The first lifter...

[5kgLifter]

Have you ever wondered, seriously, with all the information about on how to do a lift (deadlift, squat, bench press...) how the very first person to do a weighted squat/bench press/deadlift, of the barbell variety, considered their technique?


Did they ever consider they had mechanical disadvantages? That they were performing it poorly, or even incorrectly?


Every time I see a person say the deadlift is difficult, or the squat has so much that needs to be taken in to account and learned before lifting, I always wonder what they would have done had none of the information, that is so abundant today, been around for them.

It's just an intriguing concept.

[Szelago]

I always wondered about the first person to eat an egg!!!???

[BendtheBar]

The more I teach, the most I see that it can be beneficial to help a lifter focus on keeping a lift natural. I see so many form-locked lifters, unable to perform what should be natural movements because 10 people give them 10 form tips.

We all have to start somewhere. I would rather see someone start with a natural-style movement.

[MikeM]

Ever watched a two year old squat down or lift anything? Seriously. They lift so purely, straight backed, whole body behind every move. They never bend over, they just squat down and go after it and haul it away.

I learned a lot simply watching my kids. There's a guy at my gym, who echos BtB. He always says never overthink a lift. Just grab it and do it naturally.

Of course he never does any power cleans, so there you go.

[Bodybygamma]

Form is relative to your leverages primarily,& then the secondary factors include: strong/weak muscles,joints,ligaments, tendons, athletic ability which consists of flexibility and agility/acceleration.

Most people either don't lift heavy enough to know what proper from is, let alone instruct other people about it. Also these same people are typically so narrow minded that they limit a "complex" & diverse movement such as the Squat to one specific function for :

Geared powerlifters rarely walk out the rack, use both high & low bar placement and usually super wide leg stances and cut depth high, flat shoes, squat slow speed,

For Raw powerlifters it is usally walked out with a medium/lower bar placement,more medium stance, and a medium parallel or just below depth uses small heel/flat shoes, squat slow to fast speed

Olympic Lifters walk out, high bar placement, narrow-medium squat stance, low to high heeled shoes, squat very fast speed

Bodybuilders vary from body builder to body builder, as some of these other groups will have diversity as well, but typically do it very slow contracted speed, depth ranges high to low, stance is almost always narrow,medium at most, knees almost never pushed out, bar placement is high more reps then prior 3 groups listed, shoes vary but rest assured you will mainly see construction boots, otomix shoes, & stupid air/shock/pump type shoes

Cross-fitters will use running shoes, cross trainers, chucks, barefoot, vibrams, etc...
Typically will do more reps then a body builder would since they focus on endurance.

So the range of reps goes from all groups mentioned so far from :1-3, 1-5, 1-3, 5-15/20, 3-20+ for the most part if you stereotype the groups.

When you think how complex the list I mentioned before really is, so is the movement when you dissect them for example :

Add in Squatting on boxes (varying heights), Squat variants i.e. Front Squats, or different Squat bars, SSB, Buffalo Bar, Cambered bar, etc...adding chain/band tension, or lightened method,etc... and all other variables change the form for the Squat as a movement goes.

So all this being said taking in account the many different dimensional variables I think the first person to perform the movement or the first time a person performs a movement it is usually is I am going to get *Insert the following here* bigger,faster,stronger,healthier,leaner,attracti ve) by doing this movement. How to achieve any one of said variables though, depends on other variables aside.

So there for it is safe to say "I LIFT THINGS UP, I PUT THEM DOWN!"

[Bodybygamma]

Originally Posted by Bodybygamma

Form is relative to your leverages primarily,& then the secondary factors include: strong/weak muscles,joints,ligaments, tendons, athletic ability which consists of flexibility and agility/acceleration.

Most people either don't lift heavy enough to know what proper from is, let alone instruct other people about it. Also these same people are typically so narrow minded that they limit a "complex" & diverse movement such as the Squat to one specific function for :

To give a further example, for strength and lifting the heaviest possible weight on the deadlift there are a few things no matter the leverage/build that need to be done, shins touching bar,Scapulas over the bar, triceps flexed, back contracted, quads,hamstrings,glutes lower back,hips, upper back all engaged,(as well as all the other muscles)

This being said still doesn't mean if I told you to set up with all these factors that you or I will end up in the same positions due to accommodating leverages, however if either of us skipped any of the basic steps we both would be at risk for injury.

Its all part of the posterior chain & some cases anterior chain, but bottom line weakest links will cause injuries in the long run. If you don't flex your triceps, your risk tearing your biceps and after all no matter how you set up on the deadlift when locked out the triceps will be flexed, at one point or another the bar touches your shins, even if it pulls you forward because your shins were to close, or pulls into your shins because you were too far away.

The body will eventually balance itself out for the most part, but inefficient yields greater risks and diminished gains no matter what the purpose. So this all being said there are some universal techniques,forms that work, other things are accessories.

FOR INSTANCE Rounded UPPER backs VS Upright UPPER backs It doesn't matter its trivial, people hardly ever rupture a disc in their upper back, its usually the lower back, so long as your LOWER BACK is contracted be it a deadlift, stone lift or odd lift, your good to go. Rounding is used in the wrong reference for the upper back in deadlifts or stones because the scapula's are still behind the weight.

The olympic clean is a different movement because it is 1) a technical movement, 2) an un-natural movement & 3) a combination of several movements.

Problem is people get their advice, opinions, & techniques mixed up I only consult on power building & strength training because thats what I have experience in, thats what where my priorities lie. I would only tell someone outside of my lifting views universal tips, like no matter what the movement, pushing your knees out (spreading the floor) is always safer for you knees then having them buckle.And this movement has nothing to do with stances, just merely turning the toes out, in some case even thats not necessary.

[Spartigus]

That was a good read Gamma!


Everyone here has a desire to lift heavy weights, Im sure that desire has been around as long as the world has been around.

I always imagined people lifting random objects (rocks ect), as people thought more about what they were doing and tried to improve on it (again a natural human thing) they got stronger and learned better mechanical advantages. This meant bigger objects and different lifting techniques. It maybe evolved from there.

Thats my thoughts.