I don’t train clients anymore. However, I still get a rush every time I informally coach someone.
Two recent workouts with friends reminded me of why I got into this in the first place.
Workout 1: The Aggressor
A friend of mine has lifted weights for a long time. Loves going heavy. Has fought through aches and pains for years.
Lately they’ve been putting in serious work and lost a lot of weight. But their lifting form? A little out of control.
They come down fast. Fire off reps as quick as possible. Use momentum. Let other body parts sneak in to help, legs pushing on a dumbbell bench press, hips driving, upper body swinging.
Still strong. But rushing every rep.
They asked me to coach them and talk through a program with the primary goal of putting on muscle and training pain-free. So the first thing we fixed was rep discipline.
I told him the new rules for the day.
1. No more than eight reps (keep the focus window of the set short)
2. Pick a weight you could do at least five great reps (avoid going too heavy for rep quality)
3. Get into a full stretch at the bottom of each rep
4. Pause one second in the full stretch
5. Give high effort to get the weight up without using muscles that should not be involved
6. Take three seconds to lower back down into the full stretch
7. No bouncing or rushing out of the bottom
After a few sets, the weight dropped from 90 pounds to 70. And they struggled to get five clean reps.
The next day I got a text about the surprising soreness with the lighter weights and more controlled strategies we used.
Workout 2:
Different workout. They were using a fifteen-pound weight.
One look and it was clear: they could handle a lot more.
After I changed the weight and coached them through a couple of more effortful sets, they were using the 40lb. dumbbell and doing 20 reps instead of the 15lb. dumbbell for only 10 reps.
Calling their first weight “too conservative” would be an understatement.
So here’s what I love about this.
One person needed to hear slow down. Control it. Less is more.
The other needed to hear the exact opposite. Go heavier. Push harder. You’ve got way more in the tank.
Two friends. Two opposite messages.
That’s why we customize. Not just the program, but the coaching too.
It’s never one size fits all. And that’s the part I love most.
James