When it comes to getting strong, atheletic and fit overall, people really focus on their time inside the gym and especially on *how much* they can lift. Some take the extra step and also focus on *how* they are lifting (by getting coached, taking videos and getting a form critique etc). But once the lift is done, they go back to an "autopilot" mode and do not pay attention to their movement pattern or posture. They stay in this mode when out of the gym as well, going about their day without being mindful at all about how they are moving or positioning themselves.
This is okay for well balanced people without motor control, mobility or prioprioceptive issues. Unfortunately most people are anything but that. And hence, in their pursuits, most end up taking one step forward (work in the gym) and 2 or more steps backward (poor movement patterns outside).
If you are still not sold on the idea of being an athelete both inside and outside of the gym, hopefully this post will hit the point home. This article focusses on the impact of the way we move and the positions we hold in everyday life on training and general well being. We talk about why moving well should be the *first* priority for anyone looking to improve their fitness, strength, athleticism and general well being.
Although questions like "How much can you lift?" or "How long you can row?" are good enough metrics to determine how strong or fit a person is "on paper", it doesn't reveal much about one's true atheletic potential and functional fitness. No such inference is possible from knowing just a handful of numbers in kilos, pounds, minutes or the like. However, if we pay attention to and closely monitor *how* a lift (or a movement pattern) is executed, we can go about observing one's mobility, stability, agility, motor control and proprioception. These traits are key to truly determine athleticism and further allow us realize what is truly holding one back in terms of progress and satisfactory training.
We can thus take this observation to the following ultimate conclusion regarding true athletic potential:
It is not about how much one lifts but how one moves
Being functionally fit and strong is more about how you move. If you move well unweighted, it is just a matter of time and progressively overloading a few movements to add strength. One key assumption here is enough time and patience is needed to make sure form and technique come first and we don't get too greedy and sacrifice them for faster progress.
On the other hand, if one's movement patterns are limited by mobility or plagued by imbalances or proprioceptive issues, chasing strength first would be a fools errand. The journey will be slower as one will be troubled with repeated injuries, nagging unnatural pains that will call for countless hours of "mobility work" and physiotherapy to sort out. Needless to say, the journey here will be no fun at all.