07 Aug Training Your Weaknesses is Not Punishment

By Will Kuenzel

“I’m not lifting as much. It’ll make me weaker.”  I’ve either heard this or can see it going through someone’s mind when I tell them we’re going to do some weak point training.  In a game of numbers, seeing lower numbers is tough to equate to progress.  Anybody that’s been part of the iron game for any number of years learns to appreciate those PRs.  We hold those in high regard.  I’ve seen folks track all kinds of ridiculous PRs.  But hey, progress is progress, right?  Except when it isn’t.  It’s awesome that you can do a strapped up, above the knee rack pull with 800lbs.  But when you’re pull from the floor isn’t more than 550, then where’s the benefit?

[wa-wps]

Being critical with yourself and the analysis of your lifting goes a long, long way.  It’s not always easy to settle back and train something that’s weak.  Using less weight, doing an exercise you hate, or making any change that sees a negative impact to the weight on the bar isn’t fun.  In all reality though, what’s more important, daily training for fun or hitting PRs?  Sometimes we need that daily fun training but if long term progress is the end goal, then training won’t always be fun.

I can always see a client or lifter die inside when I hit upon something where they’re weak.  It means I’m about to “punish” them.  It means that I’m going to have them do something that they’re going to dread. It means they’re weak.  I’m the complete opposite.  I get excited beyond belief to find those areas where I need more work.  It means I’ve hit upon something that’ll make me better.  I know that by spending time doing the things that are weak now, will make my strengths only better.  We’re only as strong as the weakest link.  When the weakest link get stronger, so do we.

Don’t view weak point as punishment.  View it as an opportunity to improve.  Spinning your wheels isn’t improvement.  Working strengths is great, working weak points is the best.  Keeping the strengths strong is easy.  Making  our weak points stronger takes time and effort.  Put the idea in the back of your mind that through the weakness will come strength.

While I hate taking the fun out of training for some, it’s well worth it to see a light bulb go off for them when they realize that all that hard work and suffering paid off.  When something that used to be difficult suddenly gets a lot easier because now they have brought up a weak area, that’s awesome to see.  Trust the process and put your faith in training the things that will have an applicable carry over.  Weak point training isn’t punishment.  Be lucky that you know what it is and you’re not spinning your wheels.

What to learn more about how to attack your weak points? Check out the weak point index in the 10/20/Life E-Book.

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Low Country Strength

Will Kuenzel is the owner of Lowcountry Strength (www.LowcountryStrength.com) in Charleston, SC. Will started his athletic endeavors as a pole vault; finishing up his collegiate career with a best vault of 16’9” at a whopping 160lbs. He the track and field world to pursue bodybuilding, his first show in 2005, he won 1st place in Men’s Novice as a middle weight. One year later he took 2nd as a Men’s Junior heavy weight. Since 2007 he has been a competitive powerlifter and totaling elite as a 220lber. His best lifts in multiply equipment are a 710lbs squat, a 605lbs bench press, a 615lbs deadlift and a 1930 total. In 2008 Will started Lowcountry Strength out of his garage. Since then it has moved into a 16,000 sq/ft facility and shares space with a mixed martial arts studio. With all disciplines of powerlifting, strongman, MMA, jiu jitsu and other sports in the Charleston area getting trained under one roof, Will heads up the strength and conditioning for a wide variety of athletes and clients.

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