I thought I would start this discussion for lifters to make recommendations regarding where to get good advice on strength training, proper form, rehab and other issues that may affect an athletes’ progress or victory on the platform.
Credible resources and reliable information - By far, for me, the most influential and credible advice I have every received in the gym is from our local powerlifters. With what I have learned from this great group of folks (as they tolerated my hanging around, watching and asking questions) I have made tremendous progress in my strength training with minimal injuries. They have been a major influence on me and I owe them a dept of gratitude. Remember, I am not a competitive athlete (and they know this), yet they treat my inquiries as seriously as if I was. They are some of the most down to earth and pleasant folks I have ever met in a gym.
Good reads - lately I’ve been reading an excellent book on how our brain maps our bodies and movements called The Body Has a Mind of it’s Own by Sandra and Matthew Blakeslee. Absolutely fascinating. Ever wonder how you can get up in the dark and brush your teeth without sticking your tooth brush up your nose? How does your body know where your mouth is without seeing it? It also helps explain why repetition is so important in learning a skill and why we are so clumsy when first trying something we’ve never done before. This is very important for all athletes, musicians or anyone trying to develop a particular skill. Check it out.
I found mine in a Borders Bookstore in the General Psychology section.
I’m also interested in sports psychology. I recommend reading anything by Terry Orlick, Kay Porter and Kathleen Deboer.
There are many threads here, all basically asking the same questions over and over:
How do you set your goal?
What do you do to reach your goal?
How do you stay motivated?
How can I break through this plateau?
How can I stay focused and avoid distraction?
Nobody has all the answers, but google the authors above and see if they don’t come pretty close. Developing the physical skills necessary for your sport is impossible if you don’t develop the mental skills necessary for your life.
Interesting comment, Momma. So many of us are confused about the direction our lives take. It is no wonder we go through so many stops and starts in our training.
I still don’t know what I want to be when I grow up but at least I have finally found an area of employment that really speaks to me. Now to just finish my education!
This is the same with my training experience. I never felt connected until I started pushing myself to be stronger in the gym. Something about trying my damndest to lift the heaviest weight I can just speaks to my soul.
[quote]Yo Momma wrote:
I’m also interested in sports psychology. I recommend reading anything by Terry Orlick, Kay Porter and Kathleen Deboer.
There are many threads here, all basically asking the same questions over and over:
How do you set your goal?
What do you do to reach your goal?
How do you stay motivated?
How can I break through this plateau?
How can I stay focused and avoid distraction?
Nobody has all the answers, but google the authors above and see if they don’t come pretty close. Developing the physical skills necessary for your sport is impossible if you don’t develop the mental skills necessary for your life.[/quote]
These questions apply to any pursuit of excellence; athletic, intellectual, spiritual or political.
[quote]grrrsauce wrote:
I can’t recommend ‘Starting Strength’ enough. Regardless of your training age it is bound to be beneficial.[/quote]
Thanks. I’ll check it out at my local bookstore. I may be giving a basic strength training class for adults at my office this year and this may be a good reference book.
I was being stalled by pain points that would appear around my knees when I was squatting. This book shows the pain patterns I can scan to find the trigger points that cause them. Rolling these spots myself makes the pain points disappear. What a relief to be able to fix yourself and keep doing what you love to do.
My favorite quote from her site as she rants about the myth of women getting too bulky from lifting weights:
“FOR THE LAST FUCKING TIME, YOU CANNOT GET TOO BIG FROM LIFTING WEIGHTS! A NON-DRUG-USING MALE TRAINEE WOULD HAPPILY CRAWL ON HIS LIPS THROUGH A FIELD OF LEECHES TO ADD FIFTEEN CRUMMY LITTLE POUNDS OF MUSCLE A YEAR! DO YOU THINK THAT YOU ARE SOMEHOW SO SPECIAL THAT YOU WILL DEFY THE LAWS OF PHYSIOLOGY AND SUDDENLY BECOME HUGE ONE DAY? WAKE UP AND SMELL THE GODDAMNED TESTOSTERONE, HONEY!”
Her site is an excellent recommendation for women who are just starting out and need some no-bullshit, yet humorous, guidance (I love how this woman writes). If you’ve never visited it, drop in, if for nothing else but the Crap List.
I love stumptuous.com! I stumbled upon it a year or two ago, and found it very inspirational and informative. Her stuff is fun to read and easy to understand.
Plus, I’m a huge sociology geek, so the women’s studies stuff is an added bonus.
