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Form Checks vs. Coaching

Anna C

Anna C

Level 9 Valued Member
Team Leader Certified Instructor
Elite Certified Instructor
Sinister
Food for thought, from a weightlifting perspective.

I often see someone post here on the forum who has an issue of some sort with their kettlebell, barbell, or bodyweight training.

The question is asked, "Could it be your technique?" The answer "I've had my form checked by an SFG." Often times this occurred once, many years ago. Or perhaps you had a form check and some feedback here on the forum.

These are both great! But... do you think you're good forever, then?

My perspective -- I started kettlebell training 10 years ago, barbell strength training 6 years ago, and barbell weightifting (snatch and C&J) 4 years ago. I've been working on weightlifting for most of the the last 4 years; see Training Log link in my signature. I've had the same coach for almost that long. I compiled one of my sessions from last week into this video. I get my form checked EVERY SESSION. And I'm still working on it. We do remote coaching via an online app (not real time) so I don't get feedback during the session, but videos are reviewed 3x/week. This is the norm for weightlifting -- virtually everyone who competes has a coach. And the expectation is that they will be coached and corrected continuously on whatever it is that needs improvement. It is a never-ending quest.

There many things that make weightlifting particularly challenging -- the weight heavy and the movement is fast, the lifts must meet competition standards, the mobility and skill requirements are high, and full-body strength is required. But a lot of this applies to most all the training we do.

So I would suggest that having your form checked once, or even once in a while, is leaving a lot on the table. As your strength improves, your technique changes, and you add new movements -- there is a lot to be seen, improved, and corrected. Have you considered ongoing coaching from an SFG or other StrongFirst certified instructor?
 
I was lucky enough to find an SFG in my area last year. We had a session going over the 6 main kettlebell moves and he gave me a lot of good notes. He's also open to me sending him videos now and again for a quick form check. I want to make sure I have an in person session with him on a regular basis (cadence tbd) so that he gets paid for his efforts.

I really appreciate his willingness (and the willingness of coaches on this forum, yourself included Anna) to be generous with their time for quick form checks.

This is good advice. I find it very beneficial to get someone else's expert perspective on what I'm doing. Gives me plenty to keep working on.
 
Agreed, My coach still makes small changes in my form almost two years into working with him.

As you grow as an athlete the more nuance is required. Nobody fits into an abstract perfect form, you need to practice and find the perfect form for you and your leverages. What is "good form" as a beginner becomes OK form as an intermediate.

I'm not even doing complicated technical lifts like weightlifting. Just the basic barbell powerlifts and some strongman stuff. And holy cow can you spend a lot of time figuring out what works best for you in something as simple as farmer carry. Staggered stance? High Step? Low Step? heel toe? Where do you look?
 
I agree that it is best to have someone coaching/training you consistently. No doubt I would have made more progress had I had a trainer to work under for the last 5 five years. I have had so many questions about my technique, form, etc, as well as what I might be able to do to improve my own bodily "issues." I would love to have my own trainer to learn under.

I've had to learn most of what I know by myself, and by applying things to myself, because I can't afford a trainer.

So, while I agree with the notion, all I will say is that not everyone can afford a coach/trainer. Personally speaking, I am in school right now, and for the foreseeable future years as well. About 3-4 times a year there comes a time between semesters where I have to decide what groceries not to buy because I don't have the money. Some day, when I hopefully am in a decently-paying career, I will definitely work with someone.
 
silveraw said:
You can go really far with self assessment. I'd even argue that eventually it is required to improve.

Really the biggest impediment with self assessment is hubris.
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Agreed. I am defintely guilty of still occasionally listening to the inner voice saying, "you have one more set in you...." even when I've already done more than what was planned.

While still acknowledging the huge benefits of a trainer/coach, I think that developing a good level of training self-awareness is just as important. A lot of people who don't have a trainer hobble themselves because they don't understand how to measure their own progress, how to know when they're pushing too hard, when they can push harder, etc. The benefit of a good trainer is that they can guide the client/trainee through all that.
 
Yeah, it never ceases to amaze me how so many people think their technique is rock solid and doesn't need work. Everyone's technique needs work. The best runners and swimmers in the world do technique drills regularly. The best players drill fundamentals constantly. It's not like one day a basketball player says "You know what? My free throws are solid. I don't need to work on those anymore." (Well, I mean, maybe Shaq said that, I don't know)
 
silveraw said:
You can go really far with self assessment. I'd even argue that eventually it is required to improve.

Really the biggest impediment with self assessment is hubris.
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Yes.

And, you can carry the self-assessment/movement corrections too far too. Paralysis by analysis. I feel like good coaching and training avoids this though - some days it's technique-focused, other days it's bust a#@, other days it's both or neither.
 
Excepting two 6 month deployments I trained in person with Anna for six years about 3X a week excepting work issues, vacations, etc.

A good 500 sessions, probably more.

I shot hours of video of Anna until she started videoing herself. Anna spent hours poring over video and has continued to do so religiously.

Might I add that I have flown and worked with some incredibly bright fighter pilots, and Anna is one of the very most effectively analytical and smartest people that I have ever known. That her coach(es) constantly provide input tells me all that I need to know about form deteriorating and “wandering.”

I do know that I will copy and keep Anna’s original post.
 
A coach is great if you have the means. At least some people seem to think so since they pay me.

Even with a coach, I'd recommend everyone to video their training regularly.

If you train in a public gym and you're not a recluse, you can often easily get second opinions for free. They may not be the most qualified ones, but often fine and may give you something to think over.
 
Excellent post, @Anna C!

I follow a music lesson model with my coaching. Most of the adults I work with come here for an hour lesson once a week or once every two weeks. Thats's infrequent enough not to break their bank but often enough to help them continue to progress, learn some new lifts, try out new weights for the first time - all that good stuff that it's nice to have a coach for.

@Antti's suggestion of video'ing yourself and watching those is also great - it's something I do for myself regularly, and when I feel the need, I get others to critique the videos.

-S-
 
WxHerk said:
That her coach(es) constantly provide input tells me all that I need to know about form deteriorating and “wandering.”
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Yes, form wanders for sure. Like herding cats. You focus on something, and realize something else has gotten away from you. Or something that wasn't an issue suddenly becomes one at a higher weight. My weightlifting coach @randyh knows how to keep me focused on one thing long enough to make an improvement. Meanwhile we are always working on strength, power, mobility, speed, stability... sometimes as part of the lifts, sometimes through other exercises or accessories. Always in the right dose for what the body / CNS / brain can handle.


WxHerk said:
Excepting two 6 month deployments I trained in person with Anna for six years about 3X a week excepting work issues, vacations, etc.

A good 500 sessions, probably more.

I shot hours of video of Anna until she started videoing herself. Anna spent hours poring over video and has continued to do so religiously.
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Sometimes I wonder what lifting was like before video days.... But I always learn so much more from a lift or set because I get to experience it twice (or more)!
 
Coaching is great if you're not dirt poor and trying to figure out how you're going to afford all of your food after your EBT card is already maxed out and pay your bills.
 
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metaldrummer said:
Coaching is great if you're not dirt poor and trying to figure out how you're going to afford all of your food after your EBT card is already maxed out and pay your bills.
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Valid point. Probably the next best thing is a membership to a gym where you train in a group or otherwise have frequent access to someone who can teach, observe, correct, and guide you as you train. Lots of StrongFirst instructors work at StrongFirst gyms or other locations. Although gym memberships can be expensive... some of my local friends pay more for their CrossFit membership than I pay for individual coaching. I train at home, so that reduces my ongoing expense, after the initial expense of setting up my home gym.

As other "free" options that bring at least some of the benefits:
  • a training partner who is knowledgeable and provides feedback and input (like my many years of training with @WxHerk)
  • video of yourself where you can recognize and correct your own issues
  • discussion/feedback here on the forum
The most important ingredient is being coachable -- realizing that you always have room for improvement and cultivating self-efficacy so that you can make those improvements. And then just never stop believing that those two things exist. Make them your constant companions in your training.
 
As someone who recently wrote a "form check" post I can only agree.

There are so many nuances to the techniques, I would probably miss a lot. A lot on staying healthy through proper form and getting stronger and better at my sport.

And then there I was doing "just" TGU and swings. And I already put in thoughts, rereading the manual, tweaking my technique every session. I got a tight back by overextending at the top of my swing and realized that this probably could´ve been avoided.

So I checked for the nearest SFGs but wasn´t totally convinced. I reached out to some offering online coaching and now I am getting coached for at least the next three months by @Mark Limbaga , already learned a lot and couldn´t be happier.

And it all started with @Anna C offering advice and a form check in my first post. So, thanks to all contributing to this community. :)
 
AnnaC “…some of my local friends pay more for their CrossFit membership than I pay for individual coaching.” Here’s a little background on that. Back when I started coaching in the early 2000s, USAW frowned on coaches charging athletes. The late Glenn Pendlay was a pioneer in that regard. When some of us started experimenting with Glenn’s for profit model, we would frequently lose athletes to more senior coaches who still charged nothing. (Why pay a club coach when a sr international coach will coach you for nothing?) Rough. When I moved to Boulder in 2009, Crossfit boxes here were charging $165 a month. I was charging $60 a month for personal programming and in-person coaching (via 6 weekly team workouts 2 hrs long each) and folks still balked. Post pandemic, 95% of my work is now remote and I charge 2x more for programming than in 2009. But I still work cheap apparently: less experienced personal trainers here charge 2x more than I do for remote programming.
 
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