Over my 45 years of involvement in the fitness industry, I’ve been in many gyms and fitness centers. That means I’ve been witness to many displays of poor form (exercises being performed improperly). Despite all the YouTube tutorials and advances in personal training, I still notice a lot of bad form. Granted, it’s a bit better and there are many new ideas of training being birthed or re-invented. Point being, proper form and execution of the exercise are very important. We should not just go through the motions while exercising. We need to be intentional. Here are some thoughts to consider in achieving proper form:
- Perform the repetition in a pain-free motion.
- Your motion must be symmetrical.
- Maintain proper alignment of the joints in your motion.
- When performing extension motions, don’t snap into extension.
- Make a smooth transition from the positive (concentric) motion to the negative (eccentric) motion.
- Always maintain proper form.
- Respect the pain. If you ever experience sharp pain, you should probably discontinue your workout and seek professional advice.
I had an interesting experience several years ago while performing my bench press set. After completion of the set, my partner pointed out something to me. He noticed my torso was shifted over to one side. The imprint of my body, from my sweat, left some evidence that my form was off. I had shifted to accommodate an injury I didn’t even realize I had. Though I thought my execution of the bench rep was good, it wasn’t. As I looked at the imprint I had left, I realized I was compensating for a shoulder injury. The strange thing about that event was it felt right and I thought I was in my “groove.” If I hadn’t noticed that, I would have worsened the underlying injury.
We need to be “intentional” about our workouts. We need to watch our movements for imperfections that may arise and correct them. The mirrors in the gym and a good workout partner can help detect those imperfections. I refer to those improper movements as sinful motions. They’re sinful because they are wrong, though they may feel correct. They’re sinful because, if you continue with those motions you will eventually suffer an injury. The first step is to capture (become aware of) the faulty motion. The next step is to correct it. Just like our spiritual life, sin has consequences. Correcting the form is a physical way of repenting.
I believe we need to be intentional about our walk with Jesus as well. I recall my pastor and friend Tom Pendergrass saying this in a sermon years ago: “if you find yourself coasting in your daily walk with the Lord, there is a good chance you’re going downhill.” Just as we do better in the gym with a workout partner, we do better spiritually with an accountability partner. Merely going through the motions, will not result in growth. We need to examine our walk with the Lord. “For God, who said, Let there be light in the darkness, has made this light shine in our hearts so we could know the glory of God that is seen in the face of Jesus.” 2 Corinthians 4:6 NLT. In other words, we need to shine the light into all areas of our lives to ensure we are on the right path. Here are some areas to inspect (spiritually) to be intentional in our walk with Jesus:
- Our prayer life
- Consistent time in the Word
- Building into your family and loved
- Having a good church home
- Tithing
- Being involved in a small group
- Sharing the hope you have with others
There are many more areas or ideas we could add. It starts with an honest inspection of our life. Then, in a similar fashion to our workouts, we put the work in and make the proper sacrifices and we grow. I believe God will bless you as you inspect and invest in your growth, spiritually and physically. Don’t just go through the motions as you walk out our faith. Be intentional, but be aware and have peace in this, God is faithful. He completes us, but I believe it brings Him joy to watch us deepen our desire to know and serve Him.
Yours in health. Dr. Tom