(Re-post from Carmen's NEW site: www.carmenbott.com)
By Carmen Bott

These questions go out to my peers: When did the basics get lost? What has happened to weightlifting, (you know: lifting weights) in the traditional sense? Where did the squat go? Where is the deadlift hiding? And why have they been made complicated with some strange looking half ball thing called a BOSU? Why are we adding, what appears to be: "variety for the sake of variety" to our client's training programs?

With over 15 years of industry experience under my belt and over 45 years experienced combined within the Human Motion Team we are all amazed at the number of circus-act drills we see these days in the gym.

Here are some of Human Motion's favorite examples of complicating the obvious and adding variety to a workout.

1. Kettlebells AND bands. Swinging a heavy iron ball is already difficult enough to control. Adding a band to it increases the risk of injury factor by 100%, not to mention changes the length tension curve of the skill altogether.

2. Let's not forget to do our bicep curls on the wobble board - why? Biceps curls are a waste of time, wobbly or not, when you could be grooming great guns doing chin-ups or cleans.

3. We see feats of great balance while landing with the aid of a mirror and all kinds of "fast feet drills" morphing into slow feet drills on the BOSU.

4. And Cliff's personal favorite combo: Power Cleans on the BOSU - very safe. I will keep my comments to myself on that one. Good grief.

Are we really going to fix someone's sacroiliac dysfunction by having them perform a back squat on top of a BOSU? It not only eliminates proper hip hinging and knee tracking, but also stretches the 'you-know-what' right out of their peroneals. There is a time and a place for proprioceptive training, but combining high loads and poor technique will do much more harm than good.

With this whole new trend in "functional strength," it seems like trainers and even a few conference speakers have taken it way too far. Weigh the costs and the benefits folks. Use equipment and training aids when and where they are required. There is a time and a place for instability. And do the demands of the exercise mimic the necessary function of that athlete and their sport? Or better yet, does the exercise transfer to the sport you are training for?

I know a back-to-basics approach may be boring for you're attention-deficit, thrill-seeking clients, but who is the boss here? You or them? Is it our job to provide variety, or are we here to produce results: improvements in strength, power, flexibility, mobility and body composition in a safe manner? I am going to bet on the latter and here's how we do it: Build strength through basic exercises: Squats, deadlifts, push-ups, pull-ups and pistols. Use your clever scientific mind and introduce changes in lever arm length, range of motion and absolute loading patterns to elicit higher adaptations. Keep your client's training program consistent and don't hit them with a million new drills every work-out. Ask yourself: what are they adapting to? Even the most elite athletes need consistency in their exercises. Actually, it is quite rewarding for the client to see gains in strength or mobility on the same drill over a time period. Add in variety by manipulating rest periods, sets,reps, loads and exercise order.

I am happy to help you - and you can check out my new website/blog at www.carmenbott.com where you will find free downloadable workouts to try yourself. Thanks for tuning in!