When fatigue gives way to exhaustion you’re left with nothing but instinct to sustain you. When this happens will your precise and focused training support you and allow you to power through, or will your shortcuts and “good enough” reps let you down? The choice is yours to make everyday you step into the gym. Here are 5 reasons why focusing on movement quality in your training sessions will create better results.
1. Focus and Intent
When you really attach yourself to your movement and focus you’ll create a deeper mind body connection. This connection is the reason why gymnasts are so quick to learn new skills. With conscious effort towards your best quality movement daily you’ll be able to buckle down when it counts. You will gain the ability to will your body to perform how you want. If you always let things spin out of control when it gets tough, it’s not a big stretch to imagine what will happen in a competitive setting.
2. Safety
Quality movement is more safe than haphazard movement. The less often you can put yourself in an unnecessarily dangerous situation the better. Always remember that the purpose of training is to prepare for competition. If you get hurt this interferes with your preparation. And if you get hurt seriously, or often, this can be a major hit to the psyche. Any time you train to push limits there will be risks, but if your movement quality comes first and foremost those risks will be calculated and far more likely to reward you with growth and development.
3. Base Building
If exercise can be compared to the shape of a pyramid, this should make a ton of sense. The bigger your base the taller your fitness can grow. If that base is composed of rock solid movement you’ll maximize your potential. If that same base is composed of weak, inconsistent movement everything is going to come crashing down and you’ll be forced to rebuild time and again until you fix the structure.
4. Movement transfer
Good movement begets good movement. If your gymnastics are solid and you develop great core control you’ll have no trouble learning squats. If your lifting with the empty barbell is as precise and methodical as when you are going for a PR your control and coordination on gymnastics will develop more naturally as well. Too often I see lifters go through the motions with the empty bar only to try and focus once the weight is heavy to predictable results. Be perfect. Every time you move and you’ll have nothing to change when challenges arise.
5. Competition Preparation
In competition there are stingy judges, unexpected rule changes, bad weather, and basically every other bad situation imaginable. If you train to perform to the highest standard on a daily basis you’ll be above and beyond any requirement that can be expected of you. Plus you’ll be used to the self-imposed pressure of having an expectation daily and minimize the stress of competition. Too many times I’ve seen well-known athletes argue with judges on the competition floor, or place blame on others after the fact. Take care of yourself and you won’t be that guy/girl.
6. Pacing
Different races and events can require multiple contraction types of very similar movement patterns. If you only have one speed you’ll be easily tripped up by simple variation in contractions like climbing up a hill. It sounds simple, but if you pay attention to your movement you’ll realize you can shift between fast and hard contractions to fast and quick and back again seamlessly. The ability to consciously recognize this in training will allow for better preparation and in competition allow you to adapt quickly when, not if, things take unexpected turns and you have to grind.
Bonus – Margin for Error
This is a bonus, because it pairs with safety and every other item on this list. Things rarely if ever go perfect. This goes for training and competition alike. If you are doing your best to move very well and things get out of hand you’re still in the acceptable range for getting work done. Having a buffer for safe, effective and efficient movement will allow you to accommodate and learn from the hiccups in training and become a better athlete for it.
So there you have it. Moving well will keep your training effective and safe and create better transfer to all your movements and endeavors down the road. Keep your focus sharp and be prepared to shine when it comes to crunch time.
