What's a repetition?
I know you're probably thinking, "Why is he writing about something so mundane?"
I once suffered from a little known syndrome called "familiaritis" (I'm making this up so you won't find it on Google). This occurs when you hear a word or a phrase that you think you know; that sounds so familiar that you think you actually do know when, in reality, if you had to explain it in detail, you might not know as much as you think.
So, when I first heard terms like "degenerative disc disease" or "osteoarthritis" or even more common "back pain", I recognized the words from my training and schooling, had a weak mental picture of it but that's as about as far as I could take it. If you had asked me to explain the disease process, the tissue damage, what makes the tissues healthier, what are the stories that people tell with these problems, I would have little sound coming from my mouth.
Now that you know about familiaritis, let's go back to the word "repetition".
What's a repetition?
Some definitions are:
- the act of doing or performing again.
- the number of times a motion for an exercise is completed.
- one complete movement of an exercise from start to finish.
But, these definitions are missing something important - how the movement is performed. You can complete a movement with your body flailing about or you can complete it under control. A well performed repetition is one performed under control. In other words, a repetition is one complete movement of an exercise from to start to finish with good form and control.
Why is this important? With any exercise, you're training the central nervous system; developing habits. Some of these habits, like learning how to control movement, will then transfer into your life. How you lift a trash can, carry your daughter, shovel snow - they all involve movement that you have to control to prevent injury and function optimally.
So, what does, "good form and control" mean? Biomechanically, it means controlling the axis of motion of all joints involved whether those joints are moving or not. When you control the axis of motion, the movement pattern appears smooth, graceful, and pleasing to the eye. You know a beautifully executed dance by watching it. When you fail to control any individual axis, the total pattern degrades.
A good example of this is squatting on one leg. The ankle, knee, hip, pelvis, and trunk all must be controlled. You may be able to squat one one leg without pain. But, if your pelvis drops to one side or sways or you have more movement in your hip than your knee, you have not performed a repetition. You performed something; I just wouldn't call it a repetition.
Pay attention to how you perform movements and make sure you (or your client) control the axis of rotation to qualify for a repetition.
