Do First, Understand Later

Terminology

We all love a bit fancy terminology, it does make us sound smarter than we might actually be.

And it's been the theme of the week.

It's a trend I've noticed as the the volume of information available on the internet has increased, clients have educated themselves more and more.

This is great, but serves as a bit of a double edged sword.

It's difficult to tell which information is good, which is bad and which is which according to the context in which it's used.

By that, I can give an example.

A Landrover Defender and a Porsche 911 are both 4 wheel drive vehicles, with more or less the same controls.

Three pedals, engine, clutch, gearbox, steering wheel and so on.

The Porsche vs. The Land Rover: An Example of Context

So which is better?

Many (and my kids always do) pick the sexy Porsche.

But then we add context.

We are driving across a field

Or

We are towing a trailer

Or

We have 4 people and a dog to bring

And suddenly the Landrover becomes the better choice.

Unless you're my kids that is....

So when clients present their recent findings, I am delighted they have been doing their homework, but then we have to ensure that they have understood context, their own personal situation and how this information fits.

So a 60 year old looking to loose weight but hasn't any exercise history and comes to me talking about VO2 max, we need to acknowledge that yes, a high VO2 max is a great indicator of health, but no, we are not going to the track to run Norwegian 4x4's

Or an office worker with a passing interest in self defence starts talking about OODA loops, yes I'll acknowledge their knowledge, but I'll also explain how that is not a self defence tool, it's an explanation of how successful actions seem to occur, and even the dude who coined the phrase doesn't really use it.

Or anyone who mentions Fascia. We'll just leave that at that..... It's the OODA loop of fitness........

Intellectual Understanding vs. Practical Application

What I'm getting at is the intellectual understanding that we as coaches need to have is not the practical application that clients need.

You as the client, you need to know how to train, to move, in order to create the results, the adaptations you need and/or desire.

You don't need to know the names of all 17 muscles that attach to your shoulder blade, you need to be able to move your shoulder blade.

Better yet, your shoulder blade should just move in the right way that those muscles can do their jobs.

You don't need to know how each of the 33 joints in your foot move as it goes from Supination to Pronation and back, or how that movement when load bearing affects the pelvis, which affects the spine shape and so on and so forth.

You just need to practice letting the body do all this reflexively.

Just as you don't know how the Porsche decides when to move activate traction control and send power to one wheel over the other, you're just very happy it happens and you don't end up parked up that tree!

Do the Reps First, Analyze Later

Now all that said, I am happy to talk theory.

But I am happiest talking applications for the theory.

Practical solutions are why you come to me.

Stuff you can get on with, then maybe once you have done the reps and the results have come around as a response to those reps, then we can fill in the theory and explain what or why things have changed.

A debrief if you like.

Simple

Not easy

Dave Hedges

www.DaveHedges.net