Has anyone had a silly “lightbulb” moment while exercising?

@leon007 This is exactly it for me! I never understood how people could listen to podcasts while they run. Then I slowed down and it was a complete ah-ha moment
 
@fewgo This makes sense!!! I've always been a super slow runner. Never compete or anything, just run to stay in shape.

I never work out to music. Mostly podcasts and lately I've been rowing and watching reality tv 🤷‍♀️

I like to physically zone out, which really helps me mentally focus on something. I can really only listen to podcasts when I'm driving or exercising.
 
@m32s More sports than working out, but I've spent my entire adult life convinced I can't throw at all with my dominant arm because I can't fully extend my elbow. And my throws did look like a 4-year-old's (like an actual 4-year-olds, I was lucky if I got the ball 5 feet).

I was messing around at my bf's first baseball practice of the season, and he comes over and moves my arm so it's actually coming up and...I can throw. I mean, I'm never going to make a good outfielder, but I can throw it as far as I need to in the infield just fine. It wasn't the elbow thing, I just had no idea how to throw. It sounds like a stupid thing, but I'm still super excited about it, and now I get to play, which I'm also really excited about. How the hell did I get through half my life without anyone teaching me how to throw a ball? It literally took him less than a minute to explain to me what I hadn't figured out in my entire life of thinking I just permanently sucked.
 
@christoph2005 I’m a very unathletic person, and I hope it’s because of this lol. I didn’t play many sports because I was shy and uncoordinated, so I never really learned how to play them, and now I still feel shy and uncoordinated about sports. But it would be fun to find a group of adults to play soccer with here and there if I can figure out how lol
 
@christoph2005 I feel like adults forget that kids need to be taught how to do things lol. They just assume a kid comes out of the womb knowing how to throw lol.

I grew up playing softball and we were constantly adjusting and learning how to throw better as we got older. I can throw a softball, but got made fun of for not throwing a perfect spiral with a football. I’m like no one taught me how to do this lol.

Same thing with push-ups. Gym teachers just expect you to know what you’re doing in middle school without teaching proper form.
 
@m32s Yes! I have always struggled with overhead press. I sort of figured that I just didn’t like that exercise, that it’s just a really awkward movement. BUT, about two weeks ago, I put my hands closer together, off of the “grippy” part of the barbell, and WOW what a difference! I also PRed and now I can actually enjoy pushing myself on overhead presses.
 
@m32s All the time! Mostly postural things, I have S curved scoliosis. A lot related to engaging abs/glutes and arches. Relaxing jaw, recognizing tension patterns.

When I integrate and everything just does what it’s supposed to efficiently (e.g, in cat cow, kettlebell swings or deadlifts, yoga vinyasas), it’s awesome. Like discovering new options I didn’t know were there.
 
@livingtildead I also have S curve scoliosis! I need a mirror or someone else to tell me when I'm standing straight, and lines on the ground so I'm actually moving straight, and it took me ages to figure out that I could, in fact, activate both sides at the same time without it being totally uneven, and at some point something clicked and now I can do it fairly symmetrically.
 
@m32s Bench press being a whole body movement.

I would honestly say that the majority of the time I see people bench pressing they really aren't engaging their legs at all.

Loads of videos that I have seen on IG and, ahem, also on this forum, show me women who are benching with their upper body only, and often with a total lack of tension.

When you are benching your whole body should be tight, and curved at least a little bit, like a bow ready to shoot an arrow. Your arms, core, shoulders and glutes should be tight and engaged. Your hands should be gripping the bar as hard as they can, and using loads of pressure in your pinkies in order to engage the lats.

Benching isn't a movement where you just kinda let the bar complete a controlled fall onto your chest and then you push it back up, anymore than a squat is a movement where you fall into the hole and then hope you have the strength to stand back up again.
 
@acer621 I was dying watching this teenager bench this morning while I was warming up on the treadmill. His set up was all wrong, wasn't performing an arc motion with barbell, barbell was wobbling like crazy because he didn't stabilize his shoulders, not using his legs at all. His dad was spotting and coaching him and wasn't giving him any good tips. He also only rested about 30 seconds between sets. Of course I would never say anything, but it's so frustrating to watch.
 
@thebadcatholic You just described me bench pressing...minus the extra motivational support. I always thought, this wobbling can’t be right. I’ve been telling myself I should get a trainer to help with proper form, and I think this really shows I need it.
 
@zg713 This video helped me a ton with my bench form.

A trainer isn't a bad idea though. I worked out with one for about a year when I was getting back into lifting a few years ago after a long break.
 
@acer621 I just tried this today and it changed my lift entirely! Easily added another 10kg. I’m surprised I was never taught that considering I was in the weight lifting team in high school...
 
@extinguishedessence I always pretend during the rep that I’m trying to break the bar in half in the middle, and punch the broken ends through the ceiling. It’s a ridiculous visual but it helps me!
 
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