Scare Tactics.

“The lie you are fed becomes the story you believe”- Dr. Bryan Chung

I don’t typically barbell back squat clients as we have safety bars and cambered bars that I think are useful tools for adding load to the squat pattern. But the words I choose are careful. I don’t tell people that back squatting ‘isn’t good for you’ or that ‘you will get injured back squatting” as your words have the ability to influence someone’s beliefs. Be responsible for that influence with the words that you use, which they will then use as prior information to make future predications.

Someone saw me back squatting last week and said “that’s not good for your back.” That is a scare tactic that they have been fed.

• Is there a direct cause and effect?
• Does everyone who back squats have low back pain?

Usually people put personal limitations on their own capabilities so they will cling to those words or use those words to limit themselves or others. Those words also create fear.

Fear comes from misuse of language especially when you have a position of influence over another person (trainers, physician, etc). Saying…

• “That is dangerous”
• “That exercise will injure you”
• “You can’t do that”
• “You have bad posture”
• “You need corrective exercises to fix THAT”

… is creating a prediction model. More often than not you just haven’t done things enough or the right way to make it feel safe or easy.