How do you measure yourself with other golfers?
Ty Webb: Oh, Judge, I don't keep score.
Judge Smails: Then how do you measure yourself with other golfers?
Ty Webb: By height.
-Caddyshack (1980)
Keeping score
I have always been a proponent of keeping a training log. I have kept one for the most part since the beginning of 2005. As much as I encourage people to do so, I'm not sure it actually had much of a positive impact on my training. Looking back at it now, I see it differently than I did two years ago.
Is it the journey or the destination?
Every once in a while I'd get together with some of my fellow trainers and they'd want to work out together. I never wanted to join in. I couldn't because I was following a program and didn't want to deviate from it. I had become obsessed with my training log. It had to look perfect. I would train on day A, B, C and D every week and following a pre-charted path as best I could.
My training became more important than the results of my training. A while ago I had a text message conversation with a peer. We were talking about our personal training. It pretty much went like this. I'm doing XYZ right now for three more weeks then I'm going to do AB and maybe DEF. I have to get ready for PQR so I'm going to do JKL also.
The success of my training had become measured by my ability to adhere to a program not by the accomplishment of a goal. Consequently, my goals went unmet.
A little brain confusion to go with your muscle confusion
Early on in my training I made great progress. Eventually that slowed. Sometimes life events, illnesses and accidents would derail my training. Those periods would be followed by sharp progress and then a steady plateau. There was a level of strength I could not surpass even though I could always return to it.
There has been talk recently that muscle confusion is needed for massive strength and conditioning gains. It's not an idea that I agree with much and I'm not getting into that now except to say that muscles don't have brains so they can't get confused.
There's a happy medium between varied training and specified training. That medium is different for everyone but some principles are universal. Over time, the same piece of resistance moved the same way will not yield the same result. The result will be diminished. Variety is necessary, that point is rarely contested. The contest comes when discussing how much, how often and what type.
This is when it would get wordy. Those words would include specificity, variety, practice, carryover, specified variety, opposing movements, etc.
In spite of talking with my peers, reading extensively, experimenting with my own training, keeping a training log, working with my clients I couldn't find that happy medium.
Eureka!
I was a member of a fraternity in college. While we were pledges, our group was dropped off at Philadelphia International Airport. They used our cars to drive us there, gave us a package, told us that we had to give the package to somebody and left. They didn't tell us who we were supposed to give the package to but they told us to call every hour to check in. We ran around the empty baggage claims all night and didn't see many people. The last time we called to check in, we were told to open the package. Wrapped in a towel was the key to one of our cars. It was parked at the airport.
What I've learned in the last year is that I've had the key to my fitness programming the whole time. It's not in a book, it's not in my training log and it's not being held by one of my peers. It is simple to use and close at hand.
You have your own key too.
Tuesday, June 8, 2010 at 3:40PM |
Gary J Berenbroick 