Do Your Accessories
It’s all fun and games when you do your main movements. They’re the ones that can be loaded a bit heavier, pushed a little harder, and are typically very gratifying. It feels like you worked hard. But, what happens next?
Uh oh, accessories. The things in your program that your coach puts in after the main movements that you don’t do. Or you do, but you load them light, rush through them, or you arent quite sure why they are there in the first place.
This is when you ask, “Why are these accessory movements programmed, also… what’s an accessory movement?”
I’m glad you asked. “Accessories” are the exercises in between or after your main movements that offer a bit of variation - whether its in the goal of the exercise, the plane of motion, the loading parameters, etc.
I think about accessories metaphorically. If I have a large glass progress jar, I want to fill it up as best I can so that there are no gaps. In this case, my main movements are large stones. They occupy the majority of space in the jar, but no matter how many I add, there are still gaps between them that I can’t fill. Try to stuff in too many and the glass jar will break. Thats when I pour in some smaller stone and sand (accessories) to fill up the cracks.
Accessories are position builders, your capacity drivers, your extra practice. Want more practice in your weakest part of the squat? There’s an accessory for that. Want to work unilaterally? Lets use some single arm or single leg work. Want to drive work capacity and get a wicked muscle pump? Things like lunges, hamstring curls, quad extensions, etc. are your best friends. Get out of the saggital plane? Lets get some rotations in here. All of these exercises carry different intentions and loading parameters that can help you make progress on your main lifts and give you a variety of skills.
“Okay, fine, I guess I’ll do them. But how do I know the “why’ behind an accessory movement and how heavy should they be”
Ask your coach. They can tell you why an exercise is included in your program. Some reasons could be core stability, muscle growth, keeping your heart rate up, practice in a weak point, etc.
Accessories are typically loaded lighter than your main movements but that doesn’t mean they should be easy. Depending on the type of block you are in these may be even more challenging than your main movements. Follow your RPE’s or find ranges that are challenging and progress them when possible and as directed.
Attack your weak points. As much fun as heavy max effort block pulls are for our ego, that is not typically a position builder, just an ego builder. Accessories should be targeted to your weaknesses in your chosen lifts or in your fitness overall, rather than allow you to lift more weight in a reduced range of motion.
So, do your accessories, and do them well. Your main lifts and athleticism will thank you for it.