The Importance of Asking Why

WHY? This is a question that is not asked very often by strength coaches, trainers and more importantly clients.

The Health and Fitness industry is booming, which is excellent for people who are looking for help in reaching their goals.

WHY? Competition increases value for consumers in a given market.  Therefore, there are more options and that industry has to continue to get better to retain and get clients.

This can also be confusing for consumers; with a booming industry, there are also people who jump in with empty promises, gimmicks and high pressure marketing.

Next time you are at the gym, reading an article or getting advice, ask yourself- WHY is this important for me? Will it help me in reaching my goals?

 If it doesn't help you ignore it, focus on what is going to help you. If you are not sure, ask the person giving the advice. Someone truly passionate, as well as knowledgeable, will enjoy the discussion and will be able to tell you WHY it can help you achieve your goals!

Ex. If your main goal is body composition, WHY would you be focusing on Olympic Lifts to accomplish this? Olympic Lifts are excellent for building power, but are not the most efficient way to improve body composition. It takes a lot of time to learn the lifts and they provide less tension, which is needed in increasing lean body mass.

Ex. If you are a hockey player and have poor range of motion why would you be performing half squats? Most hockey players have a strength imbalance between their quads and hamstrings. This imbalance leads to increased chances of injuries and a loss in performance.

Guess what muscles half squats predominately work? The quads. Leading to increased strength discrepancies between the quads and hamstrings.

Asking WHY might put you outside your comfort zone, but it will be worth it! The more you ask, the better you will get at it! Use the advantages of a competitive market to help you reach your goals versus letting it lead you astray.