October Opportunities: New Exercises!

By Dalton Harris, CPT

As someone who may be new to exercise or someone who may have a set exercise routine, trying new exercises may be a bit overwhelming.  Trying new exercises are very important because it provides the muscles you are working with the opportunity to train with a different stimulus.  Many people who are well acclimated to the gym often struggle to incorporate variation into their exercise program.  Variation is important because it allows the central nervous system to respond to a different movement and may train the muscle better at a certain point in the range of motion. 

How Can I Try New Exercises?

If you are at the gym, we have many different members on the fitness staff with loads of experience that are equipped to provide you with new exercises.  Just come up to the trainer and simply “ask what is an exercise that targets the hamstring”, and the fitness staff member may suggest movements such as a good morning, hip thrust, or a Nordic hamstring curl.  So, never hesitate to ask about new exercises to implement into your routine. 

How Should these Movements be Incorporated?

Incorporating these movements may be beneficial at the beginning of a workout in the warmup doing one set of ten.  This will allow the body to learn how to do the movement with a light load and it will warm up the muscles being used for exercise.  Once you get the hang of these movements, you can input them into your workout scheme, and increase the load as needed to properly stimulate your muscles. 

Overall, variation is the spice of life.  Trying new exercises will allow you to push your body to the next level and may help you experience new gains if you are beginning to plateau.  As a reminder, never hesitate to ask the fitness staff for advice when it comes to trying new exercises.