How To Look After Your Human Animal

Today's message is a quite a deep one that has come out of a recent chat with Nate.

Nate is a deep thinker, he's a guy I really enjoy working with as every time he books in for a call he has a list of topics that have come up in the previous few weeks, not limited to the training program but expanding out into more philosophical discussions.

In a recent voice message he left, he talks of how his Rugby team has resumed training after the winter break. And immediately, after a single session, his mood, his entire demeanour has shifted for the better.

He describes a “funk” he's been in simply dissolved away.

How movement is essential for the human being, stasis being nothing but harmful.

It was a lovely message to receive.

So here are some thoughts on the matter:

I have been listening to and reading a few different folks of late, and a common thread that pops up is how close or how distant we are living from our core values.

I'm not a fan of the way we discuss values in general.

But when we move away from psychobabble and group think that goes along with their bais/background, what these guys seem to be saying is very close to how I think with the Human Animal vs Human Being dichotomy

The human being is a social construct

The human animal is fundamental

Human Being describes the “higher functions," the kind of functions that make us pick a certain brand of car, style of clothes, or choose a particular post code to live in.

It's a little psychology and a lot of sociology.

The animal is what actually keeps us alive and thriving, it's our physical body, it's our hormones, our nervous system, essentially it's our physiology, without which psychology can not happen.

So when we ignore the foundation, the animal, what does the construct have to build on?

Anyone who's built anything will tell you that the foundation is what determines the structure.

This then begs the question, what does the human animal need?

What does any animal need?

Why do animals in captivity lose physical and mental health?

Has society created a kind of captivity for itself, akin to zoo animals?

What then, do good zoo keepers do to keep their animals in good health?

And what do human beings do to keep their human animal in good health?

All animals need movement, a version of a hunt (even if they're hunting pastoral ground and watering holes)

Take away an animals need to move and very quickly you see boredom and depression creep in.

Not all species need social, but they need enough to mate. Humans are social, like most of the great apes, this is true whether we like it or not.

It all seems rather obvious when we drop our "superior being/human being" facade and actually take a look at ourselves as part of nature as opposed to separate to nature.

Possibly the best proper description of Homo Sapiens is the book “The Naked Ape” by Desmond Morris, here’s an amazon affiliate link should you wish to get yourself a copy: https://amzn.to/3VobQHM

Morris starts by describing how we look at and categorise plant and animal life when we discover and study them.

In order to do this dispassionately with our own species, the human animal he says to imagine yourself as an alien visitor to Planet Earth and discovering Humans for the first time, how would you then categorise what you find?

It's a great book, it ticks every bias I have.

But it's also a lesson in creating a little distance so we can actually examine what and who we are.

So many of the “self help” gurus give out great Human Being advice but fail to address the Human Animal.

They fall foul of the idea that we are separate from the animal kingdom, from nature. Superior even.

And that simply is not true.

The further we remove ourselves from nature, the faster our health declines.

Yes, we live longer

But lifespan is not the same as health span.

We live longer but are sicker for longer.

Not only that, mental health problems are on the rise, illnesses and diseases associated with age are occurring at younger and younger ages.

Autoimmune diseases are on the up.

We could go on.

If perhaps we moved more frequently, spent more time outdoors, we got wet, we got cold, we sweated, we expose ourselves to natural light, natural weather.

If we ate real foods, single ingredient foods, ideally foods that are from (or at least potentially from) our locality.

If we had a social structure to lean on, one built on mutual respect and support. With people who would laugh with us and point out when we take ourselves too seriously but be there to help us up anytime we needed.

Just as we would do for them.

Animals need challenge.

Imagine never walking your dog. Never socialising your dog. Feeding your dog shite food.

How do you think your dog would get on?

Now look around at the people in your company.

Do they walk or exercise in any way?

Do they have a good social circle, or is it based on alcohol or crab bucket politics?politics.

Do they eat real food or packaged food like substances?

Now look at yourself.

Ask yourself, “If an alien species looked at me, would they categorise me as a healthy example of a human being?”

What do you think?

Hit reply and let me know.

And while you're at it, ask your question. What do you want to ask about any aspect of the Human Animal?

Till then.

Dave.

Regards

Dave Hedges

www.davehedges.net

Why Tracking HRV Probably Isn't Going To Help You

HRV or Heart Rate Variability is a measurement used in the medical field and has been adopted by the fitness field.

But, what is it?

Why is it useful?

Is it useful?

Should I use it?

Why do I recommend it to some clients and not others?

Let's start at the beginning.

What is heart rate variability?

It is quite literally a measure of the variance in the hearts rhythm.

Here's an example, imagine your resting heart rate is 60 Beats per Minute (BPM)

That would be an average of 1 beat every second.

But, we are not clockwork, we do not tick once per second.

The heart beat may fall on 0.9 of a second then 1.3 seconds, then 1.1 second then 1.4 second then 0.8 second and so on.

Yes, over a minute it may beat 60 times, just not on the second, every second.

Sometimes just before, sometimes just after.

The space between beats varies.

That is heart rate variability.

And it is a clear indication of your arousal level, or state of the nervous system.

Most recording tools have some fancy algorithms being used that turn this reading into a score from 1-100.

What does this tell us?

Simply put, the more variance we see, the less aroused we are, and the higher that score is out of 100.

Arousal in this case refers to the sympathetic nervous system ie our stress response, keep your mind out of the gutter!

As your arousal goes up, the variance drops as the heart beats become more regular or rhythmical.

A high HRV suggests good health and all the stuff that goes with it.

Easy recovery, good cardiovascular health, calm mind, good digestion, easy sleep and ready to go at a moments notice.

A lower HRV number may indicate less of these things.

It may also indicate that you're a more explosive type of athlete rather than an aerobic machine.

Power athletes will have a lower HRV score than Endurance athletes, that’s just the nature of the beast, it doesn't mean one is better or more healthy than the other.

Lot's of “may” and “suggests” being used though eh.

Not a lot of definite points you can hang your hat on.

Your actual HRV score out of 100 is not actually that easy to change unless it's low due to health problems.

Sometimes something as simple as a change in diet, a reduction in alcohol or caffeine consumption, a better bedtime routine to transition into sleep better or even a change in your job can reduce the stress load on the nervous system and the number increases a few points.

This would be the primary reason to track HRV, tracking the changes you're making in your lifestyle to ensure they are working for you.

An increase in this number that sticks, probably indicates you're on the right track.

If the HRV lowers, wrong track.

However, most HRV apps are sold as a way to gauge recovery and predict readiness to train.

This is where the fitness world has grabbed it and run.

Yet for most regular gym goers this is nothing but another distraction. As are most of the “fitness industry” marketing recommendations.

For serious and professional athletes, different story.

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If you train daily, or even multiple times per day, especially across a range of modalities with different coaches, it might be useful to have an objective read on your readiness so training can be adjusted in real time.

It can guide how hard you train on any given day and also indicate if the training is working over the longer timeline.

The readiness is given in a number out of 10. The scale goes 1 - 10 - 1, a bell curve if you like.

On one side it shows you shifting towards sympathetic dominance, or high arousal, the other side, parasympathetic or low arousal.

The closer you are to the middle, to the 10, the more ready you are to kick arse and take names.

The further out, closer to the low numbers, the more likely you need to back off a little, increase calories, maybe even rest.

A number of low scores in a row may predict an illness.

The day after hard training, the day of an event, the morning after a few beers will all push your readiness score down.

Yes, I said the day of an event, when you would want to be a 10.

But pre game nerves will be a factor that shows up on the readiness score. To be honest, you're better not measuring HRV for a couple of days pre event.

Remember, this is a measurement of your heart, which is responding to your central nervous system. It can only show you how far to sympathetic or parasympathetic you are.

So all readings should be taken simply as data and nothing more.

Who do I suggest use this?

Hard working athletes and chronic illness sufferers.

And maybe those trying to make a significant change in their health.

Hard working athletes need to ensure they are working hard enough but not over training. To ensure they are getting adequate recovery. HRV can be a big help here.

Chronic Illness sufferers are actually where I, as a coach, find this most useful.

Many chronic illnesses present in peaks and troughs, and usually as a response to the central nervous system.

When you are under a lump of stress, the illness often shows up worse, and vice versa.

The HRV score then can guide you on training and other lifestyle factors by showing you how the body is responding to the various stressor placed on it. Including exercise.

The readiness score presents with traffic light colours, green for the high numbers, yellow for the middle and red for low.

When green, go wild. It's PR day, Train as if your life depends on it.

Yellow, pull back somewhat, maybe reduce volume or intensity (not necessarily both)

And Red is a signal to back right off. Keep a workout short and sharp, in and out in no time at all, or consider simply going for a walk, or even, putting your feet up for the day.

You make the decision based off matching your subjective experience with the objective HRV reading and looking at the events of the few days prior and what's coming online the next few days.

The HRV reading isn't the answer in itself, it is evidence that helps guide you to finding the best answer.

So long as you use it well.

And that is where a little bit of reading and asking questions of your coach comes in.

Final point.

Many wearable apps simply cannot give you an accurate reading. A good chest strap heart rate monitor that is HRV enabled (most modern ones are) is the most accurate, there are also finger sensors that work well.

Wrist worn devices simply don't have the contact to get a good read. And I can't speak for the ring thing.

Readings are best taken at the same time of each day, ideally on waking. Sitting or lying in the same position so as to ensure consistency. Sitting gives a different read to lying.

And the results only really become useful if you have a bank or readings, taken 3 or more times per week over a number of weeks. This is so the algorithm can do all its mathematical jiggery pokery and be as accurate to you as possible.

A reading takes a couple of minutes. Plus whatever set up time.

The main drawback is that the mobile app puts your phone in your hand first thing in the morning. Which is something I personally would rather avoid.

I guess it's a small price to pay.

Of the Apps, there are a growing number and many are subscription based.

I have used and do recommend EliteHRV as it is free to the user. When I have people on it, I pay a wee subscription that means I can host a group where I can see my clients results.

Clients cannot see each other.

I hope that helps answer the common misunderstandings that surround HRV.

It is one of those tools that can be very useful is used well by those who would benefit.

And one of those tools that can distract those who don't need it.

Which is something the marketing folk tend not to tell you.

Once you learn to actually tune into your own arousal state subjectively, do you need an objective measure?

Does the objective measure help you learn to the skill of Interoception ? Possibly.

As ever, if you have questions on this topic, or a topic you'd like discussed in future newsletters, hit reply and send it in.

I enjoy hearing from you all.

These newsletters are also becoming videos on the YouTube, if you prefer watching/listening, try those.

And for all the online clients, you should have had an email inviting you to the weekly online training meet up call.

Online Training Meet Up

Book Now

If you didn’t, ping me.

Chat soon.

Dave

Regards

Dave Hedges

www.Wg-Fit.com

www.DaveHedges.net

Short On Time Or Focus, Try This

What can we do to keep our strength and fitness on track when our plate is already piled high?

This is precisely where James is.

I've worked with James a long time, and over this last while he has made astonishing progress in the face of some pretty significant challenges, non of which are appropriate to share on this newsletter.

Those who were on the Force of Nature program last Autumn will possibly be aware of James and some of what he's been dealing with.

However, in our last conversation we struck some gold that I think is worth sharing.

And that is how can we still make forward progress when our plates are piled high and standard "fitness training" is simply inappropriate.

Inappropriate in the amount of time and energy it takes away from other responsibilities.

The fashionable advice over the last while has been the get up at 5am to train while everyone else is still in bed.

Which may be fine, assuming we can still get enough sleep.

Count 8 hours backwards from 0500 and you get 2100

Are you going to go to sleep at 9pm?

Maybe you are, I don't know.

Whatever time you get up at, do ensure you are getting adequate sleep.

A 9pm bedtime may not fit a busy lifestyle, with commutes, household task, social events and attending any classes, which are very often held in the evenings.

Our hero here recently took up BJJ, which is exactly that, a social group class that is held in the evenings.

So what sort of plan did we come down on?

Hyper-focussed skill development.

Consider a skill, say a tennis serve.

How would you look to improve that serve?

With skills, we know fatigue is detrimental to their development and high frequency usually works best.

We know that specialising/focussing on that skill is the way to bring it up, even if that means other skills take a temporary back seat.

Lets take strength and think of it as a skill.

Or even, take a single exercise and think of that as a skill.

Now we can focus in.

Take the Pull Up for example.

The pull up is a difficult exercise for many, but highly valuable.

We can simply hang a doorway pull up bar in door we pass through frequently (mine is in the kitchen doorway)

Then we can set a rep goal for the day, say 10 reps.

And over the course of the day, we accumulate good, high quality reps until we hit 10.

Once 10 is easy, bump it up to 15, to 20, to 30 and so on.

We can break the skill down, if the grip is weak, we do hangs. If the upper back is weak, or the elbows hurting, we do scap pulls, or inverted rows.

If the core wants some work, do hanging leg raises.

If we're on the wrong side of the Power to Weight ratio, we can adjust our diet

Approaching the pull up as a skill, takes away the idea of training to failure, going for the burn, getting a pump blah blah.

Instead we are chasing quality

Developing a skill set.

Identifying the weaknesses within the skill, isolating them for a while then putting it all back together.

In doing this we get serious strength gains while doing relatively easy work.

Yes there will be muscle fatigue and some soreness, but you should never be exhausted.

You should never have to do anything more than 10 minutes in any one session.

And when that skill has reached the standard you want, you may switch to another skill.

If you had worked the pull up, you can stay in the same lane and work Levers for example, or behind the neck pull ups, or whatever.

Or you could swap to some thing else entirely like a pistol squat or a handstand. whatever tickles your fancy.

The shortfall of this is the lack of conditioning / aerobic development.

But in times where we're overloaded with lemons, sometimes we simply have to make lemonade.

If you have questions or comments, please hit the reply button and send them in.

Details for the next round of the Force of Nature program will be released soon.

And don't forget, we're doing YouTube versions of these newsletters too, look me up.

Now, go do something awesome today and I'll chat soon

Regards

Dave Hedges

www.Wg-Fit.com

www.DaveHedges.net