THE EFFECTS OF TAGteach™ ON THE EXECUTION OF RESISTANCE TRAINING MOVEMENTS

Abstract

Exercise programs that utilize resistance training, a specialized type of conditioning that provides stress (resistive loads) to the muscles, have appealed to athletes and recreational participants alike, due to its documented benefits for performance and overall health. Teaching the correct form for these skills is imperative for a safe and proficient execution of these movements. TAGteach™, a form of behavioral coaching, is a procedure that utilizes immediate acoustical feedback in the form of a clicker as a reinforcer for the desired behavior. TAGteach has been successfully used to teach novel or enhance existing athletic skills in many domains such as football, dance, yoga, pitching, golf and even surgical techniques (TAGteach International, 2012). The present study employed a multiple probe across behaviors design to evaluate the effectiveness of the TAGteach method to train three resistance training movements (deadlift, overhead press, and front squat) for adult novice participants. Results demonstrated an improvement in performance of each skill from baseline probes following training. Improved performance also generalized to heavier weight than those utilized during training. This generalization is a key to achieving progressive overload as a part of the typical practice in resistance training programs.