We all can think back to the first time we ever picked up some weights and began our first “workout” routine. Some of us were 14 using their dad’s old weights in the garage, others 15 using mom’s credit card to join a big name gym, and there will always be the group who found themselves training in their high school dungeons, lingering with the stench of hard work from years past. Some wanted to be diesel, others jacked, brolic was also a popular choice, but whichever fit your preference, we all wanted to top it with a layer of shredded top.
For me it all began at Dolphin Fitness in Eastchester, NY when I was 14. It was a place where bench press was king and skull crushers were queen of the castle. My goal was to train for my sports; football and wrestling. As far as I knew, a big bench and some bi’s and tri’s would accomplish my goals. The more I internally rotated myself, the better off I thought I was. After a few years of this I was then introduced to “power cleans” where I was taught to “jump and shrug BIG”. NOW…I thought I had it all figured out.
As time went on and I learned from new coaches, I realized the value of making your workouts functional to your goals. As an athlete, I began eliminating single joint isolation movements and it became a lot less important to work slow twitch muscle fibers. I came across a coach (Marc Chasnov) who stripped my clean technique to square one and taught me the importance of hip extension and keeping the bar close to the body.
To this day, I still keep an open mind to others philosophies and recommendations. Although there are a wide range of methodologies, none of them are the “end all be all” of programming. It is important to keep an open mind and hear out other people who study the field. Along with keeping an open mind, you must remember; “don’t drink the juice”. If you like one person’s stance on a particular exercise or technique, it doesn’t necessarily make all of their opinions the answers to life’s weight room challenges. There are so many great minds out there and the truth is they do not all feel the same on every subject, so while it is perfectly fine to give people your attention, there is more research to be done before it becomes part of your practice.
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