"Oh, you want to improve your bench? Do dips."
"Oh, you want to get better at squats? Do glute-ham bench."
"Oh, you want to eat less and lose weight? Get a dog."
Listen, dealing with an issue doesn't mean ignoring it. Yes, symptoms and causes can be convoluted - we talked about that here; I'm all for the idea of "same, but different", and I'm a big believer in the use of auxiliary and supplemental exercises.
BUT (and these are important "buts")...
- There's "same, but different", and then there's "just different". Yes, there can be a "WTH-effect", but the more disparate the exercises, the less likely they're going to pleasantly surprise you with carry-over unless you get lucky or very intelligently choose the Holy Grail of supplementary exercises.
- The SAID (specific adaptations to imposed demands) principle is pretty, well, specific. If you want to full squat 500 pounds, you're probably going to have to spend a good amount of time squatting... with a barbell... on your back... below parallel...
4 comments:
great post but even greater headline. that is so true., the only way out is through.in over 40 years of trainging I haven't found another way; for training or for life.
It certainly is true for life too, isn't it? Thanks Rif.
This is so very, very true.
As a partially-related story, in the gym I work at, one of the other trainers decided he wanted to train me twice a week. We sat down and had a consultation. Now, I want to compete in powerlifting down the track and I'm currently doing squats, press variations and pulls from the floor in every training session. The trainer didn't like that, and wanted to completely revamp my program to primarily isolation exercises and prefatiguing. I explained to him why I would never train that way myself, nor would I ever train someone else that way. He tried (with great frustration) to convince me that leg extensions and leg presses are more important than squatting for someone who wants to squat. After half an hour of this, he gave up on me.
I then walked away and did some squats.
Wow. There are times that isolation and "prefatiguing" are good ideas, but that trainer sounds like someone to avoid. Good luck w. the PL training - let me know how it progresses.
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