Weekly Recap 8/18 - 8/24
This week we kick things off with another youtube video from Calgary Barbell about how to Improve Your Technique WHILE Getting Stronger - this video dives into working on technique changes and efficiencies without having to fully drop load and the process of growth for the lifter - something we talk about at RTL. The article of the week is Does Bar Placement in the Squat Matter? which looks at the differences and similarities of front squat and back squat in order to shed some light on a coach’s decision-making process in selecting one over the other.
Our first social media post of the week is Precision Nutrition’s post about simple steps to getting back on track with a helpful graphic to guide the process. To conclude, we have a post from Gabby Brost about how it is important to examine certain contexts that can impact health and fitness behaviors like exercise participation, food choice, and where people feel safe to do fitness at the macro, meso, and micro scale, particularly as coaches.
Video of the Week
Improve You Technique While Getting Stronger
Article of the Week
Does Barbell Placement in The Squat Matter
Exercise selection is an important programming variable for both performance and health outcomes. From a performance standpoint, the type(s) of exercises selected play a major role in determining the specific strength and hypertrophy adaptations that take place. Additionally, exercise selection can influence the adherence to physical activity through affective responses, e.g. enjoyability, and by modulating the locus of control, e.g. self-efficacy. Baz-Valle 2019 Williams 2008
While the current evidence on longevity and disease prevention makes a strong case for improving strength, increasing lean body mass, reducing excess fat mass, and improving cardiorespiratory fitness, there is no evidence that strength in specific movements or rep ranges, e.g. a 1- rep max back squat, provide any unique health benefits compared to other movements, save for being able to perform a heavier 1RM back squat. In line with this sentiment, the current physical activity guidelines pertaining to resistance training recommend. “8 to 10 exercises for the major muscle groups, performed on 2 or more nonconsecutive days/week, using a resistance such that 8 to 12 repetitions result in volitional fatigue.” Wescott 2009
However, deciding which exercises should be included in order is not quite as straightforward. In this article, we’ll take an in-depth look at the differences and similarities of front squat and back squat in order to shed some light on a coach’s decision-making process in selecting one over the other. In order to do this, we’ll have to discuss a number of different topics pertaining to coaching theory, exercise testing and our first topic, physiological adaptations to exercise.
