Squat Rx

Kettlebell Workshop

2008-10-07T20:00:00.000-07:00

On Saturday, November 15, I'll be giving a Kettlebell Basics Workshop for coaches and personal trainers at the CrossFit Iowa gym. Workshops there are always a lot of fun. We are setting a cap on attendees, so please let me know if you're serious about attending.

The Dip

2008-10-06T18:00:00.000-07:00

Almost everything in life worth doing is controlled by the Dip.
At the beginning, when you first start something, it's fun. You could be taking up golf or acupuncture or piloting a plane or doing chemistry - doesn't matter; it's interesting, and you get plenty of good feedback from the people around you.
Over the next few days and weeks, the rapid learning you experience keeps you going. Whatever your new thing is, it's easy to stay engaged in it.
And then the Dip happens.
The Dip is a long slog between starting and mastery. A long slog that's actually a shortcut, because it gets you where you want to go faster than any other path.
The Dip is the combination of bureaucracy and busywork you must deal with in order to get certified in scuba diving.
The Dip is the difference between the easy "beginner" technique and the more useful "expert" approach in skiing or fashion design.
The Dip is the long stretch between beginner's luck and real accomplishment...

..Of course, if you look at the resume of a typical CEO, you'll see that he endured a twenty-five year Dip before landing the job.
...It's easy to be a CEO. What's hard is getting there. There's a huge Dip along the way. If it was easy, there'd be too many people vying for the job and the CEOs couldn't get paid as much, could they? Scarcity, as we've seen, is the secret to value. If there wasn't a Dip, there'd be no scarcity.
IMPORTANT NOTE: Successful people don't just ride out the Dip. They don't just buckle down and survive it. No, they lean into the Dip. They push harder, changing the rules as they go. Just because you know you're in the Dip doesn't mean you have to live happily with it. Dips don't last quite as long when you whittle at them.

...When the pain gets so bad that you're ready to quit, you've set yourself up as someone with nothing to lose. And someone with nothing to lose has quite a bit of power. You can go for broke. Challenge authority. Attempt unattempted alternatives. Lean into a problem; lean so far that you might just lean right through it.

- Seth Godin ("The Dip")

This book bears an almost uncanny resemblance to the book Mastery, by George Leonard. The basic message is that "the Dip", like George Leonard's "plateau", is something to expected and even embraced. The Dip is the ravine or moat that separates the best from the rest, and bridging it is essential to success. "The Dip", by Seth Godin, is very short, easy, and fun read - I highly recommend checking it out if you have any interest.

Knowing When To Say When

2008-09-29T05:00:00.000-07:00

"Show me somebody who goes hard all the time and I will show you a career about to end."
- "Powerlifter 54" of the Dragon Door Forum

Milo of Crete, a Greek wrestler of antiquity, is most famous for carrying a baby calf everyday for its first four years of life. The story is often cited when talking about progressive overload training. We all know that while it is a great story, if you were to follow a training plan that continually escalates in intensity and/or volume, eventually (quicker than you might think) the weight would become too great and you would either plateau or injure yourself. So, why then do we think we can follow concentrated loading plans long term? Why do we rationalize our high-intensity, high-volume training plans and think that somehow "I'll be different if I can eat enough, or rest enough, or vary the exercise selection in just the right way"?

Part of the problem is that people start out training gung-ho and see results. Novice lifters, though they don't need it, can handle a relatively large amount of volume at higher levels of intensity and still make gains. It doesn't work so well for intermediate and advanced lifters. Let's look at two hypothetical trainees of different lifting experience: Lifter A has been lifting for six months and Lifter B has been lifting for six years. If the training plan calls for 10 sets of triples with 90% of their maximum single repetition squat, which lifter is going to be able to complete the training session in better shape?

Lifter A
Max Squat = 200lbs
Training = 180lbs x 3 x 10 sets
Total Volume = 5400

Lifter B
Max Squat = 500lbs
Training = 450lbs x 3 x 10 sets
Total Volume = 13,500

At first glance, you might be tempted to think that since both lifters are training at 90% of their maximum, that they should be equally fatigued. However, this is not the case. Very likely, Lifter A will not only be able to complete their sets, but also look around the gym wondering what to do next to finish their workout. Lifter B, on the other hand, if they finish the sets, will probably be barely able to walk.

It is more than simply a question of volume, although that is important in the example given. But, even if we halved the number of sets for the 500lb squatter, it would still be a herculean effort for them to complete the session. There is another reason why advanced strength athletes can't push the pedal to the metal as often as newbies and intermediate trainees and the reason has to do with a fancy sounding concept called the "muscle strength deficit" (MSD). The MSD is the difference between the force your muscles can generate when forced by electro-stimulation and the force they can generate voluntarily in training. The deficit is much greater in sedentary subjects than for trained subjects, and elite strength athletes may have a very small MSD. So, what does that mean for your training? It means that the more experienced you are, the more coordinated you are and the more muscle you are recruiting to your cause to move heavy weights. In very simple terms, as you get stronger, when you push the envelope, the closer you REALLY are pushing things to their limit. An advanced lifter who is grinding out reps will need more recovery time than novice doing the same. Yes, work capacity matters and increases with training, but developing it is a slow process.

Most people who've been training for a while can push well beyond what is best for them. Not coincidentally, most injuries I've had training were after 3-4 weeks of concentrated loading without adequate recovery - just looking at ever increasing training numbers in a log, without any attention to volume or intensity, gave NO clue or hint that I was heading toward injury. As a very general rule of thumb, most people can go balls to the wall for 2-4 weeks and then it's time to back off. Intentional or unintentional, meticulously planned or "instinctive", it doesn't matter, but fail to back off when your body needs it and you could very well be heading for a fall.

"Power has its own rhythms and patterns. Those who succeed at the game are the ones who control the patterns and vary them at will... The essence of strategy is controlling what comes next, and the elation of victory can upset your ability to control what comes next in two ways. First, you owe your success to a pattern that you are apt to try to repeat. You will try to keep moving in the same direction without stopping to see whether this is still the direction that is best for you. Second, success tends to go to your head and make you emotional. Feeling invulnerable, you make aggressive moves that ultimately undo the victory you have gained."
- Robert Green (The 48 Laws of Power)

For Further Reading:
Dan John's Nautilus, Crossfit, and "HiHi" (T-Nation Article)
Charles Staley's The Classic Things You Will Do In The Gym To Shoot Yourself In The Foot (Online Article)

Work Your Weaknesses Month (Wrist Work)

2008-09-25T17:00:00.000-07:00

I've been doing some extra abdominal and wrist work this month, trying to bring up those weaknesses. One of the tools I use for wrists is the "Twist Yo' Wrist" wrist roller from Ironmind. It differs from a standard wrist roller in that it works radial and ulnar wrist extension which are the motions you make when you are opening a jar, or twisting a door knob. It is basically a very big yo-yo that you can attach weight to.

Cardio With Kettlebells

2008-09-22T05:00:00.000-07:00

The other day, I did 200 continuous 1.5 pood (53lbs) snatches with the "Beep Test", switching hands every 10 reps for the first 60, and every 5 reps after that. It's a good cardio workout, but unless wind is your major weakness, I'm not sure that this kind of training has a lot of application to girevoy sport or the "Secret Service Snatch Test ("SSST")".
Girevoy Sport, where the objective is to snatch a kettlebell as many times as possible in 10:00 with only one hand switch, a huge part of the game is the local muscular fatigue you experience in the shoulder and grip. With multiple switches, as I am doing here, most of the localized fatigue dissipates in the non-working arm. One arm is always getting a breather and is never required to work anywhere close to exhaustion.
For the SSST, the objective is similar to girevoy sport - 10:00 as many reps as possible, but multiple hand switches are allowed and you may set the bell down as often as long as you'd like as well. Pacing is the name of the game with the SSST and, quite frankly, the Beep Test protocol, designed for shuttle runs, just isn't fast enough for SSST preparation until about 14 minutes in or unless you are using a really heavy bell. You could easily remedy this by doing more repetitions per chime though.
In any case, it's a fun challenge and great general conditioning. Having the caller and chimes makes it easier to just let the mind go and focus on each repetition - almost hypnotic and it reminds me of all those years I spent staring at the bottom of a pool, swimming back and forth for miles. The beep test protocol I'm using, by the way, goes until 247 repetitions - I've done 220 with this, but usually put the bell down with gas still in the tank - towards the end my hands are pretty slick and it takes a lot of concentration not to lose the bell on a hand switch. Let me know what you think.

Words of Wisdom from Yagyuu Munenori

2008-09-21T05:00:00.000-07:00

Today's words of wisdom come from the master swordsman Yagyuu Munenori (1571-1646), a contemporary of Miyamoto Musashi. This passage mirrors the idea of "mushin" (no mind) and "Being the Squirrel". It also predates the idea of declarative vs. procedural knowledge by about 300 years...

From "The Book Of Family Traditions On The Art Of War":

In all things, uncertainty exists because of not knowing. Things stick in your mind because of being in doubt. When the principle is clarified, nothing else sticks in your mind. This is called consummating knowledge and perfecting things. Since there is no longer anything sticking in your mind, all your tasks become easy to do.
For this reason, the practice of all arts is for the purpose of clearing away what is on your mind. In the beginning, you do not know anything, so paradoxically you do not have any questions on your mind and you are obstructed by that. This makes everything difficult to do.
When what you have studied leaves your mind entirely, and practice also disappears, then, when you perform whatever art you are engaged in, you accomplish the techniques easily without being inhibited by concern over what you have learned, and yet without deviating from what you have learned. This is spontaneously conforming to learning without being consciously aware of doing so.
...When you have built up achievement in cultivation of learning and practice, even as your hands, feet, and body act, this does not hang on your mind. You are detached from your learning yet do not deviate from your learning. Whatever you do, your action is free.

--Yagyuu Munenori

Thoughts On Deloading

2008-09-18T05:00:00.000-07:00

Except when tapering for a competition, I've never personally had much luck with deloading. Usually, my deload weeks turn into just another training week. The difficulty is that, if you're like me, you hate to feel weak. To combat feeling weak, you train harder even when what you really need is rest. It is a vicious cycle that can very quickly lead you into overreaching, overtraining, and/or injury if you're not careful.

Some classic symptoms of overtraining are:

*Washed-out feeling, tired, drained, lack of energy
*Mild leg soreness, general aches and pains
*Pain in muscles and joints
*Sudden drop in performance
*Insomnia
*Headaches
*Decreased immunity (increased number of colds, and sore throats)
*Decrease in training capacity / intensity
*Moodiness and irritability
*Depression
*Loss of enthusiasm for the sport
*Decreased appetite
*Increased incidence of injuries.
*A compulsive need to exercise
(From about.com)

For my own training, the first indication of doing too much for too long is moodiness.... I have found that 5-7 days of complete R&R away from the gym (with maybe a smattering of ab or cardio) works just as well as a solid week or two of deloading.

"NO BUTS!" (Jim Thompson)

2008-09-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

From Positive Coaching by Jim Thompson (p. 137):

NO BUTS

Once at a dinner with a group of Stanford MBA students, I raised the notion of mistakes being central to development and success. Every person at the table agreed with me but not a single person was able to agree without putting a qualifier on it:

"Yes, mistakes are good as long as they aren't thoughtless mistakes."
"Yes, mistakes are okay, but certain kinds of mistakes can't be tolerated."
"Well, sure, mistakes are acceptable, but not the same mistake twice."

My position is that mistakes are good - period! Saying that certain kinds of mistakes are okay but others are not is really just saying that some mistakes really aren't mistakes at all.
Fear of making a mistake is a paralyzing force that robs athletes of spontaneity, love of the game, and a willingness to try new things. It is the no-buts approach to mistakes that gives the sense of psychological and emotional freedom that can unlock the learning process and occasionally release truly inspired athletic performance.

Working Weaknesses (cont'd)

2008-09-14T16:00:00.000-07:00

I've designated September "Work Your Weakness Month" and so far, it's been going fine. I've managed a few focused sessions for abs, squats, and wrist work. For ab work, I'm doing "Pike-Ups" with an ab wheel that can be attached to the feet. It's a great exercise.

How is your training going?

Thinking Of You

2008-09-11T05:00:00.000-07:00

Training Tip: Front Load Your Training Week

2008-09-09T21:29:00.000-07:00

A while back now, I wrote an article for Dan John's newsletter "Get Up" entitled "New & Expecting Fathers: Tips for Training and Time Management". One of the tips I gave in the article was to "front-load your training week". It means to plan your most productive training sessions for early in the week (Sunday, Monday, Tuesday). By doing this, even if your week becomes a bear and you miss training later in the week, you will have gotten in at least two or three good sessions.

If your having trouble making your training commitments, give the "front-load your training week" idea a try and let me know how it goes.

10:00 of Training

2008-09-08T20:53:00.001-07:00

Last night I did 10:00 of snatches (5:00) and clean & jerks (5:00). I had a minor back strain over Labor Day weekend, so things are still a little tricky, but I was happy with the effort even though the numbers were not in the least bit impressive.

Making An Atlas Stone

2008-09-05T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's been a few years since I made an Atlas Stone, but it wasn't a difficult process. I remember finding directions on the internet from Dennis Ruygrok in 2000 and have made at least 3 or 4 since then. Stone lifting is a lot of fun and an amazing workout.

You can find good step-by-step directions at bodyresults.com

The basic materials needed are: a ball, plaster of paris, cement, and a shovel...

The mold is made by covering the ball with plaster of paris. After it has dried completely, a hole is cut in the top and the ball is removed.

After filling the mold w. cement, some reinforcing w. more plaster of paris might be a good idea. Give it a week of "curing", then the mold can be chiseled off and the fun begins.

Work Your Weakness Month Is ON!

2008-09-04T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's September and "Work Your Weakness Month" is a go. Yes, I know that we should be working our weaknesses all the time, but most of us, quite frankly, don't. So, here's your push if you need it to get down with some exercises that you've been neglecting or avoiding.

I'm starting the month a little out of sorts. I blew out my back on Labor Day but still managed to teach two classes at a local CrossFit affiliate and do the workout with one of them as well. It was a very long continuous 10 minutes of 5:00 snatches and 5:00 jerks with the 1.5 pood, but I was happy to hold everything together.

Feel free to post your workouts and progress as we move through the month and I'll do the same.

"In Victory, Tighten Your Helmet!"

2008-08-27T06:00:00.000-07:00

In Japanese, there is a proverb, 勝って兜の緒を締めよ (katte kabuto no o o shimeyo), which means "In victory, tighten your helmet!". It is a warning to not rest on your laurels and be ready for your enemies to return. Celebrate a win in battle and you may lose the campaign. Pushing onward without reevaluating your position can be disastrous.

Your enemies in training are often fatigue and lack of concentration. After hitting big gym PRs we have to be careful that in celebration we don't push ourselves into overtraining or injury, nor neglect our weaknesses.

September Is "Work Your Weakness Month"

2008-08-25T06:00:00.000-07:00

It's official - September is "Work Your Weakness Month". If abs are your weakness, September is the time to brush the dust of that evil ab wheel. If your hamstring flexibility sucks, 30 days of work (and recovery) can make a difference. If there's an exercise that you should be doing, but somehow never get to or haven't gotten to lately, this month's for you!

What will I be working on in September?
*Abs
*Wrist Work
*Squats

Of course, other training will continue, but I plan to devote two sessions/week to one or more of these areas. If I can't spare two full training sessions, I will at least start my training with squats or an exercise targeting the abs or wrists.

What's your weakness?

Words of Wisdom from Quint Studer

2008-08-20T07:00:00.000-07:00

The following quote is from a book written for business leaders, but it can be applied just as well to coaches, parents, and educators:

Why Leaders Don't Compliment: Some Common Myths and Excuses

People really need recognition and specific feedback, and a good compliment provides both. But too many leaders resist giving them, for a variety of reasons. Ask yourself: Do I harbor any of these beliefs and attitudes about complimenting my employees?

*Big Head: "If I compliment them too much, they'll get a big head!"

*Complacency: "If I tell them they did a good job, they'll get complacent!"

*Martyrdom: "If I don't need a compliment; why should they?"

*Another Day, Another Dollar: "They should just be happy with a day's work for a day's pay - in fact, they should be grateful to have a job at all!"

*Scrooge Mentality: "I can give out only so many compliments a week!"

*Pride: "This is hokey!"

Remember, recognized behavior gets repeated. It's okay if you feel uncomfortable as you begin to compliment. Just do it... and know that it will feel more natural with time.

- Quint Studer (from "Results That Last: Hardwiring Behaviors That Will Take Your Company to the Top")

The Zone of Proximal Development

2008-08-17T20:00:00.000-07:00

In social learning psychology circles, the idea of the "Zone of Proximal Development" is a popular one. In simple terms, the zone of proximal development (or "ZPD") consists of tasks and skills that are a little beyond a learner's current level of competence that can be done with assistance. Tasks and skills in the zone of proximal development generally are very difficult for the learner to do by themselves. The goal of an educator then would be to provide learners with experiences within their individual ZPDs (challenging, but not TOO challenging) and giving the necessary assistance to help the learner progress and develop.

What does this have to do with resistance training? A lot really. It's pretty common to see new trainees do much more than what is necessary (of the wrong things to boot!) as they begin training. Trying to exceed the limits of the newbie "zone" very quickly accelerates the development of bad habits. The reverse is also true for some perpetual plateauers - trainees who never train hard enough stimulate growth.

The million dollar questions then are "Where is my ZPD?" and "How do I know if I'm over or under-shooting it?" Not easy questions to answer but, generally, manipulation of the following training parameters are key:

*Recovery (Am I getting enough rest? Am I getting too much?)
*Diet (Am I eating enough? Am I eating right?)
*Training Volume (Am I pushing the reps enough or too much? Is the total amount of weight moved in training too much or not enough?)
*Training Intensity (Is the weight challenging enough or am I coasting through reps? Is every rep gut-bustingly hard? Do I need to back off?)
*Training Density (Is the rest between exertions appropriate? Could I rest less? Should I rest more?)
*Training Frequency (Do I train frequently enough? Is every workout like a weekend-warrior-sore-for-a-week event? Do I train too often?)
*Exercise Selection (Am I doing the right exercises? Will these exercises strengthen what needs to be strengthened?)
*Exercise Order (Am I doing the important things first? Does the sequence of exercises every vary? ...Should it?)

It's not a list to obsess about. Make adjustments as necessary, but stay the path and do your best to find the "zone".

Words of Wisdom From Gray Cook

2008-08-16T05:00:00.000-07:00

Last week, I had the pleasure of giving a workshop for a group of personal trainers. We spent some time discussing the concepts of power "leakage" vs. "linkage" and I asked them the question "When you teach proper technique to someone who's been doing a lift wrong for some time, what happens to their training poundages?" The answer (that many missed) is that the training weights will almost certainly go down temporarily, but it is absolutely necessary for your long-term progress. You are building a foundation for bigger future gains.

As may be expected, Gray Cook does a good job of explaining this in Athletic Body In Balance:

It is possible for an athlete to perform well even when poor form is used, but eventually the athlete will experience breakdown, inconsistency, fatigue, soreness, and even injury. It should be the goal of the training program to create efficient movement in the activity. This will conserve energy, keep the athlete relaxed, and allow the athlete to practice more and compete with less stress.

The problem is that poor form may be easier, more familiar, and more comfortable, and it may even seem to take less energy than proper form. Proper form, however, will take far less energy in the long run. Poor form, even if it leads to some initial success, will eventually rob the athlete and cost far more time and effort than what is required to fix the weak links. Poor form can incorporate less overall muscle activity and therefore seem easier, but don't confuse this feeling with efficiency. Muscles are accustomed to generating the desired movement and maintaining optimal body position. To be efficient, the athlete must fulfill both criteria and then demonstrate the ability to reproduce the activity without a decline in quality. The athlete who understands this will be more efficient and will develop the muscles that were designed to perform the activity.

RIDICULOUS!

2008-08-14T19:55:00.000-07:00

Just unbelievable... I can't imagine how anyone could be so dominating, swimming 18 times and for 8 straight days - so talented, hard-working, and has absolutely nailed his peak. If he had more time, how many more events could he win?

Squat Rx #21: "Hips Back"

2008-08-14T06:00:00.000-07:00

The "hips back" cue is a great one for squatting, but not necessarily if you squat with a high-bar position. May be commonsense, but I hope it's helpful to some. Any comments would be appreciated.

Oksana Chusovitina

2008-08-11T17:00:00.000-07:00

Watching the Olympics last night , I don't know if I was more impressed with the world record shattering U.S. 4x100 Freestyle relay or the vaulting of Oksana Chusovitina, a 33 year old gymnast from Uzbekistan, competing for Germany after moving there to seek leukemia treatment for her son. Now competing in her FIFTH Olympic Games, this eight time world champion has already qualified for the finals in the vault. Oksana is pictured below on the right with Alicia Sacramore of the U.S. and Cheng Fei of China:

Words of Wisdom from Harry Beckwith

2008-08-05T05:30:00.000-07:00

"We assume if we've heard something, we know it, and if we know it, we are acting upon it.

But people constantly repeat advice because all of us constantly ignore it.

This fact is actually a phenomenon: It's a form of magical thinking. We believe that when we hear something, we learn it, and that once we learn it, we believe we act on it.

We don't.

You find a parallel to this in at least three-fourths of all companies. They have made a plan. Because of this, they believe they are executing the plan.

But knowing is not doing. And knowing and thinking never is enough.

So if you believe you have heard it before, you have. But ask yourself, and then answer with brutal honesty, the question: Am I acting on that knowledge?"

- Harry Beckwith

IKFF/NAKF Nationals

2008-07-29T07:30:00.000-07:00

Just got back yesterday from Flint, Michigan - site of the IKFF/NAKF National Kettlebell Competition. It was a great experience. I managed to hit numbers adequate enough not to embarrass myself, while learning a few things and meeting some very nice people.

The meet weigh-ins started promptly at 8:00 am and competition got started at about 10:30. Events held were:
*short cycle clean & jerk
*snatch
*long cycle clean & jerk
*chair press
*ultimate clean & jerk (10:00 w. 53lb kettlebell for women, 88lb kettlebell for men)

It was a huge event and many of the stars of American kettlebell sport turned out to watch or compete - Valery Federenko, Catherine Imes, Ken Blackburn, Marty Farrell, Scott Helsley, and Andrew Durniat among many others. There were a lot of young people competing and that bodes well for the future of the sport. I was tremendously impressed with how tough the competitors were. One team, the Ice Chamber, led by gym-owner/coaches Steve and Maya, had a team of young beauties that lasted 10 minutes in their events. I, on the other hand, used about 1:00 to finish my jerks, and 4:00 for the snatches - lots of room to grow, I guess.

My training for the competition was reasonable. I spent a lot of time working on technique and (although it didn't show) conditioning. For future competitions, I'll continue to work on these and holding the bells in the rack positions (at the chest and overhead). Right now though, I'm looking forward to returning to the power rack and doing some plain old lower rep barbell work. As I build my strength back up, I'll continue to use the beep test from time to time to maintain conditioning.

One of the things at a kettlebell competition that might strike people who come from a powerlifting background was the absence of blaring heavy metal, screaming, ammonia, supportive equipment, and pre-lift slapping. Sure, there was grunting and a combination of kiai+pained yelps as people strained to eek out a few more reps, but for the most part it was QUIET and I liked it.

Prizes were simple medals and plaques. No swords, axes, or 3 foot tall trophies that eventually end up being sold for a couple bucks at a garage sale. I was very impressed that prizes, including a photoshopped picture of Scott Helsley and hundreds of dollars in DVDs were raffled off for the contestants.

Looking at the amount of time and money invested in meet preparation, I think it would be tough to make any kind of a profit - with that, it's clear that directing a meet like this is a labor of love. Many kudos to Ken Blackburn for putting it all together and all the people that volunteered their time and resources to make it possible.

Sweat The Details

2008-07-23T18:00:00.000-07:00

Details matter. The difference between a mediocre experience and an outstanding one can often be found in the details. Have you ever eaten at a restaurant with excellent food but a mediocre waiting staff? The service makes the food less delicious. Have you ever gone to a place of business where the receptionist was in a bad mood and didn't mind sharing their mood with customers? No matter how good the service is after that, the experience as a whole is likely going to be a negative one. Details matter. If you are watching a great movie in the theater, but the man next to you has gas... again, details.

In Japan, they GET details. They get it. They pay great attention to it. They understand it. The tea ceremony is nothing but details. Martial arts kata - details. If you eat at a McDonald's in Japan, your food actually looks like the pictures on the menu. Buy something that doesn't work and send it back? You'll probably get a written apology with your refund and you might even get a small gift for your trouble! It's the details that can tip the balance from average to bad and from good to great.

For the muscle-heads in the audience, what does this mean?

Details in exercise technique and tension can mean the difference between an effective exercise and an injury-causing one.

Details in stretching can mean, for example, the difference between lengthening the hamstrings and putting undue stress on the lumbars.

Details in the design of a kettlebell can mean the difference between a good workout and carpal tunnel syndrome.

Details in programming can mean the difference between PRs and overtraining.

Sweat the small stuff.

"Do the big stuff, but master the small. People look at the small as telling evidence of your ability to do the big - and anything else." - Harry Beckwith