Is Your Resistance Training Routine Balanced?
Christopher Rice, MS, CSCS
Fitness Operations Team Leader, Adventure 212
Balance is an important part of healthy living and resistance training is no exception to this rule. Sometimes individuals that engage in resistance training multiple times per week develop muscular imbalances that result in pain, stiffness, and even injury. Choosing exercises that train the muscles of the body equally will ensure such imbalances do not develop. However, creating a balanced workout does not require lugging an anatomy book along while you train. Below I outline a simple system you can use to structure your resistance training to achieve optimum balance.
The human body, although very complex and dynamic, only moves in six major aspects while performing most resistance training movements. These aspects are defined by complex movements, meaning; two or more body joints moving at once. The six aspects of movement are: vertical pressing, vertical pulling, horizontal pressing, horizontal pulling, hip-dominant movements, and knee-dominant movements. Outlined below are a couple examples of each aspect:
Vertical Pressing: Dumbbell shoulder press or shoulder press machine
Vertical Pulling: Lat pull, pull-up, chin-up, or lat pull machine
Horizontal Pressing: Bench press, dumbbell bench press, chest press machine
Horizontal Pulling: Cable row, bent over rows, or single-arm dumbbell row
Hip-dominant: Squat, straight-leg deadlift, or leg press
Knee-dominant: Step-ups, lunges, stair-climbing
By choosing one exercise from each aspect during your routine, you will create a balanced workout and hit all major muscles of the body.
