Last Updated on January 21, 2020 by Nick J-Pepe
We will talk about the increase of your power and the damage from the wrongly learned motor skills, especially when we do a high-intensity training program.
This article will be mainly on CrossFit, but what’s written here is generally valid for everyone who includes methods of developing power in their training.
CrossFit is identified with the increase of power.
Power is expressed as work done per unit of time.
How to increase our power?
The ways to achieve the goal are mainly three:
- By doing a particular job for a minimum amount of time;
- By doing maximum work for a fixed time;
- By increasing the workload and the maximum units.
In simple words, one should work out as quickly as possible, every second count, every extra rep counts, every round count. This could be a high-intensity workout.
This will inevitably lead to an increase in the fitness level, but this is not the topic of this article.
We will talk about habits here. More specifically, motor skills, i.e., the technique of movement.
A single movement, of course, can be performed relatively safely but with low efficiency – this is also one of the bad habits.
What happens if we sacrifice proper technique for better results?
If you do it one time and you don’t break a body part of yours – nothing will happen.
You can do it ten times or a hundred times and still not break anything on you. Where is the problem then?
The problem is that we, humans, are beings of habits. iHerb coupon for new customers is available in this guide.
Each repetition of a specific movement creates a procedure in the brain and becomes a muscle memory when this movement is repeated enough times.
If the habit is wrong, at a tense moment (race, a hard workout, or a real situation), this is a recipe for trouble.
What can bad habits lead to?
- You do not get the expected effect of the workout. Just as unnecessary scaling of the workload, the too many illegitimate reps (NO REP) change the training complex and its impact.
- Accumulation of small mistakes that prove that the devil is in the detail. The slight curving of the back, loosening of the core, trembling of the knee, stretching of the shoulder joint – still unpleasant mistakes.
- Unsuccessful performance in a race – the illegitimate repetitions will simply not be taken into consideration.
- Rapid fatigue from low efficiency of the useful effect of the wrongly executed movements.
- Poor motor skills do not stay in the gym- they are transferred to everyday life. Before you know it, the NO REP habits will determine the way how you pick up a heavy bag, get up from your chair, stand straight and even walk.
What should we do?
Do not give up on the successful training method just because the things described above sound dangerous.
Just make enough effort to avoid the NO REP habits.
You may experience a mediocre performance in your workout, but it is quite sure that in the long run, you will only have positives aspects when you do all the reps correctly.
The responsibility for the proper technique and the legitimate reps is personal
I have said this before – the coach can show you a thing 100 times, can make you repeat that thing 1000 times, but cannot do it for you.
You do not win anything if you’re doing half-hearted repetitions and you’re curving your back.
If you work out by yourself, turn on the camera and capture the crucial moments of the workout.
Watch the videos, compare them to the technique of the top contestants, and do your best to prevent the NO REP.
Progress slowly if you do a high-intensity training program!
By slowly I don’t mean training with the same loads for months and years.
Train as the professionals – not with their load and intensity, but with the attitude that you will memorize the technique until the moment where you can no longer perform the movements the wrong way.