Joseph van der Merwe - Damage Control Training

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Joseph van der Merwe - Damage Control Training Strength Coach Msc

Making You Robust and Athletic again!

05/10/2026

Heavy horizontal rowing develops the entire upper back. But in particular we want rhomboids, lower & mid traps. A narrow elbow path will bias more lats which isn’t always needed as it’s covered well by single arm rowing and vertical pulling.

A proper pronated grip T bar row is the gold standard but alas hard to find. Seal rows as shown are a reasonable substitute to develop the above and posterior cuff…

*why should you give a s**t.

Healthy shoulders start with a healthy upper back. If the base they operate from (t-spine and a shoulder blade is weak/immobile ((often the same thing)) then pressing heavy loads or directing load where we want to go will be poor.

Yes to have a solid press and healthy shoulder. You must strengthen the upper back…

Show this to someone next time they moan about their posture…

27/09/2026

Stop messing around w AI infographics.

Show me the work.

Couple of pieces from 2 early sessions on Friday.

Full body strength and jump work.

Progressively loading fundamental patterns on top of great training skills learned through deliberate repetition.

Oscar is doing 2x Full body per week and 2x conditioning per week to drive up his 2 Mile echo bike time working above and below his average watts.

Seraphina 3x full body per week, developing general strength to support horse riding and archery. She has bone cement through ankle knee and hip as well as a support screw through her femoral neck.

Both in full time office based work. Long hours.

21/09/2026

1/ Defend Consistency at all costs.

This goes for granted.

2/ Everything you do in the gym or in sport has a skill element to it. People who claim lifting is boring genuinely don’t know what they are doing. If they did they wouldn’t think that. I’ll die on that hill.

Develop the movement skill and understanding of what you are trying to achieve with any exercise and go deep into it. How it feels what you need to do to move well within it.

Be present and train hard.

14/09/2026

Two things come to mind when thinking about training

1/ Never Stopping

2/ Skill development.

When you get that rugged persistence is an absolute requirement and developing a skill set is a necessity.

You will never get bored because you will understand why you are doing what you are doing and how to progress it (progress isn’t boring).

You will see why so many people start and stop over and over again.

One of the above is missing.

Never Stop.

Learn the Skills of Training.

Find where you are deficient.Then go train that.Until it’s a strength.Then find the next thing.Not jumping from program ...
10/09/2026

Find where you are deficient.

Then go train that.

Until it’s a strength.

Then find the next thing.

Not jumping from program to program. Being diligent consistent to see progress for months on end.

But knowing when it’s time for training to create freshness.

Being generally physically prepared doesn’t mean training everything at once.

It means building weaknesses whilst maintaining strengths.

A continual process of seasons of training that has no end.

No Before. No After.

Just During.

2 mile test. 4:39. 369 average watts. 4.1 watts per kg.

Work to be done.

Train hard.Deliver value.More Actions.
22/08/2026

Train hard.
Deliver value.
More Actions.

Train HardDeliver ValueMore Actions
17/08/2026

Train Hard
Deliver Value
More Actions

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14 Resolution Way, Deptford
London
SE84NT

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