Myths of Lifting!

Dear Reader.

Today I want to address a subject that is very often overlooked and yet so simple. More weight will not get you stronger faster.  

This whole subject or line of thought that most people get when they start to get a little competitive and more comfortable with the movements:

If I use heavier weight in this workout I’ll get much better or if I do this workout as prescribed (Rx) I’ll be stronger, hell I might even be going to the games next year!

Unfortunately, this isn't the case and it can also slow down your progress.

One of the greatest statements I've ever heard and always refer back to is that "practice makes permanent”  and this is so true. What most people think is that practice makes perfect. Let’s put this saying into perspective.  

You're an athlete and you want to PR your clean. Every time that cleans are programmed as a skill or in a workout you push yourself to add more weight because you want to go Rx. Therefore, you do many reps with moderate/heavy weight and you catch all of them but you know that you receive the bar in a starfish stance or on your toes for at least half the reps. Now remember that practice makes permanent. Guess what? You just got even stronger and more comfortable in those bad positions! You're now even more likely to revert to those positions no matter how hard you try and lift with perfect form.  

Now, I'm not saying that you should be lifting a PVC pipe for the rest of your life.  I want you to feel comfortable in the correct positions before going too heavy. Using a PVC pipe for everything is not necessarily the solution as anybody can catch a PVC pipe snatch without falling on their back but add weight to a bar that is received too far forward and you will know right away. Practice makes permanent, means you can add some weight but when you notice that you are failing reps and that the proper mechanics of the movement are gone, scale it back a little.

I took an example of an Olympic lift here but the same principle applies to everything we do in the gym. Some might feel offended when a coach tells them to scale. Just remember that the coach is always there to help you improve and chances are that there is a very good reason behind that decisions. On top of this, as an athlete, if your goal is to get better, ask the question, why did you ask me to scale this movement? The answer might help you more than you think.

Practice makes permanent. Practice the right way and you'll perform. Practice bad form/habits and you'll strengthen them making it even harder to correct in the future.

If you want to get stronger follow the simple steps: position - speed - weight. As you progress through this ladder, whenever you lose #1 (position) come back down and the real progress will be much faster.

That's all for now folks. If you have any topics you'd like to see address please message me at info@orleanscrossfit.ca.

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