Due to the natural lordotic curvature of the spine and nutation of the sacrum, humans are predisposed to shift their centre of mass forward — towards the toes.

But the more we push our centre of mass forward, the more we:

  • Lock up at the joints

  • Reduce movement options

  • Lose mobility

The gym often makes this worse — quickly.

The vast majority of people enter the gym with no form of assessment from a biomechanics or movement specialist. They unknowingly accelerate these reductions in range of motion.

For context, exercises like:

  • Forward lunges

  • Overhead presses

  • Barbell back squats

…are all movements that shove the centre of mass forward — fast.

Most people are performing movements without the prerequisites.

99.9% of people are loading themselves with weight and performing exercises that their body simply isn’t ready for.

The industry is still trapped in a one-dimensional, muscle-focused mindset.

Exercises continue to be selected based on which muscle is being “worked” or “strengthened”, without considering joint mechanics, centre of mass, or movement capacity.

It needs to be better.

Strength, movement, and mobility should be improved together — not separately.

When done intelligently, resistance or strength training should be the ultimate mobility workout.

Example: Row variations

We can choose a ‘back exercise’ like a row variation to target and expand specific areas of the ribcage, which can help:

  • Clear up shoulder pain

  • Improve breathing mechanics

  • While still getting a strong, effective workout in

Pain is multidimensional — but movement plays a key role.

People in pain often present with a centre of mass that is far forward — stuck in a ‘toe-off’ position — and are unable to produce internal rotation at the joints.

This is when relative motion around the body has been lost, and certain muscles become chronically squeezed or concentric.

The first step? Get the body to yield.

We must intelligently select exercises that:

  • Help the body yield, relax, and absorb

  • Shift the centre of mass back

  • Restore relative motion through the entire chain