Our sport has grown. And as it has grown there have become infinitely more options for lifters to get coaching. A big portion of lifters use blanket templates to guide their training. And while these can work, in this article I will go over how a more individualized program can lead to increased technical proficiency.
I have learned over the past 20 years of coaching that technically good lifters do not simply move better/have a better command of the lifts than others. They have better technique as a result of not only the aforementioned factors, but the programming they get as well. Good coaching and programming can ensure the development of good technique even when past the learning stages or technical development blocks of a cycle, and even during strength phases. Below are some examples of how this can happen, and why an individualized program from an experienced coach can make a difference.
Selection of Intensity.
Lets face it. We ALL want to lift heavy shit or watch our athletes lift heavy shit. And heavy lifting is a skill….so hey, why not do it. All. The. Time.
While this approach is certainly vital at the elite level of the sport, for people who are not at that level, it can be a disaster. With increased load/intensity comes increased stress. With increased stress comes an increased response from the sympathetic nervous system (think :fight or flight). When the sympathetic nervous system is activated, it has a detrimental effect on developing motor skills and cognitive function. Essentially we either make the lift or miss it: but do not really learn to develop the sharp motor patterns to master the movement.
Other times we can get so wrapped up in the minutia of technique work that we focus the bulk of our training on mastery of sub maximal weight. We then find that as the load increases our nervous system is simply not prepared to display the improved technique with higher load. This can lead to warm up attempts continuously feeling better, but having heavier load still feel off and/or not seeing the one rep max improve.
Often times lower level lifters who train in too high on an intensity range tend to be slow, hit lifts well below what they should based on squat numbers and have a low success rate with maximal attempt (but is often buoyed by the one or 2 big lifts hit that lend an appearance that good programming is going on). Similarly, experienced lifters who do not push higher intensities often enough in training often have a typical time displaying their potential (both in terms of strength and technical ability) with maximal effort lifts.
To compound this issue, different lifters respond to different intensities in different ways. I have seen intermediate level lifters who can handle loads of 90-95% weekly with no issues and continue to progress. I have seen experienced lifters who get wrecked with higher intensities. So proper weight selection is often the job of a coach who knows their athlete well.
Strength Imbalances:
If someone does the same thing wrong with each rep in a given movement, it is a technical flaw. If someone executes well until higher percentages: then does the same error all of the time: it is a strength imbalance. Understanding this is key. Assessing strength rations (or strength to technical ratios) alllows us insight into what the issues can be.
An example of this is using the following to compare posterior chain development to the quads, and seeing is there is an imbalance that is affecting the mechanics of the pull
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Front Squat: 85% of back squat
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Clean Deadlift: 100% of back squat
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Snatch Deadlift: 90% of back squat
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Powerlifting Deadlift: 120% of back squat
When someone has strength imbalances, all of the cuing in the world will not overcome the imbalance and lead to proper execution.. There is simply a structural limitation within that individual that has to be addressed. Having a coach that knows and can assess the corollary relationships between certain movements, how to strengthen these imbalances can go a long way to developing a lifter.
A well balanced lifter not only moves efficiently, but also tends to stay healthier. And a healthier lifter can perform a higher amount volume over a given time period with properly programmed lifts….which in turn goes a long way into mastering technique.
Proper Implementation of Assistance Exercises
Assistance exercises can play a huge role in assessing strength imbalances. As well as helping an individual to master certain segments of the lifts. However, once a person’s program leaves the GPP stage where the focus is on overall physical development not specific to the lifts, there are two common mistakes people make when programming them.
Replicating the movement pattern.
It should be common sense that anything designed to help the snatch should look and be executed EXACTLY as it is for the snatch (or clean, or jerk). But often time form and positions that coaches expect perfection on with the lifts are ignored. The same detail must be put into moving a clean pull and if it were for a clean. Not only does this ensure that the proper muscles are developed, from a strength perspective (to not only execute the lift but to maintain the proper muscular balance required) but it also gives added chances for the body to ingrain and refine the movement pattern in the nervous system.
If a lifter performs X amount of reps in the proper pattern (via either the lifts or proper execution of the assistance movements) but then does 2X in an assistance movement that deviates from the lift, the lifter has then spent more time in a given session moving with an improper pattern: and over time this will yield a degradation in the quality of execution of the classic lift.
The other issue is weight selection.
Given the nature of most assistance exercises (partial segments of the complex lifts), it is desirable to overload the movements. This is how we help to correct muscle imbalances, as well as gain the confidence needed to move heavy weight. Similarly to the previous example, however, if the load is programmed to a level where speed and positions are compromised, carry over to the lifts will be minimal at best, and more often than not, detrimental.
If we perform pulls at a load that causes a severe decrease in speed in the transition from first pull into second pull, for all that was gained in overloading the finish of the pull, much was lost in the timing of the lift being improperly ingrained. Heavy loads are necessary to increase strength, but if the load used dictates that the performance is done with positions or timing that do not replicate what should be done on the lifts, the carry over to the lift will be minimal. Not only do we risk developing a muscular imbalance, but we miss an opportunity to develop the proper timing and intramuscular coordination.
As great as it is to know all of the proper positions in the different portions of the lifts, how to teach the timing and speed, there is more to it. Having a coach who knows how to program in a manner that enhances the carry over of assistance exercises will help ensure each session leads to improved technical execution.
Usage Of Accessory Movements
Sometimes a wider base in GPP (general physical prep) is needed to build the capacity/ability to handle the assistance exercises. This can come down to work capacity, general strength or mastering a basic motor pattern allowing us to better execute a more complex version. Following the above example (deadlift to squat numbers), if the deadlift needs to move, often time more general hamstring function/strength is needed. Here movements like RDL variations, hamstring curl variations, kettle bell swings etc. can play a huge role in building base needed to perform the assistance movements with improved results. Having a coach not only be able to identify the areas needed to be improved upon, but also the versions of the movements that work best for each individual will help to ensure that accessory work is helping reach an end goal, and not just buys work to start/end a session with.
As we can see here, an experienced coach has tools that cannot be replicated by a template to help develop and improve the technical performance of a lifter. Beyond just being able to teach the lifts, a good coach can also help provide programming to enhance the quality of the lifts through each training cycle.
Written by: Steven M Titus, Head Coach Team WNY Weightlifting
Edited by Michael Reinhardt, DPT.
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