Something that is inherently human is the desire to be good at things right away. To be able to develop a skill set almost immediately and being able to enjoy this new skill instantaneously. Unfortunately with strength training, and in particular, the weightlifting movements; this is very far from the norm. Resistance training is obviously the act of lifting weights, however we have to consider that these movements, and their derivatives, are skills. Skills take time to master and there is going to be plenty of pitfalls along the way. All movements have an end game but we need to consider the path we need to follow in order to get there. Within this blog I am going to take you through a step by step process to consider when learning any new movement within the gym.
Break the movement down:
All movements obviously have a flashy end result in which we are trying to achieve. This is regardless of the total weight lifted. We can use weightlifting within this example and take a look at the snatch. The end result is a barbell suspended perfectly overhead with a balanced squat taking place to complete the movement. What we need to remember though, is how we got there. Certain things had to take place first in order for us to be able to even perform the movement unloaded, let alone thinking about our performance within a competition setting. I encourage you to take either a top down or bottom up approach with any movement and consider what exercises are taking place in isolation, in order for the final product to emerge. From there, it is important to train these individual movements and build their capacity and fluidity first. That should be obvious, but the amount of times I see people making the same mistake 10 times over and wondering why. A simple snatch progression / regression model is presented below as formulated by Erin and Greg Haff:
1) Determine the grip.
2) Determine the foot placement.
3) Snatch grip behind the neck press.
4) Overhead squat.
5) Snatch balance.
6) Snatch grip shoulder shrug.
7) Power snatch from power position.
8) Snatch grip RDL.
9) Snatch grip RDL + shrug.
10) Power snatch from below the knee.
11) Snatch pull to knee.
12) Snatch pull.
13) Power snatch.
From this list we get an idea of a range of different exercises we need to perfect first in order to be able to perform the exercise in question, the snatch. By having this approach it is a lot easier to build a solid program, to understand weak points, to identify mobility issues and to most importantly, not be in a rush to the finish line.
Don’t be in a rush:
By taking your time with things and not having the end result at the front of your mind, but more so the back, we are able to enjoy the process. If you struggle to stand up out of the bottom of a movement, we can identify a leg weakness for example. This highlights the needs to perform a variety of squatting movements and get them right first before we move on. This could take a while, but you will be better for it long term as you no longer face the same issues as before whilst you were in a rush. This will allow for more mobility work and more time spent undergoing strength work.
Have reasonable expectations:
Things take time, things take practice and unfortunately things do not happen as fast as you’d ever like. Any skill is going to take time to develop. Something as “simple” as a back squat could literally be your enemy for 6 months running if there are issues with your movement patterns for example. It’s very hard to pick up a skill and naturally be good at it, and strength training is a great example of having low expectations and a long term plan. More often than not, time frames get pushed further and further back as you aim for mastery over something you are just getting into. Remember though, that you have the rest of your life to develop good skill and technique in the weights room. If you are somebody who wants to chase numbers on the bar, be even more prepared to manage your expectations as newbie gains do not last forever and the grind will set in eventually.
Talk to the right people:
In order to develop a solid plan as well as learn a new skill correctly, you need to be coached. You wouldn’t be able to kick 50 goals in an AFL season without the right influences, so doing something such as competing in a weightlifting, power lifting, cross fit or any other barbell sport is going to take some coaching. It is also going to take a lot of trial and error, a lot of behind the scenes work such as mobility sessions and it is going to take a lot of rest and reflection. Going back to what I said just before, a squat might seem simple, basic, entry level etc, but it is far from that. Understanding how to brace, how mobile you need to be, where to shift your hips and how to keep your knees from falling in etc is all going to take time and practice. Getting some serious weight on the bar is going to take even longer, once the technique is second nature. So talking to a good coach, getting the right program in place and then playing the long game is paramount to longevity and continual success within the gym.