Before getting into the coaching stuff, here's some training from last week.

Sunday was a max effort squat session, with the lift being a box squat with the buffalo bar and an average band.

After some general warming up, I took the bar for a few sets and worked up as such:

Band x 5

140 x 5

230 x 3

320 x 1

Added brief

410 x 1

460 x 1

500 x 1

At this point, I added my metal Canvas suit bottom to continue getting used to it and breaking it in. I went

550 x 1

590 x 1

640 x miss - the miss was technical, so I regrouped, came back and got it. It was ugly, but I did it... like your mother.

Sorry, just seeing if anyone's paying attention.

After the squats, I did some speed pulls, mostly with 405. Just as an experiment, I did them in another Metal that I shortened the legs on (so there are two straps on the legs instead of three). Did a couple with 495 and they were very easy. This might be worth giving a shot. I have always pulled well in canvas, so now that Metal has one lets give it a run.

 

So for the coaching side of my post, I'd like to talk about what I call the outlier effect (I'm sure I'm not the only one who calls it this btw).

This is when novice/intermediate (sometimes even advance) lifters see someone have great results by doing something unconventional, and immediately deciding to apply it to their own training. It could be anything, A particular training protocol with extreme volume, an unorthodox stance or grip, or the absence of a normally critical piece of gear like a belt or wraps (when the rules allow them).

Now I'm not talking about experimenting with something new, which we all do. I'm talking about the steadfast belief that an unconventional approach, which only seems to work for a minority of elite lifters, is going to be what takes you to the next level.

Generally, the lifter will justify something strange with "well so-and-so does it like this" which can be frustrating, especially if they are referencing one of the best in the world. I will generally reply back with something to the effect of "wouldn't you be better off doing what 95 percent of the pros do than what the 5 percent can get away with?"

Innovation is what pushes the sport forward, but not without a foundation built with the basics. Conventional wisdom becomes conventional for a reason, so when in doubt, look to what the majority of great lifters rather than the outliers do.