Ep. 25 | Better Technique Unlocks Peak Strength

Chasing strength without solid technique is a fast way to collect injuries and slow progress, and we’ve both lived that lesson. We talk through why technique first isn’t just a coaching slogan, it’s developing the skill that lets you actually express the strength you’ve built in the squat, bench press, deadlift, and even everyday general fitness training. When your reps are clean and repeatable, you get more muscle-building tension, better barpath, and fewer nagging tweaks that pull you out of the gym. 

We also tackle the other extreme: overthinking every cue until you freeze up. Heavy attempts aren’t the time to rebuild your lift from scratch. We share how we coach lifters to practice changes on warmups, backdown sets, and accessories where it’s safer, calmer, and you can get hundreds of high-quality reps. That’s where PRs are really built.

Along the way, we dig into why technique can look different from person to person, how to avoid cue overload, and why confidence matters most when you’re near 90 to 95% plus. Nate also explains how variations like tempo squats improve kinesthetic awareness and help you stay strong for the long haul. If you want better lifting technique, smarter strength training, and more consistent results, hit play, subscribe, and share this with a friend, then leave a review and tell us what lift you’re working on next.

Transcript

Why Technique Drives Strength

SPEAKER_01 0:00

What's going on, you guys? Welcome to another episode of the Fortis After Hours podcast. I'm your co-host Nate, joined by Toby and my wife, Liz. Hey. We have an awesome episode planned for you guys today. Today we're going to be talking about technique and how it plays such an important part in strength.

SPEAKER_00 0:18

Very important.

SPEAKER_01 0:19

It's also very important if you want to look jacked as well. So if you're trying to build muscle or you're trying to get stronger, because those two overlap, they are two different kind of main goals. But either one requires a certain amount of technique to get the most out of the work that you're putting in. The last thing you want to do is be in the gym, just putting in hours and hours and hours of work with poor technique and end up injured or end up with maybe the results that you weren't looking for.

SPEAKER_00 0:46

Minimal progress.

SPEAKER_01 0:47

Yeah, minimal progress.

SPEAKER_00 0:59

We're big if you don't coach, or if we don't coach you, there we go.

SPEAKER_01 1:05

You gotta just hang with Liz. She's had a very busy week, y'all.

SPEAKER_00 1:08

I didn't sleep for a whole night.

SPEAKER_01 1:11

It was wild.

SPEAKER_00 1:12

It was wild.

SPEAKER_01 1:13

She's out here doing the podcast for you guys because she's a G like that. So she's here for you.

SPEAKER_00 1:19

Um, anyways, if you do work with us, you know that we are big on technique. That is kind of something that we are extremely adamant on coffee when we uh coach all of our lifters. Um so if you don't work with us, now you know we are very big on technique. Um we spend a lot of time making sure that people are moving good, lifting good, feeling good. Um, buddy. Um as part of their training. And I would like I would say we're both big on the technique comes first, and then like the weight and things come second.

SPEAKER_01 2:00

Yeah, I would agree. Because I think the thing is, um, you know, when you master technique, whether it's for powerlifting, Olympic lifting, or just like general fitness, uh, then you can kind of just continue to add weight. Like, of course, you need to build strength. It's not like an infinite adding of the weight. Oh man. All right, buddy. All right. We got a busy, a busy afternoon here in the Fortis uh parking lot. Yeah, someone with some really loud music.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

There's this food truck, it's called the Juice Caboose. It just pulled up next door, and ever since they pulled up, there's been this really loud bass that we can hear inside the gym, and I think it's from the Juice Caboose.

SPEAKER_01 2:43

You're gonna go file a complaint.

SPEAKER_00 2:45

No, I just am confused why the juice caboose needs such loud music.

SPEAKER_01 2:50

That is true. But sometimes maybe the Dollar General would think that way about uh our gym.

SPEAKER_00 2:55

That's fair.

SPEAKER_01 2:56

Because we do be hitting it pretty loud sometimes, exactly, Toby. Okay, alright. Um, there we go. So, anyways, uh, but yeah, with the technique mastered, you really can kind of like, so to speak, infinitely scale. I'm not, you know, obviously not forever, but like you can kind of infinitely scale. If you don't have good technique, though, and your technique has some maybe major holes or flaws or inefficiencies, you're either gonna end up getting hurt or you're gonna end up stalling the progress. The progress is just not gonna be made. Um, and shoring up that technique can help a lot more than I think people think.

SPEAKER_00 3:34

Yeah, it's always super interesting to see like when people who maybe haven't been training with the best technique, all of a sudden either fix their technique or get a different coach who focuses more on technique or does something with their technique, and then all of a sudden, quote unquote, all of a sudden, they get like magically stronger or way stronger or something like that. But really, they had the strength. Like sometimes like the strength is already there, but if your technique is not optimal, it's

Injuries And Strength Expression

SPEAKER_00 4:05

very hard to express the strength that you have built too.

SPEAKER_01 4:08

Yes, agreed. Um, and if you know, there's some people maybe watching this. See, Liz has always been very good on her technique, I will say that, since day one of lifting, and I think that's just because Liz likes rules and directions. I do like to follow the directions. Yeah, she's like, well, this is just how it needs to be done. Correct. Um, and as such, she's experienced very few injuries over her powerlifting career thus far.

SPEAKER_00 4:30

They've been fairly minor, knock on wood, and things like that.

SPEAKER_01 4:33

Knock on wood, yeah. Like maybe a few injuries here and there, but they've been, I would say all of them could be classified as minor to intermediate, like nothing.

SPEAKER_00 4:40

I would say most are probably pretty minor.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

Some little tweaks.

SPEAKER_00 4:43

Now, mentally were they minor? Maybe not, but like in the actual like physical realm of injuries, they were all very minor.

SPEAKER_01 4:51

Yeah, and that's a great point. Like, I think, and yeah, just to point out, you know, she's like, it's not like her journey's been absolutely perfect. Like, you guys know, like, she has struggled with other things, uh, you know, related to like mental mental health things like that. Now, for me, on the other hand, what is technique? Yeah, I'm gonna tell you right now, um my strength.

SPEAKER_00 5:13

Never heard of her.

SPEAKER_01 5:14

My strength, like mentally overall, like I have been able to do pretty well. Um, but uh the uh technique situation and then the injuries that have come from that, we'll put that at a very low on the scale of is Nate good at this? No, I'm not. Um so now a lot better. I was gonna say, so over the years, because like I'm just I'm just gonna send it basically. And I've been doing that since I was like super young in the gym.

SPEAKER_00 5:39

A little bit of bro lifter still in you.

SPEAKER_01 5:41

Yeah. I had a pretty severe back injury, herniated some discs when I was back when I was literally like only 18, 19, um in my lower back and my cervical spine and my neck. Um all of that just because I was foolish and ignored technique and forced things to move. And my point being, there is a time and place for that. It will, it can, it can be helpful if, if, if paired with good quality technique, which is what you're seeing now. Um, you know, that's the reason good technique is the reason why I was able to in one year go from squatting 500 after coming back from an injury to squatting 584 pounds easily, um, and then continuing to build on that. Um it's the reason I have been able to like get, I think, as strong as I've been able to get in my early 30s, and like it is the only way I will be able to continue on making progress, I would say, at like my age, basically. Because I still think I have plenty of years left of uh top-end strength, but without technique, I think that would be cut down to months, a year. I don't know. Um, so my point is technique has played a huge role in me getting uh as strong as I've been able to get, because I really do not think without like my technique being spot on, I would be able to achieve any of that.

When Technique Becomes Overthinking

SPEAKER_00 7:08

Now, I feel like with saying all of this though, like while technique is extremely important, there are some people who can get so caught up in their technique that then they become what is it like paralysis by overanalysis, basically, to where like they are so focused on like nitpicking every little piece of especially like their heavy lift, that then they like cannot make the progress because they are overanalyzing um yeah, the technique of because like when you lift heavier, like some things will break down. Like that's just going to happen. That's not necessarily like detrimental to your training though. Like sometimes when you're pushing the weight, like especially in powerlifting, obviously you're pushing the weight. This also could happen general fitness, even if you're not like as much pushing the weight, like it can still happen. And like it's good to maybe like notice those things, but not let them prevent you from like lifting heavy. Yeah, like notice them and then learn from them and then focus on fixing that technique because the more you can like focus on that with the lighter weights, which I think we'll probably be talking about here shortly, um the farther through, like the farther up in weight you'll be able to maintain the technique um without it breaking down.

Coaching For Your Unique Mechanics

SPEAKER_01 8:30

Yeah. And I think a couple other things on that, like, number one, your technique's gonna look different from person to person. That's where having a coach that is experienced is super helpful because at this point in my career, I have literally watched hundreds of people squat, like with my own eyes in real life. Hundreds of people bench press, hundreds of people deadlift, bicep curl, whatever, put in exercise.

SPEAKER_00 8:52

Everyone looks different.

SPEAKER_01 8:53

Exactly. Everyone looks slightly different. Now, there's some, you know, key technical things for each movement, I'd say, in the gym that you want to, you know, make sure that you're uh adhering to. I'm not gonna go over those. That would take forever. Um, but aside from that, you need to be very open-minded as a coach to understand your lifter, listen to them. Okay, like, you know, in theory, this should feel better, but oh, this feels better. Okay, well, like if it's a you know, slight uh mutation, so to speak, of like the correct form, but it feels way better, like what do you think is the right answer? You know what I mean? Like it's like, and I think sometimes even coaches can get a little like stuck parallel, oh well, this needs to happen. It's like, you know, and I'm not saying you want sloppy form, of course, like I just spent the first 10 minutes talking about that. But what I am saying, and just agreeing with Liz, is like there will be some times where like it breaks down and you might be working on something as a coach. Um, so when you're lifting with your peers, I encourage you to focus on you and it being encouraging in general. I think sometimes you can get caught up in, hey, uh, you know, I'm squatting this way, you should be squatting this way. It's like, oh man, like, you know, and you don't know what that coach and athlete are working on together because, you know, as a coach, the last thing that I want to do is cause paralysis by analysis. Hey, Liz, that was a nice squat. Uh, but you need to go a little wider, point your toes out, make sure you're bracing better, make sure your upper back is tighter, and then also make sure you're looking up. It's like, that's like to the lifter, that's so overwhelming. You're like, yeah, because you think, you know, as a lifter, you're like, okay, I I came up with it. That was great.

SPEAKER_00 10:27

And then your coach is like, and you're just like I mean that, or even like so that where they're like, whatever, giving so many things, or there's sometimes where like um, you know, it'll be a heavy squat or whatever. And like maybe there's like I know when I squat heavy, like sometimes my knees will like jiggle a little bit, like in and out, like not like super bad, but there's some like movement in my knees, like that's just oscillation. That's just what happens when I squat heavy, like especially if my core is lacking during that day. Like, I just know that that's going to happen. And if I like if you like as my coach were to look at that and be like, your knees moved a uh centimeter in and then back out, like we can't go up anymore in weight because of that. Like, fix that. Like that would kind of ruin like the momentum, would ruin my progress because like that's just what my knees do on certain days. Now it's not every day, and like some days are worse than others, like I understand that, but it's also something that happens as the weight gets heavier. But it's not something that you know is so detrimental to my squats, like it doesn't hurt, they don't like completely collapse, like they're just working, like my legs are just working essentially. And if you or like for like someone else, like saw just like this teeny tiny, like microscopic thing, and then as a coach, you're always pointing that out, then that makes it hard for the lifter to also, because then they're going to focus on that and be scared to push the weight or to like continue trying. So I feel like it's like both ends. Like if you overanalyze by giving like 500 different things for them to work on, or just nitpicking like one teeny tiny thing that like maybe broke down a little bit on like one top set. Now, if it's like extreme or if it's like dangerous, of course, that's different. But like a slight movement or a slight elbow flare in the bench, like slight, like sometimes like that's just yeah, it's just how it happens.

SPEAKER_01 12:27

And like you said, at top end weight, you know, we can expect, actually, as a coach, I'm gonna expect some sort of breakdown to happen, especially in the 95% and above range, and even 90%, like if you're doing reps and like 90%, something's not absolutely like perfect. I mean, I'm not worried about that. And I think I think some coaches do, like, they overanalyze it's like, look, like you want to make sure your athlete feels one thing when you're getting in that weight range, and that is confidence. You want them to be confident going into it, you want them to be confident during it, and that's not the time and place to be fixing these things that comes when the weight is lighter.

Backdowns And Accessories Build PRs

SPEAKER_01 13:02

Uh, and that's the main thing I wanted to talk about today because you know, I think it's super important uh when you're doing back downs, when you're doing warmups, when you're doing accessory movements to really focus on your technique, focus on the technical changes or change that your coach is trying to get you to make um with the lighter weight because twofold. One, it's safer, much safer. When you're in that heavier weight, you do not want to be introducing new ideas, new things, when all your lifter really should be thinking about is like get up or you know, finish the lift, finish the deadlift, pull it up, something like this. They don't need to be thinking about other things like on their mind. Now, of course, if this is something like Liz said, like detrimental, dangerous, then I mean maybe they're just not doing that top set is really the answer. Like, I don't think as an experienced coach, like I I would not, I just wouldn't send them into the phrase type thing. I'd be like, yeah, we'll do this another day, like something's off. Yeah, we've done that before, I'll do it again. Um, but you know, like I think there's this time and place to work on technique, and it's just overlooked a lot in like modern powerlifting because I just think people like they just get into the oh well three sets of ten, here I go, and just start doing it, and I hate my life and blah blah blah. But what you need to be thinking about is instead of oh, it's three sets of ten, this is terrible. Okay, three sets of ten, that's thirty reps, that's thirty opportunities to get better. Thirty in like the span of not that long. Like, I don't know, three sets of ten should take you uh twenty minutes, thirty minutes.

SPEAKER_00 14:35

It shouldn't take that long.

SPEAKER_01 14:36

I was being generous. Oh I was gonna say like fifteen. But yeah, whatever. Coach Liz says 15.

SPEAKER_00 14:43

I mean, I guess it depends if you're like working in with other people.

SPEAKER_01 14:46

Like are you doing three sets of ten in fifteen minutes?

SPEAKER_00 14:50

I mean, that would be one set, because like you can definitely do ten reps in a minute, yeah, and then that gives you like four minutes of resting. I mean four to five minutes of resting.

SPEAKER_01 15:00

Whatever.

SPEAKER_00 15:01

I feel like you could definitely do that in 15 minutes.

SPEAKER_01 15:04

The point is, y'all, if you're it's a set amount of time, it's not that much time um as far as like a sacrifice is what I'm trying to get at, right? Like it's not that much time with huge payoffs, is the point that I'm trying to make. Because when you are ingraining that technique, and again, this is something you know near and dear to my heart because I was bad at it. Like I was not good at it for the longest time. I'd hit that top weight or top set, whatever it is, and then I'm like done. And then, like, whatever it was in the back times, I would get it done. It's not like I wasn't doing it. Oh, don't worry, like they were getting done, but I definitely was not uh I was not focusing whatsoever on my technique, and I would still I'd do all these crazy reps, and that would indicate, you know, if you just put it into a calculator online or something, it would indicate this massive one max. But the big thing that I was missing was the technical prowess and the technical ability and the neuromuscular connection to move my body in space under heavy load. And the reason why I was missing it is because all those times, instead of practicing that technique, I was practicing shit technique or like slightly worse technique, whatever, or the technique that would not work under like 90% above type load. And then when I would get there every time, I'm like, I'd have almost the confidence, like I'm like, I'm gonna smoke this, and then it breaks down. Yeah, and then same thing, I like work back up, I'm gonna smoke this, and then breaks down. And it was not until you guys I started locking in, I mean locking in on those accessories, uh, or excuse me, on the back downs, and then any accessory that mimicked like a barbell movement, like I think the warmups too, like making sure the warmups are like it was only when I started doing that that I started making massive progress.

SPEAKER_00 16:49

Um of my favorite things to see is like on the higher rep sets of like when I'm coaching, like watching like videos and stuff, is like every rep just looks the same.

SPEAKER_01 16:58

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 16:59

And that's like key. And like also I'll like say that to people like every rep looks the same, like that's exactly what we want because that means like your technique is dialed in, like it's looking good, it's smooth, like every rep is mimicking what a top set should look like.

SPEAKER_01 17:14

So yeah, and I think you know, I think that there's there's a time and place uh for just putting in work, and I I'm not saying that every single day uh is going to be like this, you know, perfect, perfect reps every single time. Um, but more what I'm arguing is just saying that is a time where you need to implement the changes that your coach wants you to make. You need to implement maybe something that you feel might help you out. This is the time to do it, not

Turn Off Your Brain On Top Sets

SPEAKER_01 17:43

the top sets. The top sets is the time to turn the brain off and just lift. You're not thinking about anything, and those the lifters that can do that are going to always outperform the lifters that are thinking about like the one like meme from the hangover with the guy, like all this stuff. Like, yeah, maybe I'll put it in the YouTube video.

SPEAKER_00 18:01

I got it. It took me a second, but I got it.

SPEAKER_01 18:02

Like, if you're going up to a bar like that, it's not gonna be great.

SPEAKER_00 18:06

Yeah, you need to like think about all the cues, clear your brain, and just lift.

SPEAKER_01 18:10

And just lift. And then you know, a big thing that I have for my Olympic lifting uh athletes, because that is such a fluid uh motion, is I literally am like take a deep breath before you hit your top single because like it just clears your brain. I was thinking the same way.

SPEAKER_00 18:26

Um I always take a deep breath before I lift.

SPEAKER_01 18:29

I mean, I'll be honest, I did before I hit that 595 squat, I like you know, got myself high, did my thing, like Liz said, and like thought about my cues. But then I walked out there, there's like a little walk, whatever. I walked out there, tightened the belt, got under it, and I literally like right before I lifted up, I just said, You can do this. And I just took a deep breath and like squatted it, smoked it. And like, I just think there's something behind purest form of like mental clarity and focus that is far like outweighs any type of like cue or something you could be thinking when you're at this like top load.

SPEAKER_00 19:03

And then if it does break down at the top end, that's okay because you know what to work on in your backdowns, you know what to focus on in your warmups the next time and your backdowns and your accessories. Your coach might then start, like if they notice a trend of like continuous like uh weak points basically or breakdowns, like some of the variations they might give you or some of the accessories they might give you might start to help build that up, even without you knowing that's what they're doing. Like because coaches will do a lot of things that you maybe don't necessarily know that they're doing. Um and so having like certain variations or certain accessories or things like that, like those are things to help build that up. But then also like if you notice as a lifter, rather than like being so discouraged, like, oh my gosh, I can't believe my knees wobbled, or I can't believe I, you know, my brace came a little looser, like whatever, like okay, like is it ideal? No. Did it happen? Yes, okay, great. Now focus on that during your back downs and make that part like perfect. Yeah. Or as perfect as you can for that day.

SPEAKER_01 20:08

Yeah, and I think that's it because when you do that, then you're developing like basically a very strong mind-muscle connection. You're also developing just straight muscle memory. Your body is going to literally remember where you were in space with the barbell without you even thinking. And that is where you want to get to. And I think that's like a kind of like lost uh topic for like more like we'll say beginner to intermediate like athletes.

SPEAKER_00 20:35

Well, because people just care about how much weight they're lifting.

SPEAKER_01 20:37

Exactly. And I think I think this is like a pretty like high-level thing. Like a lot of like top-level athletes are already doing this, but that's because they've maxed out everything else. And the pro tip, you can if you do this when you're not as strong as let's say like a top-level athlete, it will help you get stronger to that top-level athlete like phase a lot quicker, or maybe help you reach something that you weren't able to even reach unless you're employing these technical. Well, I think changes.

SPEAKER_00 21:04

Part of it is just social media and

Social Media Hides The Real Work

SPEAKER_00 21:06

the world today. It's all just like what's flashy, what's cool, what's big numbers, what gets likes, what gets attention, and doing super technical work and reps and backdowns and variations and things like that. Nobody cares about that. Yeah. But that is where you're going to get stronger. That is where you are going to make progress. That is where, like, that's where your PRs are going to happen.

SPEAKER_01 21:31

Yes. For like That's where they're being built.

SPEAKER_00 21:33

Yes. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 21:34

That's where your PRs are being built. Yes. Is that PRs are not happening in the back of the back? Well, no. Well, maybe, maybe.

SPEAKER_00 21:39

They might be. That's that's what I meant. Yeah, I think that's a good thing. The brain's the brain's sort of going. But like the work that you're doing there will lead to the PRs on the platform. Absolutely. But if you're not doing that, then it's gonna make it a lot harder to like continue to progress. And uh and I just think that's super overlooked, especially with like whatever social media. Media and what's flashy.

SPEAKER_01 22:03

Like I said, you guys, I'm using myself as the bad example, so to speak, whatever. Like, this is my personal weakness that I've worked on over the years. And like, if it wasn't for Liz like kind of taking over my coaching and really helping me dial in on this technique to like next level, because I've always had like decent technique. Cause like I've gotten I got basically I got hurt enough multiple times over and over when I was younger to where I actually I used to be the opposite. I was like a technique, like analysis by paralysis type person. And then basically I just I don't know, at some point in my lifting career, I've been doing this a long time, but uh like at some point I'm like, you know, fuck it. I'm just gonna start like lifting and whatever. Like I'm just gonna keep going. And well, ego lifting it kind of worked, yeah, ego lifting. And that kind of worked for like a while because like my technique was never never like really bad.

SPEAKER_00 22:49

It was just like that, those people I feel like are the hardest. Where like it's not bad. Like your technique isn't like really bad or really awful, or like someone doesn't look at it and go, doesn't go, oh, like, oh wow, because like there are some people I watch that I'm like, oh my god, no, 100%. So, like, but it and those people I feel like it's easier, but it's the people kind of like in the middle ground where like their technique isn't great, but it's also not terrible. And like they're still getting the lifts and like maybe making like a little bit of progress, like, especially like if you're a newer lifter, you're still gonna make progress. So I feel like those are definitely the hardest people. And even like as a coach, like I there's stuff that like I might see, but it's very hard sometimes to convince the lifter that they need to change because they're like, Well, I'm doing it, like it's fine.

SPEAKER_01 23:36

That's I mean, that's conversations me and you have already had before where like Liz be like, Well, this is slightly off. I'm like, it's fine. Yeah, and I I'd said that for a long time. So again, I'm using myself as a bad example here, you guys. Just trust me. Like the amount of progress that you that I have been able to make by really locking in on my backdowns and really focusing on the technique and whatever changes Liz wants me to make here and there on the technique. Uh, I'm telling you, that is that is gonna put you on the map with your PRs, making sure you're hitting bigger PRs, the biggest weights you've been able to hit. Um, it's just gonna help you out with the technical changes. When you've got that technique locked in, you will be uh firing on those top sets. Just today I did uh tempo squats on the way up, which is my one of my least favorite things. But I'm gonna tell you right now I was gonna say I'm gonna tell you right now, this exercise is definitely one that helped me get to uh the near 600 squat at 595. And after today, I definitely think this will help me break past that barrier just because of the awareness, the kinesthetic awareness that it gives me, where I'm just like, I'm like, oh, okay, like it just forces you to be in this position, this good position. And I do have to say, like, I started this exercise at three reds because Liz said it was gonna be you need to be very light, set very light. And I just did three reds because I was like, I just I don't know, I just was like, I can do this, and I just basically was being lazy. I don't want to figure out some other smaller number because this is relevant because last time I did this, which actually has been a while, I was like kind of barely maybe making it up to three reds, maybe, but I was more doing like in the lower three hundreds because this is just a such a hard variation for me, uh, because it takes away, I get a lot of like power from uh the rebound. Yeah, I get a lot of like Liz is a very controlled squat down, drive up. I'm like control enough, but I also get some good momentum, which like we've learned is how I squat. Like I can squat well and use it to my advantage, which is fine.

SPEAKER_00 25:37

That's how some people squat.

SPEAKER_01 25:38

However, when you take that out, it greatly diminishes my like top end. Uh but needless to say, started at three res and it felt great. Like, didn't really feel too challenging. I'm like, okay, I made some progress. Like, I'll be able to push this, and I think that'll really help me get to the next level. So yeah. Technique. Technique, it's all about the technique, you guys. Um big fan. Yeah, we're big fans of technique at Fortis. Like I said.

SPEAKER_00 26:02

And I will say, it always makes me so proud. Anytime we go to meets, like everyone always comments, like at like whatever, all the meets, is everyone's like, oh, your lifters always move so good, they look so good. I'm like, I know. Yes, yes, makes me very proud. A very proud coach.

SPEAKER_01 26:17

Yes, I agree. Um, and you know,

Technique For Longevity In Any Training

SPEAKER_01 26:20

at the end of the day, you guys, it's just gonna help you uh stay in the game longer. That's another thing. Longevity. There's no way, and there was a time when I was so broken from multiple injuries with slight technical errors that ended up causing it, where I was like, I don't even know if I can keep powerlifting. Like, I'll always keep lifting weights, as we've talked about before. But there's actually probably a couple podcasts where I talked about that. Um, and I would say single-handedly, the technical changes that I made on not my top sets, so like on basically everything but my top sets is what has kept me in the game, and I'm literally the strongest I've ever been. That is because of technique.

SPEAKER_00 26:56

And I feel like while obviously we related this a lot to powerlifting, this also relates to really anything, any general fitness, any strength building, bodybuilding, like any person who is lifting weights, I feel like this applies to 100%. Um, because no matter what you're doing or what your goals are, the better your technique is, the better the results are going to be, and like the better your progress is gonna be.

SPEAKER_01 27:19

So and if you're a crazy person like me and you just want to get after it and not think about technique, pro tip, focus on the technique when it's boring, boring, and then when you do get to the top, you don't have to, and then you can just do your thing. So that's the other thing for the people because I know there's other people like me that just want to get after it. That's cool. Like I get it, but trust like in the technique and trust in your coach, and then when you get to go, like they, you know, let you out the leash, so to speak, you just get to go. That technique's gonna be there for you. If you don't put in those reps, log those hours, you know, get your 10,000 reps, so to speak, in when it's lighter, then how in the world can you expect it to be there when you call upon it at a PR? It's not. Yeah, it's not gonna be there. Um so yeah, I think that does it. It was a good episode.

SPEAKER_00 28:07

Sounds good.

SPEAKER_01 28:08

Thanks for being on the podcast.

SPEAKER_00 28:10

Anytime.

SPEAKER_01 28:11

Even when uh even when you're a little tired.

SPEAKER_00 28:14

A little bit.

SPEAKER_01 28:15

People appreciate it.

SPEAKER_00 28:15

A little bit, a little bit.

SPEAKER_01 28:16

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 28:17

Um I took a red-eye flight.

SPEAKER_01 28:19

Liz took, yeah, Liz took a red-eye flight. It was crazy. Closed out our nationals season.

SPEAKER_00 28:23

It was a great nationals, but a red-eye flight was wild. Never in my life have I done that before.

SPEAKER_01 28:29

Yeah. I was crazy. But Liz did a great job, and so did her client, Lolly. She absolutely demolished it. She did. Uh, we posted a full recap for her, so you can check that out on Instagram or YouTube.

Help Us Hit YouTube Watch Hours

SPEAKER_01 28:39

And ooh, one last thing. I have a new goal on YouTube. We hit our 500 subscribers. Thank you. Thank you, guys. I appreciate it. New goal. We need 3,000 watch hours. So many hours. We can do it as a community. I've just I've mathed it out. So if you guys are listening to this podcast on Spotify or Apple Podcasts, delete the app for the foreseeable future. And I need you to log into your YouTube and watch it on there. And even if so, look, look, even if you're uh Nate, I don't like watching. Okay, that's cool. Just put it on and then YouTube plays in the background, y'all. You can like swipe up on your iPhone and it'll just play in the background. And that's gonna help us out. You guys can do it. Got us to 500 subscribers way quicker than I thought. So you can do it. Alright, we'll see you guys in the next episode. Thank you so much for listening and go crush it out there. Keep reading finding strong. Peace. Bye.