Does Exercise Technique Matter?
Believe it or not there’s a segment of physical therapists that actually believe technique doesn’t matter since the human body is infinitely adaptable.
To an extent there’s some truth to that.
If you had a limp, you could probably use the principles of progressive overload and eventually run a mile with said limp.
But at what cost?
Let’s say you have a hurt left knee. Having a limp could potentially
make the limp worse
overuse the right side since it’s working harder
irritate the left hip and ankle since they are working harder
make your back hurt because you’re uneven
make you run REALLY slow
Why are you limping?!
So does technique matter?
The positives of exercise technique
Efficiency. Good technique is mechanically efficient. Usually it relates to straight lines and gravity.
Durability. By exercising with good technique, you develop the CORRECT muscles through a FULL range of motion.
Performance. Better efficiency + durability = better performance
The negatives of exercise technique
Real life doesn’t always let you do things “right”
If you’ve ever changed a tire or had to move out of a 3rd story apartment, you realized not everything is put in easy to reach places where perfect technique is an option.
The hope is that you’re strong enough to withstand those awkward postures, and limit your injury risk WHEN you have to be in them.
It’s highly individualized.
I coach and teach people to lift weights every day. To get you to FEEL the same stimulus I have to cue the exercise to YOUR body, not the opposite. Sometimes that requires me to
Completely throw an exercise variation out
Intensity CHANGES technique. When you add intensity (speed, fatigue, load) your body will recruit muscles differently anyway. A body weight squat, a 135# squat, and a 405# squat are three DIFFERENT movements as far as the body is concerned.
Obviously technique matters
SO I tricked you, there’s really no negatives to having good exercise technique. The “negatives” i listed are just nuances to stress the factors involved in fixing technique. Good technique balances
physics
your own body proportions
the goal of the activity you are doing
The way I approach “technique” is I look at it as skill. Do you have the SKILL to manipulate your body through space.
Before I can actually fix an injury, I have to make sure you have the SKILL to do the movement correctly.
We can’t progress it unless you do.
This is excellent information! Especially the working through full ROM and varying the way you work out parts. I’ve recently started doing more body weight workouts with very high reps and I’m shocked at how sore I get sometimes, but it’s my body reacting to a different stimulus. Now if I could just get my husband to work on his hip ROM....