Check Your Focal Point
In my years as a personal trainer, I’ve worked with thousands of people to help them move better and stronger, both in the gym and in daily life. I am most passionate about teaching people how to squat (or squat better).
The oldest client I worked on squatting with was a 97-year-old woman who mentioned in every session how much she wanted to stand from a chair without using her hands. The youngest was a 13-year-old boy, very eager to lift weights and parents wise enough to hire a coach to teach him the fundamentals before setting him loose in a weight room.
Regardless of age or gender, one thing is typical. When we move intentionally, we tend to fix our gaze on a given spot. Most people look straight ahead and find a spot on a wall or an object to look at as they perform a movement. In the case of a squat, a spot straight ahead of you when you’re standing is going to be above your head when you’re in the squat.
A neutral neck position is vital to maintain a fully braced spine. So much so that when we look up (cervical spine extension), we cannot effectively brace the lumbar spine (low back).
Yes, I’m nerding out here on body positioning. Stay with me…
In my work as a trainer, people progress toward their goals when they are able to move more weight. Thus, I’m constantly assessing when our clients are ready for a heavier sandbag, dumbbell, or kettlebell.
In fact, one woman at the gym loves to quip to other members, “If she [me] asks you if you want more weight, don’t hesitate or she’ll just bring you more.”
But an assessment of body position always precedes the assessment of weight. Because if any of us is not properly braced to move well under weight, injury and pain aren’t far behind.
One of my most frequent cues at the gym is, “Tuck your chin.”
When I say this, I’m reminding clients to not look up during a movement when their bodies are moving downward. A lower beginning focal point must be found in order to maintain bracing throughout a movement like a squat.
This very same principle applies elsewhere in life. We can have the very best of intentions, believe that we are doing a task correctly, and still be wrong.
Sometimes being wrong hurts us physically. Sometimes being wrong sets us back from reaching our goals. Other times, being wrong slowly drains our sense of peace.
The correct focal point isn’t always obvious.
Looking straight ahead isn’t always going to get you closer to your goal.
Finding the right focal point often requires taking a step back to either self-assess or to ask for feedback from a trusted source.
Adjustments in focus can require you to try different approaches. Try to resist fear or pride getting in the way of getting it right.
Time changes us, our goals, and our desires. Remember that you matter and sometimes the hardest permission to come by is the permission you give yourself to grow, change, and live your life in the way that best aligns with your purpose.
It is, after all, your life.
