It’s easy to blame a lack of motivation or laziness for not making fitness progress.

However, in my experience, many of the people who come through our doors aren’t lacking motivation. They’re struggling to make tangible progress while trying to avoid injuries.

What I’ve found over the years is that this stagnation often stems from muscular imbalances and a weak foundation.

This is pretty common. Many people haven’t fully mastered the basics or spent enough time building a solid foundation of proper movement. When they jump into more complex, high-intensity exercises without this foundation, injuries can start to occur.

One key concept to focus on is mastering independence before interdependence. What does that mean? It’s about moving one joint independently without relying on an adjacent joint. For example, moving your wrist in a circle without letting your forearm rotate, which would involve the elbow joint. Learning how to dissociate movements like this can be a game-changer.

Take low back pain, for instance. Often, the issue isn’t just in the back itself but in dysfunction at the hips and surrounding muscles. The inability to move the hips independently of the spine can lead to dysfunction and pain. Mastering the basics—like truly engaging your glutes or hamstrings during a glute bridge—can go a long way in preventing these issues.

So, if you find yourself stuck, it may not be due to laziness or lack of motivation. You might just be missing the tools to break through your roadblocks. My advice? Get back to the basics. Invest time in learning your body and moving with intention. And if you feel it’s right, get a coach. A good coach can save you time, frustration, and help you progress more effectively.