Go Light & Get It Right
The ability to drop your ego and drop the weight on a lift when you see your form starting to suffer is among the most valuable assets a lifter can possess.
I’m sure most of us have felt that drive that pushes us to our training limits, often this is how we progress and get stronger. However, I have often been the victim of pushing beyond this limit. In the hunt for a PB, to impress who I was training with or just because I didn’t want to admit to myself I’d bitten off more than I could chew!
The result?
You guessed it, injury! The result of which is usually enforced rest from training sometimes for months on end.
My previous training induced injuries:
Shoulder from poor bench press form- Hunching my shoulder forwards due to weakness in the pectoral muscle and shoulder blade stabilising muscles on one side.
Knee due to muscle imbalance- Weak hip musculature combined with a stiff ankle caused my knee to come in during squats and running, irritating my patellofemoral joint.
Back from pushing deadlifts with poor form- Overloading causing my lower back to round during the lift.
So why am I telling you this? As a coach, my job is to try to help you get the most from your training and avoid the mistakes I have made. Believe me, getting a poor form PB, then having to take 6 month off squats sucks!
What my advice is:
Learn more about the lifts you are doing and what perfect form looks like.
Learn the signs that often indicate poor form.
Learn to listen to your body and the difference between ache from muscle fatigue, and pain from poor form (does it last more than a couple of days, or is it painful during the lift).
Ask someone with experience in training these movements to look at your form as you do it.
Be ready to take well delivered advice from professionals and adapt what you are doing.
Be prepared to reduce the weight and try again, there is no shame in this! Trust me, you look much sillier by lifting too much with terrible form!
How do I foster good practice in my clients?
Using my own instruction videos on the workout app my clients use to access their training program.
Encouraging my clients to send me videos of them performing exercises for notes on form, ensuring they get the best from their training program.
Directing my clients to videos I have produced on how to do certain more complicated lifts.
Using my knowledge of injuries and prevention to ensure you stay safe and avoid injury.
Write client specific programmes that take into account previous injuries and prevent future ones.
I have never stopped learning about both exercise and my own body, I think this is the secret to true longevity when it comes to training. Be smart, safe and love what you do!
-Derry
Brighton based specialist musculoskeletal physiotherapist and online fitness coach