The more you know, the more you really don't know.

That's one of the many things I've learned from being a continuing education junkie. What used to look like a straightforward fix is no longer that way, as I've refined both my eye and education.  

One stark example is the lateral weight shift on a squat.  This compensation often takes the form of someone's knee caving in, a lateral bend to one side, or someone shifting their entire pelvis over one foot.  If you're me, you have all three.

This pattern doesn't have anything to do with one leg being stronger than the other.  And you can't just coach someone out of this compensation by using a band between their knees, or using a (bigger) band to pull their hips to one side.  It may make the person more aware of the issue, but it doesn't completely FIX it.

That's because the problem is neurological, not physical. So much like the movie "Inception," you need to go deeper.

The motto of StrongFirst is "strength has a greater purpose." And to paraphrase Jerry Maguire, they had me at "strength."

On that same token, I arrived at my own saying and training philosophy over the years, "Training for life."

Variants of the same message, there's a fundamental truth at the heart of these taglines: the benefits of strength training transcend the physical. Most the benefits we see are mental.

Confidence, self-worth, perseverance, stress management, and industriousness are just some of the mental qualities we train when we build a bigger and better deadlift, squat, press, etc. Heavy weights are egalitarian and the only path to success comes from failing. And succeeding.

I'm not a politician.  Nor do I play one on TV.  And being that it's Super Tuesday, I'm happy to be as far away as possible from anything political.

I'd also make a terrible politician as I'm a big fan of the saying, "When the facts change, I change my mind."   Label me a flip flopper, but I'm constantly questioning if I'm doing everything I can to make people move better and be more physically resilient.

The three topics below aren't sudden changes of heart, they're refined approaches to my own system of training.  Ironically, now that I sound like a politician I only have one thing left to say: enjoy!

I don’t think many people believe me when I tell them “strength is a skill.” Just like any other skill - writing, playing the piano, cooking - you’re only as talented as the depth and breadth of your practice. And not to sicken you with cliches, but I truly believe that hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.

So what are the best assessments of someone’s strength and skill? The deadlift and a strict kettlebell military press. For those that know me, you can’t be surprised to read that!

Why are these two exercises so important in developing strength? Because neither movement has an eccentric component - meaning there’s no downward movement before someone begins their lift. This eliminates someone’s ability to load their body for the movement upwards. Instead, you see how well someone can “wedge” themselves underneath the weight, and create the requisite force and stiffness to complete the lift.

In my pursuit of a bigger deadlift, I've made just about every mistake you can make. Improper programming, the X's and O's of technique, even messing with my previous night's eating schedule.  Yes, I'm what you might call "superstitious."

But the biggest and most consistent mistake I've made - and continue to make - is going too fast on the beginning of a deadlift.  It's ruined many of my own lifts, and worse, it continues to ruin other people's attempts too. So while I'm quick to recognize and correct this mistake, know that I don't pretend to live in a glass house.

But going too fast doesn't just apply to deadlifts - it applies to every strong movement. And when people go too fast, they're generally trying to compensate for something.