Working with Physios and other professionals in the industry has taught me a lot of things and there is no doubt in my mind that technique is the most important principle when it comes to beginning or continuing any form of training. When you are in a WOD or in life, if you are unable to perform a safe lift, you should not even bother to attempt it. You only lift when you know for sure 100% that you can perform it safely.
From working in a very Safety orientated culture, it is no surprise that when it comes to the finicky details of picking the weight up or finishing properly, or dropping the weight back down on the ground, there is nothing more aggravating than when technique falls away. You may provide all forms of examples of unimaginable feats of strength that look suss and call it a lift, but if it is not done right, it really was not worth the effort if you are messed up in 10 years time.
Yes there are folks in the industry who believe that a bent spine deadlift is ok, who cares what the lift looks like as long as the reps have been completed, stuff it I got a PR and the list goes on. Is that ok?
Yes there are folks who are going to cheer you one and keep egging you on to complete it when you have absolutely nothing left in the tank. You are completely gassed and every single fibre in your body is fatigued or thick with acid and blinking your eyes hurt. Do you continue?
Yes there is a culture of tough crossfitters who rip skin on their palms from high friction rubbing against the bar with a monkey grip on the chin up bars. Yeah it is a facebook post and a tough image ego thing. Cool. But, plain and simple it is an injury and it will put you out of action for a while. Is this something to boast about?
At the end of the day, there is nothing more important than the continuity of an athlete and also the progression of an athlete. Only the smart athlete, cautious and in tuned athlete will be the successful athlete at the end of the day.
What you may not feel today or in the next month may not be so true in 10 years time. Remembering your body is pretty tough, but with a high load, high risk and bad technique combination, it is only a matter of time when the body will just flip the bird at you and go enough is enough, its rehab time. You see what you have to remember is that improper lifting technique will injure a little bit at a time without you knowing. Think of it as structural cracks that can appear. You do not know about these structural cracks until one day when the foundation collapses and there is a need for rebuilding and rehabilitation.
There is a science to lifting and there is methodology to everything that we do in the box. We must not forget that and adhere to these principles and be aware of the risks. We believe in training for the rest of our lives till the day we die. We do not have to stop because of age or disease. We are here as coaches to assist, coach and to educate. We do not compromise on safety. It is a non negotiable. Every Fibre Athlete knows this and must hold this close to heart.
If your ego is not capable of handling this important aspect of training and when the coach pulls you out of the workout, then you can kindly gtfu of the box. Your ego can injure or maim you. Not us. We do not want to coach cowboys or cowgirls. We want to coach smart athletes.
Technique is Paramount
Technique is a Non Negotiable
Athletes have a Choice to make the Smart Choice
Athlete Safety First, PR’s later.
