology, kinesiology, nutrition, etc, etc.
It's learned through a basic understanding of how our bodies adapt to stress and how to match said adaptations to the particular goals you're after. Put differently, if you know a goal, and you know the multiple ways your body adapts to various stressors, you can pick and choose the stressors that correspond to any given goal.
There's more to it, but I'm speaking very big picture here.
So, allow me to play dumb, but a compound lift would be??? A lift that works more than one muscle???
You got it.
Multiple joints and muscles to execute.
Instead of leg extension, you have the squat.
Instead of leg curl, you have the deadlift.
Instead of chest fly, you have the bench press.
On and on and on.
And there's nothing inherently wrong with isolation movements. At all really. There's a time and a place for everything. But with most goals, especially when dealing with fat loss and muscle maintenance, compound exercises should comprise the majority of a workout.
I have a serious imbalance in my shoulders I hold them up and forward. I have been working on correcting this for the past two years, but its not been easy.
How have you been working on this?
I "scuffed" my left rotator cuff 4 years ago and held my shoulder in an upward (shrugged and forward) position for months before I finally got answers from the docs... the effects from holding it in that position still show.
Did you have MRI done?
Did the doc say anything specifically about the injury?
The RC is comprised of four muscles... do you know which one you buggered up?
Stephen is on my case constantly about my shoulder position for me its normal but when I see myself in pics I really notice it. I have been to physical therapy for both the shoulder and my back and it was expressed that I my overall posture is bad. I have really been working on this, but is there a way to fix it through strength training?
Well with imbalances, it's always a matter of fixing the core of the problem. Imbalances are caused by inefficiencies in the chain (usually muscular). For instance:
Someone could have very tight/overactive hip flexors. This happens commonly from chronic flexion of the hip joint (think sitting all day). As tightens ensues, the hip flexors tend to pull down on the pelvis. This can be comes so pronounced that something known as anterior pelvic tilt can occur.
It's easy to tell when someone has anterior pelvic tilt... just look at them from the sideview and if their pant line angles forward or if their back is hyperextended, chances are pretty good they have anterior pelvic tilt.
Okay, but where do the inefficiencies come into play...
Reciprical inhibition, put simply in relation to this example, is when the muscles on the opposite side of a joint become relaxed due to tightness/contraction in the muscles on the opposing side.
Your hip flexors in this example are chronically tight. From reciprical inhibition, your glutes (the muscles on the opposite side of the flexors) become chronically relaxed or inhibited.
The glutes are the primary movers for hip extension. But when they're chronically inhibited, the hamstrings have to take over as the primary extenders of the hip. This can put undue strain on the hamstrings and many injuries occur from this chain of events.
So my very long point is this... identifying the cause and correcting it can usually fix the problem.
You injured your shoulder. I'm not sure what exactly the PTs have you doing. Is the injury healed?
Be that as it may, b/c of the injury, you chronically tightened some muscles to compensate for the limited range of motion (due to pain/injury). This is quite common. An injury occurs and inhibits mobility. Our bodies don't stop functioning though. The body is very efficient, as in it will quickly find the path of least resistance. If an injury 'blocks' the original path, it will simply find a way around it. When this is done chronically, which is often the case with nagging injuries, new motor patterns are learned and engrained leading to overactive and underactive muscles.
In your particular case, it sounds like you your chest might be tight, thus pulling your shoulders forward. At the same time, some of your back musculature may be underactive (reciprical inhibition) allowing for the forward pull of the shoulders.
Our bodies like ying and yang. Equal push, equal pull. If that equation is broke, bad posture ensues.
The shoulder is very complex. Chest tightness is most likely only one factor occuring. Your PT should be well versed in this problem and correcting it. More so than me.
I mean, with shoulder injury it's common for the scapula to become out of whack too. I could go into some more detail but I'm not sure it's worth since I don't have my 'hands on you' and I'm hoping your PT is fixing the issues!
You are fantastic, MDF. And Steph will get himself out of his slump--slumps don't last forever! Have a great day
