"Take the high road, there's a lot less traffic up there" - Philip C. McGraw

I was tempted to use Michelle Obama's "when they go low, you go high" quote but I think everyone has had a lifetime fill of US politics this week. So I'll do my best to skip talk about that!

But there is a quick story behind this quote. On Tuesday evening, I posted up my 300 post on Instagram. Now I don't exactly have a big following on Instagram, nor did it make a big deal to me to have 300 posts. But it would end up being a very significant post.

The post was in relation to the Squat depth and what happens when people's pelvis tilts and they still go lower. I have seen it in the gym a lot and have had a lot of discussions with others on it, most recently when I was down at my S&C course the other week. So rather than just have a video of me squatting (and no issue with people who use Instagram for that), I tried to have some helpful tips associated with the video. and why I stop at a certain level (everyone is different and mobility/previous injuries can affect this point of the squat).

So I finished my post around 6:15pm, got ready for training and was gone for a few hours. When I came back to the phone after 9pm, let's just say a few not-so-nice comments awaited me. To be honest, initially my heart sunk. No one likes people accusing you of not being good at your job as well as completely ridiculing you as they say that. I felt like deleting the video post. Then I realised, these where the exact same people I was aiming my post at. Those that claim to lift 200kg but are one squat away from not being able to squat for a long time. So I rushed home, did my research and came back to them, respectfully despite the tone of their initial comments, with scientific facts to back up my argument. Of course, all but one didn't reply. And I actually enjoyed the back and forward comments I had with that one person.

Now I am not saying this story as a cry for why people bash others online etc. I put myself out there. Wrongfully or not, it's going to happen and it is something that I need to have thick skin for an accept. But there are 3 important take aways that I got from this story:

1. The number one, most important take away from any exercise program is your health. No one really cares the amount you lift as long as you know you are challenging yourself safely. Doing any exercises that risk your health is a big no-no in my book, regardless of who tells you how good that exercise is. There are a million alternatives. If it hurts or you are unsure of the correct technique, don't do it! Squats and Deadlifts are two of the biggest culprits here. The risk outweighs the reward. They are fantastic exercises only if you are competent at doing them. If, you're unsure ask someone.

2. Because it's on the internet or someone is adamant that it is true, does not necessarily mean that it is. There's no one right way to do things in relation to fitness but there are definitely wrong ways! A lot of internet articles, especially when it comes to fitness, are not monitored at all. You can create anything online. If enough people like or share it, the perception can be that it's true. Because there were so many tweets and articles on it, people believed that over 11,000 people voted for Harambe to be the next US President.

Damn it, I tried to avoid the US Election. Anyway, that was most definitely not the case.

3. Which leads me to point number 3. Question everything! I have no problem that some didn't agree with my argument on the squats... if they handled it different and came up with a counter point. I remember a few months ago, I put up a post on the bulletproof coffee trend. And I had a few on Facebook completely disagreed. Which was great. Because it opens the doors to discussions allowing both sides to openly think about their points more. That way I get better, you get better, everyone gets better! Wait, that sounds plagiarised.

Just don't be a jerk (thought ages for a clean way of putting that) when arguing with some one. That never works...

Sean Coffey