Thought of the Day: Is Your Training Predictable?
Sunday, February 19, 2012 at 22:27
Darryl Edwards in Fitness, Motivation, Primal, Primal Fitness, SAID

Unpredicatability:

Unpredictability improves one's capability, we need constant challenge in order to adapt.  Sometimes our workouts playouts should be unstructured, unplanned, irregular and unorthrodox.  Sometimes we should change based on what we can take advantage of at the time or to deal with a situation that is unexpected.  Not just changing reps and sets or volume but occassionally a whole new way of execution.

The SAID Principle:

The concept of most athletic training is based on the SAID princple.  This is that we improve a specific skill and capability through repetition and thus adapting to the demands placed on the body on a regular basis.  Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demands (SAID).  In other words you get what you train for and you become how you train.

Naturally we were designed to be multi-disciplined, multi-skilled and mult-faceted.  The more we specialise the more we will adapt to that stimulus.  If I spent all my work out time doing long distances on a bike the more my body and mind will adapt to cycling.  Not only in positive ways (improving my cardiovascular capacity, slow twitch muscle fibre capability, endurance capability, lower leg strength and so on) but also in negative ways (increased likelihood of poor upper body posture, relatively poor upper body strength, increased likelihood of injury due to repetitive movement within a reduced range of motion and so on).

Generalism vs Specialism

For me I want to generalise not specialise.  Sometimes I just want or need to get things done.  Sometimes it is inefficient.  But it still works.  This is a Tactical Adaptation to Imposed Demands - I call this TAID.

I am a generalist not a specialist.  I am not an athlete.  I am not a part of the elite or do I wish to be elitest.  I would prefer to be a jack of all trades and a master of none.  To tactically deal with any demand imposed on my body.  This will give me the best advantage in terms of dealing with life's mental and physical challenges: to prepare for the unexpected.

This will benefit all human beings.

So once again let's begin:

For generalists make most of your workouts unstructured, unplanned, irregular and unorthrodox.

Article originally appeared on Eat for Health, Move for Life : The Paleo Lifestyle (http://www.thefitnessexplorer.com/).
See website for complete article licensing information.