Today I received a video from a student in his 4th week of this training cycle. He is (very) young physical educator and instructor at a gym chain in São Paulo. Nice deadlift. Pads under the bar to “protect” the floor from the 400 something pound impact. So I remembered the conversation I had with one of the program directors:
– They liked the deadlift again
– Good! Thank you!
– You don’t understand: they really enjoyed it. They are young, they are boys, they are producing hormones like hell, there’s testosterone dripping from their ears and their strength increase curve is pretty steep
– Ah –ha ha ha..
– You’re laughing now, but years ago I told the manager to get a proper platform for them and they didn’t. In two months the kids managed to make two symmetrical holes on the floor
– Oh…
– Yes, “oh”. There is nothing to prevent their strength increase. That’s nature.
– Huh… can they use pads under the disks…?
– You’re kidding, right? Do you think pads will make any difference on the impact of over 200lb over less than a square inch of unprotected floor? It’s like a very strong hammer. C’mon, it costs them less than $500.00 to make a platform and over $2000.00 or more to fix the floor.
– Oh…
– Well: my conscience is in peace. I warned them. There will be two symmetrical holes in every branch the kids decide to practice the deadlift. In one year, I will have a couple of athletes and you will have a bunch of holes.