Here are the top five things I learned at Force Barbell this week:
1) Dan, Tyler, and Scott are extremely intelligent human beings.
They are the smartest fitness minded people I have worked with. They seriously know their stuff. Instead of spewing random bull shit out, they have scientific and educated answers to my questions. Not to mention they are some pretty comical guys too. Intelligent+ humorous= a great work atmosphere.
2) Although corrective exercise is important, coaching movements properly can often be more helpful than specific corrective exercises.
In the fitness industry there are trainers who are strongly focused on corrective exercise and then there are some that don’t do any. Force Barbell believes that there is a need for it with some clients but some just need to be coached on how to squat, dead lift, snatch, etc. properly. It’s important to coach proper movement patterns and many of those problems will be fixed. Corrective exercise is necessary for some people but it is often overdone with others. Here’s an example: when someone is dead lifting and they are pulling the bar up more with their lower back than hamstrings and glutes it’s not always because their erector spinae is overactive but rather they probably are not pushing through their heels. They can recruit the muscles needed they just need proper coaching to do it.
3) In order for someone to learn a correct movement and to have that movement stick they have to recognize their own failures first.
This means that if a coach wants someone to recognize what their client is doing wrong the client has to fail the same way more than once. For example, when a baby is first learning to walk they fall down. They might wobble to the left and then to the right or forward and back multiple time. It takes quite a few tries for them to be successful at walking. However, once they have felt the wrong position they remember that and learn how to do it differently. This same situation can be related to a client. There is a lot of motor planning involved in this process. Therefore a coach will see more success if they can get their client to recognize the difference in feeling of an incorrect position and a correct position.
4) People are happiest when they have something to work hard for.
Tyler and I had a great discussion on Saturday that sparked this point. Our conversation began talking about running in general and then led to discussing why people run marathons. It all came down to the fact that people need something big to work towards in life. Training can fill this gap. Whether it’s training for a marathon, an Olympic lifting competition, or a power lifting competition, people thrive on the challenge. These challenges are healthy and when people accomplish them they feel proud and therefore happy.
5) Strength training is really awesome.
I have seen more healthy and strong women in the past week than in my whole life. The women who I have seen who regularly strength train are leaner and healthier looking than the majority of women who I have met while running past marathons, half marathons, 10k, and 5ks. The results produced by strength training trump running. Not to mention the strong women who I met this weekend at the Train Like a Girl Seminar at J&M Strength and Conditioning were some of the happiest women I’ve spent time around. They felt good, looked good, and their occupations are based on the sole purpose of promoting strength training to other women. There’s nothing better than that! When women look good, they feel good and vice versa.
That was a recap of some of the things I’ve learned this week! There are many more to come though. 🙂
I would also like to make a note that I ate my first piece of meat in 12 years at Force Barbell this week! Here is a picture of me taking my first bite of turkey. I never thought this day would ever come. Force Barbell is truly changing lives. They changed mine!
Live Light, Lift Heavy,
Melissa