Complete Muscles | Prioritize Weaknesses | Correct Posture

Correct Posture

We have gone from standing erect to slouching. Everywhere you look you can see that we slouch. Not only that, but now our heads are tilting forward, our palms are turned backward and our butts are tucked under us.  Having good posture is a pre requisite to muscular balance.  Your frame must be stable and strong to support the multiple of muscles and ensure they line up properly.  The key to improving your posture is AWARENESS. Most of us focus on the 30 minutes we are in the gym to improve our bodies.  How about the other 23.5 hours of the day?  Are we conscience of how we are standing or sitting?  Focusing on improved posture is not convenient, it’s hard work.  It’s easy to slouch and have bad posture. 

Postural Guidelines

• Don’t look down when you walk. Your head should be up looking where you’re going.
• Keep your shoulders back by forcing your shoulder blades down and in.
• Keep your thumbs pointing straight ahead; this will also help keep your shoulders back.
• Keep your feet straight, many people’s feet are externally rotated when walking.
• Arms swing from the shoulder and move in the same direction as the rest of your body.
• When sitting, keep your body parts as close to 90 degrees as possible.

In the gym, pay special attention to your Lower Back and Rear Delts.   We do tons of ab exercises yet neglect the erectors. It is not a “sexy” muscle group, so it is usually only trained as an afterthought.  A strong lower back is the foundation of correct posture.  Stronger Rear Delts will help improve your posture by keeping your shoulders back.  The Rear Delts are often underdeveloped compared to the front and side Deltoids. This is because most pressing exercises (bench press, shoulder press, etc.) work predominately the Front and Lateral areas. 

To achieve Muscular Balance, follow the 3 Balance Principles:
Complete Muscles, Prioritize Weaknesses and Correct Posture