Learning how to exercise properly isn’t just about knowing what an exercise looks like.
You can know exactly how to perform a dead bug, squat, row or RDL and still go through the motions.
That’s especially easy when you’ve been exercising for a long time.
You’ve done hundreds of squats.
You’ve seen dead bugs dozens of times.
The coach says “three sets of ten,” and you know exactly where to go and what to do.
Ten reps.
Done.
But here’s an important question:
What were those ten repetitions supposed to accomplish?
Because completing the rep isn’t always the same thing as training the movement.
Ten Dead Bugs Can Be Ten Very Different Reps
Let’s use a dead bug as an example.
You lie on your back.
Your arms and legs move.
You complete the prescribed number of repetitions.
Technically, you did the exercise.
But what was happening while you did it?
Where were your ribs?
What was your pelvis doing?
Were you maintaining tension through your trunk?
Could you control that position as you moved an arm or leg away from your body?
Were you breathing?
Were your shoulders creeping toward your ears?
Did your lower back position completely change as your leg extended?
Suddenly, a “simple” dead bug gives you a lot to think about.
That’s the point.
Sometimes making an exercise more challenging doesn’t require another ten repetitions.
It requires doing the original ten better.
Think About Your RDL
The same concept applies to strength exercises.
Take an RDL.
If your only goal is:
“Get the dumbbells closer to the floor,”
you can probably accomplish that.
But that’s not necessarily the intention of the movement.
Instead, think:
Can I push my hips backward?
Can I maintain my trunk position?
Can I feel tension developing through my hamstrings?
Can I keep the weights close to my body?
Now you’re not simply moving dumbbells down and up.
You’re training a hinge.
Or Your Row
A row can become:
Pull weight toward body.
Return weight.
Repeat ten times.
Or you can think about how you’re positioning your shoulders and trunk, where you’re trying to create tension, and whether you’re controlling both directions of the movement.
Same exercise.
Same number of repetitions.
Completely different level of intention.
Your Squat Has a Purpose Too
Squats give us another great example.
Instead of thinking only:
“Get down and stand back up,”
there are other things we may be coaching.
What’s happening at your feet?
What are your knees doing?
Can you maintain an appropriate trunk position?
Can you control the range of motion?
Can you maintain that position as the weight becomes heavier?
That’s why coaches give cues.
We’re not trying to make exercise unnecessarily complicated.
We’re trying to help you get more out of what you’re already doing.
Your Core Is More Than “Sucking In”
One place where intention becomes especially important is core training.
Creating useful trunk stability doesn’t simply mean sucking your stomach in or squeezing everything as hard as possible.
Your breathing, abdominal wall, diaphragm and pelvic floor are part of a coordinated pressure-management system.
Different exercises require different amounts of tension.
A bird dog doesn’t require the same strategy as a heavy deadlift.
Part of learning how to exercise properly is learning how much stability you need for the task you’re performing, and how to maintain it while you move.
We’ll go much deeper into this next week.
Experienced Exercisers Still Need Coaching
Sometimes people assume coaching is most valuable when you’re a beginner.
We disagree.
Beginners certainly need coaching because everything is new.
But experienced exercisers have another challenge:
Familiarity.
You’ve performed the exercise so many times that you don’t have to think about it anymore.
That’s convenient, but it can also make it easier to rush.
That’s when a coaching cue can suddenly make an exercise you’ve done for five years feel completely different.
Move your foot.
Change your rib position.
Slow down.
Push your hips farther back.
Breathe here.
Try that weight instead.
Suddenly you’re thinking again.
Better Before More
Fitness culture often teaches us that progression means more.
More weight.
More repetitions.
More exercises.
More intensity.
Sometimes that’s appropriate.
But progression can also mean:
More control.
Better positioning.
A larger pain-free range of motion.
Better coordination.
More awareness.
Improved technique.
Before asking how you can make an exercise harder, sometimes it’s worth asking:
Can I make this repetition better?
Final Thought
Training with intention doesn’t mean obsessing over every millimeter of every movement.
It means understanding that exercises have a purpose beyond checking them off the board.
The next time you’re performing an exercise you’ve done hundreds of times, don’t mentally check out.
Ask yourself:
What am I trying to accomplish with this movement?
Then make the repetition match the answer.
Because completing ten reps is easy to measure.
The quality of those ten reps is where coaching matters.
