you're not a glassback

I'd like to remind you that this is

your blog and you are invited to ask questions

Questions you send in get saved in a notes app and provide content for

future editions

What this ensures is that this blog stays relevant to you lot and

on occasion has me scrambling to learn some stuff in order to get you

the best answers

Answers that are simple, applicable and yet still complete.

Not ramming my bias down your throat or baffling you with bullshit.

As an example or bias, incomplete thinking and a smidge of bull, there

was a comment left on a recent Instagram post.

I put out a post around the common advice the internet likes to give

where you must stop doing certain exercises once you pass a certain age.

And this was one response:

"Because discs and joints degenerate due to a lack of hormones and other

age related issues. Most exercises are fine, but barbell back squats and

deadlifts may not be great for an aging spine. You can build great legs

without risking a back injury."

First thing, do not jump onto Instagram and attack the dude, not that I

think any of you would.

But while he is right about hormonal changes and "age related issues"

being a thing, he is ignoring the bodies incredible ability to adapt.

Which is the entire point of training in the first place.

Spinal Disks get a lot of bad press, and yes, I have had disk injuries,

it was one that stopped my training full time and got me on the road to

coaching.

But disks, while they may not have a blood supply bringing nutrition to

them, they still adapt to stress.

Just like Wolff’s Law explains how the bones adapt to loading and

stress, Davis Law the muscles, our disks do similar, we just haven't got

a name or a law just yet.

There's a lovely theory I enjoy called the "squeeze and soak" theory.

As our hero suggests, disks can dry out, they can be squeezed as gravity

and load presses them. We've all heard how we're a few centimetres

shorter at the end of the day than the beginning, this is down to the disks.

Now direct axial loading, as in squats and dead, that will squeeze them more

That's bad right?

Well no, because, just as is explained by Messrs Wolff and Davis for our

bones and muscles, when we put an acute stress on a tissue, it

stimulates adaptation.

In the Disks case, when the excess load is taken away, they spring back,

soaking in fluids.

So the extra load helps squeeze out waste then as the pressure is

released, there is fresh nutrition soaked back in.

There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that axial loading of the

spine (essentially strength training, but also upright endurance

endeavours, walking, running jumping etc) and movement through the

spine, which aligns with the Yogic belief "You're only as old as your

spine is flexible" cause positive adaptations to the spinal disks.

Where we run into issues, is as always, doing too much too soon.

Overreaching beyond our capacity

And habitual movement, or lack of movement.

Possibly the worst thing you can do for the back is sitting in your

office chair for hours at a time. But as that's unavoidable for most

I'll reiterate one of my most common bits of advice - find excuses to

get up and move around. Be like your pet Dog or Cat, or hamster! When

they've been immobile for a period napping, they generally have a

stretch before moving again.

This stretch is the Yoga Up and Down Dog, maybe accompanied by a shake.

I strongly recommend you do something similar, a human version of "big

stretch" when you get up after a period of immobility.

And if you are someone who does manual work, check yourself for a

repeated motion that happens over and over. This is where issues can

develop over time.

So yeah, your hormones and age do matter.

But motion is lotion, and axial loading in part of that motion.

No, you don't have to back squat or deadlift, you can squat and hinge in

any of the 100 or more ways, but you must Squat and you must Hinge as

part of a complete training plan

--

Regards

Dave Hedges

www.DaveHedges.net

Understanding Principles vs. Methods in Coaching

The Importance of Language in Coaching

Today's email is inspired by a chat with an old mentor, none other than the creator of Anatomy in Motion, Mr. Gary Ward. Our conversation revolved around semantics and how language shapes our thinking.

We specifically discussed the difference between Principles and Methods. If you're a long-time follower of my work, you should know that I am a huge fan of principles. There's an old saying: "Methods are many, Principles are few."

Methods Defined

For example, powerlifting is a method. It differs from bodybuilding or Olympic lifting. However, they all revolve around the principle of progressive resistance.

Kettlebell Sport is another method. It is clearly different from the hard style methods (RKC & StrongFirst) of lifting kettlebells. Yet, the underlying principles remain almost the same.

The Pitfalls of Identifying with a Method

When we identify as a method, we restrict ourselves. This has been shown when hard style practitioners first explore Kettlebell Sport and are often shocked by the differences.

When we understand principles, we become adaptable. We can apply those principles to any scenario. Good coaches teach principles. Yes, we may utilize methods to convey these principles, but the methods are not fixed.

The Marketing Dilemma

When you scroll online, you may see posts from coaches and trainers. Perhaps you attend a new gym or try out a new class. You might hear a trainer speak as if their method is the ultimate solution. They may claim that their approach is correct while others are wrong. They might present themselves as the sole possessors of the answers.

You can be assured that they are missing the point. They have yet to grasp the idea that principles are more important than methods.

The Attraction of Certainty

The only problem is that when you fully believe in a method, that certainty attracts people. It’s far easier to market a defined method than to market a set of principles. This is why some less informed individuals are making a fortune, while the smarter coaches struggle.

Embracing Adaptability

To be a successful coach, it’s crucial to embrace adaptability. This means understanding that while methods can be useful, they should not define your identity as a coach. Instead, focus on the principles that underpin your work.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the distinction between principles and methods is vital for anyone involved in coaching or training. By prioritizing principles, you can create a more adaptable and effective approach to your practice.

Remember, while methods may attract attention, it’s the principles that will sustain your coaching journey.

Regards,

Dave Hedges

www.DaveHedges.net

Tissue Tolerance, Capacity & Warming up to Warm Up

Last weeks email "Energy Balance and Warm Ups" seemed well received with the amount of replies I got from it.

On in particular I want to share with you as it brings up a fantastic point:

"Hey Dave,

Just a thought to add from my own experience about 'warm ups' and aging.

It seems to take longer now to rev the engine (and mind?) into gear, and many things I used to warm up with like jump rope. are far too difficult to start with now. At first I though it was just that I could nor jump rope any more, because my back would spasm, my legs were so heavy and wouldn't lift off the floor over the rope, big lactic acid build up in my calves etc.. but, turns out - after an hour's boxing session ,with shadow boxing, footwork drills, pad work etc, I can go 3 minutes just fine!

So my conclusion is that I need to think of the whole 45 mins-1 hr as warm up!

Anyway, thought it might be a good bit of info for those others of us who are starting lower down the ladder as it were, so they don't get discouraged by not being able to use the 'warm ups' they used to be able to do. You can still do them.. just AFTER. :-)

M"

"M" is Maija, a former client and friend. Someone you should look up if you are interested in Filipino or Chinese Martial Arts, especially FMA blade work.

In a follow up email Maija also said she needs to "Warm up before she can warm up" which is very much in line with how Paulie and I would joke in Wild Geese that would have to warm up on the Monday in order to train on the Tuesday.

So what is going on?

I'm going to use the Push Up as my example for this.

To one person a full push up too much.

Yet the next person can bang out 25 perfect reps.

The difference is a thing called Capacity and can also be Tissue Tolerance.

The first person has not yet gained the capacity for push ups, the second person absolutely has. So to they will both use the exercise differently for a different outcome.

The 25 rep person can use push ups in the warm up, can throw them into a conditioning circuit, do whatever they like.

But the other person, to them it's a high strength move. A full push up at this time is beyond a 1 rep max, beyond 100% intensity. So they will do variations and other stuff in order to build the capacity to achieve a push up, and the tissue tolerance not to hurt themselves in the process.

And this can be said for any exercise.

The push up gives a very simple visual of how a drill can sit on a sliding scale depending on the individual using it.

Skipping, well that's rarely going to be a strength thing. And as Maija points out, after an hour, skipping comes onto the table.

After an hour she has the nervous system primed, the blood pumping, the joints moving and now she is in a position where skipping can happen.

A position where, and this is she chooses to, she has a window in which she can develop capacity and tissue tolerance.

And over time, maybe the warm up window she needs will lessen, and lessen and potentially disappear.

If does disappear and she gains the ability to just pick up a rope and go for it, then it's a fairly safe assumption that the muscles and joint in the foot and ankle have developed the necessary Tissue Tolerance.

That's a fair few "ifs" and "assumptions" as we don't have the specifics of Maija's case. But I merely using Push Ups and Skipping as examples of a concept.

The key concept of Progressive Resistance Training and the SAID principle drive all training.

If we gradually increase the resistance we work against, that can be more weight, or more volume, or less rest, or more frequent, or more time, or faster, or slower and so on.....

Then we develop more capacity and in a few months, what we once thought was difficult is now relatively easy.

It takes time

It takes effort

But more importantly it takes awareness and persistence.

Awareness of your actual current capacity and your ability to improve, and your persistence in making those improvements happen

And critically, awareness that there are occasions where improvement may never happen or that there's a need for medical intervention such as surgery.

So we Hope for the Best, I can and will improve, but Prepare for the Worst, maybe I'll need help along the way.

Great response from M

This is exactly what this newsletter is about, I love it when you guys ask questions and challenge my answers.

There shouldn't anyone on this list who reads my emails as if they are the gospel truth, every one of you should read my work and the work of others with your cynical glasses on.

Chat soon

--

Regards

Dave Hedges

www.DaveHedges.net