Coaching/Training Around Imperfect Reps

Jake Hicks
Aug 26
6 min read

I've seen coaches get frustrated as new lifters. This is a massive mistake. I've experienced coaches being overly critical of athletes "not doing it right". They won't learn by avoiding imperfect reps. It is faster from a development standpoint not to avoid imperfect reps, but instead manage them. I'll share my strategies and methods I use to coaching up new lifters.

For new lifters, imperfect reps are going to be there. I think it's a mistake to avoid them. You should manage them but not avoid them. Think about running. Many people have terrible running form. Do you tell them to stop? No way. I'm not discounting the idea imperfect reps can be dangerous, but they aren't so dangerous that you should avoid them completely. This is a common mistake I see made in modern strength and conditioning which often leads to regressions to the point you aren't even training anymore. You cannot train scared. There are better ways to navigate learning curves and that's what I would like to address in this write up.

Keep this in mind, you’re not just building strength, you’re shaping how they see themselves. With any new skill, confidence levels are fragile and the last thing I want to do is crush anyone's confidence to the point they don't even want to try to learn anymore. Here’s a practical guide to managing imperfect reps, avoiding injuries, and helping athletes/clients progress without damaging their self-efficacy.

Why imperfect reps are okay (and expected)

When new lifters are learning any new skill, whether it’s swinging a bat or squatting, there will be imperfect reps. That’s part of the learning curve. Imperfect technique alone isn’t necessarily dangerous if the weight is appropriate. Accepting some level of imperfection lets athletes explore movement and gradually build both competence and confidence. They have to have the opportunity to work through the bad reps and get to the good reps.

Be patient as they learn

Short-term sloppy reps often lead to long-term improvement. If you over-correct or constantly interrupt them, you risk making a young athlete feel like they “suck at this,” and that’s a mental injury that can be just as damaging as a physical one. Protecting confidence is part of the job. Sometimes the best coaching cue is not saying anything.

Coaching strategy: when and how to give feedback

How you cue matters as much as what you cue. Here’s a simple, athlete-friendly approach:

Don’t coach during the set. Let them finish the set. Interrupting mid-set can break focus and undermine confidence. You may even see self corrections rep to rep. I remember very vividly in a class I took to learn to type on a computer. Our teacher was adamant about this rule... NO DELETING. Hitting backspace was an interruption that she didn't want to get in our way. Often we were drilling a word, or sentence or sometimes even a letter combination where she wanted us to go as fast as we can for an extended period of time. Hitting the backspace button interrupted our ability to self correct. Leave the mistakes, and simply make the adjustments as you go. This is also the advice I give in lifting. Don't stop or back space just make the adjustment.
Start with something positive. Before you correct, tell them what they did well. Example: “I liked your upper body position.” If you only focus on what they are doing wrong, you're going to crush their confidence. You want to build them up not break them down. Positive reinforcement needs to be specific. Don't just say "good job", tell them what they did a good job doing. Then give them the one thing to work on. This balance is very important.
Give one correction at a time. Ask them to focus on only one thing for the next set. Too many cues overwhelm and stall progress. Think about this, you're driving out of town and using a GPS to navigate how to get where you want to go. What if the GPS gave you all the turns all at once?? You would hate that right? Same with lifting. Give them one cue at a time. Don't give them the next one until they fix the current one. Pick the most important adjustment, and work your way to to the smaller adjustments.
Let them try it. After the cue, give them a set or two to work on that single change and self-discover improvements. Self organization is the idea that your body will figure it out, it just needs the time or the reps to do it. Allow this to happen over time.

The two things that cause injuries (and how to avoid them)

“There’s gotta be two things, two things, for somebody to get hurt in the weight room. Bad form AND too much weight.”

Put simply, injuries usually occur when poor technique and excessive load happen together. That means your priority is to prevent their combination:

If form is imperfect but the weight is light, the risk is much lower — still monitor, but allow learning.
If the weight is heavy but the form is solid, the athlete is more likely to be fine.
If both heavy weight and poor form are present, you must step in and reduce load or regress the movement.

The takeaway here is just to know that injuries can be mitigated by understanding that you need a combination of a couple things to really expose someone to injuries. This is another reason for beginners higher rep sets with moderate to light weight is ideal. It keeps them out of the danger that heavier loads bring.

Watch for mental injuries, not just physical ones

Young athletes are sensitive to perceived failure. A single poor coaching moment or harsh correction can spiral into “I’m not good at this” and lead them to disengage. Your role is to prevent that slide by building small wins and protecting self-efficacy. Self-efficacy is simply how the athlete or client perceives their ability to complete the skill. If they think they are bad at something, they are more likely not to give full effort and they will be resistant to doing it at all which you definitely don't want.

Practical ways to protect confidence

Offer constructive, incremental goals (e.g., “Today we’ll work on bracing for three reps”).
Celebrate improvements, no matter how small.
Maintain a calm, encouraging tone — your demeanor affects how they internalize feedback.
Use regression and progressions to match the load and complexity to the athlete’s current ability.

On the note of regressions, the best regression is using less weight. Changing the exercise should be the last resort. Example, often times if someone cannot back squat they are regressed to another squat like a goblet squat. The difference in exercise can be too much that it doesn't translate. If back squat is the goal, do back squat. Use a broom stick if you need to but this is a mistake I often see. When you put a bar on your back, your body reacts differently, in a way that the goblet squat could never prepare you for. Speed up this learning process by using the exercise you have as the end goal.

Putting it all together: a simple coach’s checklist

Observe the set without interrupting.
Note one thing they did well and one thing to improve.
Give a single, clear cue after the set.
Adjust load if form and weight together create risk.
Allow practice and praise progress to build confidence.

Conclusion

Training new lifters is a balancing act: you want to teach correct technique and push for progress, but you also need to protect confidence so athletes keep showing up and improving. Imperfect reps are part of the process. Focus your coaching on one correction at a time, avoid combining poor form with excessive weight, and prioritize mental as well as physical safety. Do that, and you’ll build both competence and long-term buy-in from your athletes.

My programs offer coaching that aligns with this exact mindset. They things I say to a beginner would be much different than how I explain, correct or educate an experienced lifter. This is a major key to longterm development. Shop my programs or complete a custom program questionnaire, I would love to work with you and help you achieve your goals.