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Summary
On episode 52 of 40+ Fitness, Coach Allan sits down with John and Tammy, two of his coaching clients, for a check-in on their first weeks of training together in the gym.
They cover John’s early front squat form, when and how to safely add weight, and a nutrition tweak to cut simple carbs. Then the conversation turns to Tammy’s ongoing back pain and how to train safely around it.
Links
- https://40plusfitness.com
Key Takeaways
- Master form with light weight before loading the bar. John started his front squats with just the bar so he could focus on staying upright, and Allan says to keep it that way until the form is solid before adding weight.
- Compare yourself to your own past performance, not to other people in the gym. Allan tells John every experienced lifter started exactly where he is now, and the only useful comparison is to “John yesterday,” not the guy next to him loading four plates.
- Training with a partner adds real-time coaching that gym mirrors can’t fully replace. Tammy cueing John’s form during his sets gave him feedback and accountability he couldn’t get on his own.
- Always use a capable spotter, or a power rack, once the bench weight gets heavy. Allan warns that if John’s working weight climbs toward 135 to 200 pounds, Tammy likely won’t be strong enough to spot it, so he recommends a power rack with the safety bars set at chest height as a self-spotting option.
- Progress the front squat before moving to the back squat. Allan’s plan: get comfortable and upright on the front squat at a given weight first, then carry that same weight over to the back squat, since leaning too far forward on a front squat causes the bar to drop.
- Cut simple carbs before adding more training volume, once progress plateaus. Allan’s guidance to John: drop “anything white” (bread, pasta, white potatoes, white rice) in favor of complex carbs like quinoa and sweet potatoes, treating sandwiches and tacos as occasional rather than everyday food.
- Ongoing pain that isn’t improving after a couple of weeks needs a doctor’s evaluation. Allan tells Tammy that most muscle injuries resolve on their own within two to three weeks, but pain that persists week after week without a clear cause should be properly diagnosed.
- A strong core is generally protective for the back, but it isn’t a fix for every cause of back pain. Allan recommends core-strengthening work (after checking with her physician), while noting it won’t resolve issues rooted in a disc, bone, or nerve problem.
- You are your own experiment. On the question of chiropractic care for Tammy’s back, Allan’s stance is to try what might help and pay attention to what actually works for your own body, rather than take a hard position either way.
“You are your own experiment, so do what works for you.”
Coach Allan