This is a shout-out to the little ones, you know, the clever, funny ones who let us know exactly where they are based on the body when we push a little too far!
We have 2 main types of muscles in the body:
- The movers
- The stabilisers (supporting muscles)
Movers are just as you’d imagine, the ones that do the bulk of the work, they engage and get it done, however, they have a fair bit of help, in fact the movers job would be significantly harder without the support of:
The stabilisers, yep that’s right, chalk a win up for the little ones who make sure we are keep good form, ensuring balance is in check and make sure the movers can deliver the goods when called upon.
That’s not all they do either, good posture and alignment happen because of these small muscles working quietly behind the scenes day in and day out for us.
If they are working all day long on the other bits, why do they need additional strengthening?
Great question, let’s take, well any exercise in fact.
To get better at it, we would need to perform more repetitions, increase the weight and increase the overall intensity.
As the supporting muscles get worked with the movers, they will naturally get strengthened, however, this is where the specific work comes in, during a movement lots of different things happen.
We could go slightly out of line, be on the edge of a tolerance or in a slightly different position, if we solely work them with the movers, then they will only be strong in the same range as the mover itself.
By working them specifically, we can widen the working range which will increase the wiggle room we have, not only this, but also making them stronger in the assistance of the mover.
With stronger supporting muscles, movements become easier, whether that’s daily movements, static holds (standing sitting for longer periods) or during our workouts.
Increasing the strength and range of supporting muscles can be done in a variety of ways:
- Slower movements with lighter weights
- Increasing repetitions with lighter weights
- Increasing the range of motion with a bodyweight alternative
- Incorporating balance and stability drills
As we age, muscle takes a back seat, the smaller the muscle the less we have to play with.
Let’s say we lose 10% of muscle tone, not a massive deal for a big solid mover, however, for the much smaller stabiliser it’s a much bigger deal.
Keeping them in tip-top shape will make life easier, both inside and outside of the gym.
To find out how to incorporate supporting muscles into your workout, speak to a member of Team SF on info@spikefitness.co.uk or 07597215652.