There are a few things that cannot always be guaranteed when it comes to training. One of those things is always having a coach or set of eyes present to watch you for constructive feedback and critiques.
Why do we need feedback?
Constructive and concise feedback from an outside source is crucial for maximizing your development in all domains of physical activity. Sometimes what you feel and what actually happens does not marry up, so getting feedback can help bridge the gap of understanding these two aspects.
However, if you cannot have a coach present to provide you with feedback, another great alternative is to record yourself. This way you will get instant feedback from being able to watch back what you have done and be able to either maintain correct form or make corrections where necessary.
When recording it is important to find the most advantageous angles to clearly see the aspects of the movement(s) you are wanting to highlight. For example, if you are wanting to see your depth on a back squat it is advantageous to record from side on or even slightly in front so the knees and hips can both clearly be seen. Another example – when wanting to watch for a full lockout on a squat snatch, it is best to record from in front or slightly off to the side to get the best view of both arms. You also want to make sure there are no objects obstructing your path of sight.
Self filming and analyzing is a very useful tool and will work towards obtaining full autonomy. But, if you are not at the level of understanding what the correct form is, then it can be hard to analyze the footage and make corrections. In this instance, it can help to have a pre-recorded video of correct form – either being done by yourself or someone else, and then comparing them and noticing differences and similarities. This way you are still able to analyze your form without having to have the full understanding of the movement patterns.
Another benefit that filming for feedback presents is that it allows for you to share your videos with coaches, teammates, friends, family etc so they can also provide constructive feedback. The feedback provided can be noted and taken to the next session with you and applied.
Filming is a great tool but if you are unable to do so, then going off feel is also a great skill to practice. This method is what we all should be striving for as self correction is a staple tool of having full autonomy about your system. It takes a long time to achieve but with practice combined with other methods of feedback, it can be obtained.
