INTENT MATTERS. HERE'S WHY.

Sometimes the most obvious solutions are right in front of our eyes.

Take, for example, the practice of coaching and getting a lifter move in a desirable way. We go through any possible cue there is to improve the mechanical aspects of a lift.

Take the squat. 'Chest down', 'knees out', 'hips back', 'head down', 'lean over' are all essential pieces of getting the movement right.

While mechanical cues provide the framework for performing lifts with great(er) accuracy, they don't address one - if not THE - most important cue a coach could possible give to a lifter. More on that later.

Muscle fibers are recruited by the nervous system. In weightlifting terms, the more of the fast-twitch Type 2 fibers we can recruit, the stronger we are. This has to do with the fact that these kind of muscle fibers have the ability to produce a high amount of force (compared to the Type 1 slow-twitch fibers, which produce lower amounts of force).

The crucial thing to understand is that the nervous system don't just switch on by accident. It needs to be called into action. And that activation comes from your brain.

And your brain is activated by you.

Better said: by your intention to a lift a weight.

If you have the intent of moving a weight gently and slowly, will you be very strong?

No.

If you have the intent of moving a weight explosively, will you be stronger and move the weight faster?

Very much so.

We can therefore ask the question:

How do we move heavy weights with the right intent so we produce more force as well as greater acceleration?

Simply by using the cue 'STRONGER!'

This cue is going to enable you to push harder against a heavy weight, which increases your chances of overcoming it.

The magical thing that happens when you use the 'STRONGER!' cue is that your brain tells your nervous system to recruit more of the Type 2 fibers - and also recruit them faster.

If you ever feel stuck on a lift where you can't seem to overcome it, simply try to move the weight with the intent of 'STRONGER'.

It really does work.

As the saying goes:

'Nothing is as invisible as the obvious.'