I’m just back from a few days away and as much as I’d like to tell you I had an epiphany or a moment of realisation that would let me tell you how to live your life…….!!
I ate battered chicken and drank some wine… Had a cuddle with my little girl while watching the sea that makes my heart feel all warm and fuzzy when I think about it, but that’s about it.
What I’d like to point out in today’s blog is that some of us (myself included at one point) can become very knowledge thirsty to the point of not doing anything.
I’m not gonna lie, I love phones, and the internet and social media. Without it I wouldn’t have been able to learn a lot of the information that I break down to share with you guys. The only problem is that it’s very easy to become so consumed with finding the “new best drills” or the most legitimate “proven things” that work… that you end up not actually doing anything.
One reason why I got so good at what I do is purely down to physical experimentation and time investment.
I had got to a point where I was reading so many articles and studies; I was learning so many new exercises yet I didn’t even do half of them, I was filling my head up with theories that I had no idea how or when to implement; sure it was interesting but it didn’t really help to make me a better mover, or help me make others any better.
Theory has its place, but you probably already have a ton of stuff that you know you need to work on but keep avoiding it. What’s more, you probably know the specific exercises that you need to be doing…. but you don’t see an instant improvement, so you get fed up quickly and get back to finding something new – something that might work quicker!
But here’s the kicker, that time you spent looking for something quicker? You could have been using to implement the exercises you already know you need to work on.
So, the next time you have a problem or new goal and you find a drill/progression that seems to be the way to achieve it, dedicate a minimum of 4-6 week to it. Depending what it is you may need to do it daily, 5 times per week, 3 times per week etc. but be honest with yourself about frequency or follow the prescribed recommendations.
Only after this time has been spent working on it can you draw up your own conclusions. See how long it takes you to make a lasting change, after working with this exercise/drill do you: react better to holding a position / moving through a position better / create tension better etc – get to know what works for you best in the areas you are lacking, because ultimately you are the only one that will really know.