Mind and Body Awareness

It is amazing to me how out of touch we have become with our own bodies. The phrase "somatic intelligence" refers to our sense of mind and body, and how they connect with one another. We are so overwhelmed by other trivial day-to-day tasks, that those two elements are completely disconnected. In my opinion, your body is (or should be) your number one priority no matter what.

A few cues I give a lot are "squeeze your butt" or "keep your core tight." They sound pretty simple and straight forward, right? You'd be surprised at how many people either don't understand those cues, or are simply unable to execute them properly. In an ideal world, I shouldn't have to remind someone to squeeze his butt during a lift—it should be automatic. Unfortunately, we live in a world today where we are almost always sitting, frequently stressing, and barely focusing. For many of us, we are more concerned with errands, work-related tasks and our social lives that we literally forget how to move our own butts.

Look at any gymnast or dancer: he or she has an amazing sense of control. Every single movement and contraction is intentional. Gymnasts understand how to "stay tight" when they need to, and dancers know how to absorb force when they land on their toes, while the overwhelming majority of people I've met do not. I watch people walk with lead feet on the ground, stomping up the stairs, and I see athletes who deadlift heavy weights without a properly braced midline.

What does all of this mean? Our minds and are bodies are now more disconnected than ever. I believe that many injuries or aches have to do with our lack of awareness. I can show you what a proper squat should look like, but the trickier part is to make you understand how a proper squat should feel. My goal is to make you aware of what parts of your bodies are working and when.

For someone who is still new to the gym (and even for experienced gym-goers), learning how to create that kind of tension is difficult. When we are seated at a desk, our shoulders are rounded forward, are necks are looking down, are glutes are turned off and our cores are on vacation. Take that person into a gym and they're going to carryover those same habits to their lifts, unless someone teaches them how to engage their muscles properly.

I believe that, at least for a while, everyone should have a coach or a trainer. I don't care if you've been working out for 10 years, it's always important to have someone else watching you. I sure as hell have other people to critique me, and it's extremely helpful. We can't always watch ourselves, even if there is a mirror in front of us. Just like you would have an editor proofread your article before submitting it into a local newspaper, you should make sure someone is watching you lift weights. If you want to avoid injury and see results, you need someone else's help. If a coach is too expensive, you should, at the very least take a video of yourself; I can guarantee you'll see some things on video you didn't notice beforehand.

The most important thing, however, is to be aware. The next time you do any movement, whether it's a lunge or a clean, take notice. What is contracting? Where do you feel the burn? Is there any pain with that movement? Are you breathing? Pay attention to these things and you'll be surprised of what your body will tell you.