A coach's job is to educate a lifter on safe and effective barbell technique, maximize strength and muscular development, help ensure goal attainment through appropriate programming and technique, provide support throughout the process, and ultimately keep people happy and lifting for years to come.
But it takes two to tango! The athlete plays an essential role in the success of the coaching experience. An athlete's transparency, communication, and knowledge is always a huge asset for a coach as they provide the pieces to the puzzle to help the coach optimize everything. The more knowledgeable and insightful the lifter is, the more effective a coach can be for them.
Stephanie Tracy: a long-time PRS client, USAPL Referee, Cookie Connoisseur, and competitive powerlifter, sheds light on the benefits of being insatiably curious about all things strength training and powerlifting!
She consumes as much information as she can in strength sports and has found value in having trusted sources at Progressive Rehab & Strength to filter information and learn from firsthand. As a curious athlete, she highlights some valuable lessons that all athletes, coaches, and clinicians would be remiss not to take home:
- Knowledge of movement principles provides you confidence when executing lifts in training.
- A deep understanding of the WHY behind programming decisions AND technique provides you with tools to deviate if necessary and decreases anxiety and risk of injury.
- Investing in yourself makes the process of reaching your goals that much more enjoyable.
- Being an active participant in your journey helps strengthen your relationship with your coach.
As a USAPL ref, she witnesses a lot of great lifts but also very poorly executed or failed lifts, which has solidified how important technique and programming are when your goals are to perform well on the platform.
As Steph states, "we owe it to ourselves not to 100% rely on a coach to ensure that we're optimizing our potential and reducing our risk for injury."
If you're ready to become a next-level lifter, or a coach's ideal client, invest in your sport long-term, and fall in love with the process - Stephanie has already done all the work for you; all you need to do is listen to this podcast.
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Web: https://www.progressiverehabandstrength.com
Email: podcast@progressiverehabandstrength.com
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