Get Out From Under the Bar

Raise the bar; don’t be limited by a bar. Don’t lock yourself in; don’t think weight training, rather think conceptually as resistance training or strength training. Olympic lifting, power Lifting and bodybuilding are all methods of strength training as well competitive sports. This is not a diatribe against lifting; rather it is a plea to be sensible in your approach to strength training. To be a complete athlete you must have strength that meets the demands of your sport. So choose the mode of strength training that is appropriate for your personal needs. By mode I mean a bar, dumbbell, kettlebell, sandbag, stretch cord, pulley machine, medicine ball etc. Be sure that your athletes can handle bodyweight against gravity before you go to external means of resistance. Don’t be in a hurry, build progressively and teach good pulling technique, squatting technique and pushing technique, but don’t lock yourself into a bar to do this. Be creative and intelligent in choosing the mode. It is very effective and much less intimidating to teach pulling with a dumbbell or a sandbag. Make the mode of training fit the athlete; don’t make the athlete fit the mode. Remember the goal is to the get the athlete appropriately strong for their sport in order to enhance performance and prevent injury. Keep it simple and basic. If you are working with younger, developing athletes remember they have a giant window of adaptation, take advantage of that, but don’t load excessively without proper progression.