Why the Barbell?
You wake up late for work, rush to take a shower, grab some coffee and run out the door. You spill your coffee on your new white shirt, and you get stuck in traffic. Now late for work, you walk in and your boss has something to say about it. All day, things go wrong, and the stress of everyday life is getting to you. You feel it building up inside of you, and you think you may lose it. Drained and deflated, you drive to the gym. You don’t feel like working out. You just want to go home and hide under the covers and start all over againtomorrow. But you gather yourself and walk in. The workout looks hard, and you question if you have it in you to even start. You stare down at the barbell. The knurling on the steel looks unforgiving and the weight seems impossible. You hear the infamous 3…2…1… go! You grab the barbell, feeling every pound come off the ground, and receive it in the perfect front rack and stand it up like a champion. At that moment, your only battle is with the barbell. It is you and the weight, and you are winning.
Everyone knows that exercise is great for you both physically and mentally, but there is something different about the barbell. Running, swimming, and cycling can be done with some proficiency at all levels of human development and are great exercise. What differentiates the barbell movements from other forms of exercise is body awareness and skill transfer. In order to execute a proper lift, the lifter must possess a self-awareness of the barbell position relative to the body. The ability to exert external force over an independent object, while maintaining control and working against gravity is what makes the barbell an exceptional strength and conditioning tool. It forces the lifter to use the entire body, core to extremity, while using fine skills to maintain control. This is why barbell movements translate so well into other movements. If an athlete decides they want to be able to dunk a basketball, hit a softball farther, or surf a big wave; the barbell provides skill transfer that supersedes the actual snatch or clean and jerk. The balance, core strength, mobility and power garnered from extended work with the barbell carries over into everyday life. In essence, the barbell as a teacher and tool, has the ability to help us become better, stronger humans.
The barbell is a unique teacher all in its own. It is one of the very few things in life that gives back exactly what you put into it. It doesn't shortchange your efforts, it won’t sugar coat things to make you feel better, and it never lies. It is a brutally honest coach that demands form, technique, and strength. Those things are not given to anyone. They have to be earned. Technique and form must be there in order for you to have a successful lift. A small deviation in technique that allows the barbell to move away from your center of gravity, and the barbell instantly lets you know by a missed lift. Your whole body has to work in tandem to perform the fluid dance around a vertically rising barbell.
Countless hours and reps have to be given to the barbell in order to master such a simple piece of equipment. However, by doing so, the barbell gives much more back to you than you could imagine. This teacher teaches you what complete joy and utter frustration feel like. It teaches you patience and gratitude. It teaches you that you are strong; both mentally and physically. Most importantly, it teaches you that, on your most challenging of days, you do have the strength to rise above and win the battle that is inevitably between you and yourself.
Every single pound added is an earned pound. The rewards of that are plentiful.
Written By: Coach Andrea
