Muscles Don’t Just Move You
Often we think of muscles being separated into two categories: muscles that create motion and muscles that resist motion. That’s partly true, but not the whole picture; pay attention because this will influence the sorts of exercises you choose to include in your program.
Typically the big more surface layer muscles would be consdiered the ones that create motion and the smaller, deeper muscles are the ones that resist motion or stabilise joints while the big guys take care of business. There is some truth to this, in that the smaller and deeper muscles usually have less leverage over the joint and although can effect motion, are not really going to create it with much gusto or umph.
Lets use some examples to demonstrate what im talking about, lets look at a big surface muscle like the lats, starting at the thoracolumbar facsia (lower back, upper pelvis) and making thier way to the bicipital groove midway down the humerus (upper arm) we have a huge distance and therefore leverage over the GH (shoulder) joint to create force. Lets contrast that with a smaller muscle like the supraspinatus (one of your rotator cuff muscles) this muscle sits above the arm bone and helps to pull it into the socket and keep it stable BUT and this gives the whole game away, it also produces motion (albiet not much) by helping to pull your arm out to the side (abduction).
So why does this even matter? Because we have no separate categories of joint movers and joint stabilisers; both small and large muscles do both jobs at different times, and we want to train both capacities. This doesn’t mean you need to have a lat stabilisation day, or a session devoted to training your supraspinatus through its small range, here is my recommendation to make sure you can train both properties of motion and stability without spending hours in the gym.
Dont JUST use machines.
Do some external/internal rotation work, even just one set to failure twice a week. The same goes for hip abduction and adduction. Sprinkle it in.
Give yourself a small stability challenge; work towards being able to do exercises like walking lunges, single-arm rows and landmine presses.
Work towards one exercsie that requires a high degree of core bracing.
Do some trunk work, rotational and bending front to back agaibn doesnt need to be 4 sets, just 2 sets twice a week.
Follow these steps, and you will be covering your bases from a muscle growth stimulus but also from a more holisitic complete muscle function perspective.
