How Understanding the Nervous System is Revolutionizing Workouts

How do you know that the workouts or exercises you are choosing for your clients are benefitting them?  Is it as simple as asking them if they hurt?  Or how they feel?  

Does leaving them in a pile of sweat prove a healthy workout?  How do you know? 

When this question was first posed to me, I answered it like every other trainer.  "They left not in pain or they work hard."  I would even go as far as to say, "They came in with some pain again, but they left feeling better." 

I'm sure you even have your standard ways of understanding what makes a great workout. 

 In the ever-evolving world of fitness, gone are the days of one-size-fits-all workout routines and standard cliche answers to what a great workout means. 

Today, with more coaches adding Neurology to their evolving toolbox, the focus has shifted towards a very personalized and nuanced approach to physical training that is transforming what it means to 'personalize' training sessions.

Clients are now able to FEEL and SEE significant changes instantly to their bodies. 

How do we educate coaches and trainers to open the dialogue to their clients' bodies in today's ever-evolving ‘ Ask Dr. Google’ world?

We open a dialogue with the client's nervous system which is controlling everything BELOW THE NECK.

This is achieved by using areas of the brain that are stimulated through your vision, vestibular (inner ear), or even breathing drills, to help calm the brain and nervous system allowing someone to move and feel better.

The truth of the matter when it comes to “programming’ for clients, it's very hard to adhere to a rigid health plan.  Today's life stressors and clients' needs are forcing coaches to adapt and respond to the daily unique changes of each individual. 

The key is to recognize that every person's body and nervous system respond differently to various exercises and stimuli, based on what life is giving them IN THE MOMENT.

The question all our coaches ask is; ‘ how do you know what to do? How much? HOW DO WE KNOW IF IT IS WORKING?”

The answer boils down to the nervous system and how it responds to the exercise stimulus and how can we continue to get our clients to move forward and leave better than when they came in.

Gone are the days of beating clients into submission, but being able to give them exactly what their bodies need so they leave better than when they came in.

Our role as fitness professionals is to observe and assess these responses, asking ourselves whether the introduced change positively benefits the client or leaves their nervous system less than pleased.

By seamlessly integrating neurology and biomechanical training into a continuous feedback loop, we gain insights that guide our next steps, significantly reducing the guesswork inherent in traditional training methods.

In this dynamic approach, if a particular system or exercise doesn't resonate with a client's nervous system on a given day, there's no need to push through.

How do you know if it resonated?  We teach all our students how to instantly assess and reassess the nervous system and body in real-time.

Unlike the conventional mindset of sticking to a predetermined plan, today's neuro landscape allows for flexibility and alternatives to ALL modalities of exercise and fitness.

For instance, if lunges were on the agenda but the client's knee is giving them trouble, there's no need to stubbornly persist.  Instead, you have the freedom to explore their nervous system, see if your course of action is working, and get them feeling better instantly. 

This adaptive approach eliminates the necessity of benching an entire workout due to a specific issue. Instead of waiting for physical discomfort to fade before revisiting the concern, you can smoothly transition to alternative neuro exercises. This way, your clients can continue training without pain, maintaining forward momentum in their fitness journey.

It's a more intuitive and responsive approach that puts the individual's well-being at the forefront.

The days of rigid workout routines and pushing through discomfort are behind us.

Embracing a more personalized and adaptive approach to physical training not only enhances the overall experience for clients but also fosters a healthier and more sustainable fitness journey.

So, the next time you're considering your workout plan, remember – it's not just about what you do but how well it suits your body and nervous system today.

Our next mentorship cohort will be launching in late January.  Click this link to learn more about our education program.

If you want to see this assessment process in action, our Neuro Functional Strength Coach is the place to check it out.