| Helena Phil Fitness

Firstly apologies for any spelling mistakes, I realised the next day from last blog when I was more wide awake and focussed, oh and too late to edit it.
I just wanted you all to know I write mainly from the heart and of course my experiences and knowledge on the subject Health & Fitness, so please forgive me?
For the record this blog is being written in a back of a Rover on route to Birmingham, just incase you wondered? Oh and I am not driving..From my last blog I posted on the (Myths of Resistance Training: The Benefits), I expressed the importances of including it in your fitness routine.
In this blog I am going to talk about the poor techniques, in particular using Les Mills (body pump) classes as an example.
Before I begin I don’t want to offend anyone who religiously attends this class or who teaches it, so in a nice and bluntly manner (don’t get your knickers in a twist), amen…

To the virginal participants that attend these classes and are unaware of the poor techniques they are demonstrated and lead you to believe it is correct. I have news for you, the answer is no.
I am going to give you some examples, starting with the (Dead Lift):
In body pump it teaches it participants to stand in a hip width position with toes facing forward, this is in fact correct, when holding the bar though, it tells it’s participants to take it to the top of their knee caps, this incorrect, adding that is not a dead lift.

Lets start from the beginning;

Firstly you stand hip width apart with both feet facing forward.
Take an over grip with your hands on the bar and bar holding it to your waist, obviously educate weight that you are able to lift as if you was squatting push with you gluts (your butt), backwards and lower the bar to your toes. Knees stay bent slightly throughout.

I have attached a link with a diagram demonstrating the correct technique I have just discussed.

file://localhost/Users/helenaphilippou/Desktop/dead_lift..jpg

The next one is a Squats:

Body Pump will tell it’s participants to stand slightly wider than hip width apart with toes pointing outwards slightly, knees bent at all times and pushing with your gluts.

Some of the technique is correct, though the part with your stance (standing position) is incorrect.

You should be standing hip width apart, knees slightly bent and toes pointing forward.

Heres another link for a picture of a squat with a weight bar.

file://localhost/Users/helenaphilippou/Desktop/barbellsquat.jpg

The reason I decided to write this week’s blog and use Les Mills Body Pump as an example as these two techniques contradict what fitness instructors are taught when learning to become an instructor, so instructors why ain’t you questioning this and promoting poor technique, is it because its the Les Mills way?

Learning poor technique can cause injuries when doing them for so long, and switch muscles that you was not intending to workout, maybe a case of over loading that area to heavy weights it’s not used to, again injuries highlight strongly.

Personally I think Les Mills is a genius in marketing his products, what I don’t get it’s poor taste in music may I add is uninspiring and un-motivating to workout to, give me old school garage, House Jacking or Hip Hop any day.

But hey it works for some folks and their answer is these participants that are unable to do the correct technique or bend down towards their toes its a workout for them, I say whats the point in doing something if you ain’t going to do it properly?

It’s quiet interesting when someone see’s a global marketing idea they are good at making people believe the right is wrong and create their version of what should be.

It’s no surprise that old school training always hits the tick box when a new exercise class is invented.

Why is that you ask?

I will give you an example, Boxing and Circuit training as both combine cardio and resistance training, as well as a great toning and weight lost if continued and guess what it’s never out of date.

I will finish on this note to those reading this blog that attend Body Pump or thinking of doing so in the near future, do the dead lift and squat the way I explained the correct way, just see what your instructor will say?

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