020915 Is this the way you train your athletes?

Is this the way you train your athletes?

So there I was searching the internet for strength training thoughts and ideas when I ran across a photo posted on a Cro..F.. site. You fill in the blank letters. Here was a guy hunched over a barbell with what looked to be two twenty-five pound bumper plates on both ends of the bar.

When I say hunched [1]over that is exactly what I mean, he was literally hunched over the bar. His shoulders were rounded forward and at least 4-6 inches in front of the bar as he leaned over it. What’s worse was the fact that his back was one rounded semi-circle from the base of his neck to the starting of his ass. His neck was extended backward until it formed almost a 90-degree angle with his rounded back.

Moreover, the photo showed him with his elbows, which looked to be, pushing in on his knees forcing him in to a valgus position before he even started lifting the weigh off the floor. This in and of itself should have been a clue to the person squatting down (on his toes) next to the lifter with a pad and pencil or pen in hand.

As any good coach, fresh off the turnip truck, knows, each one of the above errors should be enough to cause the coach to stop the lifter and have him reset up and do it right.

However, since this was not a video, it cannot be said that this poor smuck was actually allowed to lift. My guess is that he was, and kept going until he was hurt or his body simply said “enough of this foolishness” and forced him to stop.

Coaches, pay attention to your trainees and trainees pay attention to your form and technique. It is not good enough to simply lift the weight if you want to keep going long into your life. You must do it correct every single time. Don’t fall into the stupid keep going, do one more rep; you can do it…Bull Sh.t

Find a coach who knows what they are doing; one who hasn’t bought a certification off the internet. Don’t settle for this, you are better than that. Look for the NSCA of ACSM trained coach.

[1] Definition of hunch 1: to bend the body into an arch or hump <Don’t hunch over when you walk.> 2: to draw up close together or into an arch <The cat hunched .