Getting Stronger without Ego
If you want to avoid ego lifting, reduce injuries, and know when to safely progress your lifts, use these two indicators to tell you when you can safely add weight to a movement:
First indicator – Can I move through a full range of motion (ROM)?
For example: When front squatting, practice squatting through your full range of motion. Don’t stop just because you hit parallel (and definitely don’t stop above parallel).
Squatting through a complete ROM will use more muscles, stress more of our body’s skeletal and connective tissues, and gives us the the most benefit possible out of a specific lift. A full ROM also improves flexibility and stability, both of which strengthen weaknesses and help us avoid injuries.
Second indicator – Can I control the lift through the entire range of motion?
For example: When bench pressing, can you lower the bar to your chest under control, touch your chest without bouncing, and then lift the bar back up?
The best way to learn if you are lifting with control is to take a video of yourself so that you can actually see what you look like. The camera gives invaluable feedback and helps us fix faults that we don’t know we have.
(If you’re an active Mezzo member and want some help diagnosing your movement, you can send me your videos and I will give you coaching feedback!)
That’s it.
If you can do those two things on a specific lift, it’s time to add weight to that movement!
Add enough weight to the movement to make it challenging and then focus again on:
Using a full range of motion
Showing control through the entire range of motion
Repeat these steps for a lifetime, get stronger, reduce injuries, and see more results from your training.
Happy lifting!
