Above, The Crew at The Underground Strength Gym (Middlesex, NJ)
Whenever I speak at a conference I tend to not speak about the exercise specifics, the sets, the reps.....
First off, the majority of the speakers ARE going to speak on this.
Secondly, you will find a GREAT deal of carry over in what we do when you organize a bunch of speakers. Why? Because what works will continue to work for many decades and centuries to come.
The fads and gimmicks work on instagram or youtube, in the weight room, it's the gut busting effort on the basics that work.
Third.....
I can talk about 5 x 5, Conjugate, Tier System, 5/3/1, etc but talking about is ONE thing.
It's HOW you implement the method, HOW you Coach and the CULTURE you build around your training method.
Why is Pizza different yet they all use the same basic ingredients? It's The Chef and how he uses all his ingredients.
Why are steaks, salads and burgers different? Again, it's the Chef and HOW they cook up the meal.
Why do athletes tell me "I've been lifting at ______" but then can't do a proper bodyweight squat or make it through our warm up?
It's HOW they trained, not so much WHAT they trained.
So before we talk about WHAT we do it's HOW you do it.
- Is that Squat below parallel? Is the trunk tight, the back locked in place, the stance in a proper athletic position?
- When you Bench Press, are you bouncing off your chest or are you controlling the weight the entire time? Does your body squirm like a worm while benching or are you locked in and turning the bench press into a full body exercise? Does the bar touch your chest EVERY rep?
These are all super basic things but they are just part of the many details that are gone unnoticed and left to mediocrity resulting is minimal if any results.
So if you're a Strength Coach or a sport coach in charge of the weight room, you can copy any program you want, it means NOTHING to me and most of all, it means NOTHING to the kids. It depends HOW you implement this program.
What about the 15 year old who weighs 86 lbs and looks like he is 11 years old?
This is a VERY common athlete I work with.....
Does this 86 lb 15 yr old get to load his spine and max out on squats and deads every month?
Not on my clock.
Then we have the 13 year old who looks like he is 17 or 18.
Is this 13 yr old ready to load his spine with heavy squats and deads?
I know a LOT of 7th and 8th graders who are being put under heavy load yet they were NEVER trained to do so from a technical standpoint and even more importantly, an emotional standpoint.
And the sport athlete who is lifting is MUCH different than the youth weightlifter, who has been under a bar for many years under an expert coach. Think Travis Mash, who trains youth in weightlifting. They don't get to max out or go heavy until they've EARNED it and prove they are ready both technically and emotionally.
Does every athlete in the weight room implement every lift with the same sets and reps?
The art of coaching doesn't come so easily.
The most knowledgeable coaches will have a lot of common ground when they discuss sets, reps, exercises, warm ups, etc.
Then we have the culture of the room. This is a BIG factor in the outcome of the training, aka the results.
Why do some kids train, lift, workout (insert any term) and why do ALL their results vary? It's the HOW.
HOW do these athletes get coached up and HOW do they take this coaching and apply it to their OWN life.
The culture you build in the weight room must transcend and influence actions outside the weight room. I'm not going to pretend every athlete I work with gets this, and, that is MY fault (Extreme Ownership).
Some other factors that change the efficacy of a weight room / Strength Coach is the communication outside of the weight room. Can we get these kids to Live The Code 365?
Can we get them to eat properly, to live the lifestyle of a Champion, to be consistent and to show up ALL the time? It's not about building a few leaders, it's about making EVERYONE a leader.
If the culture is AWESOME and HOW you implement the exercises is on point, then I am not worried about WHICH program you use. 5/3/1 or Conjugate, etc - they ALL work when YOU do the work the RIGHT way.
The crowd wants to hear you talk about sets and reps but the truth is, it is always much deeper than sets and reps.
This applies to those of you who train alone in your garage as well as those of you who are Coaches.
Live The Code 365,
Z
Mash & Zach Strength Seminar - Details HERE
Zach,
I’ve been in the game for over 40 years and never has this message been more important for trainees to hear than today. In my eyes, in this day of “certified” coaches, the true art of training has been lost. Thank god we still have coaches like you to pass on the foundation of training.
Yes, a Coach made a comment that he wished there was less cross over when
Coaches speak at a conference, that being said…….
It means the best coaches are more alike then different for a reason,…..
There is cross over bc certain things ALWAYS deliver and that’s what we try to hit home with our message!
Yes, Zach, a good post about the technical side of lifting. Yes, true lifting and training should be about art form.
Awesome Article as always Brother! So Glad I hooked with you and your mindset so many years ago!