A Softer Touch

Some of you may know that in the last several years I have pivoted away from teaching purely yoga, and now much more of my personal movement practice and how I train clients is based on Pilates and strength training. I have recently embarked on a six month study program to become a Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.

And while I already had and have been accruing more knowledge about exercise technique, I had an epiphany this week in my favorite weighted workout class. Lately I have been doing a lot of weighted workouts at home or on the gym floor and suffering from very tight forearms after upper body exercises. I had figured this was simply the result of using heavier weights as I was getting stronger.

But while doing bicep curls, I realized I couldn’t feel the muscle on the front of the upper arm that I was supposed to be feeling during the exercise. I was gripping my hands so tightly that I was only using my forearms to lift the weights. As the reps progressed, I let my fingers relax so the weights rolled across my palms as I lifted and lowered them. And I began to feel the biceps doing the work. However much I think I have figured out, there is always more to learn, and I usually learn it by feeling it in my own body.

It was a good reminder for me, and now I’m passing it along to you, to relax your grip. Whether it’s weight training or a potential opportunity or project or a relationship, relax your grip and see if what’s supposed to be working is working all on its own.