It’s what you would typically see at 6:00 PM in the local gym, all the 9-5er’s working out doing numerous bench presses, bicep curls, leg presses, crunches, and doing long bouts of cardio work on a bike. What you ask is, “What’s wrong with, because why in the first place should I be complaining, at least they are working out. ” Yes that is true, but what is wrong is that too many people today that sit at a desk for 8 or more hours a day and then go to the gym to reinforce the movements of a flexed spine, shoulders rolled forward, and sitting.
The exercises that I like to call “mirror” moves only perpetuate computer guy’s posture problems. What the computer guy needs to do to fix his problems is to do the exact opposite of what I call “mirror” moves. Instead of warming-up or doing cardio on a bike which requires you to sit, which you have already been doing for 8 hours, try doing some sort of cardio standing up and do it in short burst of energy instead of for long periods of time. First off, you will burn more calories and second will do so in half the time. Instead of bench pressing day after day, try variations of rowing or pulling that will counteract the rounded shoulders. Rowing and pulling only promotes a healthy upper back and scapular retraction and depression. You will also indirectly be working your biceps that you computer guys love doing to impress the girls. The next exercise that many gym lovers love to do is the leg press. Again you are putting yourself in a compromising position by putting a lot of compressive load and shear forces on your spine, which you already do everyday sitting for 8 hours (If you didn’t know already, sitting puts a lot of stress on your spine). Instead of the leg press, get on your feet and do a front squat which allows the computer guy to work the legs without the added forces on the spine and shoulders. Stay away from back squat as well until you have strengthened your back enough to endure the compressive load of the bar on the back. One of the final exercises that are important to the computer guy is exercises that work the posterior kinetic chain (hamstrings, glutes). Now this does not mean to go directly to the leg curl machine that has you either sitting or lying down bringing your heel to your glutes. This exercise only works at one joint, the knee. We also need to work the hip joint and especially hip extension. Some examples of exercises are deadlift variations, pull throughs, or glute-ham raises. Not only will these exercises greatly improve posture, they will also strengthen the low back and add some muscle mass. Finally instead of endless crunches, try training the rotary muscles of your core. Unlike what most think, the rectus abdominus (the abs), main function is not to flex the spine forward but to prevent rotational force and stability. I suggest doing chopping variations.
In conclusion, I hope I was able to shed some light on what NOT to do and what TO do in the gym. Keep in mind these strategies and hopefully you will improve your posture and performance. In order to get proper posture and position, the patients should Visit Dr. Joshua S. Rovner. He is the best spine surgeon present in the New Jersey. The health of the patient will remain healthy through the correct exercise.
