Training Journal Working AGAINST you???

[Gladiola]

I recently recruited myself a workout partner - a male. My friend has a history of competitive sports & has remained active. Enjoys long distance cycling & does weight work at home. He wanted to gain some strength -particularly legs - & generally harden -up.

I noticed working out with him that I much more often have to say, "OK, You're DONE" then to say, "C'mon - you got 2 more in you!"

I think it's because in competitive sports - you are SUPPOSED to push through pain to be first across the finish line. Whereas in lifting, if you're so fatigued your form is bad, that's when you STOP! I told him, Fatigue is your goal. Once you're at fatigue (form goes) you've hit the goal, so stop. It's difficult for him to adjust to this.

I have another friend who apparently has been exercising for years with almost every awful habit you can imagine. No stretching, & worst - BAD form with too much weight! He is going to HAVE to decrease the weight he uses now that I've shown him the light & worked with him. His training log is over a year old - every set: reps & #'s. I'm considering recomending he toss that recording for now - till he adjusts. It will only demotivate him otherwise.

Thoughts? I'm used to being around women - having spent years as an aerobics instructor - so these phenomena (working too hard, wanting to lift too much weight) are new to me!

 

[Temple]

Yup, it's a guy thing. We have one that works out with us on occasion, he is just starting out...when I tell him to lower the weight he doesn't listen, when my husband tells him - he listens better. My husband has even lowered the amount of weights that he trains with when he comes over to take the competition thing out of it. I agree that getting rid of the old training log to where he can't even see it and starting a new one would be the way to go.

 

[Sassy69]

This is where you simply have to say how important tight form is. Ask the guy if he feels that he is getting results from his "methods". If not, suggest that he needs to modify his form. Then say that form is more important than weight. If he doesn't want to change his form (e.g. nice full body jerk while doing EZ bar curls), tell him he might get better results if he "isolates" the movement -- this is a nice way of saying his form sucks.