Weight training sessions are far more than merely pumping iron.
They’re an opportunity to learn and practice movement patterns that when performed correctly will transform your athletic ability and protect against injury.
Sadly, without a coach overseeing the training session, all too often, ego takes hold and too much load is manhandled with poor form.
A periodised training programme cycles from lower to higher intensity (load lifted) to ensure progression, but this also provides an important opportunity to rehearse the quality of your movement patterns and correct any mistakes.
Higher loads not only force your body to adapt by exceeding your habitual level (progressive overload principle – see Training Dose), but will reveal errors in your form.
Lower load periods of training not only give your body a chance to adapt to the stress of the higher load, improving performance, but also allow you to correct any motor pattern mistakes exposed at higher loads
Don’t waste these lower load phases of your training, craft your movement skill.
A new or altered skill demands a high level of cognitive processing from the brain, and distractions like too much load will mess up your form.
Constant repetition will eventually turn this skilled sequence of muscle contractions and joint movements into an automated process that the brain executes without thinking, leaving you able to focus on shifting more weight.
Developing quality automated motor patterns is the objective.
But, a word of warning; repeating bad movements will make those automated processes too – bad habits.
It’s much easy to start from scratch with a clean slate and repeat good movements, committing them to automated processes, than it is to correct bad habits.
In fact, as an infant you already had perfect deadlifting technique, you simply lost it through the subsequent practice of bad technique.
So have the attitude of the eternal novice, never stop looking to learn and improve. Leave your ego behind and work on quality movement before adding intensity – be that from adding load, or speed and power.
You must be capable of controlling your movement, don’t repeat bad form.
Work to “technical failure”, stop repping if your form has gone – they don’t count!
Mistakes are a part of the learning process, but don’t continue repeating them or you’ll create a bad habit – which will be difficult to alter.
Patience. Do it right, and do it right a lot! Then forget about it and let it happen automatically.
Further Resources
- Fight Skills Technical Practice Part 1: Group Sessions
- How To Get Good At Muay Thai Fast & Keep Getting Better & Better!
- Why Fighters SHOULDN’T Train With Resistance Bands – They’ll Ruin Your Technique!
- Strength & Conditioning for Muay Thai 101 – A Science-Based Approach to Accelerated Athletic Development
- Optimal Fight Camp Blueprint
Don Heatrick
Founder of Heatrick Strength and Conditioning
Don Heatrick is a family man from the UK, former mechanical design engineer, European Muay Thai silver medallist, former pro Thai boxer (ranked 4th in UK while aged 40-years), a Muay Thai coach, podcast host, and the go-to expert on Muay Thai performance training with over 25 years of coaching experience.
Don helps ambitious fighters and coaches take their game to the next level by bridging the gap between Strength & Conditioning, Performance Science, and Muay Thai.
Follow Don Heatrick on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donheatrick/
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