We are always striving to find a way to be able to remain active , look good and stay healthy , all within the limited time of our crazy everyday lives and schedules. When we make the decision to take better care of ourselves for whatever reasons, how we go about that is where most people fall short and very rarely make it through the first few months. The tendency is to be overly aggressive and unrealistic with our goals , and eventually we throw our arms up in defeat whether it be from lack of will power and motivation or worst of all, we’ve picked up an unwanted injury or two.

On the other hand, we have those who have been in the game for an extended period of time, whether it be slaving away on the treadmill or dragging themselves through the same strength routine day after day, month after month. And no doubt, this is better than not doing anything at all, but the downside to this approach is that progress will be slow or non existent, and eventually become frustrating.

Because we are creatures of habit, we tend to stick to the things we are ‘comfortable ‘ doing , and sooner or later our lack of variety in movement and activity will lead to overuse injuries , dysfunctional movement patterns and almost guaranteed injuries or pain/discomfort while doing the simplest of everyday tasks. ( How many times have you heard about someone hurting their back just picking a pencil up from the floor?? )

Here at Power Of Three Fitness, to help you get the most from your fitness program, we use a more comprehensive, well rounded approach which includes what we see as The 5 Core Pillars of Fitness, which are :

  • Train All Qualities of Fitness

  • Movements, Not Muscles

  • Strength Is The Foundation

  • Don't Add Strength On Top of Dysfunction

  • Train With A Purpose

You can take a more in depth look at each individual pillar, what they mean, and how we can implement them into your fitness routine below.

1. Train All Qualities of Fitness

Our first pillar is that you train all qualities of fitness. It's easy to get stuck in a routine of doing the same sort of thing all the time. Forms of exercise like Yoga, running, or strength training alone are all fantastic and can serve a purpose as a piece of your fitness program, but they're not comprehensive enough to be a one size fits all approach. Our approach is to combine every quality into one comprehensive program in the appropriate dosage for you and your goals. These qualities are:

  • Mobility

  • Agility

  • Power

  • Strength

  • Endurance

What we find is that over time as we age and settle into lifestyles with work and our routines that we start to lose some of these qualities that we once had. Our mobility, ability to move quickly, and general endurance all decrease amongst other things. So while you may look at this list and think, 'some of those things aren't for me', we see it as an opportunity to fill a gap and keep you moving and feeling better while you work towards your individual fitness goals.

 2. Train Movements, Not Muscles

Our second pillar is that we train movements, not muscles. Traditionally, strength training was thought of as isolating specific muscle groups with machines or through direct, single jointed exercises like biceps curls or leg extensions. Instead, we prefer to prioritize compound exercises that involve multiple muscle groups through major movement patterns such as:

  • Hinge - Deadlifts, RDLs, Kettlebell Swings, etc.

  • Squat - Goblet Squat, Barbell Back Squat, etc.

  • Push - Push-ups, Bench Press, Overhead Press, etc.

  • Pull - Pull-ups, Rows, etc.

  • Single Leg - Lunges, Step-ups, Single Leg Squats, etc.

  • Loaded Carried - Farmer’s Carry, Waiter’s Walk , Rack Carry etc.

These kind of movements are designed to get the most out of your time spent in the gym so you get stronger, move better, and improve your body composition all at the same time so you leave the gym feeling successful.

3. Strength is the Foundation of Fitness

Our third pillar is that strength is the foundation of your fitness. Building off of the last pillar, if we're going to prioritize compound movement patterns like the hinge, squat, push, pull, single leg movements and loaded carries, then it makes sense to also prioritize strength in our fitness routine since that's what these movements are ideal for improving. Recent research continues to suggest that not only does strength training improve lean muscle mass and function, but it's also ideal for goals like weight loss, improving body composition and endurance training as well. So, while we will always try to incorporate mobility, agility, power, and endurance training in our programs we know that improving your strength through the major movement patterns will have the biggest overall impact on your success so we prioritize it within your training.

4. Don't Put Strength on Top of Dysfunction

Our fourth pillar is that we don't add strength on top of dysfunction. Our bodies are always going to find a way to take the path of least resistance to accomplish movement in the easiest way possible. Unfortunately, this is often not the most optimal way and we end up developing a compensation pattern to accomplish the task, which could lead to nagging injuries long term. With that in mind, while we've already discussed that strength is the foundation of fitness, without good quality of movement it just isn't possible. Focusing on building or improving the way you move first is essential before we start adding challenging load on top of that, particularly in cases of movements done at high speed, high load, or end ranges of motion.

We will focus on this through:

  • Self Myofascial Release - Foam rolling or other tools such as a lacrosse/tennis ball, massage stick, etc.

  • Mobility / Flexibility - Static and dynamic drills designed to target areas that are limited in range of motion

  • Activation / Movement Prep - Used to prepare and strengthen specific muscle groups or movement patterns in preparation for strength training

  • Intelligent Exercise Selection - Picking exercises that meet you where you're at and allow you to progressively improve in terms of quality of movement, range of motion, and ability to load.

5. Train with a Purpose

Our fifth and final pillar is that you train with a purpose. Probably the most important and under looked pillar of the five is that you establish and understand goals for your training that give purpose to your fitness journey. Working out just because you think you're supposed to, may be effective for a while, but most people with this mindset fall off the wagon fast when they begin to lose a sense of motivation for what they're doing and why it's important. Creating a sense of 'why' comes from establishing clear goals for your fitness. Whether it's to gain strength, lose fat and improve body composition, or to improve your performance in some other aspect of life, having this will make your purpose more clear and give meaning to your workouts over time.

Some examples of goals our current clients at Power Of Three Fitness have are:

  • Perform my first unassisted pull-up

  • Keep up with your kids and family

  • Complete my first Triathlon

  • Compete in a powerlifting meet

  • Be in the best shape of my life for my wedding

  • Learn newer and more advanced lifting techniques

Regardless of the type of goal you choose, the point is that rather than going to the gym and slaving away on a cardio machine or aimlessly picking free weight exercises for the day, you have a purposeful routine to follow that you know is bringing you closer to your goals through measurable outcomes.