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Change is hard. A workout exemplifies this. As soon as you place hands on a barbell your state begins to shift, as you are ripped away from the comfort of baseline. Heart rate elevates as blood rushes to muscles. Sweat begins to form as core temperature rises. Change has begun and completing the work is […]

There are very few original ideas. Much of what is communicated, written, taught or expressed has been adopted from elsewhere. A concept on its own is usually just a recycled idea. Take for example, training. Strength and conditioning principles have been well established for many years. Most exercise scientists, physiologists and coaches now consider these

A Formula for Change D x V x F > R (Dissatisfaction x Vison x First Steps > Resistance) – The Beckhard-Harris Change Equation – This is a formula for change I find myself constantly referring back to. The first time I learned of it, my intuitive truth radar lit up as I recognised elements of the equation

Competence. This is the goal for many. “The ability to do something successfully or efficiently.” In a physical practice, we create standards around our training – be it an RX weight, or hitting depth on a squat. We look towards these as a metric of success and of achieving competence. Efficiency on the other hand

30-20-10 Medicine Ball Cleans Ab-Mat Sit-Ups This was the workout programmed during my Level 1 CrossFit Trainer Certification Course. Prior to commencing the workout, The Master Trainers organised the Prospective Trainers in a circle prior as one demonstrated the points of performance, and another explained them. We were then given some time for independent practice.

Disappointment is a powerful driver. As was the case in last Sunday’s City2Surf. After two short kilometres, I realised that this year would be a very different experience to the 8 I have completed prior. It was the second slowest time I had run the 14km in, including the first year, where I spent most

“How you do anything is how you do everything” I wrote this on the whiteboard a few weeks ago. A few seemed to understand while some questioned its validity. This statement obviously has some logistical inconsistencies especially when taken literally. However, even if this statement is not entirely true, you should act in a way

A good program is both interesting and progressive. Having both these elements speaks to an athletes’ adherence over a long period of time, perhaps the most important variable in any physical practice – consistency. On the one hand, a program must be interesting. An interesting program keeps the athlete excited and inspired to train especially

Humans are lazy by design. We are genetically programmed for homeostasis. Our DNA was primed this way long before Netflix, air conditioning and microwaves, when adversity was the norm. Finding safety and comfort was a matter of survival. Now, it is the inverse. In order to drive adaptation, we must artificially manufacture this adversity, in

I’m sure I speak for most coaches here – one of my pet peeves is when an athlete says “this is easy”. This irks me for a couple of reasons: It’s an insult to most other athletes It’s missing the point Let’s discuss that second reason… Most of us understand that adaptation occurs on the