THE QUICK READ
• You will be able to push your clients
further in the long-run if you lay a firm
foundation of education about how to
execute movements properly and
ensure they know that correct form will
never stop being important
• Ensure that clients understand how
this can help with avoiding injury as
well as getting more out of their
training
• When teaching a movement to a client,
show them the movement, explain it to
them, including what they should feel,
and invite questions before they
attempt it
• Always provide feedback after the
client first performs a movement and
then have them repeat the movement,
adding more detail to your feedback
with each set. More involved
techniques for learning include having
the client teach you the movement,
having the client take notes down
about the steps involved and correct
technique, and having the client take
and submit films of movements for
feedback regularly.
how. Once the client has received feedback,
have them practice the movement again to
check which additional pieces of information
have been absorbed. Doing this a few times
over will typically result in the client being
able to perform the movement competently.
Advanced learning
There are some more involved steps in the
learning process that not all clients will be
willing to do, but for athletes or advanced
lifters, and those who have injuries or
great difficulty mastering a movement, the
following techniques can be very helpful.
Role reversal
Have a client who has just learnt a
movement explain back to you how to
perform it. Teaching a movement requires
in-depth understanding about it, and so
you will be able to spot where the missing
pieces of information may be for that
client. It will also help them to reconcile the
information that they have just learnt.
Retention
Learning is also greatly affected by information retention: even
those who understand in great detail when you are teaching, may
struggle to retain a large proportion of this information for the weeks
to follow. For this reason, you should always encourage your clients
to write down notes when you are teaching them new movements.
The act of writing the instructions down, coupled with the fact
they then have a resource to refer to, will help them to continue
executing good repetitions in their solo practice.
Replay
For more complex movements, such as heavy compounds, expand
upon the note-taking by encouraging clients to film themselves and
submit these films to you for feedback. This may add a few minutes
of work to your week, but it will ensure that your client is not undoing
all their hard work by practicing incorrectly in their own time.
Step by step
When teaching new movement patterns and exercises, you need
to provide as much information as possible without overwhelming
the client with details. This is one of the many reasons why teaching
very complex exercises to beginners does not always work, and why
simple movement patterns are best for those new to exercise.
Because more involved movements typically build upon
components that have been previously learnt for more basic exercises,
clients are starting with a base knowledge and are therefore able to
focus on, and absorb, the details of advanced movements.
It may not seem as exciting to the client to take things slowly and
pay so much attention to mastering good form when they would rather
be getting stuck in and smashing their way through movements, but
by doing so they will achieve greater strength, size or fitness gains
over the longer term through both maximising the efficiency of every
movement and minimising the plateaus and downtime induced by
injuries resulting from incorrect execution.
Susy Natal
Susy is a Sydney-based performance coach, personal trainer, wellness writer
and convention presenter. With a background in psychology and a focus
on strength training for females, her integrated approach to training helps
clients ranging from beginners to athletes achieve strength of body and mind.
susynatal.com / instagram.com/susynatal
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