Sometimes the best lifter is the last person you should listen to!

Often the distinction between being a good lifter and a good teacher is overlooked. Poll a group of lifters watching a squat or deadlift attempt and you will find 4 different views of the lift. Some will focus on the fact the lift went up or that the lifter ground it out with effort. Others might point out that the bar path was way in front of the mid foot in the squat or that the deadlift was hitched.

At PTC Perth many of the guys use mobile phones or tablets to record work sets and review form. This is a great idea as it gives you the ability to break down your movement pattern post training and work on form issues.

So often I see guys reinforcing crap movement patterns. Please don't misunderstand me as I am not advocating a workout that focuses on nothing but unilateral one legged bosu ball exercises for core strength. But you have no right to be adding weight and worrying about max effort attempts if your main worksets have really bad form. By bad form I mean rounded lower back, upper back collapsing and no hip drive when squatting. This is critical becuase if you are looking to hit a max in comp you will truggle if your form is crap with 70% 1RM.

At PTC Perth the Rucci brothers are a great example of strong squat form. Each set looks exactly like the last, great sit back, deep squat and real power through the hips. More importantly they assist others with the cues required for a good lift.

On the flip side I watch many guys who do a pretty decent job across all three lifts however you could put a gun to their head and they wouldn't be able to come up with the cues and coaching to assist and average trainer like myself. There is a big difference between performing a good lift and coaching someone else to a good lift.

To fix this become a student of the lifts. Get an objective assessment (BY SOMEONE WHO IS CREDIBLE) of your three lifts and work on the cues to rectify any issues. Take lots of video of your work sets and each time focus on the cues and how a 'good lift' feels. It takes lots of time to lock in a good movement pattern with the right cues. Even more time to undo a poor lift that has been continually reinforced.

Alternatively there are lifters that are so worried about perfect form that they never add weight to the bar. As a result they are always working at the 60-70% of 1RM before they get 'injured' or loose confidence in their current routine and going changing things.

As in all things you have to get the base right before you can build improvement. A pause now to re-work your lifts will pay dividends with bigger maximums, more mass and less injuries.


Stay Strong,
Thomo