Technique vs. Strength

The idea of better technique = more strength comes up every now and again. Basically, the argument goes if you can use better technique, and therefore increase the weight you use, or the number of reps you can do, etc., then you've just made yourself stronger.

And I think this is friggin' crap.

What you've done is NOT make yourself stronger - you've made yourself more efficient. In other words, you've learned how to use the strength you have in a way that increases performance. Is performance increased? Yes. Are you stronger as a result? No.

Let's go through a couple quick examples.

Let's say you are a baseball player, and the furthest you've ever hit the ball is 385 feet. Your team gets a new batting coach, and helps you tweak your swing a little bit so that you're now coming around faster. Now you can hit the ball 410 feet.

Can you hit the ball further? Absolutely. Does that mean you're a stronger baseball player? Nope.

To show this concept in a slightly different light, let's take a look at a sprinter. Let's say he runs the 40 in 4.35 seconds. He then goes to a speed school, where they help him with his start - maybe keeping his head down just a tad longer off the blocks. Now he runs the 40 in 4.30 seconds.

Does he run the 40 faster? Yes. Is his time decreased? Yes. Does that mean he's a quicker athlete? No.

Now let's look at the idea of lifting weights itself. Say you're a powerlifter training the bench press. You can bench 350 lbs. However, you then read online about some bench tips. You learn to "pull the bar apart" and engage your lats more. All of a sudden you're benching 370 lbs.

Are you benching more? Yes. Is the weight on the bar heavier? Yes. Are you all of a sudden a stronger person? Sorry to say - no.

In all of the above examples, we're haven't been looking at actually getting stronger - we've been looking at increased performance. Now, in many - if not most - cases, increased performance is the name of the game. So, if you can find a way to improve technique, and in turn, increase performance, then by all means DO IT.

However, don't confuse this to mean that all of a sudden you're a stronger, faster, etc. person. Because you're not. You're a more efficient person.

When you add weight AFTER you master the more efficient technique - THAT is when you're stronger.

Wiggy