Watching the Olympics has been inspiring and when we see athletes at the peak of their careers; they make it look so easy, that we can’t help wondering how different we are from these elite athletes.
Without being facetious and talent aside, there is little difference between an extraordinary exerciser and an Olympic Athlete.
Dedication, focus, and personal responsibility are fundamental to Olympiads as they are to us. Olympiads are hungry to learn how to achieve the competitive edge.
We as exercisers are extraordinary, also hungry to make exercise part of our life, we are dedicated, focused and take personal responsibility for our fitness.
We are, according to the Australian Bureau of Statistics part of the elite 30% of the population that engages in regular exercise. Those of you who are over 75, you are extraordinarily elite, only 12% of this population engages in exercise.
Our gold at Square Box Fitness is to live an active, healthy and engaged life well into our 100’s! Let’s get started!
Why Deadlift?
The squat and deadlift are perhaps the two most functional movements we know as humans.
If we think about how many times in a single day we sit down, stand up, bend over to pick something up off the ground, we will recognise the cues we give in class and realise it is not an easy process to “get right.”
These exercises like all natural human movements result from complex physiological movement pattern requiring symmetry and coordination across multiple joints.
The difference between the squat and the deadlift is that the deadlift works the muscles that we don’t see in the mirror and are crucial to anti-aging.
5 Benefits of the Deadlift
- Promotes Visceral Fat Loss: The deadlift recruits the largest muscles in the body, eliciting a huge calorie burn during and after exercise, particularly around the abdomen.
- Better Posture and Corrects High Heel Syndrome: Deadlifts can help balance the forward tilting of the pelvis caused by long-term wearing of high heels. Strengthens back muscles that help maintain the spine in an upright position.
- Safe and Prevents Injury: Deadlifts recruit the posterior muscles and help stabilise joints and rehabilitate muscle imbalances. Deadlifts prevent injuries by increasing the strength of the muscles around critical tendons and ligaments.
- Improves Grip Strength: The deadlift builds grip; your hands and fingers are the only things connecting you to the weight of the bar. Your forearms have to work incredibly hard to keep the bar from falling out of your hands.
- Increases Production of Human Growth Hormones: The deadlift uses many muscles and forces the pituitary gland to produce human growth hormones that help grow and repair muscles, promote tissue healing and bone strength.
The deadlift looks scary, heavy and impossible to lift, but with correct coaching you will be able to lift the bar easily and take your fitness to exciting new levels.
In my honest opinion, the hardest, most grueling and mentally exhausting lift, is the lift out of bed in the morning….congratulations to all of you who recognise early morning exercise as essential to winning fitness gold!!
I leave you this week with words by Pierre de Coubertin considered the father of the modern Olympics.
He founded the International Olympic Committee in 1894 on the idea that sportsmanship instills national pride and worldwide cooperation can promote peace and prevent conflict.
The Pierre de Coubertin medal is awarded to athletes who best embody sportsmanship and has only been awarded 17 times in history and not at every Olympic games.
We have to wait and see if the 2016 Rio Olympics will see the awarding of the prestigious 18th medal!
The human spirit soars with hope when lifted by an encouraging word. The important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.
Live well and eat well!
Anna
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