Everything that Goes UP

We all know that everything that goes up must come down. But how do things go up and how can we apply this to our bodies?

Whenever you do a bicep curl or put those plates up in the cupboard or crawl under your bed for that bag, the forces to get you to do that action come from whatever base you have established. A force goes through the entire body when we do anything with our upper body.

Therefore, everything that goes up must have support down. Make sure that your legs and hips are balanced before you train your upper body. Your stance will also increase the effectiveness of upper body training. 

For example, if you have lordosis in your back when you lift an item, the forces for you to lift will come from your lower back. However, if your hips and back are in alignment the force will come from your abdominals and your thighs.

Lordosis---(an extra large curve of your lower back) 

 The good news is that if you are able to align yourself, every movement you do above your waist will benefit your entire body and make you stronger. So take the first step and identify how your body sits on your legs. 

If you are unable to do this and you still want to train your upper body, sit in a chair and make sure that you can feel your abdominals contract in every movement. Remember to work on your lower body until you can do work standing.