Take a Break to Improve Technique

I touched a barbell this weekend. First one in some time. As you may know, my favorite thing to do with a barbell is olympic weightlifting. The high-skill, high-speed movements are engaging and frustrating. You have to focus. Be aware and concentrate on small movements, old habits and constantly be improving your technique. 

I expected to feel rusty. For my timing be a little off and to feel slow or weak. It took me a while to get warmed up, to feel the timing and movement like I normally can. What I didn’t expect though was for me to be better at picking up my bad habits. During most lifts, I have this bad habit of over-tucking my chin. I look down instead of up or forward. Having time off made this common, but bad position of mine so obvious. Normally, I can't even feel it until I watch the video reply. 

It was a nice surprise to find myself more aware of this and a couple other poor habits. It’s difficult to change the technique of something you’ve been doing for a long time - it literally becomes wired.  Taking a break, and getting a new perspective can level up your training though, no matter how counterintuitive it seems. 

It’s been a while since you’ve deadlifted, or rowed or done an inverted row. While these things will feel awkward once you get back in the gym, you’re going to pick up on something new, feel it in a different way than you did before. 

Justin Miner

@justinminergain