I can't figure it out, but it seems to me the word "technique" is a bad word in powerlifting. People won't say it, think about it or work on it. They avoid it like the plague! In other cases people think they work on it and their technique is great, when clearly it's not!
I often try to help other lifters and one of the first things I ask about is their technique. I get all kinds of answers about how great their technique is or that there's no problem with it. I ask to see it, either in person or video, and 99 percent of the time it's complete shit!! So you got the 'won't think about it' lifters or the ones that have no idea what good technique is. Then we have all the lifters who don't even try to help their partners when it comes to technique. It's so important to putting up huge numbers and meeting your own personal potential, I just don't get it! Maybe I missed something along the way, but I thought powerlifting was about lifting the most weight you possibly can! I'm so fortunate I get to attend a lot of different meets and go to a lot of different gyms, but everywhere I go it's the same shit all the time! Yet it still never ceases to amaze me how screwed up most lifters' technique is. It also never ceases to completely piss me off!
Ever since I was a little kid I've hated wasted potential, especially in humans. You know, like the superstar high school athlete that doesn't work hard because he's just worried about being good in his area and he knows he can do that being a lazy shithead. He doesn't see his own talent or care that if he worked hard he could truly be great!! The local lifter that packs on strength and size like it's nothing, but is perfectly content to be a big fish in a small pond. He never really puts the effort in to meet his potential as a truly great lifter. Well, I see shitty technique in the same light! It's one way to actually lift more weight without even getting stronger and that's what powerlifting is all about - lifting the most weight! If you're not working on your technique and helping your partners fix their technique, then you're just wasting potential! No matter how hard you work, you'll never lift what you're capable of and will never truly meet your potential.
Yeah that's right, I said technique is one way to lift more weight without even getting stronger! No matter what your build is, there are certain rules of proper technique you need to follow. These rules will make sure you're putting your body in the strongest positions to lift the maximum amount of weight. Technique should be a strong base to everyone's program. It gives you a solid foundation to build crazy strength. It'll also help keep injuries to a minimum by putting you in the safest position. We all know what we do comes with a certain amount of risk, but with less injuries, the more hard training you can do and the stronger you can get.
Technique is also important when you think about how we're only as strong as our weakest link. When your technique sucks and you're all over the place, it's hard to see what the weakest link is (in most cases it's technique). If your technique is good and you have an understanding of which muscles work each part of the lift, then it's much easier to see the weak muscle groups. Then it's as simple as working that group to get your lifts moving up again. I don't know, it all seems really logical to me and makes a hell of a lot of sense!
I'm so damn sick of going to gyms and hearing, "Good job! It's all you! You got it, great lift," and the rest of the stupid ass sayings! I hear this crap and think, "Wow, that lift looked like shit! He'd be doing a hundred pounds more if his technique was good!" A good lifter's motivation comes from within, he doesn't need a lot of rah rah bullshit! He needs partners that really want to help him meet his potential and help him with the stuff he can't do alone. That's being a good spotter, helping with his gear, being honest about his strength gains and technique. This doesn't mean saying shit like "You could've done another 100 pounds, it looked so easy," when he obviously just barely got it. Or telling him, "Great lift it looked perfect," when his technique looked like shit! Also this lifter needs to return the favor and help the guys that help him! No Prima donna bullshit! I don't care how strong a guy is, he started at the bottom like the rest of us. It's his responsibility to help others come up just like guys helped him.
I don't mean that you have to rip on a lifter all the time, but he needs to know the stuff that's going to help him. Plus if you throw around compliments all the time, they end up meaning nothing! I very rarely give a lifter a compliment, but you know what? It's a big damn deal when I do and that lifter knows he really did something well! If you think about it, all those rah rah compliments aren't really positive anyway because they're building a false idea in a lifters head. He thinks he's doing things right and making good progress, but he isn't even coming close to his potential! Telling him the truth is really positive! That's what will make the person get better and help him meet his potential. I guess it's like telling a friend he has shit in his teeth. It's kind of awkward for some people, but if you care about them you'll tell them so they don't look stupid to someone else! Tell them the truth, it's what they need to hear! You don't have to be as blunt as me I guess, but you got to do it if you really want them to do well!
I guess I was lucky when I first started powerlifting because I went to a EliteFTS seminar and that got me going in the right direction. I remember squatting over 550 pounds for five sets of five reps, but when I got back from my first seminar I couldn't squat 135 pounds off of a box correctly. I sucked it up and swallowed my pride. I stuck with it and within six months hit a new PR squat, but the best part is it just kept going up. I was always able to stay on top of my weakest link and kept fine tuning my technique. Now I own one of the biggest squats and totals in history! I didn't get that because I'm some genetic freak or some natural athlete. I got it because of my heart, stubbornness (will), and the fact that I approached lifting from an intelligent position thanks to some other great lifters. Now I'm trying my best to do the same. To give other lifters a leg up to become the best they can be, and to show them how I achieved what I did!
I get frustrated because it seems my principles sometimes get blown off because people think I'm some genetic freak and I'd be strong as hell no matter what! This isn't the case. Yes, I suppose I do have some genetic potential, but if it wasn't for looking up Dave Tate of EliteFTS and learning so much about lifting, I'd never have gotten to where I am. I got there because I took the time to get a great base with my technique. Then, I taught my partners technique and we all hammered each other on it. My partners were and are awesome about that. I still say Ethan (training partner) is one of the best technicians anywhere, he's so damn tight. His technique isn't great, but he knows it better than anyone. He's the one that never cut me any slack and hammered me on it every work out. Let me tell you, I'm one stubborn S.O.B. and I needed that!
Technique is everything and it starts everything off right. Once you have that, it's easier to get a solid program going where you're always hitting the weak points for continual growth in all the lifts. Hopefully every lifter reading this article will begin to see the real importance of proper technique, start hammering it, and push forward to reach huge PRs! Plus, it will lower my massive aggravation level when visiting gyms and going to meets! So, go get your ass in the gym and start nailing your technique!