Do you want to know how my job gets easy real fast? My job gets easy when every movement that can’t be done on a Cybex machine with a seat belt on and two step, color coded instruction manual is deemed unsafe. My job becomes Club Med when basic functional movement becomes “risky”. I literally get paid to do nothing when we all agree that basic level weightlifting, gymnastics, plyometrics, and powerlifting are extreme.
To be fair, I can understand the desire to make these movements notorious. After all, they take effort to teach. In order to coach them, you’ll need to:
- be knowledgeable,
- care, and
- commit to working (somewhat) hard.
It wouldn’t be fair to mention all these cool benefits for trainers all around the world the moment we ban squatting, pushing, pulling, and hinging without mentioning what we’d give up for the client. You see, if we give up working towards these movements the client makes massive concessions not only in performance, but in safety. Athletes that can’t move through full ranges of motion with strength and stability are fragile. When we make complex movements illegal, we make unfit, injury prone, low performers.
Despite a valiant effort by fearful coaches and movement pessimistic health care practitioners, the squat still reigns as King. Men and women of all different disciplines can press barbells, flip tires, and demonstrate safe, repeatable jumping and landing mechanics. While this guarantees that trainers are still on the hook to work hard, it does give our athletes a chance to get fit. And, that is the point.
Logan Gelbrich
@functionalcoach
8/21/17 WOD
Complete 4 rounds progressing in load of:
5 Rack Lunges (Ea)
10 Weighted Situps
100’ Sandbag Front Carry
Then, complete 5 rounds for time of:
:30 Max Calorie Row
-Rest 2 min-