Merriam-Webster dictionary; empowerment:
noun
plural empowerments
the act or action of empowering someone or something: the granting of the power, right, or authority to perform various acts or duties
empower
verb
em·pow·er im-ˈpau̇(-ə)r
empowered; empowering; empowers
: to give official authority or legal power to
empowered her attorney to act on her behalf
… nootropic agents empower the lower amounts of acetylcholine in diseased brains to work overtime …—
Science News
3
: to promote the self-actualization or influence of
The American women's movement has been inspiring and empowering women for nearly 20 years …—
Ron Hansen
Members of our discipline often envision themselves as agents of social change who try to promote critique of dominant ideologies and empower students to become active participants in the larger political world.— Christy Friend
These are the technical terms. At EliteFTS, during the "Learn to Train" seminars, the word "Empowerment" was blazed on the front of the shirts to give them meaning. (I thought they were simply pretty cool shirts.) The motto, "Live, Learn, and Pass on," is intended to apply what you learn as soon as you can so you can teach it to someone else.
I teach in my gym with the sense of Empowering the athletes so they can help others, which means I go hands-off as much and as soon as I can without them getting hurt or fucking up.
It's at this point I keep an eye on everything, but I back off on the day-to-day operations of the workouts and that includes setting up and tearing down the equipment before and after EVERY exercise.
I am also notorious for my "1000-yard stare" I give folks when they do fuck up. I try not to say anything, but I do give perhaps what has been called "that look of death" that chills the person into not moving or saying anything.
One of my longest-term participants, who has been with me for I think going on 15 years, was doing the cable crossover. Then out of nowhere, he asked me to hand him the left handle as it was out of reach since he already had the right-handed one.
Without hesitation, I gave him the death stare, and he knew right of way that he fucked up. Being a man of great humor, he waited a bit longer to get a reaction from me. To his chagrin, I don't move. Not a muscle in my face, or eye to blink. I let the cold moment of non-motion settle in.
After what seemed like an eternity, "Big Jim" went and got his handle to start the exercise.
The only thing I said to him was, "Empowerment, motherfucker".
At which he laughed his infectious laugh, which made me laugh.
In case anyone wondered, I make people strong, fit, sexy as heck and smarter, and WE all have a pretty good time while doing it.
Today's Training: All sets were to failure (not really, but close) with the addition of two to three "forced reps" per set. If you don't have a training partner to help with "forced reps" don't worry. But you had better man the fuck up on what you call "momentary failure of reps".
Cycle
DB Lateral Raise: 2xFailure x 25, 30 lbs
C/S DB Rear Delt Raise: 2x Failure x 10, 15 lbs
Shrug: 2x Failure x 315
Standing Lo to Hi Cable Fly: 2x Failure x 35, 40 lbs
Machine Incline Chest Press: 2x Failure x 90, 100 (far too light, should have used more weight)
Dynamic Bench: 10x3. This was phenomenally hard since we exhausted the shoulders and pecs before the speed work. It took me (personally) 6 sets to find the groove and yet I never really snapped the weight up. It was fast but very smooth.
Front Plank: 3x1 minute
Cycle