Thursday, December 6, 2012

It Depends...

Over the past five years, I have studied anything and everything that I could possibly get my hands on that related to human performance.

This includes a ton of different media forms: books, articles  journals  programs, binders, eBooks  manuals, DVDs, YouTube videos, .mp3s, and so forth.

I'd venture to say that the amount of media I've reviewed is well near 4000 hours (a little over two hours per day, every day, for the past five years) which means I've had a substantial amount of exposure to all things encompassed by human performance.

If there is ONE, single thing that I believe has transcended every distinct part of human performance (i.e. physiology, kinesiology, neurology, nutrition, physical therapy, athletic training, strength training, speed training, psychology, and anything else that is a specific discipline in its self) is the statement, "It depends".

I'll do my best to succinctly explain myself.

Every time I go and talk with my good friend Brian Raneri we begin to ramble about specific situations that we've dealt with from the college, high school, bodybuilder, powerlifter, general fitness, elderly, adolescent  etc. populations; usually as we explain the experience we had, being that we are genuinely interested in what the other did, we ask "Well what would you do in this situation?".

In our most recent conversation, Brian was asking me about the training I was planning for the college I work at, he was curious about what the specifics would be and wanted my thought process would be.

I responded, "It depends..."


How I know I'm not completely off the mark is the fact that in an interview with world renowned biomechanist, Vladimir Zatsiorsky, he states after being asked a very general question, "It depends... It depends on the sport".

You see, there are SO MANY different, dynamics to take into account when you begin to plan out a training plan for all athletes (or humans), regardless of sport (or occupation, background, etc.). The situation will always dictate how you address the desired outcome.

From what I've learned and gathered over the past five years is that there are few and I mean VERY FEW absolutes and TRUE principles when it comes human performance.

Nothing is truly black and white?

I'd like to expand upon what I BELIEVE (not what definitely are) to be those absolutes, but that will come in a later post.

Here is a brief list of what I believe to be absolutes for all things encompassed in Human Performance:
-Bioenergetics
-Biodynamics
-Biomotor abilities
-Specific Adaptations to Imposed Demands
-Dynamic Correspondence
-General Adaptation Syndrome (modified for sport and real life situations)
-Overload
-Persistence, Consistence, Success
-Hard work
-Dedication
-Desire
-Fuzzy logic (I might start calling this the "It Depends clause")

Notice that I don't mention any specific mean or exercise (power cleans, squats, push ups, etc.), method (Olympic lifting, powerlifting, CrossFit, etc.), or methodology.

"Many roads lead to Rome..."

There is no doubt in my mind that a path to success for human performance can be guided by a mixture between the following two quotes:

"The end justifies the means"

"The process is more important than the result"

Which quote describes your path?




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