Determining and Strengthening Your Weaknesses

Determining and Strengthening Weaknesses
By Tom Myslinski
For EliteFTS.com


Squat

1. Problem (P) – The bar feels heavy out of the power rack.
Weak Point (WP) – abdominals, hip flexors
Coaching Point (CP) #1 – Contract shoulder blades, flex, and arch back out of rack, requires a static contraction to maintain arch.
CP #2 – Create a neutral spine position, push out against belt.

2. P – Butt sits straight down, “Olympic style”
WP – Incorrect technique, hamstrings
CP #1 – Push butt back, “sprinter style”, to incorporate posterior chain (spinal erectors, glutes, hamstrings) thereby activating stretch reflex.
CP #2 – Perfect posture maintains the greatest mechanical advantage.

3. P – Knees buckle in
WP – Hips, glutes, external rotators
CP – Spread the floor by pushing out over the sides of your shoes.

4. P – Fall forward
WP – Low back, abs
CP #1 – Lead up out of hole with a spread, high chest
CP #2 – Push up with arms by keeping elbows positioned perpendicular under bar, letting the elbows rotate up and back causes the wrists to roll the bar high.
CP #3 – Do not squat into mirror, causes instability regulated by visual feedback

5. P – Stuck out of hole (bottom position)
WP – Incorrect technique, bar too heavy
CP – Not sitting back far enough to fully activate stretch reflex.

6. P - Stuck ½ - ¾ up
WP – Hips, glutes
CP – Develop accelerative strength, prolong rate of force production


Bench Press

1. P – Bar feels heavy or unstable
WP – Lats, posterior deltoids, external rotators, rotator cuff
CP – Contract shoulder blades, requires a static contraction to maintain, drive upper back into bench upon concentric contraction

2. P – Weak off of chest
WP – Bar too heavy, nobody fails off of the chest
CP #1 – Lower the bar with your back, “springboard effect”, activate stretch reflex
CP #2 – Develop accelerative strength, prolong rate of force production

3. P - Stuck ½ way up
WP – Triceps
CP #1 – Spread the bar with your grip, activate medial head of triceps
CP #2 – Keep elbows positioned perpendicular under bar, any rotation outwards transfers the load to the shoulder capsule

4. P – Pressing into the J-hooks
WP – Triceps
CP #1 – The shortest path between 2 points is a straight line, maintain a straight bar path
CP #2 – Do not push into bar, press yourself away from bar, create separation
CP #3 – keeping the elbows positioned perpendicular under the bar maintains the greatest mechanical advantage, any rotation outwards transfers the load to the shoulder capsule

5. P – Butt rises from bench
WP – Incorrect technique, bar too heavy, bench too low
CP #1 – Maintain correct posture, knees up, straighten legs or drive with heels
CP #2 – Do not arch low back, arch upper back by contracting shoulder blades

6. P – Head rises with eccentric lowering
WP – Incorrect technique
CP #1 – Maintain correct posture, keep head down with chin tucked
CP #2 – Concaving chest causes an increased distance for the bar to travel