As a student of exercise science, I love that question. It reminds me of when I was a kid and I bought my first Judo book. I was convinced I could teach myself Judo from that one book! After all, every move was printed out with diagrams… just follow the dotted lines, practice & I’m a pro, right? My first day on a Judo mat taught me different! I was stuck in the mat like a lawn dart (remember those?!) again & again & again. It was a great class, staring up at the ceiling tiles…
I know what you’re thinking; exercise is much easier than Judo, dancing, tennis or skiing, but isn’t it the people who get some sort of formal instruction that excel in these sports? Why do people think fitness is any different? I love it when I see people at my gym walking around with some fitness book or the latest issue of Men’s Health & then ask me how to do some exercise they found in it. I mean, hey, I’m the owner & I’m happy to help all of my members whenever I can (try finding that at a franchise club!), but there are just so many things about fitness training you just can’t learn from a book, magazine or even a video.
You can’t see adduction of your femur in the eccentric phase of a squat. You most likely wouldn’t know what exercise to do if your ankle is everting in a rear lunge. You might not even know what all these words mean in regards to your body at all! Some things, like the necessary progressions, proper technique or corrective exercises to fix muscle imbalances, just need to be learned one on one.
Hey, I know that all these books, dvds, an information on the internet are getting people moving and I think that’s great! God knows people need to move more & eat healthier so take the motivation wherever you can get it! But if you aren’t sure about exactly what movements to do to reach your goals, it’s worth your while to look into an exercise professional. Think of it as an investment in your future.
Add life to your years!

Larry