Smart Group Training Poster

In our training, we use a system called Smart Group Training.

It’s a way to guide our training and also to easily distinguish between clients which exercises are beneficial or will possibly do more harm.

In the chart below, the exercises listed below the heading are exercises that, if done as part of your training regime, will cause more harm than good if you scored 0 or 1 or asymmetrical.

The colors coordinate with bracelets that are given to group training clients. This helps the trainer distinguish, in a group, who has scores of 0, 1 or asymmetrical for a particular movement pattern. This will allow your trainer to customize your training, even in a group setting.

For instance, if you scored 0, 1 or asymmetrical on the Active Straight Raise leg, you would get a Yellow Bracelet (please wear these when you attend your group personal training session) and you would Not do the exercises under that heading (deadlifts, hip dominate exercises, kettlebell swings, cleans, snatches or running). If you if you scored 0, 1 or asymmetrical on the Shoulder Mobility, you would get a White Bracelet and would not do Overhead Pressing (shoulder press), Open Chain exercises (those exercises where your hands are NOT pressing into the floor, wall or other hard surface) such as bench press, chest press with bands, Get Ups.

The rule follows for the other movement patterns.

Remember that if you can do a certain movement without pain doesn’t mean that movement is appropriate for you. Each time you do a particular movement when you’ve scored a  0, 1 or asymmetrical, you are doing micro-damage.

Your training is meant to make you better, not break you down. I don’t want to break you down quickly or slowly over the years!

Clients are given exercises to improve, correct or maintain the movement patterns that  score 0, 1 or asymmetrical with the goal of being able to safely perform exercises currently listed under the heading.

We call this “clearing” the movement pattern. Once you clear a movement pattern, you move on to the next inefficient movement pattern.

Very often, when one pattern is cleared, another is automatically cleared.

For many women, the goal of getting stronger, losing weight, enhancing the quality of life, increasing life longevity means she has to do resistance training or to lift weights.

During your 20s and 30s it is particularly important to gain muscle mass. Your body is primed to build muscle! Get it while you can.

Once you reach your 40s and beyond, it’s harder to build, but not impossible and that’s good news!

If you do not add resistance training (which can be weights, bands, machines, pulley systems, body weight) you are headed for a muscle wasting syndrome called sarcopenia.

People into their 90s have shown muscle growth with regular strength training, so it’s never too late, but you’re much better off if you’ve been resistance/strength training throughout your earlier years.