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Modifying lifts

This is an excerpt from Training Sport Teams by Tim Caron.

Every program will have a part where a certain exercise will not work. It is not a matter of if, but when, regarding having to modify a lift.

Two questions that we want to ask when we face having to modify an exercise. The first one is, why do we need to modify? The second one is, to what can we modify?

The first question is almost entirely pain related. Contact sports face this daily—noncontact sports not as much, but pain will still be a recurring issue. Sometimes it is a motor issue, and we have to find a variation of the exercise that we can be successful with. In the event of pain, we will need to find an exercise that does not hurt when performed.

The second question of what we can modify is based on doing something that does not hurt. The issue is that we have a reason behind the exercise we programmed, so what options does that leave us with? We do want to mimic what we intended to do in the first place as much as possible. We also want to not disrupt the training session by having a coach displaced from their racks or the athletes they are assigned to. Last, we want the coach to have a contingency plan and the athlete to feel confident that the modification was thought out ahead of time.

The easiest thing to do here is to be aware. Programming high-impact exercises or exercises that require the extremities to have high ROM during the season is typically going to be met with a lot of modifications. The second easiest thing to do is to keep notes. If we know someone has an orthopedic issue, we should have an account of that and make the changes before they come to the weight room.

Regarding on-the-fly modifications, we want to stay as close to the movement pattern as possible. We want to avoid random changes. This can be confusing down the road, as well as lead to structural imbalance if the modifications are redundant to other exercises. Taking joints away from the lift by holding the weight in a different position is pretty easy to do in a team setting. Altering the position of the load is also easy.

Having a plan for potential modifications can be foundational for continued progress in every athlete. It demonstrates that training is always important. Regardless of circumstances, such as injury or pain, there is always a means to getting better.

More Excerpts From Training Sport Teams

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