What's Different About This Stuff? - Strength Concepts

 

When the first version of The Whartons' Strength Book was released, the fitness industry was extremely faddish.  New programs and products were coming on the market at a frenzied pace and many of these programs were causing a range of muscular injuries.  Strength training was either a variation of body building designed for an aesthetic or "sculptured" look or fitness machinery that was simply designed to move people along a line at a fitness center (in some cases, actually detraining the user).  Also, around this time the awareness of the role of strength training in terms of overall health was limited to studies on bone density and balance, especially in older populations.  In the athletic arenas strength training was not yet mainstream for endurance athletes and it (strength training) had not yet returned to its roots in kinesiology.  The various camps were also very fractured.  

Today there is heightened awareness of the importance of balance and stability and - although there is disagreement as to exactly how that should be achieved - there is a general  undercurrent of acceptance and consensus.  There is a more rapidly revolving door of buzzwords, fads, and so on, but strength training has returned to an understanding of the importance of looking at the entire kinetic chain.  Health-related stresses of modern living are also adding to the urgency of the topic and there is a greater need to understand the nature of postural misalignment, repetitive stress, and strength imbalances.  Strength training professionals are learning to build their clients from the ground up addressing the entire apparatus rather just a handful of major muscles.  This is very encouraging.

Health is not a fad; it never has been and never will be.  Active isolated strength training is based upon the same fundamental principle of active isolated flexibility - all muscles work in pairs, an agonist and antagonist.  The Whartons Strength Zone ® is focused on muscular re-education and overall musculoskeletal balance, making it a comprehensive program in itself and/or a vital precursor and adjunct to other strength programs or processes. Integration of the work into your life will allow you to experience the full benefit of your training program and achieve new levels of health and wellness.