this video is a bit eye opening, I had been only lifting in front of mirrors for over a year and then when I moved to a gym without mirrors it was tough to get used to.
I felt like Bambi on ice first time squatting with no mirror so this is something i can relate to a lot. I would really like a video which expands on that "cognitive awareness". Like you mentioned when you sit down on a chair it happens subconsciously,so how can i get into the right state of mind for lifting. You need to learn a skill but still want the movement to be as autonomous as possible. I think about that a lot.
You know what was cool? The outdoor training you did with the squat frame outside and your dog. Even the running was fun. Some about the Irish countryside, especially when we're all locked indoors, is really fun and new.
Went from squatting exclusively in front of a mirror (pre quarantine) to squatting in my shed (post quarantine) Not sure if this is just confirmation bias after watching the video but I guess it does make a noticeable difference, especially when judging depth.
this is so true, i started weightlifting 2019 and in the Weightroom were no mirrors, i had to learn squating from scratch, but now it feels much better and easier
I went from squatting in front of one for years and when i competed or switched to a rack without one, I noticed no difference. But i agree with your point!
Funny you should say that. After starting to film my videos, I noticed a large part of my squat issues were because I had an uneven, staggered stance. Putting a mirror in front of me basically fixed this.
100%... recently started snatching with my back to the mirrors and have felt a more fluid motion. Whereas before I would be concentrating on certain parts of the lift to see if I was doing it correctly and I'd literally forget some parts ie moving my feet. I've only just started learning the snatch and cj
Could you do a video aimed at strength training for endurance athletes (similar to a 'coaches react' maybe) - how much (volume/intensity) is necessary - what exercises to prioritise - how does it change for middle distance runners/fibre type - how to manage fatigue/lifting when fatigued from running
One of the better bits of info I learned from starting strength. I like to put a collar or something at the base of any front facing mirror and just focus on that.
As soon as I switched from working out in a commercial gym to a CrossFit box I felt like a baby learning to walk when squatting. Everything was unfamiliar. It’s gotten a lot better, but definitely took some time to get used to.
Interesting video. I’m guilty of preferring to squat in front of a mirror, I’ll try without and see how it feels. In a comp you don’t have a mirror after all.
I've always hated working out in front of a mirror because it pulls my neck into weird positions without me thinking, I think for that reason alone it's good to avoid, thankfully in my gym there are racks with no mirror but I always see people looking 90 degrees to the side while squatting and deadlifting to look at the mirrors by the dumbells and it hurts my neck to watch. People have said I was showing off for facing towards the gym while practicing weightlifitng but really I'm facing away from the mirror which is in front of the only platform
I do not squat in front of a mirror, but for strict press and push press I prefer from time to time to stand in front of a mirror, to check my posture... Otherwise I excercise in front of a mirror only in case of ego boost lifts such as heavy log lift etc... :-D :-D :-D
When I was back visiting my teams gym(I moved away a year and a half ago) Alex lee(my coach) mentioned that when I was squatting the bar was angled up to the left, and that I was shifting my hips to the left past parallel. This was something I had no idea was going on again(used to happen after fractured vertebrae injury). Would you still consider that real time feedback bad as I retrain my baseline motor pattern? I’ve started using a mirror for my start position on my snatch and my clean because I also have differences in the height of my shoulders when I think I’m symmetrical, but I’m very aware that while I perform the lift I’m not actually looking at the mirror which would slow down the CNS because of the response time of watching the lift and making adjustments. Curious your thoughts on those two ideas; retraining motor matters, and insuring a consistent start position IF there’s a problem already there that’s been identified
this may still be a bad habit still but I used to use certain reps as sacrificial reps at the start of warm up sets, check the form and then if it looked neat just go through the session normal ignoring the mirror. but if it didn't look neat enough i would try correct it by feel during the rest of the set without paying any attention to the reflection until the start of the next set when i would check in again. so i guess trying to use the mirror i a non real time sorta way.
I think that this thing ain't as black-and-white as comment section makes it out to be. For squats? I don't disagree one bit, feedback from front is almost totally useless. If there would be mirror set-up to enable one to from side-view then i'd already would tend to disagree if there is no coach. I think direct feedback is good as it enables corrections in middle of set. Not saying all the time, but from time to time it might be good. Like once a week or couple of weeks. I learned plenty from kettlebell-movements (snatch, clean and jerk) by the mirror, i was able to check my form instantly instead of looking at bad quality video later on and it helped me to form better mind-body connection. My quality of reps was very good in training as well as in platform, unlike many people who trained without mirror (or video feedback), they had plenty of plain errors which they were not aware of because they didn't observe themselves, didn't have coach and didn't bother to video themselves often.´ I was often able to correct some issue in my technique instantly mid-set by seeing it in mirror. Might have spared my tens of flawed reps.
at my gym theres 4 racks. 3 in front of mirros but on good wooden flooring. one not in front of a mirror in a power rack but its on a flimsier rubber floor or something. feels worse to squat in.
Actually Daire I have a question about this - Do you have any opinion on simply unracking with your back to the squat rack, Ivan Djuric style? I've heard some people complain that this is unsafe but shouldn't be if you set the j-hooks a bit lower, no?
Damn I didn’t want to do this, but I always knew that my clean was better without a mirror and dancing is better without mirror also I knew deep down that Squat should be better without mirror. I tried it and it was much less taxing for sure
Do you guys think it would be a bad idea to train with a 28.5 mm diameter bar as opposed to a 28 mm diameter bar, which is the competition standard from what I have seen?
Rumour has it if you squat in front of a mirror and say "Ronnie Coleman" three times, he'll appear behind you and scream "ain't nothing but a peanut, light weight baby"
