mrthingyx - We would never think of something being quad dominant, is this not a problem for average lifters? Like do subtle things become big problems when lifting heavy weights? I know some Olympic lifters say sometimes it's all mental once you get to a certain point.
Yeah I'm getting the sense hip drive could be the most important thing along with a safely positioned spine. I've always thought just stick my butt out but I guess that's not enough. What's a hip-pop, can't find anything on it.
So say we both start light. Okay we manage to squat the weight easily. The workouts aren't going to feel like we did anything. How do we begin working on form, I mean I can see it going like this...
Load light weights on the barbell.
Correct our form one step at a time.
How do we know once we are used to the form and ready to add more weight? Should we just continue to lift but keep at 70kg until we think we are squatting the same as in form videos?
I'm guessing the majority of people have bad form because I can't see most of the guys at my gym bothering doing any of this. I guess they will end up injured?
The defining factors between an elite athlete and a very, very good one can be psychological, yes. However, to be an elite athlete requires top-level physical performance.
In Olympic weightlifting - just the same as powerlifting/bodybuilding - being the best requires a certain genetic predisposition. Weightlifting is also one of those sports where the athlete is selected by the sport, as such: the shorter and more type 2b muscle fibres, the better... as well as a brutally powerful central nervous system.
Yes, psychology plays a very important factor in weightlifting (as with any sport), because hoiking something that weighs several factors more than your own bodyweight above your head takes balls - no way around it.
Quad dominance is something that can be 'dispensed' with pretty quickly once the proper technique has been learned. For me, it was reasonable quick, but it still needed spotting. Because I was only really using my quads to lift the weight when I first started front squatting, I was missing out on the back half of my legs: muscles that are much bigger and can generate huge force and power. If those didn't come to the party, I would have topped out on my weights pretty quickly.
Do small things become big things at heavy weights? Yes. 1x1=1. 1x200=200. You see what I mean. A little bit of bum wink at 60kg squat will become torn lumbar muscles at bigger weight or even something worse. Collapsed knees at the same weight will lead to all kinds of soft tissue problems even at low weights. Bigger ones will be significantly worse.
Sticking your butt out is a cue used for lifting, but it's only a cue. What it's trying to do is force the lifter to stabilise their lumbar spine in a neutral position through locking off both spinal erectors and stomach (abz, obliques, etc.) with the spine in the right position.
How do you know when this works? When we tell you, basically.
If you are training with somebody who knows what to look for (and from my experience, they don't actually seem as common as one would expect), it's quite simple. If not, you have to find somebody who is.
There are lots of examples on this forum of people who had lifting techniques ranging from "sub-optimal but good" to "STOP BEFORE YOU BREAK!" and all who have listened have made progress: slow and steady for some, to quite remarkable for others. But the key thing about them - just like for everybody in the gym - is they have left their egos at the door and listened.
This forum has some of the better lifters in the country offering advice, as well as members who have vast amounts of experience from their training, own research and education who can and will help you, your mate, and anybody who want to learn. So take advantage!
