Hi
As part of my continuous development I read and listen to audiobooks for many hours a week.
Something I have heard a few times now is that for every ONE hour of study should do THIRTY hours of deliberate practice to maximise our learning, remembering and ability to teach others what we have learnt.
That is nearly a working week, to reach a good level of mastery for each topic, action
or skill!
Listening to the amazingly knowledgeable Biomechanist Katie Bowman talk in a lecture today I heard how she applies this rule to learning movement.
Any movement we do takes PRACTICE! Notice how babies try and try again at things until suddenly that wobbly little thing is
doing cartwheels down the hallway.
So, is it any wonder that learning good and proper form can take weeks. Extrapolate that up from the 6 main human movements (squat, hinge, push, pull, push and carry) then we can see why it takes often years to really nail those big, and small, lifts proficiently.
With an almost infinite amounts of movements our bodies do across a day with a ridiculous amount of forces applied to us, then we can see why we are told to move well, and then move often.
I can spend an hour teaching the basic cueing points of a squat, and then often weeks to refine the move as my client follows the beautiful process of making the move
second nature. Then, we start all again with a heavier weight, different rep range, longer reps or the addition of pauses at the bottom of the move.
To the client it may feel like week after week of squats, to the body within... the time to develop and learn creates a strong foundation for MANY years to come.
- We need to position exercise and strength training as deliberate, consistent practice and we need to give it the time it deserves.
- Exercise programs, classes and sessions are great however the theory needs to be there to develop from.
A good coach will take time to teach the basics and then tailor the many hours of develop after as deliberate, progressive practice.
- Many fall off the wagon when the realisation hits that getting the body you want will take a large amount of time.
- However, many
hit their goals easily when they embrace the learning, the practice involved (lots of it!) and take stock of every step, however small.
Give that time to practice, realise it is here to stay and with consistent work you will be stronger, more mobile and fitter that you have ever been!
J
