Joe Sullivan takes on this week’s Table Talk question solo. (No worries, Dave’s still here; he’s just in the background for moral support.)
"What are the most common problems you see with the clients you work with?"
For Joe, it’s that people’s breathing gets fucked up. That’s not really just a newbie problem, though — it’s one Joe struggles with, too.
And that’s why it’s important to have a second pair of eyes that can notice that. If you’re training alone, set up your phone somewhere and have it take video of your training. It’s an easy way to see if you’re breathing correctly.
Joe quotes something he read recently:
"Powerlifting is basically just keeping your abs and back tight and squeezing a bar and trying not to lose position."
And that leads into the other issues Joe’s seen for his clients. One or more of the items in that quote are being done passively or incorrectly. One person might breathe just fine while another can’t quite seem to keep their abs tight. Sometimes it’s someone doing a movement poorly or incorrectly. For newbies, it’s almost always position-related.
"It’s really about imposing your will and knowing if you pick that weight and put that weight on the bar, you need to dictate how it moves, where it moves, and how you feel when it moves."
That’s what he drills into his clients, both old and new: Don’t let the bar move you. You move the bar.
WATCH: Table Talk with Dave Tate and Joe Sullivan — How Much of Your Workout Should Be Accessory Work?
