Functional Path Training

Reductionist Thinking

We need to get away from reductionist thinking, stop breaking movement and exercise into its smallest parts and the focus on those parts in hopes of producing a moving flowing working whole, it won’t happen. It will only happen if there is a holistic approach, an approach that focuses on the big picture and the connections. In many respects this is where sport science has failed us. In the rush to publish and the desire to show statistical significance we have become so reductionist in our thinking that we now fail to see the forest for the trees. Focusing on Max VO₂ or trying to isolate the internal oblique, transverse abdominis or glute medius, while very neat and clean in the lab just do not transfer to the performance area.

Is it important to understand scientific concepts? Yes it is, but they must not restrain us. I remember scientists and sports medicine people publishing papers on the Fosbury Flop after the 1968 Olympics. The substance was that this was an inefficient dangerous way to jump, merely an aberration that would soon go away. Several years later when a jumper using the Fosbury technique broke the world record, the same people were publishing articles and papers extolling the biomechanical advantage of the technique. Coaches and athletes knew it immediately, it was more natural, and they could see and feel it. It took advantage of body structure and function to more effectively apply force against the ground. Where would high jump performance be if we had listened to the initial response from the scientist? Coaches and athletes lead innovation in training and technique, not scientists. Always keep the big picture in mind.

Developing a Training System

My concepts of training are based on study of past training methods, sports science research, best practice, and practical experience working with all levels of athlete. When developing a training system you learn through deliberate practice, through trial and error, you learn in the trenches, not just in a book, a classroom or a laboratory. You learn from your mistakes and your successes. That is where you start, but that is just a beginning. Learn to lean heavily on common sense; it works because it is simple and natural. If we follow common sense and your instincts based on experience and good science we will do the correct things concerning movement and training. Modern society and conventional wisdom in training has dulled our instincts. The key is to unlock these instincts and allow the body to solve movement problems the way the body was designed to function. Allow the body to use its inherent wisdom. Movement is natural, it is is not dangerous or extreme; watch what children do in free play when unrestrained by adult supervision and burdened by having to do the movements correctly. They move with freedom, they do not look like robots. Today even at the highest levels of sport coaches are creating robots. Lest we forget movement is not paint by numbers, it is an expressionist drawing, it is not a classical music aria, it is jazz riff.

Learning From the Past

Much of what I stand for is not new, we already know it, it has worked in the past in a myriad of environments but has been rejected as old fashioned, not high tech, not scientific. We have abandoned proven methods in the name of progress. Certainly in every field of endeavor everything old is new again, but because of our society’s rejection of the past we have not studied the coaches who paved the way for us. It is trite to say that we stand on the shoulder of giants but without coaches like Bill Bowerman, John Wooden, Doc Councilman, Geoff Dyson, Franz Stampfl, and Percy Cerruty where would we be today in terms athletic performance. They were innovators who were not afraid to challenge conventional wisdom. No one stands alone; I have been very fortunate to learn from many people. Most importantly I have learned from the athletes that I have coached and observed. Who better to learn from? They were the ones who did the training; they were the ones, who competed, they lived it.

It’s Not Rocket Science

Athletic development is about optimizing training to enhance performance in the competitive arena. The basic concepts are quite simple. Simplicity yields complexity; you don’t have to try to make it complicated. That is why being a generalist is so important; it will allow you to make relationships that the specialist because of their narrower vision will not see. Sophisticated technology and computer algorithms are part of a much bigger picture. Over reliance on tools and technology will not get the job done. You need to use your experience to ask key questions and interpret the data. Without that, high tech tools are no more than random number generators that confuse us rather guide us.

Thinking & Questioning

I have a passionate belief in defining the field of athletic development. I have consistently questioned much of what passes as conventional wisdom in regards to training and rehab and I ask you to do the same. Think and question. I am not a sport scientist, physical therapist, ATC, a doctor, or a sport psychologist; I am a coach and educator. As a coach I have to travel in all those worlds. Because of my experience in those worlds I learned to use conventional wisdom as a starting point and not be constrained by it. I certainly have learned from all those disciplines and have incorporated those lessons into a systematic approach to athletic development. I specialize in being a generalist. Being a generalist allows me to focus on the big picture, the connections and relationships that define athleticism. The arena of athletic competition on the track, the fields, courts and pools of the world are the laboratories to test these concepts. There is no hiding in this arena; it is a results driven world where training mistakes and inadequate preparation are quickly exposed.

Vin Scully – Excellence Personified!

Growing up in California in the late 1950’s and early 60’s Vin Scully was your steady companion on warm summer nights. There was nothing better than listening to Vin Scully on a little transistor radio describe the excellence of Sandy Koufax pitching or the daring of Maury Will stealing a base when everyone in the stadium knew what he was going to do. There was special melodic quality and clarity to his voice, no hyperbole, no screaming, pure class, and the focus was on the game and the players. On Sunday Vin Scully broadcast his last Dodger game bringing to a close a sixty-seven year career! There will never be another like him. He is a man of faith, great character and class. Mr. Scully enjoy your retirement. Thanks for the memories you are a national treasure!

GPP - Getting Tired

Randomly throwing together a bunch of exercises & running willy nilly about with no structure, intent or purpose is just work. Anyone can do work. You can try to legitimize by giving it cute names, but it is essentially garbage training. You can call it GPP but it is just getting them tired and getting tired is not training. Training is work with Intent and purpose. I banished the term GPP years ago in favor of Foundation Training (FT). You need a strong structurally sound foundation upon which to build the subsequent structure of training. This is carefully planned to meet the athlete’s needs and is congruent with the more intense specific work to follow. Because training accumulates from year to year it is not necessary to rebuild the whole foundation each year, rather it is important to reinforce it where necessary to enable the athlete to keep progressing. The content and emphasis changes with advancing training age, each year of training the athlete should start on a higher plane, not start over. Make the training have a clear intent and purpose that is mindful and equips the athlete with the tools they need to be resilient and thrive on subsequent workloads. Always strive for quality, remember quality is a measure of perfect. Quality will transfer to results in competition, the ultimate goal of any training program.