This week’s education was led by Sarah Cahill, where it was a continuation of what we did two weeks ago, but during this week’s education we were tested on multiple lifts, where we were then evaluated on our proficiency of each lift. The lifts performed were broken into three parts, lower body, upper body, and total body. All interns were able to be evaluated at once, where we performed several reps of each of the movements, where we were assessed in our start position, our demonstration, and if we had any compensation. During the lower body movements we performed a squat, RDL, deadlift, and split squats, which were the first movements we were assessed on, which for me lead to many times where I was second guessing my movements because I knew the fact we were being evaluated, even though these movements as a whole I knew I could perform the strongest. It turned out after being evaluated these in fact were my best movements with the least amount of problem areas. The only comment I received was on the squat, where I dropped my chest, but it was also stated how much I improved this movement already because I have learned and put my peer’s suggestions in motion. For me or any coach the best way to improve is to keep practicing and learn what needs to be improved and work on that. Since our education two week ago I feel one of my most problematic areas is my weak core, which since then have continually been performing the quadruped rocking to help me learn to activate my core. I was also advised that goblet squats with a kettlebell, deadlifts with a kettlebell, lift/ chops, and breathing exercises will help me improve my core strength. These movements/ exercise are all activities I now have incorporated into my own lifting plan.
Next we were assessed on our upper body movements, where we perform a horizontal push, horizontal pull, vertical push, and vertical pull. I have always felt over the years that my upper body is an area I want to work on increasing the strength of, so I had expectations that these would be my weakest group of tests. The only movement I had trouble from the start was the horizontal pull, where we performed the inverted row, while I can physically perform the movement I just need to learn how to set up this exercise properly for myself, where it is not too difficult and not too easy. A majority of the other exercises I had trouble with were the movement because I experienced compensation throughout the movement, which was mostly my head moving forward. Through observing my own strength and athletes strength I have felt most individuals who compensate with a forward neck may be the cause of a weaker upper body/ core, where the best way to improve it would be to strengthen theses area. This is an area I would like to research and find the most effective exercises that will help improve the strength of our upper body.
The last group of exercises we were evaluated on were total body power, where I was slightly surprised to my belief that my hang clean and snatch were performed well enough that I received a check mark in each of the criteria we were being evaluated on. The comment for this section was to be confident, which after realizing I can performed the movement well, I did not have to second guess myself, and I was able to feel more confident. This especially showed during the next day of the open lifts I coached, I felt as if I were able to coach athletes more accurately on the movement because I now know that by a set of standards I do in fact know how to perform the movement. The snatch has been a movement in which I have been anxiously waiting to learn, since injuring myself. I had been able to perform the setup, the first pull, and movements such as an overhead press to experience what the bar was like overhead, but I was too scared to complete the next pulls, but today was the day. I have been well educated on this lift since first coming to Northeastern, where I have learn through coaches, interns, reading, guest speakers, and watching videos. I had never been so nervous, but I was able to complete the entire movement and execute all criteria that needed to be meet. During the push jerk and the push press I experiencing slight compensation during the movements, but these were the two movements that were least familiar to me, for the push jerk I was told to work on the dip and the finish position, this movement, more in particular, I want to look into performing the correct movement because of my limited knowledge of the lift. During the push press my head just went too far forward to achieve the proper form, but that’s how I was originally taught, but I now know to go to the point where your arms are in line with your ears. By performing these movements for our education I now know the areas or movements I need to work on, which I will now incorporate into my own program to further my ability to perform these movements to better myself as a future strength coach. Our educational lectures such as these have also inspired me to consider to a greater extent to become certified coach by USA Weightlifting because all Olympic total body power movements have grown on me and I am interested on how to perform these movements to their full potential along with bettering an athlete by empower them to perform this movement.