Well helllloooo there!
Coach Will stoppin' by to say hey, and letting you in one of the biggest keys that I know when it comes to training your body, yet one that is SOOOO easy to lose sight of: respecting your nervous system.
See, it doesn't matter how awesome the workout is... if your nervous system isn't feeling safe, you're gonna be stopped at a red light.
No matter how much you might want a certain movement or position, if your body isn't feeling safe--a bottom baseline--it's really not worth pushing through. Not for one more set, one more inch of stretch, one more rep.
Instead, you'll need to zoom on how to proceed with a little LESS.
And the way your body let's you know to STOP (and adjust) is as diverse and varied as we humans are, tho fortunately there are some common overlaps that clue us in...
pain
trouble breathing calmly
limbs 'falling asleep'
general feelings of anxiety
even dizziness/nausea.
In each case, your body is doing its best to send physical signals that while it's possible to go further, it likely won't go so well.
This gets especially tricky when you actually feel like you NEED a certain position to get your workout in--like that shoulder shape to hang from a bar, or that hip shape to squat down low.
Which is why we are continuously reminding our students that you gotta hunt out your range, your positions, that allow you to feel safe, solid and ready to work.
Going beyond that--disrespecting your Current You--is a short-term play that doesn't serve Future You.
Luckily, there is another way, and it allllll starts with getting a sense of where your 'safe zone' actually is at each joint.
Yes, I'm talking--again--about CARs (Controlled Articular Rotations). If they're new for you, try some out on your body.
Then, once you get into that open, respectful 'conversation' with your bod, your next steps become much, MUCH more clear:
shore up any spots that need some love (aka more range-of-motion, more control or strength, etc)
choose 'fitness' movements that work WITHIN your useable ranges, and don't push past the zone that your nervous system is happy with.
This can be a tricky concept to get the hang of, mostly because it is SO outside the mainstream fitness world (which tells us to 'suck it up' and push through those STOP signs).
But the payoff is worth it when you start to feel how a happy, secure, and trusting nervous system lets you move.
In your corner, Coach Will