I’m in London this weekend, catching up with my friend Luke Worthington for our Strategic Strength Workshop. Now I’m on day one of a three-day introvert break: I plan to wander the city, talk to as few people as possible, and eat carrot cake. I was hoping to squeeze in some writing, but for now here’s a thoughtful post from my colleague, Ottawa-based trainer Elsbeth Vaino. Enjoy!
THE IMPORTANCE OF FEEDBACK
We all like hearing praise like “That was awesome!” or “Good job!” and, yes, it’s nice when clients tell you they’ve made an impact. But the most useful feedback isn’t about your performance as a trainer. It’s the feedback your clients give about the exercises themselves.
I didn’t fully appreciate this for years. I began asking questions like “Where do you feel that?” and “How does that exercise feel?” and I was amazed by the answers. A simple moment of curiosity can reveal a lot.
Sometimes a movement feels good on paper or looks solid, but it isn’t delivering the intended result. Clients may report feeling a move in places you didn’t expect—quads instead of glutes during a glute bridge, or the low back lighting up during a deadlift. These clues aren’t about blaming the client; they’re about understanding how the body is actually responding.
If you’re hearing back that a move isn’t hitting the right muscle or you notice a backfeel after an exercise not intended to work the low back, it’s a signal to investigate what’s going on and what to do about it.
What can you do about it? Here are steps I recommend:
STEP 1: UNDERSTAND WHAT THE EXERCISES ARE SUPPOSED TO DO
Some moves are straightforward: glute bridges target the glutes, side planks work the obliques, planks work the abs, split squats and lunges primarily target the legs (with emphasis on the front leg), rows target the upper back, and bench presses target the chest.
Some exercises are more complex and engage multiple muscles. Deadlifts, for example, involve many groups, with the low back mainly stabilizing while the legs and upper back do the heavy lifting. If you’re unsure what a movement should be doing, ask a trainer or consult trusted resources. Knowing the goal matters because it guides how you adjust.
STEP 2: FIND OUT WHAT’S REALLY HAPPENING BY WATCHING AND ASKING
Ask questions like “Where do you feel that most?” and “How does that feel?” Check in with yourself or your client at the start and after the last workout. Do their answers line up with the goal? If yes, keep going. If not, you need a plan to fix it.
STEP 3: COACH, ADAPT, OR REPLACE
Almost every issue can be addressed in this order: re-coach, adapt, or replace. Start by re-teaching the movement with different wording or cues. If that doesn’t work, try an adaptation. There are many options:
– Add a riser to limit range of motion.
– Use a band to help feel the intended movement (e.g., band around the knees in a squat).
– Move from the floor to an incline (e.g., elevating the plank or side plank) to reduce strain on the back or neck and emphasize the core.
If needed, you can replace the exercise with another that achieves the same outcome.
Examples I’ve used
THE PLANK THAT OFTEN WORKS THE LOW BACK
Coach it: “Shorten the distance between your ribs and pelvis, and stop if you feel it in your back.” If they can hold for a stretch (e.g., twenty seconds) without the back lighting up, keep it and progress. If the back still acts up, move to an adaptation.
Adapt it: Do the same idea with forearms on a bench for an incline plank. Many people start better from an incline, and once they can hold a minute there, we can progress to the floor while keeping the cue to protect the back.
Replace it: If needed, switch to dead bugs, with coaching to avoid arching the back.
SINGLE-LEG GLUTE BRIDGES FELT MOSTLY IN THE HAMSTRINGS
Coach it: Focus on driving through the hips and pressing the toes forward to engage the glutes.
Adapt it: Switch to a 1.5-leg glute bridge with both feet on the floor, applying only as much pressure on the second foot as necessary to feel the glute working.
Replace it: Try a cable hip extension or a two-leg hip thrust.
SPLIT SQUAT WHERE IT FEELS MORE IN THE BACK LEG
Coach it: Lean forward slightly at the hip and drive the front foot into the floor to rise.
Adapt it: Add a band around the front knee and pull it forward as you move.
Replace it: Move to a lateral step-up or a reverse lunge.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Elsbeth Vaino is a personal trainer and the owner of Custom Strength in Ottawa, Canada, where she and her team help regular people who don’t love the gym but value what going to the gym allows them to do. Before becoming a trainer, she worked as an electronic warfare engineer. You can find her on Instagram for exercise videos or read her blog for more insights.
