Deep down inside an athlete who is battling nagging pains or limitations, there is a greedy desire that wants results. And wants them now. And there is another voice that tells him something is not right.
And when all the glory of a new PR, the loud thud of the bumper plates, pats and fist bumps subside, this voice grows louder turning into an uncomfortable gut feeling.
And while the noise and celebrations are temporary and forgotten before the next set or exercise begins, the feeling stays behind, like a bad omen.
The feeling tells him that something is just not right. That his lifting should feel different. Much more balanced than it actually does. That he should feel it more in his legs than his back.
Depending on the frequency of such a feeling in his career, his take on lifting (is it a hobby or his lifeblood?) and his overall seriousness toward such matters, a decision will be made.
This decision is usually one or a combination of the following :
take a light week, stretch more, mobilize more, sleep more, eat more, change diet, change program, get a coach, fire current one, change lifting "technique", take time off, get a different hobby, push through it ... etc etc
After this initial phase of seriousness is over and when after such actions, said issue and gut feeling is still there (or worse, gets stronger), the athlete enters the next phase of seriousness.
In this phase, the athlete seeks counsel from a therapist (or multiple). Either in person or online. Almost without fail, whatever therapy he undergoes, whatever website he visits, the result is a prescription of some sort.
Usually an "activation" or "mobility" drill. Something that needs to be done before or after a training session or during rest days.
Almost every day as I walk into the gym, I see some of my fellow lifters engaged in such an "activation drill". As I strike up a warm-up conversation with them asking the purpose of the said activity, they usually respond in the following way:
"(A physio/coach/online-person said that) My X/Y/Z muscle doesn't fire enough when I do A/B/C, so they gave me these drills P and Q that are great for activating these muscles before I start my workout"
I momentarily alter my countenance to fake a "good job, keep it up!" gesture and quickly change the topic of conversation. All while, noting emotions of disgust and disappointment thrown inside of me.
One will argue in the following way:
"What is wrong with that approach !? The drill shows the athlete a glimpse of what his lifts or other moves should feel like. That will motivate him to continue "fixing" his issue. Or depending on his situation, allow him to be able to train pain-free again! What would the fitness industry be without such therapists!?"
To that, I will say, all the above things are precisely what is "wrong" with such an approach.
An activation or mobility drill, be it a shoulder/lat/glute/pec/calve one, is a temporary fix. A short-lived, feel-good endeavor that gives the athlete a fake promise. That everything is okay and under control.
That as long as he is doing that drill, he can go back to his autopilot beast mode of training and living life.
And that if he stays in this process of "train -> injure -> fix -> train" long enough, glory awaits at the other end. All while his experience is marred with nagging pains, fixes, and hassle.
Such a resulting understanding that one obtains about being an athlete or taking their training to the next level, is the very plague that has the fitness industry and the weightlifting community in its grips.
And it is these "quick fix" pills, that lay the seed of the plague in every budding future champion.