If you think you know your body, think again. 7 minute read.

I don't have a history of being an elite athlete, although I've done my fair share of pretty crazy stuff in sports and exercise. I haven't lost 10 stone in weight and transformed myself from fat to fit, I've always been lean and had a bit of muscle. I've never done an Iron-man triathlon event or a tough mudder even! These are things that you will find many successful Personal Trainers having done and people very much like that, a history of having practiced what they preach. You're more likely to pick a PT because of a link with what you want to achieve, that's just human nature in that it's how our brains work, in association.

When I was in my early 20's I was enjoying life, I exercised a lot, everyday for around 2-4 hours, I worked 50 hour weeks and partied all weekend and maybe hit the gym too. This I did for several years and throughout this time I soldiered on through the whole time with back pain. I had the ability to do pretty much whatever I wanted in sport and exercise and do it well but I never got away with it, the pain would get me every time.

I had learned a lot in this time about my body and about exercise, so much that I was acting as a Personal Trainer before even being qualified, I knew this was what I wanted to do for a living. I tried many things to strengthen up and get rid of the issues that led to pain. I did all sorts of therapies and saw many professionals, one of whom told me that I just had to live with it. The physios got me on 'in'stability balls doing core, the chiros crunched and tweaked my spine, the osteos said I was mostly fine, the masseurs pressed trigger points until I cried in more pain, the yogis got me doing the downward dog and twisting me this way and that, so on and so forth.

I knew there was an answer for me and I would keep searching and learning more about the human body and indeed my own body to help myself. The fact was that even though after over a decade exercising regularly, completing a degree in health and fitness and years in the fitness industry I still didn't know my own body, if you think you know your own body, think again, sometimes you will but sometimes it works in peculiar ways. 

There's a lot that you will know of course but also so much going on that we can't sense. Your body is wonderful, it's main purpose is to be able to carry on regardless. You will mostly just get used to how you are and adapt, that adaptation is what gets me excited the most about the body and it's why we can change an unfit person into an elite level athlete, you will get better at the things that you consistently do.

As a PT I knew there were many things I needed to know about my clients but couldn't quite put it all together. I picked up some bits of information from various sources but none had put it all together in a way that was really usable. I went to a fitness convention and booked in to see the talks given by a number of the worlds leaders in their fields to see if anyone could shed more light on the missing links I was looking for. I saw all the guru's that year: Greg Roskopf, Charles Poliquin, Douglas Brooks, Chuck Wolfe and more, all offering great practical approaches but all falling shy of what I was after.

Martin Haines was the most enlightening there for me, presenting his very own Intelligent Training System for the first time to an audience of fit pros. The ITS was a series of tests for the whole body, not reactive and all unassuming, addressing things in a systematic order and applying scientific support from research throughout. I bought into the course and attended the very first one in Bristol. The day after the course I went cycling and had no pain, from then I knew it was possible to release the issues from my tissues but as the course day was not specifically aimed at me I had no idea of exactly what I had done that had helped. I was unable to recreate this release until a number of years later on a future course. I just carried on as ever with pain and discomfort. In the meantime I helped a number of people get fitter and feel better about their bodies but mine was still struggling with daily pain and under performing in my sports and exercise. In fact my back 'went' quite badly twice and enough was enough, time to get back to see Martin, now joined by Rachel, to find some answers.

The ITS had changed and evolved over this time and had in fact been significantly improved and expanded to another level now called Biomechanics Coaching. It wasn't long and I had no pain after doing the exercises and was smashing myself in exercise with a new body like nothing had ever been a problem. I know perhaps best of all that the reason why I have 'the buy in' for this system is because it's provided my solution and continues to provide a solution if I should neglect my posture too much for too long. It's not everyone's fix to cure all ills, it goes a long way towards it and if it was adhered to by all for life then who knows what might be possible in reducing pain/injury and increasing performance.

If you'd like me to guide you with making lasting improvements with your physical self then please do contact me via email for a consultation session.