In reality this is not the case. This is a "beautiful and good imprecision because, however" potentially effective "they may be, they may be unsuitable for a certain circumstance or a certain organism.
Let's proceed.
'.Instead, there is a group of executions, the well-known "fundamentals", which has advantages and benefits over the others.
Instead, it is possible to refer to a more suitable exercise, therefore respectful of the subjectivity and the objective, of another; but the two do not necessarily coincide.
Of course, some sports focus on the performance of specific types of execution; needless to say that, for these disciplines, certain exercises are of primary importance.
However, if we talk about bodybuilding or general athletic training, the discussion changes radically. There are no truly irreplaceable exercises, and this is what we will talk about in the next paragraphs.
global, are easier to reach; joint ailments, overweight and metabolic disorders, especially when they coexist, make the construction of the training protocol "practicable" and successful anything but taken for granted.Too often, however, inadequate exercises or impractical diets are proposed to people who are unable - for physical or psychological reasons - to complete them, contributing to the failure and chronicity of the problem.
in the training context of a sedentary middle-aged person.
Example of the free squat: although it is the best exercise, it is not necessarily suitable for everyone!
The free squat (with barbell and not multipower) is for many the "king of exercises", and certainly the "main execution for the lower limbs and buttocks; the back (low and deep) is also massively involved. core.
On the other hand, the movement of the squat requires physical characteristics of a certain type, such as good mobility of the ankles, a pelvis free to rotate, flexors and extensors well flexible, a back with all its physiological curves and free from severe dysmorphism, etc. .
It is not certain, both for innate anatomical-functional reasons, and for an acquired dysfunction, that the sedentary middle-aged subject will be able to perform it correctly right away.
At this point we have two ways:
- the first is, after having performed the related functional tests, to correct - where possible, obviously - the defect in question with flexibility, mobility and selective enhancement protocols; approaching the squat only later, perhaps limiting the ROM (Range of Motion) at the critical point;
- the second is, if the problems cannot be solved, to replace the squat with other executions that can still develop the strength of the lower limbs.
It would never make sense, therefore, to insist right away on performing the essential squat with tiring loads. The risk would obviously be to aggravate the health condition rather than improve it.
Example of flexible bibs
Below we present a practical example of how, after a flexibility test for the pectoral muscles (large and small), it is necessary to organize a training plan for the chest by providing exercises that respect the subjective mechanics.
The subject, after lying down on a horizontal bench, must open his arms (crosswise, so to speak) and let them fall naturally; in conditions of excellent flexibility of the thorax muscles, the upper limbs should go beyond the line of the body, allowing the humerus to make the maximum excursion in abduction in the transverse plane.
The flexibility of the shoulder in the sagittal and frontal planes will also need to be checked, so further tests will be needed.
Returning to the pectorals, we have seen that in this case the subject can perform exercises such as stretches and crosses etc. without problems.
Example of bibs that are not completely flexible
If, on the other hand, the subject does not have such an elasticity as to allow a satisfactory ROM (as in the case above), those exercises that bring the humerus too far behind the chest should be avoided or limited.
It would be advisable to make crosses on the cables, with limited ROM, avoiding any compensation at the vertebral level and excessive intra-scapular compression.
It is absolutely not a good idea to practice an exercise like dumbbell presses, which give a high stretch to the muscles in question, but rather with the barbell, using rack stops or a chest pad as a reference for the early stop.
In any case, in parallel, the goal will be to increase the flexibility of the pectoral muscles as well as the entire chain of the shoulder and arm.
Example of rigid bibs
Poor muscle flexibility compromises the correct execution of a wide range abduction movement of the humerus on the transverse plane and generates considerable compensation.
In this case, before undertaking muscle exercises for the chest, it is a good rule to dedicate a large part of the training to the recovery of the joint mobility of the shoulder which, if not recovered at least in percentage, can lead to imbalances also at the level of the joint or compromise the "integrity of other related structures.
By setting up a training program for this muscle district, the range of movement must be limited in almost every exercise.
An exercise that can be performed without danger or compensates at the infra-scapular dorsal level are the crosses on the cables, in which the muscles are not excessively stretched and respect the biomechanics of the subject in question.
, hamstrings, quadriceps, hip flexors, flexibility of the arm, rotator cuff, hip etc.
On balance, there is no better exercise than another in absolute terms; but simply the most suitable.
As we have seen in the examples of squats and dumbbell presses, in fact, if people with poor mobility or elasticity had had the exercises performed without any precautionary criteria, the subjects would probably have suffered injuries of various kinds.
