Written by: Lindsay McGuire, MS, CSCS, PT, DPT

Many powerlifters and athletes, in general, have one side or limb that is stronger and more stable than the other. In powerlifting, many of us have this blatantly pointed out during the bench press. One common biomechanical error that occurs during the bench press is when the elbow flares out laterally. This is shown below with the first photo demonstrating a normal bench press and the second photo showing his right arm flared out laterally. This article will discuss some of the possible reasons for this and a few suggestions on how to correct this issue.

Normal

Right Elbow Flared Laterally

When the elbow flares out laterally, your shoulder moves into internal rotation (shown below)1 and which puts the shoulder at a biomechanical disadvantage and also puts the shoulder at higher risk for injury.  This also subsequently is coupled with slight shoulder elevation and abduction putting the athlete at further risk for injuries including developing shoulder impingement which I have discussed previously in past articles regarding this topic.

With this being said, one way to counter this movement is to strengthen your external rotators of the shoulder to decrease the internal rotation that occurs.  Three external rotators of the shoulder are infraspinatus, teres minor and of course the rear deltoid. These are shown below

Now how do we successfully target these muscles? The following are a couple very effective exercises to strengthen these are the following:

1.) Sidelying External Rotation

Lay on your side with your hips perpendicular to the surface you are lying on. Put a towel beneath your elbow. Keep your elbow at 90 degrees with your wrist held neutral throughout the whole movement. Make sure your hips and trunk do not rotate. Slowly rotate your shoulder throughout full range of motion as shown. This can be progressed using light dumbbells, bands and performing the movement throughout different ranges of motion. For example, performing this by something I call “quarters”. This means you complete 25% of the motion then come back to starting position. Then perform 50% of the movement and come back to starting position. Then 75 % of the movement and come back to starting position then complete 100%. That is considered 1 repetition. Then repeat.

2.) Wall walks (up and down/lateral)

This is a very effective way to strengthen your external rotators in a more functional way as this incorporates scapular and humeral movement while you stabilize your shoulders in a neutral position and simultaneously activating your external rotators as you would do during a bench press thus translating very nicely over to your bench.

My next stability statement may seem obvious, but many training programs tend to lack on this aspect… single extremity movements. If every movement you perform is performed with a barbell/ground/platform connecting your hands, you will always have one extremity taking more of the force than the other. Even with dumbbell work, if this is performed symmetrically and simultaneously, there will still be an individual stabilization aspect lacking. Performing single arm activities requires you to stabilize completely with that extremity and forcing the rest of your body to adjust based on the unilateral single load. I require my athletes to perform single arm dumbbell press, overhead press, flys etc. in order to counter this.

Now that we address the strength aspect, its time to address the mobility and flexibility aspect. No matter how strong your external rotators are, if there are other muscles lacking flexibility, you will still encounter issues. One stretch I normally prescribe with this biomechanical issue is a levator scapulae stretch. The levator scapulae run from your cervical spine (C1-C4) to the superior/medial aspect of your scapula. Its job is to elevate and downwardly rotate your scapula. In normal shoulder elevation, your shoulder blade will upwardly rotate to clear the head of your humerus. See below. If your levator scapulae is tight and remains in a shortened position, you will have a harder time upwardly rotating your scapula to clear your humerus during the concentric portion of the bench press. A common substitution is for the shoulder to internally rotate and elevate. Shown below.

This demonstrates the 2:1 movement that occurs called scapulohumoral rhythm. The first 30 degrees of humoral elevation, there is no scapular movement, after this, for every 2 inches the humerus elevates, the scapula upwardly rotates. If this rhythm is off you will end up with compensations from other aspects of your shoulder girdle, which will again lead to future injuries.

Here is a simple stretch to increase the flexibility of the levator scap:

Rotate your head and look down towards your opposite armpit, bring the ipsilateral arm up and apply some overpressure to increase the stretch. Additionally, put your contralateral arm behind your back as shown. Perform 1-2 times per day for 30-60 seconds.

The second muscle group that is a major contributing factor is pectoralis major. Pec major is responsible for a multitude of movements including humeral internal rotation. The pec major runs from clavicle/sternum to the lateral aspect of the humerus. (see below)4. When this is tight, it decreases the ability for your shoulder to move into external rotation due to its pull into internal rotation.

Here is a simple stretch  to increase the flexibility of the pectoralis major:

While laying on a foam roller, keep your knees bent and head supported on the foam roller. Bring both your arms out to the side. Hold for 60 seconds. The angle in which your arms are can be varied. Do not continue stretch if your hands start to feel numb or cold or start to tingle.

Perform the exercises 3 x a week for 6-8 weeks with 15-25 repetitions and the stretches 1-2 x a day for 6-8 weeks to help decrease your elbow flare on bench press.

If you have pain in your upper extremities you may consider seeing your primary care physician or local physical therapist to further address these concerns. If any of these exercises cause pain do not continue to perform, as these may not be appropriate for you.

References:

1. HEP2go. HEP2GO. 2018; https://hep2go.com/.
2. Riches R. Shoulder Exercises & Workouts 2015; http://www.robrichesfitness.com/training/shoulder-exercises-workouts/.
3. Applied Anatomy: Shoulder & Scapula – Part 2 – Scapulohumeral Rhythm. 2018; https://triagemethod.com/index.php/category/training/.
4. http://teachmeanatomy.info/upper-limb/muscles/pectoral-region/.

Written by Chelsea Nkwodimmah

Listening to that one song before a top set. Putting your left wrist wrap on before your right. Wearing that lucky pair of deadlift socks for meet day. It’s no doubt that hours of hard training go into being an amazing athlete. But for a special breed of competitors, a little superstitious reasoning is the secret weapon. Michael Jordan rocked his Carolina blue and white UNC short shorts underneath his Chicago Bulls uniform in every NBA game. Rafael Nadal always takes a cold shower 45 minutes before a tennis match. Babe Ruth never let his teammates borrow one of his bats, insisting that every bat had a definite number of hits in it.

From the outside looking in, superstitions may seem irritational, having no actual or direct impact on our performance or success. However, they also allow for us to create consistency and mindfulness around our training and/or meet day. Superstitions ease our anxiety. They make us comfortable…and being comfortable makes us more confident in what we’re capable of both mentally and physically.

Superstitions usually begin following a particularly amazing or subpar performance after which we try to establish some external cause and effect. They are created almost by accident but quickly become requirements. We attempt to recreate the same or similar conditions as those during that great meet that we had. Whether or not our superstitions get us the results we want…if we hit that PR attempt, go 949, or bomb out of a meet, we still revert back to them.

The power of the lucky charm is definitely not to be disputed.

Comment on what are some of your meet day or training superstitions?

We were so lucky to interview Alica Webb, and learn more about her experience in powerlifting and how it has impacted her life. Alicia was full of great stories and advice and we hope you enjoy reading her interview as much as we did!

Well first introduce yourself to the GWPL Community

My name is Alicia Webb (pronounced Al-Lee-See-Ya). Most people pronounce it wrong, so they call me Le (pronounced Lee). I lift in the 84kg weight class in the open and Masters 1. I am 47 years old and have been competing about 5 and a half years. My best lifts in competition are squat 200kg/440 lbs, bench 112.5kg/253 lbs, and deadlift 200kg/440 lbs. My favorite lift is by far the squat (front, overhead, and back)!!!!

How did you find powerlifting? Were you always a Raw competitor?

I was never really competitive with others but super competitive against myself. I was the strongest female lifters at CFD and in the top 5 of the strongest men. I always routed and worked alongside the slowest to keep them motivated, sometimes the slowest person was me and someone would work alongside me to keep me pushing. The owner of Crossfit Decatur, Eric Willis told me I should compete in powerlifting and that it was a God-given gift. When he saw that I was not budging in my decision, he came at me spiritually. God would be so disappointed in me for not trying it and giving it my all!!! Who in their right mind wants to be a disappointment to God? So he along with my coach at the time, Ben Benson found a meet in Warner Robbins, GA October 2012, for me to compete. It just so happened to be a USAPL meet directed by my now powerlifting coach, Josh Rohr. With no powerlifting training, I only crossfitted, I came in 2^nd in my weight class and 2^nd best female lifter losing 1^st place by 2.5kg.

I have only lifted raw. Watching others get in and out of their gear and seeing the bruises the gear leaves behind has encouraged me to stay raw!!! Hats off to those that can endure the pain!!!

You started out as a CrossFit athlete, do you still do CrossFit? If you do how do you think it impacts your powerlifting.

I CrossFit every chance I get, at least 1-2 time a week. My WOD is usually modified, tailored specifically for me, but that is why I love CrossFit. It is made to benefit the individual. Crossfit is what made me strong and there is a lot of carryover from lifts, movements and accessory work to powerlifting. I would not be a powerlifter if I did not or could not CrossFit. It may be more of a mental thing, but for me, I need daily variation including workouts that knock me off my feet while lying in a puddle of sweat trying to catch my breath. And the community is like no other, it drives you to be your best and do your best. When CrossFitters finish their own workout, they don’t leave, they turn and cheer on the others who are still working to finish. It is the best atmosphere to be in, especially when you want to give up, others know you got it in you to conquer and finish. A lot of times, CrossFitters that are finished will jump in next to you and finish out your reps/runs with you so that you push to finish!!! It is exhilarating, especially because the last ones to finish change daily, due to the strengths/weaknesses of the athletes within each WOD.  I understand that it is not for everyone, but it is for me!!!

Can you share one of your most memorable powerlifting moments?

In 2014, I competed in Raw Worlds in Potchefstroom, South Africa. It was my first international meet. I got there three days before I actually competed to become acclimated to the weather and area. In the days preceding the competition, I met and continuously ran into the African staff of the hotel daily. The morning of the meet, I was walking down one of the halls from checking my weight and an older heavy-set African mother from house cleaning was coming towards me. We had past pleasantries previous days. When she approached me smiling, I said good morning and she asked if today was my day. I said yes Ma’am and she reached out and touched my stomach. As she rubbed my stomach, she looked into my eyes and said, “Everything you need is in here. It is time for you to birth it.” I knew exactly what she was saying, it connected down in my spirit. I continued to smile, said thank you and instantly went into silent prayer as I continued on my way to prepare to lift. Upon completion of my day of competing, the awards ceremony was held. I won the Gold for the USA. As the room stood for our national anthem, something happen that I was totally aware of. The room became cloudy, and as I looked around the room, every African worker had stopped their duties and watched me on the top podium. The room became even more cloudy and as I looked up I felt the glory of God fill the room. It was if He had taken His mercy seat right above me and all I could do was stare at all of the Glory. Before I knew it, I was in total tears and knew at that time, I had accomplished what I had come to do. Most people might think it was winning but for me, I knew at that exact moment, I had made GOD proud. I have always put God first and foremost, and through my humbleness, there was nothing better than to have my Father join me on the platform. This was/is not a religious experience but it was truly a spiritual experience that I feel every time I relive it!!!

Have you had any challenges or setbacks during your powerlifting career? If so how did you push past those?

Yes, the biggest setback was suffering from a strained piriformis for 3 years. It was so painful that I could not stand, sit or lay down without being in immediate pain. I went to 2 different sports orthopedics, my therapeutic massage therapist, 2 different physical therapists and a chiropractor all at the same time. Everyone specialized in something different, so I was well-taken care of but with being a diabetic, my body took a longer time to heal. I still lifted through the process, trying not to push my limits. When the pain subsided, I found myself in the worst place than before because I remembered the pain is so severe that I was too nervous to trust my body without pain. It has taken me until recently to have a serious talk with my inner self to decide if I would push past the memory of the pain. For me, everything is visual, I have to see myself do it to be able to do it!!! I brought back meditation in my life and I have been pushing my limits ever since.

The biggest challenge I have had to deal with is not being present at activities for others. I have a large family and friend base. There is always a celebration going on. I have to pick-n-choose what I can and cannot attend, and that sometimes makes me sad. I want to be everywhere but it conflicts with my goals and aspirations. To be my best, I have to be dedicated and focused. My love ones/circle understands that and pushes me even when I don’t want to push. Example, my close sister/girlfriend had a birthday dinner & dance celebration and did not invite me. When I found out about it, I became curious and asked, why was I not invited? She looked me dead in my eyes and said, “You are training for your competition and it is too close. I don’t want to distract you. I want you to do well and I know we will celebrate after the competition. I already know where I want to go!” I had to laugh. Now that is unconditional love and support that people wish for!!!

I remember reading before that you are a math educator, both teaching high school students and also educating future Math educators. How do you balance those areas of your career and powerlifting?

That is a great question and I would have a different answer for you at different times of the year. Sometimes there are some sleepless nights where I am grading or creating, but I have another teacher that we work very closely together, kind of like, Yin & Yang, without the bad, we do all of our planning together. I am the math expert and she is the bits and pieces person for slower students to grasp the concepts. We pick up where the other left off and respect each other where they are. I do not let anything get in the way of my “me time.” My lifting is where I release the load of the day. I relax and reflect continuously during this time. Many days I have posted that my gym time is the best part of my day!!! I live for that high daily!!! Everything else works around it!!!

Did you always know you wanted to work in education?

Funny…. If you had asked my mother, she would have said, “My baby is going to be a teacher because when she was a toddler she would line up all of her stuffed animals and teach them daily.”

 After completing a career inventory in middle school, I was told my career path would be education. I fought it tooth and nail. Not because it is a bad job, but because teachers are not paid what they are worth and society does not respect the field. I wanted to be rich, so I pursued Architectural Engineer, which was my major when I started college. I had a very profound experience at Notre Dame University that showed my love and passion for applied mathematics and I changed my major. Upon graduation from Clark Atlanta University, while teaching classes for one of the professors, I was offered a teaching assistantship and a research assistantship to go to graduate school. I took it and have been teaching ever since. The University offered me a full time teaching position, but instead, I took a position as an adjunct professor so that I could continue to teach high school as well.

Has powerlifting impacted other areas of your life? If so How?

 Most definitely. I have had many firsts in life compared to my immediate family. I was the 1^st to work away from/and be independent of my father and his businesses growing up. I was the 1^st to leave home to go away to college. I was the first to gain so much weight that I developed high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and diabetes. I was the first to be told that my life expectancy to live was low and quality of life was questionable unless I changed. I saw the world as a half-empty glass. Focusing on the negative and what I did not have or were not privy too. Complaining to my older sister, she gave me a better perspective, she said, “Why not you, what makes me better than anyone else?” She changed my view and I changed my life.

Without all of these firsts, I would not be the person that I am now. I was the first to commit to change. I was the first to be consistent with working out at the gym. I was the first to work with a nutritionist/dietitian.   I was the first to find a way to control/reverse all of my illnesses/disease. I was the first to lose weight without medication or surgery. I am the first to give advice on pursuing your goals and dreams. I am the first to become an educator (3 in the family now). I am the first to show what I can do instead of tell/talk about it. I am the first to be the example for others to follow and supersede. I am the first to help others. You may ask, why am I telling you about my firsts instead of how powerlifting has affected/influenced my life. If it had not been for CrossFit and powerlifting, I could not have had the positives that affected me first, I may have even been defeated and given up. Not only did powerlifting change my life, It gave me life!!! And even if I one day give up competing, God help me, I will always lift! Lift what? you ask... Lift weight and lift up others!!!!

It has been so exciting to watch as the competition in the 84 open class continues to grow and become more competitive! How has it been getting to not only watch the growth but be a part of it?

 I have always cheered for others to be their best, just as I strive to be my best. I am excited to see where the raw strength goes. The bar is always being raised, people are always pushing their limits and the best is ever changing. I am so honored to be a part of the evolution of raw powerlifting, by strong & intelligent women!!!

What is one piece of advice you would give to a new lifter?

 My advice is to record everything…ie, food, programming, sleep hours, how you feel while lifting, your actual lifts on video, etc. Review and reflect on what is going right, what can be done better and seek help to get you there. And the biggest thing piece of advice is… have fun!!! Choose fun over fear!!! Too many lifters get caught up on other peoples numbers. I find it better to concentrate on your own numbers and try to beat yourself daily!!!

Anything else you want the people to know?

 I am bashful and quiet… until I warm up to you… then we are good… and I might talk your ears off!!! I love kids and for some reason, they love me too- LOL!!! People say I have a good, kind and sweet spirit, that is beyond my years!!! Also, I am a perfectionist with myself!!! That could be good or bad!!! I have to remind myself that we all have room to improve no matter how good we are!!!

Get to know Alecia better

Christine Castro

Federation: IPF/CPU

Weight class: 63kg to 72kg

Division: Open

Year in sport: 3 years

Best Lifts

• Squats - 175kgs (386lbs)

• Bench - 90kgs (198lbs),

• Deadlifts - 200kgs (441lbs) 

How did you find powerlifting?

I was first introduced to general strength training in University as a way to supplement my skills and development in basketball. Shortly after I was taught how to perform the big three lifts effectively, I realized my developing passion for the sport of powerlifting. During that time I was also provided a lot of guidance from my professors and my peers and to this day believe that my technique has a piece of advice from every person I had the privilege to train with and learn from. By the time I competed at my first meet in August 2015, I decided I would commit myself entirely to the sport and since then I have never looked back. I have competed at 10+ meets now and I don’t regret any of it. 

What do you think attracted you so much to the sport? When did you fall in love with it?

One thing that really attracted me to the sport was the welcoming community. I have never felt so much support from a crowd before, it is truly a unique and amazing experience. I am also addicted to the next big PR! This sport taught me the importance of patience and how much hard work can really contribute to that next big number.

Can you share one of your most memorable powerlifting moment?

One of my most memorable powerlifting moments was my final deadlift attempt at CPU Nationals last year. It was a pull for gold, a pull for the national deadlift record, a pull for a comeback and it took me from 6th place to 1st instantaneously! I will always remember every second of it and I still get goosebumps just thinking about that moment. Moments like these are what keep me going and keep me motivated.

What motivates you in life? Not just as Christine the powerlifter, but Christine?

I would have to say, my boyfriend, Charles. There are days when I just don’t want to go to the gym at all but he is the push I need. I’m glad that he is also my training partner so he knows when things are off with my lifts. I still remember days when I would end up crying because of a training day that didn’t go as planned or when I was suffering through my injury; he was always there to help me get through it all. No matter how near or far, he also travels with me to all my meets to make sure that I always have his support. I’m thankful that I am blessed with someone like him in my life who constantly keeps me motivated every single day and not just in powerlifting but also through every other obstacle that life throws at me.

Has powerlifting impacted other areas of your life? If so, how?

Powerlifting has definitely impacted other areas in my life. I admit that I haven’t been this committed to anything in my life before and finding powerlifting really saved me. It has helped me live a healthier lifestyle and taught me to take better care of my body. Getting stronger is just an added bonus. It has also helped me become a better person who can stay committed to my work, my coaching and everything else I do outside of the gym. I find that I am more patient now and I appreciate my body more because of how much it allows me to do.

This past year you competed at IPF Worlds as a 63 lifter, following that you announced that you would compete the following meet as a 72kg lifter!

Can you first tell us about that experience at IPF Worlds?

IPF Worlds was my worst meet to date but it really helped me understand the importance of recovery and really listening to your body. Cutting weight and traveling was not an easy task. This caused me to cramp during the meet and also risked an injury to my spine again. This experience was eye opening and it made me realize that cutting weight is not worth it.

What lead to your decision to move up a weight class?

I have suffered two back injuries in the past and the pain only resurfaces when I cut weight. I had been cutting for every meet and I’ve never had a good experience because of it. I enjoyed competing as a 63kg lifter but I also know that my body is more comfortable sitting around 66kgs. I would rather not risk another injury from cutting weight and just focus on getting stronger in the 72kg weight class.

How has that been so far? Pros and Cons

The pros are the big PRs I’ve achieved so far! I hit my highest wilks of 480 at my first meet as a 72kg. I feel healthy and I haven’t had any issues with any of my lifts. Usually, during my prep for a bigger meet like Nationals, I start to feel really fatigued during my peak because I would be cutting at the same time. This time around, I am prepping while maintaining a caloric surplus (since I still sit relatively low in my weight class) so lifting heavier weights doesn’t tax me as much as it used to. I also feel that my recovery has significantly improved.

The con would be that I am one of the lightest lifers in my new weight class. So I find that my numbers might not be as competitive as it was when I competed as a 63kg lifter. I know that in time, I can develop really competitive numbers, but for now, I am just glad to be able to compete and still be competitive in a higher weight class.

You have also experienced injury in the sport and “the come back”, can you share with us a little about that experience?

I had a fracture in my spine a few years back and this really held me back from lifting. I was incapable of squatting or deadlifting and it was nearly impossible to bench with an arch. These issues made powerlifting very hard but my coach, Hani Jazayrli from The Strength Athlete, and I developed a game plan because of it. We worked on my weaknesses during this injury and it made me come back stronger than ever, not just as a lifter but overall as a stronger person. I ended up making a comeback by securing the National Championship title in the 63kg open division in Canada.

You seem to have a close “gym family.” Something we get asked about a lot is finding like-minded individuals! How did you find your gym? Do you think that environment has played a role in your development?

I found my gym family, Afterburn Barbell, through my boyfriend, Charles. He introduced me to like-minded individuals who had the same hunger to be better. Going into a sport where you perform as an individual seemed difficult for me at first, especially coming from a team-oriented sport. However, since joining Afterburn Barbell, shortly after moving to Toronto, I’ve never felt more at home with a group of friends that I can call my second family. We go to powerlifting meets together and there is no better sound than your team cheering you on during that last big deadlift. My handler from my last meet was Teresa Yeung, another strong female powerlifter from Afterburn Barbell. She helped me achieve my highest ever wilks and also helped me go 9/9. I’m really glad I have people like her from the team who I can truly depend on to be beside me during my biggest competitions. Our team will be traveling to Calgary, AB together in less than 4 weeks to compete at the next CPU Nationals where I know we will all do great things together.  

What is one piece of advice you would give to a new lifter?

Be open-minded. One thing I learned is that ever since I kept myself open to constructive criticism and suggestions, I have grown so much more as a lifter. Once you start thinking you know everything is when you stop learning. Never stop learning.  

What is next for Christine Castro?

I am looking forward to competing again at the next CPU Nationals where I will be sharing the platform with some of the strongest women in powerlifting. I am hoping to hit some big PRs but fail or succeed, I am ready to give it my all. It isn’t over until the final pull.

Click here to learn more about Christine

Written by Gage Reid of Nova Strenght Training Systems

I’ve worked with countless athletes, coaches, as well as various other members of the strength community and one of the most common misconceptions is that when an athlete has poor technique or movement patterns, you must ALWAYS “Deload to 135 and work back up”. Although this may be the case in the most extreme of circumstances (a long-term injury that prevents an athlete from training for an extended period of time, for example), the more appropriate response to this would be smart programming with a close adherence to technical proficiency by both the coach and athlete.

“The 10% Rule”

Simply put, “the 10% rule” is when you take an athlete's 1-Rep-Max (1RM) and reduce it by 10% to allow the athlete more leeway with percentages, top sets and general working sets. This method is often utilized with athletes who have extreme dysfunctions with their technique. Although this may hit the ego hard for some people, it can be a huge advantage in the long term and will prove to set the athlete up for big PRs down the road, while executing them with a higher degree of technical proficiency- which means a safer, stronger, healthier lifter over time.

For example: If a lifter has a Squat 1RM of 250 pounds, but they quarter/half squat, have extreme valgus collapse and/or have a variety of other dysfunctions, you will reduce their Training 1RM to 225 and base all percentages, working sets, and top sets off of that number, as opposed to 250. It’s simple, yet effective in the most extreme of circumstances.

Weekly Undulation Strategies

This is a concept that I first heard from Chad Wesley Smith of Juggernaut Training Systems a few years back and I’ve since incorporated a similar version of Weekly Undulation into my own athletes' programming. By varying the intensities weekly, but continually driving the total volume an athlete performs throughout the course of a training block you are able to potentiate when to hit rep PRs, as well as when to back off the intensity to allow for a slight recovery, adaptation effect and focus on improving technical proficiency with moderate loads. A few of my athletes, in particular, have responded extremely well to this style of training, but all have seen consistent results.

An example of Weekly Undulation during a Hypertrophy Block would be as follows:

Week 1: 4x8

Week 2: 1x8 @ RPE 7-8, followed by a -10% reduction in intensity for 4x8 back down sets.

Week 3: 5x8

Week 4 (Planned Functional Overreaching Week): 1x8 @ RPE 8-9, followed by a -10% or -15% reduction in intensity for 5-6x8 back down sets.

Week 5 (Deload Week): 4x6-8

As you can see the program calls for top sets ranging from RPE 7-8 and 8-9 every other week, this is typically when rep PRs are performed or matched. This allows the athlete to set goals, but also to continually drive training volume over the course of the training block, eventually accumulating enough training stress and fatigue to warrant a Deload Week.

Specific Variations

I’ve talked about this in detail before, both in previous articles as well as on Facebook and Instagram. The idea of using specific variations, such as the High Bar Squat or Pause Deadlift, to improve technique has been utilized countless times by Team Nova Strength Athletes. The High Bar Squat, in particular, has proven to be an excellent training tool to improve bar path, knee position and overall technical proficiency due to the very nature of the movement. Often times I have an athlete perform High Bar Squats 2-3 times per week, with varying intensities and/or variations (such as 3-1-0 Tempo or 2-Count Pauses at the bottom) to improve Squat mechanics. Since the HBS is a highly sports-specific movement (it closely mimics the Competition Low Bar Squat) you will have a solid carry over once you transition back to the Low Bar Squat.

Feedback and Communication

As a coach, it is your responsibility to provide your athletes with consistent, detailed and appropriate feedback. Technical analysis is a huge aspect of coaching that is often overlooked in the online coaching community. Personally, I require my athletes to send multiple videos of each training session so that I’m able to monitor performance during the workout, find technical flaws and give accurate feedback. Seeing one video per workout of a top set will not be sufficient enough information to provide your athlete with the feedback required to make adjustments. I tell my athletes to send me videos of their top sets or main working sets, as well as videos of their last set. This will allow me to see the technical breakdown during the first set, versus the last set- because fatigue accumulated during a workout will impact how Set 1 looks vs. Set 5. It’s vital that you give your athletes the attention to detail that they require, especially if they are in the beginner or early intermediate stages of their lifting career where they need more feedback, technical adjustments, and reinforcement.

Be a part of the discussion at Club GWPL