What is Exercise Mechanics?
To understand exercise mechanics and its application, we start with the bigger picture of biomechanics.
Biomechanics is defined as the “study of the structure, function and motion of the mechanical aspects of biological systems, from the cellular level to the entire organism.”
It’s a broad and fascinating field that covers a range of topics from the gait of a human’s walk to the bend of a giraffe’s neck.
Water gliding off an otter’s neck? Biomechanics.
A pelican’s swallowing motion? Biomechanics.
Although a fundamental understanding of mechanical-biological movement, it’s too broad for the study of professionally-applied exercise.
Fields such as Sports Biomechanics may use complex equipment in their analysis of particular, usually high-level athletic and sporting disciplines.
But personal trainers working with general-population clients don’t have that luxury.
The good thing is – we don’t need it.
Sure, our clients may play sports as a hobby. Hopefully, our exercise protocols will even help improve that performance.
But studying biomechanics doesn’t allow us to focus on the critical, science-based aspects of individualising exercise to create optimal internal stimulus – at minimal cost.