Mitigation>Prevention
Can we prevent it? Or mitigate it?
In the realm of injuries, mitigation is better than prevention. Because prevention doesn’t exist.
Mitigation is the action of reducing the severity, seriousness, or painfulness of something.
Mitigation accepts that there are certain things that are out of our control.
We can’t control that hidden patch of ice that you slipped on in the winter.
We can’t control that box that fell on your toe.
We can’t control the car that forced you off the road into a biking accident.
We can control the steps we take to have those uncontrollable things be less severe.
We can prepare ourselves physically to be able to recover quicker from those incidents.
We can make it more likely that a 6 month recovery becomes a 3 month recovery.
We can make it more likely that you can be less hindered in the ability to do the things you want to do.
There are those that will recommend you do some weird training to prevent injuries. Those things may look cool, but unfortunately prevention is not possible.
Because life is going to happen. We can’t prevent that. But we can make the most of it by being as prepared as possible.
What Worked For Them May Not Work For You
You don’t need to do what everyone else does. Especially when it’s stupid.
“My friend tried this thing where they rubbed French’s ketchup on their low back while wearing hockey gloves in the shower. It solved their back pain!”
First: Heinz ketchup. Always. End of story.
Second: Yes this is an extreme example. And if this example is true for anyone, that's really cool. And weird. And unlikely to be an actual solution. More realistic examples include foam rolling, ice, rest, KT tape, medication, etc.
Just because it worked for them, doesn’t mean you need to try that thing.
Sure they may have very similar symptoms or problems. But they are not you.
You deserve solutions that are specific to you.
You deserve educated direction and guidance to solve your problems.
No quick “fixes” or gimmicks.
I Squatted. Now My Knees Hurt…
Is squatting the problem?
So your knees are hurting. You’ve been running a lot. You are in a busier time in your life.
You go to the gym and your coach has squats planned for the day. You do your squats. They feel surprisingly ok.
The next day while running your knees feel worse! So what’s to blame? Is it the squats?
Not necessarily. Squats for unfortunate reasons can get a bad reputation for knee pain. Some of that is misinformation. But it’s also a reasonable conclusion. Your knees hurt so it must have been something that used your knees that led to your pain.
Pain can come from multiple inputs and we can be complicated beings.
Your habits, beliefs, coping methods, lifestyle, emotions, anatomy, activity levels, and more, all influence how your body feels.
This can make it difficult to identify a cause, but not impossible to find a solution.
Looking at someone's pain experience requires analysis and assessment of who they are and where they are at. From there a path towards a solution can be found.
Only sleeping 4 hours a night? Imagine what an extra 2 hours could do for your recovery.
Eating 1200 calories a day. Very unlikely for that intake to be enough to meet your needs. Imagine what more food could do for your recovery (and your mood).
Are you constantly foam rolling and stretching to address your pain? Maybe you need load and not length to recover.
Are you feeling unsupported in your physical goals by others? Maybe being in a more supportive environment could change your outlook on pain.
Pain is frustrating. It can be easy to place blame when we are unsure of a solution.
The solution requires introspection and effort.
The problem probably isn’t squats.
“Hey Guys”
There is a better way to speak to groups.
I’m a believer that language matters and that words have meaning.
As such I am working on removing the word “guys” from my vocabulary when speaking to groups.
Growing up “guys” was used a lot as a group term while playing sports.
Then I noticed it even more in the military (a male dominated culture).
Then I started hearing (and using the term) even more in gyms (also a male dominated culture).
To keep things simple, I believe the term needs to be removed when speaking to groups, because it is very often a false statement.
When using the term, are we actually speaking to guys? Are we 100% sure?
I believe it to be important to address and speak to people the way they want to be spoken to.
This is not my lived experience but I imagine that women do not want to be addressed as men.
I also imagine that a transgender woman would not want to want to be addressed as a man.
Even if we feel like we are talking to a group of only men, how can we possibly be 100% sure? It’s none of our business, so don’t bother asking the question.
There are more inclusive words we can use. This could be “folks” or “everyone”, or “class” or “team”. It may also be a filler word that needs no substitute.
So much of this has become internalized and will require unlearning. But it is also such a simple change. A change that would recognize that we respect others.
Note: This also applies when speaking to groups and saying things like “hey ladies”.
Soreness ≠ Progress
Do you need to be sore to progress?
Do you need to be sore to make progress?
Short answer: No
Can soreness be a part of your training process while you make progress? Absolutely.
But you don’t need to be sore after every workout.
Soreness does not need to represent how hard you worked in the gym.
In training I want the results to speak for themselves.
I recently had a client mention that they were concerned that they weren’t working hard enough because they weren’t waking up as sore as they usually do.
But in two months they were able to double the number of pushups they can do, which is one of their goals. All while not being as sore.
That’s progress. And working hard.
This can be a challenging mindset to change. Society can often preach the “No pain no gain” mindset. That if you aren’t rolling on the ground afterwards, you didn’t work hard enough.
But why put yourself through pain if it’s not necessary. You can achieve results without pain.
I like to train smart. Training to improve your life and your health is a lifelong process. Let’s make that process as enjoyable as possible.
Could you be sore after a workout? Absolutely! That’s a normal outcome of the training and recovery process.
Do you need to be sore after every training session? No. If you are, this could be an indication of a recovery and training process that could be improved.
This is not to say don't work hard. Just work smart.
Spending Time
How effectively are you spending your time in training?
It’s called spending time for a reason.
Time is finite. We only have a certain amount.
Like money, we only have so much.
Unlike money, we can not make more.
Your time can be an investment that pays you in results.
So how do you spend your time in the gym?
Are you spending 20 minutes foam rolling, but not seeing any results?
Are you spending an hour of your day in a fitness class but not seeing any progress with your pain or limitations with specific movements.
How do we spend our time better in the gym?
First, think about what is important to you. Think about what you would like to prioritize in the gym. Do you want to feel less pain? Feel less stressed? Accomplish a specific movement?
Second, identify the low-hanging fruit. Find what things get you the most out of the time that you are spending.
Is that 20 minutes of foam rolling the most cost-efficient use of your time if you only have 1 hour to train. Very unlikely that it is.
Not sure what your low-hanging fruit is? That’s ok! That’s the role of a coach. To learn about you and assess your needs and goals so we can find a starting point.
PROCESS = PROGRESS
Process is progress
How do you achieve your goals?
Is what you do random or is there a purpose?
Are procedures in place to identify and overcome challenges?
Or are you hoping that the challenges resolve themselves?
Do you measure and assess your current abilities and chart a course towards the goals you have?
Or do you do random things hoping that they get you where you want to be?
I believe that if you are going to invest your time, money and energy into a goal, that our actions should be guided by a process. An effective process leads to more effective results.
Sure random workouts could get you results. But I believe it’s important for both coach and athlete/client to know what it was that worked, even if it’s a combination of multiple factors.
Maybe it’s consistency and accountability.
Or addressing weaknesses.
Or improving stress responses.
Or adjusting training volume.
Or “insert thing”.
We can’t identify what it was out of randomness.
We can identify what it was from a process.
I’m here to help people with my process.
Scaling is Stagnant
How long have you been scaling?
You’ve scaled the same movement for months due to pain with ZERO progress.
You’ve listened to the scaling or modification options provided by your gym.
And you keep showing up and putting in the work. You are making progress in certain areas but that one movement still causes you pain.
That’s frustrating, I’ve been there. You invest your time, money and energy into that gym or that fitness program.
This is important to you. You are ready to make this a priority.
You want results! You want to do that movement that you see others doing.
How do we change this and get you on the path to progress?
We look at what is required from that movement. We assess your capabilities. We find the important areas to work on. We ask each other questions to learn more. We commit to a customized plan to set us on the path to the results.
Scaling options that aren’t specific to you are not specific to your needs or your goals.
Scaling is stagnant. It’s the red light that keeps you at the intersection, delaying your progress to your intended destination.
Customization>Scaling.
Important Opinions
Should you listen to everyone’s opinion?
Your goal is to become stronger, more muscular, more defined. You want bigger arms.
You go to work and take off your jacket. You hear a coworker mention in a passing comment that they are surprised at how small your arms are.
First. That is a shitty comment. No one has any business making negative comments about others' appearance. I don’t care if they don’t look like you.
Second. This type of comment can be enough to completely derail someone's progress. It can be enough to throw them off track. Maybe they hear that comment and believe the comment to be true. And believe that perception of others to be permanent.
But you are resilient and you are strong. You have evidence that disproves their remark. You are getting stronger in your lifts. You have been committed to the process. You have close friends who have noticed a difference in your appearance and demeanour.
It is difficult to ignore the people who are willing to make negative comments about your appearance. Maybe those comments are a reflection of their own insecurity. Maybe they also need help but aren’t ready to make the steps you have made.
Trust the opinions of those who matter most to you.
Where Do You Start?
You’ve got a goal? Where do you start?
You’ve set a goal. You’ve set a destination.
What's next? Now that you’ve decided what you want, how do you get there? Where do you start?
That’s the role of a coach.
It’s the role of a coach to figure out where you currently are so a path can be laid out to get you where you want to go.
This involves questions and assessments.
An assessment is your locator. It tells you where you are. It finds areas to work on.
Imagine deciding you are going on a road trip. You set a destination. But your GPS doesn’t locate you. How can it tell you what roads to take? How can it say how far away you are?
It can’t. Without that assessment, starting points are just a guess.
When it comes to people’s health and fitness, I’m no fan of guessing.
I like more certainty than that.
Lost?
What do you do when you are lost?
You’re on a road trip and are completely lost. What do you do?
Do you start making random turns hoping to end up in the right place?
Or do you seek out direction? Maybe that’s an app on your phone. Maybe you phone a friend. Maybe it’s a paper map if you are old school or don’t have reception.
What do you do when you feel lost in your training?
Do you start trying out random things hoping that something sticks?
Or do you seek our direction? Maybe you find a group of friends to train with. Maybe you join a gym. Maybe you hire a coach.
It’s ok to ask for help! The sooner you ask for directions the sooner you will get on the path to where you want to go!
Need help? I’m here!
I Don’t Know
Does your coach know everything?
How often do you hear this statement from people you trust? How about a coach?
Coaches don’t know everything. If they claim to know everything, I would question their credibility.
Sometimes answers to questions are out of the scope of the coach.
Sometimes answers to questions are outside the knowledge base of the coach.
Doesn’t mean they don’t want to help, or don’t want to know the answer to the question you have.
Find people who are full of truth instead of full of shit.
Sometimes the truth is “I don’t know, but I will look into that for you”.