Dehydration is a problem that most people live with and accept as a normal thing. Work all day, sleep in an air-conditioned room at home and drink a few beers, then the chances are you will be dehydrated to a certain point.

So here’s some science to think about

Our body typically contains 50-70% of water by mass and three quarters of this water is held within the body’s various cells.

All body fluid is mostly water, plus heaps of dissolved ions of minerals AKA electrolytes (NA+ Ca2+ Mg 2+ K+). The different charges and concentrations of the electrolytes charge the fluid and cells differently. This is the body’s electrical system which allows the muscles to move, think and do stuff.

• Regulates body temp, sweat & urine.
• Transports nutrients & blood cells through the body.
• Keeps food moving through your gastro intestinal tract (GIT).
• Flushes left over waste products from the body.

Mild dehydration by definition is the body fluid running low by about 2%, it is an easy fix, just drink a couple of glasses of water. With mild dehydration you will feel a little cotton mouthed, flushed and super thirsty. So listen to your thirst, its important! This is the easy stage to rehydrate your body.

Moderate dehydration – pass or fail of the turgor test. Pinch the skin on the back of the hand and then let go. A quick return of the skin to normal – pass you are either hydrated or mildly dehydrated. Fail is a slow return to normal and points to you being dehydrated.

You will feel hot and confused, your head will be pounding, and your brain will be a little fuzzy and slow. This is because right now, your brain is slightly over heating and it’s mad at how stupid you are. Your body fluid is missing 5-10% of the needed water to function properly and your body is in trouble.

Missing more than 10% water body fluid and you have severe dehydration. Yes, you only need to lose a relatively small amount of water to get your body into trouble. You will start to experience these lovely symptoms.

Eyes will settle back into their sockets making it hard to focus. Your urine will be a dark colour and it will smell really scary, but there won’t be a lot as your body is trying to conserve water loss. Your muscles will cramp, partially because your brain doesn’t work as well, with the nervous system misfiring, this then leads to the body shaking uncontrollably and you will feel super tired (getting ready to slip into that deep coma).

Blood pressure will drop because your body cells will drain the circulatory system of water (water is sucked from your blood making it really thick and hard to pump through the body). There will be a loss of essential electrolytes via sweat and urine excretion trying to reduce your body temperature. Due to the reduction of electrolytes your cells cannot generate enough voltage needed to articulate muscles, mainly the heart (plus your blood is fairly thick by now).

If this wasn’t enough, the low sodium electrolyte will cause the brain to swell thereby reducing its function, allowing your heart to skip and reducing your breathing ability. If this is happening your other major body organs are probably going to pack it in soon.

If you are severely dehydrated, then it’s past the drink some water and all will be well stage, you are at risk of dying. Right now you need an ambulance and probably a hospital so an IV drip can slowly replace your much needed fluid and electrolytes and also you need a fair chunk of luck that your internal organs are not damaged too much from overheating and toxic shock.

So stay hydrated. It’s not that hard. All you need to do is drink enough water, consistently throughout your day. It’s fairly easy to achieve for the awesome results it gives your life.

So go on have a drink of good old H₂0 and keep training smarter.

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We are all individuals. Our bodies are made a little different and our hard-wiring is a little different. Most of the time we think that our posture is great and that everything is balanced as we walk down the street. But I have a challenge for you. Have a look in a shop window/mirror and ask yourself this question: Are you really standing tall? Or is your brain playing tricks on you?

One of the leading ‘tells’ that I use when assessing a person’s posture is to look at their neck and head. The majority of people I work with use laptops and smart phones and they hunch a lot, with the neck muscles leading most movements. I’m not saying that this is the cause of head/neck tilt, but if I see someone jutting their head forward I know this individual is overworking their back muscles while rounding their shoulders. This is not the ideal way to operate their body, it requires more muscular control to hold a slouch of bad posture than it does to stand up straight. That’s bit of trivia for you!

Our head weighs around 6 kg. And if it is leaning forward for the majority of the time, rather than balancing on an upright neutral spine, this action puts a major strain on the back and hips just to keep the body balanced. This overworking of the back muscles will cause pain over time and reduce flexibility and body movement resulting in reduced strength, while continuously making it harder to maintain correct posture.

When you tilt your head forward to look at your computer screen, tablet or smart phone, this is the effects of force upon your spine and muscular system.

• 15 degree neck/head forward bend 13 kg force
• 30 degree neck/head forward bend 20 kg force
• 45 degree neck/head forward bend 25 kg force
• 60 degree neck/head forward bend 30 kg force

This is food for thought. I don’t think anyone who uses these devices has less than a 15 degree forward bend and I have seen people with their foreheads nearly touching the screen.

Standing tall through your hips, spine, head and shoulders, it’s all about posture and where your head is at. Are you leaning your head into everything that you do? Adding an extra 20 plus kg force to your spine as you type is not a good idea.

Own your posture when you’re at your desk. Are you crouching over the computer as if it’s going to run away from you? Instead sit upright and lift the screen so you can see it easily while in an upright sitting stance. There are a heap of other cheats I can teach you to improve your posture, especially at work.

Keeping your head up and slightly leaning back will reduce the muscle force in your back that’s required to keep the body balanced. So when you look at your smartphone, laptop or tablet ask yourself this question: Where’s your head at?

Stand tall, train smarter and have a great day!

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If you were stuck on a desert island and could only do one exercise for the rest of your life, the smart money is on a deadlift. It’s a compound movement (using more than one joint during the exercise), and recruits almost every major muscle group in the body. This makes it one of the strongest and most powerful movements the human body can perform. It’s also very simple and very functional. No matter what you do, you will need at some point to bend down and pick something up.  Deadlifts teach you how to perform that movement with both correct technique and strength.

Deadlifts predominantly use the leg and glute muscles to drive the lifting phase of the movement but also require strength through core, back, neck, shoulders and ams in order to maintain strong posture. Although it’s a simple movement, correct technique is important to make sure you get the maximum benefit from the exercise.

To start:

You can use a medicine ball or kettlebell to do this exercise at home. Whatever you’re going to lift, put it on the floor between your feet. Before you start really pay attention to how your feet are positioned. Imagine you’re standing on skis with your feet parallel and about four feet apart. You need to feel as though your weight is evenly distributed and connected to the ground through your whole foot – heel, ball, pad and toes.

Once you feel solid adjust your hips and spine so you’re standing is a neutral position with your eyes looking towards the horizon. Focus on keeping your shoulders wide and your sternum up. Even though it might feel strange, standing like this makes sure you’re stabilising everything above your hips, whick keeps your spine in the correct position.

The lift:

Keep thinking of how your feet are positioned as you prepare to lift your weight. It’s also important to maintain equal weight distribution through your left and right leg, and you can use your feet to give feedback on which side is working harder.

Grip your weight evenly and start your deadlift by bending (flexing in anatomical terms) your hips, knees and ankles in a smooth movement (this is the multi joint action mentioned earlier), which is controlled by your glutes, hamstrings and your back (this is called your posterior chain – the muscles in the back of your body).

Make sure your knees stay aligned over your toes, and don’t swing out to the side or towards one another. let your hands travel down your thighs to below your knees, keeping your arms straight. To channel the power in yur legs into your lift, yu need to keep your spine straight and stabilised, your head and sternum up, and your weight balanced from the beginning to the lowest point of the deadlift.

As you return to the start position, your glutes will straighten (extend) your hips, your hamstrings will extend your knees and your calves will extend your ankles, still controlled by your posterior chain.

Your glutes and lower back muscles work together to keep your spine straight and drive your pubic bone forward as you move into the upright position. Your arms need to stay straight during the lifting phase of the exercise, and your hands will finish just below your pelvis.

Some important things to remember:

Keep your weight even between left and right feet and balanced evenly between your heels and toes.

You’ll need strength and stability through your core, back, neck, shoulders and arms to keep your posture strong.

Your knees need to stayed aligned over your toes.

If you can’t keep your spine straight, you’ve gone too deep into the movement, and your legs won’t be able to power you back up properly. less is more when you start a complex movement like this – let your body get strong before you try to get your arse on the grass.

If any of your leg muscles are tight, your flexibility will be a limiting factor on how deep you’re able to move. Tightness can also cause your hips to twist or pivot, which will also take power away from your legs.

Keep your head and sternum up through the movement to activate your lower back.

Your deadlift needs to be a smooth movement controlled by your posterior chain.

Benefits of deadlifts:

Highlighting any imbalances between the left and right sides of the body, especially shoulders, hips (which can lead to knee and ankle imbalances). You might also notice one side of your body working harder than the other.

Activating your posterior chain (back, glutes, hamstrings)

Increase flexibility of your hamstrings and glutes.

If you’re able to perform a deadlift with correct technique, you can you it to increase your strength and power. You can also do it with out weight, and improve your stability and endurance if you need to perform many identical movements – long distance running is a good example.

Deadlifts are awesome for improving nearly everything about your body.

Give them a go and let me know what you think.

The post Deadlift appeared first on Matt Kirk.

Performing A  Step Up

To gain the most out of step ups it is important to perform the movement with the correct and precise technique. It is therefore best to begin using a box or step that is no higher than about 30cm. Only increase the height of the step when you have developed enough strength, stability and muscle control to perform the movement correctly. (NB. If using a box, the box should have a depth and width of approximately 40cm and should be constructed of solid material). The correct technique is described below:

Start Position

Stand at a distance of approximately 10cm from the box with both feet pointing forward and about two foot widths apart (we will refer to this as a narrow ski position). It s important to stand tall with neck, shoulders, spine and hips all in a neutral position and the head looking toward the horizon. To begin the movement, place one foot onto the box by flexing at the knee and hip. This leg is known as the leading leg and for the purpose of this article we will assume the leading leg is the right leg. The left leg, known as the stabilising leg remains on the ground.

At this point the right arm will remain in line with the body but the left arm will be flexed at the shoulder joint and the elbow joint with the hands and fingers forming a straight extension of the forearm (knife hand) pointing upwards.

Performing the movement

Step up by extending your right knee and hip and bringing your left leg up to the platform. All power should come by driving through the heel and toes of the leading right leg. Do not cheat by pushing off the stabilising left leg. As the left foot strikes the box it must maintain its narrow ski position, directly in front of its previous ground position.

As you extend through your right knee and hip your right shoulder and elbow will simultaneously flex so that when your left foot lands on the box your right forearm and hand (knife hand) will be pointing upwards. The opposite left shoulder and elbow will extend so the left arm is in line with the body.

Throughout the step up movement the neck, shoulders, spine and hips must be in an upright, neutral position. This is achieved by ensuring the core and lower back muscles as well as the posterior chain muscles (glutes and hamstrings) are activated. Activation of the core and lower back muscles will also help to eliminate any rotation in the left ankle as it attempts to reach the top of the box.

Maintaining activation of the right posterior chain muscles (glutes and hamstrings) will help eliminate any hip rotation or tilting of the hips which may occur during the movement and hence ensure the right knee and hip extend efficiently. With the hips stabilised the left knee and ankle should move in a straight line from the ground to the platform.

Stepping down from the box is simply the reversal of stepping up.  Maintaining an upright neutral posture of the neck, shoulders, spine and hips and activating the left and right posterior chain muscles will make it easier to keep the hips stable and eliminate any hip roll, tilt or twist. This in turn will allow the right hip and knee to flex in a straight line movement back to the original start position.

As you flex through your right knee and hip your right shoulder and elbow will simultaneously extend so that when your left foot lands on the ground your right arm will be inline with the body. The opposite left shoulder and elbow will flex so the left forearm and hand (knife hand) will be pointing upwards.

Since step ups are a unilateral exercise, it is best to work through a full set of repetitions on one side (ie. leading with the right leg) and then swap to a full set on the other side. This will help to reduce any sideways sway through the exercise.

As the technique is perfected and the movement is performed with enough strength to hold the correct posture, the height of the step can be increased. If the step is too high it is likely there will be some flexion through the spine during the step up phase.

Important points to remember

• Begin with a relatively low height box/step
• strength and stability through the core muscles, back muscles, neck and shoulders must be utilised in order to maintain a strong, rigid posture;
• All power for the step up phase must come from driving through the heel and toes of the leading leg
•  Control hip stability/movement by activating core, lower back and hamstrings and glutes (posterior chain)

Benefits of performing step ups

Step ups have a number of benefits resulting from the fact that they are both a compound exercise and a unilateral exercise.

• Step ups are a compound exercise so they engage multiple muscles/muscle groups at one time. Muscles engaged include quads, hamstrings, glutes, core, lower back
• Functional – many sports and daily activities use unilateral or one legged movements. For example running and climbing stairs rely on your ability to use one leg at a time
• Improve joint stability (hip and knee)
• Improve muscle balance across joints (hip and knee)
• Addresses left to right muscle strength discrepancies
•  Once the technique has been learned and perfected step ups can be used to gain explosive strength.

The post Step Ups appeared first on Matt Kirk.

Push ups are a commonly performed bodyweight exercise involving a multi-joint movement (wrists, elbows, shoulder girdle). With the hands in a fixed position, creating a closed kinetic chain, push ups concentrate on the co-contraction of the triceps, biceps, deltoids, pectorals, lats, abdominals and lower back, for stabilisation. Push ups look easy but to perform one correctly and therefore to gain the maximum strength benefit from the movement does require a good understanding of the technique involved. Unfortunately bad push up technique is common.

Correct push up technique is best taught by beginning with an incline push up. An incline push up is one performed with the hands elevated on a bench/table top, stable bar etc. Elevating the hands will reduce the load on the arms (decreased gravity effect) and will allow the focus to be on stabilising the neck, shoulder blades, spine, hips and legs as one unit. Incline push ups can be performed correctly and efficiently by following the information below.

Start position – An incline push up is best performed with your hands gripping something that is approximately hip height, ie bench/table top, stable bar. Feet should be parallel, approximately 15cm in front of the bar and shoulder width apart. Hands (palms) grip the bar approximately 60cm apart and should be equally centered left and right of the spine. Initially there should be no bend in the elbows. Hips and back (spine) should be in a neutral standing position with knees (slightly softened) and ankles. Eyes should be looking towards the horizon.

Once in this position begin by taking a step backwards (approximately 1.5m) with one leg using the hamstring to extend and straighten this leg and supporting your weight through your toes. With a majority of your body weight taken through this leg, ensure you maintain a straight spine that is in line with your hips, shoulders and heel by activating your core and back muscles. Step back with the other leg using the stabilising leg to ensure there is no loss of this posture. Both legs should now mirror each other, the neutral position of the spine should be activating the core and the hamstrings should be working to help hold the body straight (plank position).

At this point there should be a slight softening in the elbow joints as locking the elbows may cause a rotation at the shoulder joint which in turn may effect the neutral body position.

Performing the movement – With weight equally distributed between the left and right sides of the body begin the pushup by bending at the elbows and lowering your chest towards the bar. To help maintain shoulder blade stability keep elbows at a 45 degree angle to the body. It is critical during this movement to maintain the plank position of the legs, hips, torso and neck. The following will help to do this:

• Lead with torso;
• Ensure shoulders do not roll forward as this will cause the shoulder blades to move over the back and lead to a loss of strength in the arms. Shoulder blades  must remain stable, movement should occur only through the elbow and shoulder (glenohumeral) joints;
• Do not hyper extend neck;
• Maintain equal weight distribution between the left and right legs and activate the hamstrings as this will help stabilise the hips which in turn will allow the activation of the lower abdominals, lower back and gluteals.

The lowest point of the push up will be determined by the stability of the spine. Any movement in the spine or loss of straightness of the legs, hips, spine, neck will suggest the push up has been performed too low. Close attention should be paid to the position of the head/neck during the lowering phase of the pushup as it is a common error to lead with the head. It is critical for the chest/torso to lead throughout the movement.

Once the lowest point of strength has been reached, pause ensuring the focus of strength is in the mid and lower sections of the body (legs/hips/abdominals/back). This strength will power the return phase of the pushup.

The return phase of the push up involves horizontal flexion at the shoulder joint, followed by the extension of the elbows and wrists. The primary muscles involved in horizontal shoulder flexion are the lats (to initiate the movement) and pecs and anterior deltoid (to perform the movement). The body must continue to maintain a straight line (plank) from heels to neck during the return phase to ensure maximum strength gains are achieved.

Repeatedly controlling the push up to the lowest point of strength while maintaining a neutral position (plank position) will, overtime, increase whole body strength. As a result the lowest point of strength will improve allowing an increased push up depth to be achieved.

Important points to remember

• Maintain neutral (plank) position throughout the entire movement by:
• activating core and back muscles,
• ensuring shoulder blades remain stable (keep elbows at 45° to body),
• leading with chest/torso (not head),
• maintaining equal weight distribution between left and right legs
• activating hamstrings to stabilise hips
• Any movement in the spine or loss of straightness of the legs, hips, spine, neck will suggest the push up has been performed too low

Benefits of performing incline pushups

• Elevating your hands will reduce the load on the arms and will allow the focus to be on stabilising the neck, shoulder blades, spine, hips and legs as one unit;

• If done correctly will strengthen triceps, biceps, deltoids, pectorals, lats, abdominals and lower back, hamstrings and gluteals;

• Will help increase stability of the shoulder joint;
• Will force you to work with your own body weight;
• Versatility

The post Incline Pushups appeared first on Matt Kirk.

1. Feet – feet need to be stable throughout the exercise with even weight distribution and connection to the ground through the heel, ball of the foot and pad of the toes.
2. Ankles – a balance platform that allows improved ankle mobility will be achieved with equal weight distribution through the feet which in tern will allow good activation of the foots instep.
3. Knees – the knees are designed to move as a hinge joint (moving in a forward and backward motion only) thus allowing the legs to move in a single plane. Ensuring the feet are parallel and pointing forward, the knees will stay parallel throughout the exercise movement, will be kept the same distance apart and will move directly over the ankles.
4. Hips – during the exercise it is very important to keep the spine locked in a straight position. It is the precise movement through the hip joint which is crucial in restricting movement throughout the entire spine.
5. Scapulae – the scapulae must remain stable and should not move at all on the back. All movement of the arms during the air squat must be isolated to the shoulder joint.

Performing air squats

With an awareness of the above air squats can be performed correctly and efficiently by following the information below.

Start position – feet should be parallel and approximately four foot apart. Hips and back (spine) should be in a neutral standing position so that the pelvis is over the feet (with the pubic bone forward), the chest is over the pelvis (keeping the sternum up) and the head is over the chest looking to the horizon.

Arms are raised so the hands are pointing to the horizon .

Performing the movement – throughout the entire movement body weight must be equally distributed between the left and right legs/feet and balanced evenly between heels and toes. Begin the squat in a slow and controlled movement by flexing your knees, ensuring they stay aligned over your ankles. Push your hips out and down behind you (as if sitting in a chair) making sure the spine stays straight. The lowest point of the squat will be determined by the stability of the spine. Any movement in the spine or loss of balance will suggest the squat has been performed too low. Up to this point there is no movement through the shoulder joint. Arms should be kept parallel to the ground and the back muscles activated to hold this position.

To return to the upright position you will extend through your knees, again keeping them aligned over your ankles. The majority of the drive however, should come from the extension of your hips while pushing your pubic bone forward (posterior rotation of the pelvis). The spine and upper body must remain strong and straight during this driving movement; there should be no extension through the spine in the upright position.

Lateral (horizontal) extension will occur through he shoulder joint as the hips and knees extend, so at the top of the movement the arms will point out to the sides. Try to keep the height of, and the movement through, both shoulders even. The scapulae must remain stable on your back and movement should be through the shoulder joint only.

Contraction of the gluteal muscles when returning to the upright position will help to ensure the hips, spine and shoulders work together and the pubic bone holds a forward position.

Important points to remember

• body weight must be equally distributed between the left and right legs/feet and balanced evenly between heels and toes;
• knees must stay aligned over ankles;
• the spine and upper body must remain strong and straight and it is the precise movement through the hip joint which will allow this;
• all arm movements come from the shoulder joint (horizontal flexion and extension?), the scapulars should not move;
• the drive during the upward phase comes from the hips, pubic bone an activated “core” and overall stability

Benefits of performing air squats

Air squats are a very effective exercise to highlight any imbalances that may exist between the left and right sides of the body. Such imbalances may become obvious at the shoulder joint, the hip joint (which will usually control any imbalances evident at the knee joint and ankle joint) and generally through the upper body. A dominance of  either the left or right leg may also become apparent during the movement.

Other benefits of performing air squats include:

• Activation of hamstrings and glutes
• Strengthens glutes, quads, hamstrings, back and core
• Increase flexibility of hamstrings and glutes

The post Air Squats appeared first on Matt Kirk.

Occupational habits are one of the biggest culprits of bad posture: you might raise your shoulder to hold your phone to your ear while you type, slouch in your desk chair, or round your upper back from using your computer all day. If you do these things every day, your body becomes used to holding itself incorrectly and those bad habits start to feel normal.

The way you walk is another example. If you look at the soles of your shoes, you can easily see the postural patterns you’ve fallen into. Be critical of wear not only around the soles but also in the shock absorbing area. Looking at your shoes can tell you a lot about the wear and tear you’re putting on your body – it is an important sign of your body’s  overall balance and posture.

Your body always works as a whole. If your lower back hurts there’s a good chance there’s compensation happening in your neck and legs. Every action has a reaction when relating to the complete postural pattern and your reaction can be in the form of compensation. You compensate for your imbalances by making minute postural adjustments daily. 

If you look at this in a technical aspect, the fundamental factor for your correct upright posture is the body’s balance against the force of gravity, and every subtle shift in your posture causes a whole body compensatory pattern.

Events like an injury that causes you to be in a changed postural pattern for a prolonged period, like having to use crutches, or even a chronic overuse of particular muscles may make it hard to return easily to your normal dynamic balance. This is where combining massage and rehabilitative exercises can speed up your return to balance.

Your body and brain are smart. They work together allowing you to do the things you want to do. Unfortunately humans are almost too smart when it comes to posture and body movement. We get lazy and shortcut out movements to make things easier, but often those shortcuts aren’t designed for a balanced pattern of movement and create torque where it’s not supposed to be. Injury is often the result.

Having worked with many different people as a massage therapist and personal trainer, I’ve seen that utilising the body as a whole, concentrating on posture and symmetrical left and right balance has made a positive difference to all of them, regardless of size, fitness or injury levels.

Pain or discomfort is related to the compensation you’ve demanded, but your body isn’t really strong enough or designed to perform in that way. How fantastic would it be if there was some kind of reset which could return your body to a normal dynamic balance efficiently?

A custom designed rehabilitative training program is a great place to start. It begins with massage, which helps to relax overworked and strained muscles. Depending on your particular needs, you’ll be taken through a program of corrective exercise, concentrating on technique, balance, functional movement and stretching. The ultimate outcome is to teach you how to fix and rebalance yourself.

Most people don’t expect to be given homework after a massage, but if you find the discipline and time to do it, you’ll notice an immediate improvement in your balance, posture and strength.

The post Your Posture Can be Improved appeared first on Matt Kirk.

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For long term weight loss your body needs enough muscle development to burn fat from your body. Otherwise you’ll spend the rest of your life making food rules that will be broken and starve yourself to lose weight.

Imagine your body is a car. If you’re in a high performance race, using the wrong fuel and ten times too much of it isn’t going to make you the winner. Fuelling your body is as important as fuelling a car properly, and if you use the right amount and type, you have a much better chance of doing well.

Maybe you don’t want to win a race. Maybe you just want to be comfortable sitting at your desk, or playing with your kids. You still need to treat your body properly to get those results.

Any good fitness training program needs a sweating component and exercise component which is challenging.

A great fitness training program will teach you how your body is designed to work using functional movements, strengthening weakness, reducing your injuries and helping you achieve peak performance.

My training programs teach you how to functionally move with increasing fitness and focus upon the important areas of.

• Foot orientation
• Posture
• Shoulder placement
• Knee direction
• Hip balance
• Elbow direction
• Neck/Head alignment

It doesn’t matter how gifted or clever a person is, to improve your body takes hard work. Increasing fitness ability will improve your life; there are no short cuts, no easy ways out, however there is a smarter way to get fit.

The post Ordinary Human Basic Training appeared first on Matt Kirk.

Basically every sport and movement requires balance, strength, power, agility and also speed or endurance.

Each separate sport requires different levels of the above requirements, e.g.

• A sprinter wants 10 to 30 seconds of intense strength, power, balance, agility especially speed.

• The long distance runner requires 1.5 to 3 hours of agility, balance, strength, power, mostly endurance and gait repetition.

• Australian Rules football player needs 20 minutes of endurance with random spurts of whole body speed, power, strength and agility for up to 1.5 hours.

Eighty percent of your improvements happen in the first twenty percent of an extended training plan. Making the last twenty percent of those gains is a process that needs patience and a technical approach, taking into account the specifics of your particular sport, it is the one percent improvements that improves your sporting performance, extending your playing life.

Posture, joint control and range of movement (ROM) are three important components that improve you body’s chance to work at its optimum. The human body is designed for upright posture to produce efficient movement. This component is lost with a lot of training that I have witnessed by many personal trainers.

It is easy to force a movement with that patented shrug we all own, but that shrug will actually weaken a part of your body thus reduce your optimal training.

So try to focus on these three components it will reduce a majority of possible injuries and stand tall.

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