“It’s all about movement isn’t it!” exclaimed my client yesterday morning.
I looked at him a little perplexed thinking maybe I’d missed something. He sees this and expands,
“I’m probably the weakest I’ve ever been, but the power I’m putting through the pedals is the best I’ve ever done”
You see, he rides mountain bikes like a mad man. Races them. He’s always trained, always been strong but never been “strong enough” to ride like he knew he could.
He continues, “I used to warm up with 100kg’s on the bench press, I couldn’t even touch that weight now! But I can move! I can load the hips, the scapula!”
“Ah, I get you” I reply smiling.
Or is it, he’d got it.
What had he got?
It’s the realisation that numbers lifted in the gym don’t mean shit out on the trail.
Or on the mat,
Or in the ring.
Not one damn thing.
Usain bolt doesn’t give a crap what Tyson Grey bench presses, what Powell deadlifts. But he does care how quick they get down that track, how quick they get out the blocks.
Problems arise when a lifter focuses solely on the weight room numbers.
So what do we lift for?
To be improve the potential to produce more force, to better resist injury and fatigue.
Lifting has the potential to amplify performance, but it cannot create performance.
Weight room numbers are easy to track, easy to measure which is why so many get hung up on them.
Movement quality is so much harder to quantify.
But as far as i’m concerned, it is the holy grail of human efficiency, which is the key to performance.
Then layer on strength, power, endurance, energy system work and all the rest.
And don’t forget the actual sport, the skills and the techniques
Regards
Dave Hedges www.Wg-Fit.com