{"id":5108,"date":"2013-08-22T22:48:46","date_gmt":"2013-08-22T22:48:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/inveske.co.uk\/things-i-learn-while-teaching-the-squat-bar-pad\/"},"modified":"2013-08-22T22:48:46","modified_gmt":"2013-08-22T22:48:46","slug":"things-i-learn-while-teaching-the-squat-bar-pad","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/things-i-learn-while-teaching-the-squat-bar-pad\/","title":{"rendered":"Things I learn while teaching: the squat bar pad"},"content":{"rendered":"

(This post is dedicated to Jay Ashman<\/a> – strength coach, writer and, surprisingly, patient enough to be a personal trainer)<\/p>\n

I am not a personal trainer. I am not really sure what I am, occupation-wise, but here\u2019s a couple of things I do: I teach courses at graduate programs about strength training, strength sports (plus whatever they pay me to talk about), I write books and articles, I speak about strength in philosophical, social, bla-bla-bla dimensions and I have my own program on powerlifting. That\u2019s my baby. In this program, I teach powerlifting not as a sport, but as a repertoire of fundamental and original movement patterns. There\u2019s just a little bla-bla-bla (about two hours in a 20 hour course for each of the four levels). After this intro, I send everyone to their bars and we practice for two days.<\/p>\n

My students are usually sports coaches and personal trainers.<\/p>\n

This weekend, there was one specific dialogue that called my attention:<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Dr. Coutinho, how should I handle a client that insists on using the squat bar pad?<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 The what?<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 That foam gyms have to protect the neck for the squat?<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Ah\u2026 that. Well, forbid it.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 I can\u2019t. Clients like it.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Why would anyone like that crap?<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They feel it protects them and they say the bar is uncomfortable<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Nonsense, take it away from them.<\/p>\n

(silence\u2026)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Are you serious? (that\u2019s me)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Yes<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Well, then tell them the truth: it\u2019s dangerous, it introduces instability where you need total stability. Knurling is not an ornament on the bar, it\u2019s something industrially made to provide better grip, adhesion and stability<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 They don\u2019t understand that<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Tell them it leads to injury, serious injury<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 How?<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Well, go through the instability argument and tell them the fucking pad will hurt them<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Then they won\u2019t squat<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Make them<\/p>\n

(silence)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Hey, I know what: tell them it kills. It works with kids, I know, I\u2019m a mother \u2013 it will work with a stupid client. Kids are smart, the client can\u2019t be that stupid.<\/p>\n

(silence)<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 Sorry. I really don\u2019t know what you should do. I\u2019m really sorry your work involves that\u2026<\/p>\n

I have always felt sorry for my friends who work as personal trainers. I feel 90% of them hate what they do. They do it because there is no market for what they really wanted to work with: sports coaching and strength coaching. When they were 18 and started college, they dreamed one day they would be coaching an Olympic team and win a gold medal. It never happened.<\/p>\n

That was what personal training meant to me.<\/p>\n

I have a few clients who hire me as a consultant and I provide a training protocol to them. I still don\u2019t see myself as a personal trainer. I like my clients and I am happy with their progress. I get frustrated when they don\u2019t make progress.<\/p>\n

I don\u2019t think I\u2019ll ever have the stomach to be a personal trainer considering my friends\u2019 and students\u2019 accounts. It seems to me to be the most depressing activity I can think of: dealing with futile, spoiled people the whole day.<\/p>\n

–\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 But you are a strength training specialist now, what are you going to do if you go broke?<\/p>\n

Good question. I think there\u2019s always giant crab fishing in Alaska. Dying in the ice cold northern sea sounds good as an alternative.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

(This post is dedicated to Jay Ashman – strength coach, writer and, surprisingly, patient enough to be a personal trainer) I am not a personal trainer. I am not really sure what I am, occupation-wise, but here\u2019s a couple of things I do: I teach courses at graduate programs about strength training, strength sports (plus […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":4266,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","site-sidebar-layout":"default","site-content-layout":"","ast-site-content-layout":"","site-content-style":"default","site-sidebar-style":"default","ast-global-header-display":"","ast-banner-title-visibility":"","ast-main-header-display":"","ast-hfb-above-header-display":"","ast-hfb-below-header-display":"","ast-hfb-mobile-header-display":"","site-post-title":"","ast-breadcrumbs-content":"","ast-featured-img":"","footer-sml-layout":"","theme-transparent-header-meta":"","adv-header-id-meta":"","stick-header-meta":"","header-above-stick-meta":"","header-main-stick-meta":"","header-below-stick-meta":"","astra-migrate-meta-layouts":"default","ast-page-background-enabled":"default","ast-page-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"ast-content-background-meta":{"desktop":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"tablet":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""},"mobile":{"background-color":"var(--ast-global-color-5)","background-image":"","background-repeat":"repeat","background-position":"center center","background-size":"auto","background-attachment":"scroll","background-type":"","background-media":"","overlay-type":"","overlay-color":"","overlay-opacity":"","overlay-gradient":""}},"footnotes":""},"categories":[20,1120],"tags":[1974,15,1975,1976,1977,1978],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5108"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5108"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5108\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/4266"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5108"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5108"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.mariliacoutinho.com\/pt-br\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5108"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}