Why get strong?
Strength is the foundation for all physical attributes. Speed, coordination, agility, power and yes, even endurance are enhanced with an increase in strength. Aerobic capacity has also shown to improve in the initial stages of a novice strength program. Improved balance and increased bone density in the aging population is making strength training ever more popular with that group, and anecdotal evidence from people of all ages show a reduction in nagging back pain (a strong back is a healthy back).
Perhaps the best way to sum it up is from this no-nonsense quote from Starting Strength author Mark Rippetoe:
“Strong people are harder to kill than weak people, and more useful in general.”
Why is a barbell training program the best way to get strong?
The human body functions as a complete system, and your training should reflect that. Barbell exercises mimic real-life movement patterns that forces the muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments and nerves to coordinate in a unified manner, and that when the goal is strength improvement, commercial gym machines and gimmicky exercise fads that isolate only certain muscles or odd movement patterns, cannot provide. Strength gains from barbell training are immediately transferrable to any other physical endeavor you will experience.
Practical and Effective:
Barbell training focuses on 4 or 5 primary exercises that utilize the most muscle mass in the least amount of time. 3 times per week, for 90 minutes a session, is all that is needed increase strength.
Objective Results:
Barbells are incrementally loaded, which means each exercise is loaded with a little more weight than the last session. Results are tracked and can be graphed to show that strength gains occurred at the second session, and progresses as long as the trainee continues to train. A young male trainee for example, should expect to see his squat improve 60 lbs. per month for some time.
Hiring a Coach:
Before we decide if hiring a strength coach is the right choice for you, we should first understand what a good coach is (and isn’t). Much confusion exists today about why we should train, how we should train, body mechanics, nutrition, and really the fitness industry in general. Unfortunately, the fitness industry has been the main perpetrator of this confusion, and this one article on the matter will hardly make a scratch on these sad state of affairs. But as the number of good, qualified coaches grows, along with the number of clients that demonstrate objective success in their training, we can easily point to what works, and separate it from the BS that only exists because of ignorance or the shady desire to make a quick buck at the expense of the client’s well being.
A good strength coach should be able to explain to you WHY they are having you do something.
Sounds obvious, right? The experienced coach has a foundational knowledge of anatomy, physiology, bio-mechanics or in a nutshell – a solid grasp on human movement. The ideal coach also has real world experience in his own training, and experience training countless clients. The expert coach has a MODEL of each movement he prescribes, and it is based on how the human body is designed to perform said movement. This means that a client’s movement should fit this model to be effective and safe, and when deviated from, the coach can immediately identify the error.
A good strength coach can communicate that knowledge to teach you HOW to perform a movement.
During an exercise, this communication occurs through what we call “cues”. These cues are short phrases or even a single word conveyed to the client to keep the movement within the model of that exercise. Barbell exercises are movement patterns that involve a complex array of muscle, skeletal and neural coordination, and the coach must be able to use his knowledge and “coaching eye” to communicate quickly and simply the desired reaction from the client. Cues can also be visual, as in pointing to a spot on the floor where the coach wants the client’s eye gaze to be. And finally, cues can be tactile, as in patting the small of the back to remind the client to brace in that spot.
A good coach earns the trust of the client.
Not all personalities are a good fit, but a good coach goes out of his way to listen to the client, and be personable, empathetic and professional. A good coach truly cares and is genuinely happy when the client displays improvements in the gym. The coach also understands that the client is not only getting physically stronger, but more confident in general, and is a greater sense of satisfaction to him than the physical aspect.
Keep these traits in the back of your mind as you search for the right coach for you, and don’t be afraid to shop around until you find the right fit!
