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If your analogy is correct, then it's probably advice worth listening to -- although Michael Phelps' swimming advice isn't going to get me 18 gold medals, it's

by qq66 14y ago

If your analogy is correct, then it's probably advice worth listening to -- although Michael Phelps' swimming advice isn't going to get me 18 gold medals, it's probably going to make me a better swimmer than I am today.

vidarh 14y ago
It is certainly well worth listening to them if they describe what they did that was successful for them while starting out, but that's a very different scenario from describing what they do now. I don't know swimming, but I do know powerlifting. I had hip mobility issues when I started. Which meant I put in ages getting my form right and improving my flexibility to be able to safely progress on the back squat. My lightest warmup weight now - a measly 60kg - was a sticking point for me for months where it'd leave me in pain, until I got the flexibility down. Once I did, it took me just 6 months to reach 150kg, and I've improved steadily since. Someone with the same flexibility problem that were to copy my current training regime, would "just" end up in pain for however long it'd take them to figure out the same flexibility issues that I dealt with if they were lucky. But if they were not, it'd take very little to end up in hospital, e.g. if they started with too heavy weights. Similarly, I push myself a lot closer to my failure point than you want a beginning lifter to do, because I've had years to learn how I feel when I reach failure and how to manage it without harming myself. If I put too much on the bench when doing bench presses, I know how to put the bar safely down on my chest and roll it off. Meanwhile many beginners will panic and try to put the bar off at a risk of dropping it on their heads or neck. 50kg dropped on your head is way worse than, say, 120kg slowly put down on your chest and rolled down - the latter at worst gives me a slight bruise for a few hours. What I'd say if I were to instruct a beginner vs. someone near my level would be vastly different. E.g. for someone near my level I'd talk about how essential a belt is, while for a beginner it is counter-productive. I'd talk about alternative grips and using chalk for the deadlift to prevent the grip from failing - something that is utterly pointless for a beginner. For a beginner I'd be stressing form, form, more form and flexibility. Copying me, or listening to what I would recommend - that works and is safe enough - for someone near my level would either put a beginner at severe risk of hurting themselves or waste their time (I'm far closer to my natural limit - I progress at about 1/10th of the speed I did when I started, yet the effort involved is vastly higher).
- qq66 14y ago
  good points. I guess Michael Phelps would have to tailor his advice to his knowledge of where I am as a swimmer, and that might be too far removed from his own current experience to do. He might ask me to warm up with 100 laps.

by qq66 14y ago

vidarh 14y ago

It is certainly well worth listening to them if they describe what they did that was successful for them while starting out, but that's a very different scenario from describing what they do now. I don't know swimming, but I do know powerlifting. I had hip mobility issues when I started. Which meant I put in ages getting my form right and improving my flexibility to be able to safely progress on the back squat. My lightest warmup weight now - a measly 60kg - was a sticking point for me for months where it'd leave me in pain, until I got the flexibility down. Once I did, it took me just 6 months to reach 150kg, and I've improved steadily since. Someone with the same flexibility problem that were to copy my current training regime, would "just" end up in pain for however long it'd take them to figure out the same flexibility issues that I dealt with if they were lucky. But if they were not, it'd take very little to end up in hospital, e.g. if they started with too heavy weights. Similarly, I push myself a lot closer to my failure point than you want a beginning lifter to do, because I've had years to learn how I feel when I reach failure and how to manage it without harming myself. If I put too much on the bench when doing bench presses, I know how to put the bar safely down on my chest and roll it off. Meanwhile many beginners will panic and try to put the bar off at a risk of dropping it on their heads or neck. 50kg dropped on your head is way worse than, say, 120kg slowly put down on your chest and rolled down - the latter at worst gives me a slight bruise for a few hours. What I'd say if I were to instruct a beginner vs. someone near my level would be vastly different. E.g. for someone near my level I'd talk about how essential a belt is, while for a beginner it is counter-productive. I'd talk about alternative grips and using chalk for the deadlift to prevent the grip from failing - something that is utterly pointless for a beginner. For a beginner I'd be stressing form, form, more form and flexibility. Copying me, or listening to what I would recommend - that works and is safe enough - for someone near my level would either put a beginner at severe risk of hurting themselves or waste their time (I'm far closer to my natural limit - I progress at about 1/10th of the speed I did when I started, yet the effort involved is vastly higher).

qq66 14y ago
good points. I guess Michael Phelps would have to tailor his advice to his knowledge of where I am as a swimmer, and that might be too far removed from his own current experience to do. He might ask me to warm up with 100 laps.