Put the Right Weight on the Bar!

Surprisingly, this isn’t a call to go lighter in the name of safety. In fact, safety is resolved in the same points of performance that would be asked of you to go heavy. Doing five sets of five back squats with a load you could lift for twelve reps is a waste of your time. To understand this message, you’d need to understand the most basic truth in training. 

Training is most simply the exposure to a certain stimulus for a certain response.

There are two responsible parties involved in you getting fit. Firstly, there’s the author of the workout who must write training that will elicit a particular response like you getting faster, stronger, building cardiovascular capacity, etc. Second, the athlete must make choices in the gym that will get the intended training response. This means running fast enough, lifting the right amount of weight, etc.

The barbell, for example, isn’t magic. You can’t just do choreography with it and reap the benefits. You need to put the right weight on the bar to do that. This burden of responsibility is critical to your training changing you rather than helping you pass the time. 

What’s the most helpful thing for athletes to get the right weight on the bar? Increase your self-awareness. Know yourself. Know what you can and cannot do. The more precise you are with making choices (like what weight you put on the bar) the faster you can get more fit. 

From one coach to an athlete, please put the right weight on the bar!