As time goes by, I've realized that I don't have enough room in a class session to share all of the information I'd like to about training. Hopefully this will become and easy way to centralize and catalyze a base of knowledge that will speed up the learning curve and stymie the trap of someone metaphorically spinning his or her tires in a training regimen. Much of this information will pertain to the training I’ve programmed - but some of it will be based off of my personal experiences when striving for success in the lifting world and my own personal methodology gained in my years of training.
First, let’s be clear about one thing.. I do not claim to be a professional athlete and I’m far from the professionals you see on the CrossFit Games, or those dawning his or her nation’s colors during the Olympics in the sport of weightlifting. However, my goal is to spread knowledge and help people skip the mistakes I've made in training. These entries will serve as an outlet for my thoughts on training - some enlightened, and some still naive. The journey of learning is never over.
Great, so now that we have that cleared up. Let us move on to the topic at hand. Common training mishaps and mistakes I see with people just starting out. One of the main things that people lack when they begin training is the mindset needed to produce positive adaptations - mentally and physically. In the world of the iphone and interwebs people have become accustomed to instantaneous results. I’m sorry to tell you, that’s not how this whole shindig works. Many times I’ve seen people get frustrated about their progress. In fact, I’ve literally had someone angry about a 15lb PR on a back squat, because it wasn’t 25lbs… absolutely crazy. Be patient, know any sort of improvement is exactly that, improvement!
When you’re new, learn the proper positions first. If you’re wondering what I mean by positions, I mean correct movement. If you’re constantly leaning forward in your squats, maybe it’s time to strengthen those hammies and stop pushing dominantly with the quadriceps. Correct movement is like an enzyme in metabolism, it speeds up the process and makes the magic happen sooner and more steadily. If you’re paying for a coach and they don’t go over movement frequently or ever talk to you, please, find a new coach.
Furthermore, to all you weight whores out there.. this one is going to hurt. No one gives a flying turd about how much you deadlift or squat with a rounded back, collapsing knees, or any other detrimental ailment to quality form. Although you may impress some ladies or gentleman via Instagram (who generally have no idea what they’re doing), you’re just starting a ticking clock to injury via imbalances. Do the work the right way and build a solid foundation of good movement and slowly build your weight to higher and higher levels - if you notice your form is getting out of whack, quit lifting heavy and fix the problem - build back up once you’ve fixed your deficiency. As your consistency with that movement improves at the base of your pyramid, so too will the top of it - this ideology should be a constant with all of your movements and should be a principle to your training regimen.
Next, training should be seen as a journey, and no one has ever had a successful excursion without proper planning. Let's say, for the heck of it, you’d like to go to Thailand. We all know, before you can go you had better book your flight and make some hotel reservations! This process could take weeks or months to make your trip as enjoyable as possible. Why is your fitness journey so different?! Be informed, read, continue to grow and most importantly, have a freaking plan and follow it!
Lastly, training should never be stagnant or approached with a stagnant mindset. Soak up good ideas like a sponge and let go of the bad ones. Always strive to learn. There is oodles of information out there for a whopping zero dollars, and it’s wonderful. Unfortunately, the web is also riddled with a ton of crazy psycho babble bullcrap! Don’t fall for the gimmicks, and don’t stop learning! Much of the time the more simple the program, the better - especially when starting out on your journey to be fit. Remember, hard work is the key to success, and programs written for professionals are meant to be done by professionals. Check your ego at the door, a humble approach is always the right one.
Stay active, stay positive, work hard. These are the keys to success.
On a side note, I’m not, or never was an English major.. if you correct my grammar - let's just say I have a particular set of skills and I will find you! ;) Just kidding, I don't - but seriously, leave my grammar alone.