Another term I borrowed from the ancient Greeks, which translates to “craftsmanship” or “art”. And, as far as I’m concerned, mastering good technique is both a skill and an art.
Coaching Cues and Instructions
One of my strongest attributes as a trainer is to communicate clearly with my clients. Exercises and movements can become complex and difficult, which is why precise instructions are helpful.
I am constantly working to improve my communication skills, for coaching purposes. Most importantly, if my clients fail to understand what I expect them to do, that is my fault.
I remember something that a colleague once told me, and I will never forget it. He had been a trainer for much longer than I have, and had a lot of valuable insight to share.
When I first started at the TAC I would harass him with as many questions as I could. Good thing he enjoyed sharing his knowledge. He said to me: “if you have to give a client more than 5 cues for an exercise, then your communication skills suck“. I will never forget that piece of advice.
Technique, Form, and Feeling
Proper cueing can work wonders for clients. First and foremost, they perform the exercise properly.
Second, they feel empowered when you tell them they’re doing it right. If I had a nickel for every time a client asked me “am I doing it right?” I would be living in a mansion.
Finally, it builds what I like to refer to as Anatomical Literacy for the client, meaning they become more familiar with how their body moves. When I think about it, if the only way that a client can “feel” their muscles is because they pushed their workout too hard, they’re doing it wrong.
As such, most of my clients can attest to this, I am absolutely brutal when it comes to proper execution of exercises. Form and technique are at the top of my list whenever I am training a client. I tell all my clients “if I’m not talking to you then you’re doing it right“.
Existential Implications
If it makes sense to focus on cuing technique, form and feeling, from a coaching perspective, what sense does it carry for the person on their own? I mean, does focused and purposeful movement have any implication or application beyond the gym and the training session? My answer is yes.
I’m convinced that exercise, and maybe more broadly ‘movement’, involves us getting to know ourselves. We understand what it feels to tense, flex, and relax certain muscles. We learn what sort of anatomical abilities and limitations our bodies have (the range of motion of certain joints for example).
It is as if the body begins to talk to us, telling us what we need more and less of. But why is that important? In my humble opinion, it’s because it puts us at the centre of a very important conversation to have with ourselves, about ourselves.
This conversation with ourselves is important because it is directly related to our wellbeing. There is more than enough evidence about the physical and mental health benefits of purposeful movement and exercise, from disease prevention to generally just feeling good.
The body is the body, and without mindful intension to direct it and cultivate it’s abilities it will go on existing. Physical existence, at it’s most basic level, involves different systems functioning optimally (all things being equal with adequate nutrition, no disease etc.). And that is an amazing thing in and of itself.
And there are many different ways to add on to that basic physical existence, when one is able to (again all things being equal, access to resources, education etc.). Art has long been seen as a way to express certain aspects of the self that are otherwise left in the dark. And most people have that capacity to be artists, creators.
Understanding that the body can be that brush with which you pain and express yourself is an empowering feeling. And by ‘understanding’ I don’t mean that we sit in a chair and contemplate, but to actually move. intentional, purposeful movement can expand our understanding of ourselves, as I described it above.
And once we learn how to prepare well for movement, we can the take our ability for self-expression to another level, and keep building on it. And even if we don’t choose to engage in aesthetic self-expression through movement, like sports, dance or whatever, we at least enrich the optimal functioning of the physical systems that keep us alive.
And there it is! Send me a note if there is an exercise that you would like me to go over. I’m always open to ideas and curious about what exercises people struggle with, at the gym or at home!