A muscle-up is difficult. It requires strength, timing, and confidence; it’s more than a ‘trick’ to be learned. Good coaching can help, by showing you how to push through the transition…or by pushing you back a step to build up pulling strengthfirst. It can be hard to hear, “You’re not ready for the next step yet,” but that’s why you have a coach: you’re not good at delivering bad news to yourself.
We’re lucky, at Catalyst, to have solid coaches at various stages of their career. In my sixteenth year, my role is both to mentor up-and-coming coaches AND train athletes.
Diversification of cues is to be celebrated. Sometimes, Jarret will say something differently than I will, and the same command in a new context will work better for a given athlete. This is especially true in the case of beginners; Bob Takano makes the opposite point very well for high-level, competitive lifters.
One overriding principle we use when coaching is to give one cue at a time. An athlete can be paralyzed by information overload; focusing on one point of improvement per workout, per week, or per month can move an athlete ahead faster.
For this reason, when Melanie is coaching, she gives the cues. A backup coach may correct form, but the lesson on which to focus is Melanie’s. In other words, if Mel’s cue is vertical shins in the deadlift, it’s not helpful to tell an athlete to tighten their lats, because they’ll stop focusing on having vertical shins.
One of the greatest features of our Catalyst Family: we’re excited, and we wanna help. We want to jump in and coach our buddies. Heck, I do it when I’m participating; I’m pumped for you to learn this stuff all at once, and love it as much as I do.
It is a fantastic luxury for me to be a participant in our classes, under the command of our high-level coaches. I listen to them; you should too. The advice of your Coach is the only one that matters; they have a plan for you (and for me,) and if they’re not telling you EVERY detail of the deadlift today, rest assured that they will. If I – or another member – gives you advice that means you stop focusing on THEIR singular cue, tell me to shut up. “I’m trying to keep vertical shins here, Coop!”
Our enthusiasm sometimes bursts the dam of restraint. CrossFit, weightlifting, rowing…we love these things. Cheer and clap along with the rest of the class, but listen to the coach. Block out distractions. Resist the temptation to distract others with your own cues. Lift your own bar, and let the others lift themselves.