I have the good fortune of teaching two classes of weight training at my college this coming semester. Has anyone taught a weightlifting class, and if so, what was your protocol for the course?
I am assuming the students will have different ranges of experience (from novice to expert) so I’m thinking of doing machine exercises only for the first few weeks, then free weights after that, and they can mix and match the exercises if they like. I will also have them keep an exercise log as part of their grade, as well as have the students create a program and implement the program they chose during class as part of their grade.
Any advice/suggestions/comments are much appreciated. Thank you in advance.
Probably goes without saying, but don’t bother with shit that they’ll kill themselves doing (aka olympic lifts) without PROPER training. Make sure they’re aware that a good weight training program should rely heavily on free weights, even if you use mainly machines for them for liability purposes. Also emphasize the importance of a well-rounded regimen, aka including good leg/back training.
I teach a high school weightlifting course in the area of phys-ed. Now I don’t know the ages or experiences of your students, but I always start out with bodyweight stuff in a circuit type fashion. Build up their capacity with that and some conditioning and then intro machines, along with pages showing various muscle groups and what exercises target those groups. From there I have students practice the squat, deadlift, and bench without weight until they can properly show me a good form. You can show them the rest from there.
First few lessons should focus on proper technique of bench press, squat, and deadlift, and importance of these types of strength lifts. Practical exercises (letting them do it), handouts for how to do the lift, verbal/physical testing for points.
Program development… periodization, accessory lifts, other stuff.
Supplemental lifts for biceps, triceps, back, chest, quads, posterior chain.
Possibly Olympic lifts (jerk, hang clean, hang snatch). However you would need to grade easily on these, maybe just a verbal test for cues. And you yourself might not be proficient in them/know much about them so you might not even include these in the syllabus.
I took a college level weightlifting class, and the teacher was a fucking idiot. Please, for the love of God, teach to work more than your beach muscles (i.e. arms chest shoulders). That is all we did, and when I asked when would we learn proper squat looked like, I was told that it was not important. WTF??? That is the main reason I took the class, to learn proper technique on squats and deadlifts.
So, please, teach a well rounded program that focuses on the fundamentals of proper lifting. If it is possible, teach a little nutrition as well.
Here’s how the did the weightlifting class at the university-
We had to learn stuff like flexion and extension and the major muscle groups
We also had to learn the difference between training for strength, hypertrophy, and endurance
We spent time in the weightroom the first couple/few classes going over technique/form on the various machines and certain lifts
We talked about risk vs reward as far as training people and using certain lifts
Each class one person would train a person and then the next class, they would switch. And then you’d switch partners.
There was more. But that’s about all I can remember.
Uhg Machines…I would make that lesson as short as possible. Start with the basics body exercise such as pull ups, dips, push ups etc, then move into the squat, deadlift, snatch, bench, etc and then do diet and such.
I took a weights class in college. The course instructor was the S&C coach for the football team (D1 school).
I could tell he knew his shit, and he had a great answer for everything we asked… but he really only bothered with the people that cared. The rest of the people in the class did their own things and he just made sure they weren’t in a position to injure themselves. I would guess that 4-5 people in the class of about 30 had any interest at all in weight lifting.
He didn’t bother with squats/deadlifts etc… (unless we asked) because trying to teach someone to do a squat that doesn’t want to squat is akin to teaching a chimpanzee how to attack your neighbor and bite her face off. It’s possible but nobody really wins.
Just from looking at your situation, starting with machines may not help because in the end you are going to focus on weights, Therefore you would have used up a week or two and now you have to give them tons of info on something that has the potential to cause damage without proper knowledge and training. The machines will most likely not cause injury unless someone fools around. So my suggestion would be to spend the first week or two on the basics such as proper form, knowing when to end a set, techniques for working out such as pyramiding 5x5 HIT etc, dietary needs while weight lifting. Once your students understand what movements work which muscles and how to do the movements properly. Then focus on extras that will help them get a more particular physique.
Sounds like its a great oppurtunity hope you have a great time!
All great information, thank you all for the knowledge! So it seems like I should limit machine weights and focus more on free weights? Also, safety will be a big issue (making sure students aren’t hurting themselves, as well as making sure I’m not liable for someone doing something they are not supposed to do or something I didn’t teach them). I think I’ll require two spotters on some free weight exercises (bench, squat, etc). I was also thinking of teaching them the basics, then asking the class what they would like to learn, because there be something I won’t touch on they would be interested in.
And of course it goes without saying, but any squat-rack curlers will receive a grade of no higher than an F (I’ll have to instruct them not to do this, as well as how not cool this is).
I’d say start them doing body weight stuff (e.g. band pullups, weighted/bw pushups) and machines. While along the way teaching them proper form on bench, deadlift, rows, squat and other complex free weight movements. There’s a reason they are called "complex
" movements. Most of these people I imagine haven’t really used or know how to fire certain muscles correctly and have varying degrees of development/experience that have to be individually catered to. Utilizing machines with good intensity while at the same time teaching basic form on complex exercises is your best bet IMO. Hard to fuck up a machine cause it’s in a locked plane.
Yet really easy to get confused, frustrated or intimidated by some free weight movements. (for the average newbie that is)
They’ll learn how to activate certain muscles with machines and build that mind-to-muscle connection to better utilize free weight movements.
When you teach the complex movements, they’ll understand when you tell them these or that muscle are the prime movers, these are secondary etc… etc…because of machines.
Teach them it’s k to do the exercises your muscles/body feel works best and not necessarily what some one else thinks is the best. Cause we’re all different:)
Most beginner/novices would do fine on an upper/lower body split (something like Joe Defranco’s WS4SB)…while of course the more advanced guys will have a better grasp of what works for them.
Meh just some ideas. Stress that form is key, warm ups are very important (a la ramping), to use challenging loads on top sets. Teaching them auto regulation would be cool but would probably better learned by the more advanced guys.
Anything written by Dr. Jonny Bowden. Dr. Berardi and Dr. Lowery I’d pretty much print out to educate most on nutrition.
EDIT: I wouldn’t ask them what they would like to learn either (of course make a few exceptions) cause most will opt for the easy way out probably…be a leader man! Show them you’re excited to teach, take control and are passionate about all this and watch it rub off on some of these people who had no idea it could be a fun/challenging/passionate endeavor.
Just an update: preciate all the suggestions/advice. Classes are going great. I only spent one day on machines and two days on bodyweight exercises. We’ve moved into free weights, which come to find out, a lot of students wanted to learn free weights anyways, so it works out. Thank you again for all the input!