A Snapshot or a Movie

When people post video of an exercise or a description of a
workout that is just a snapshot of a feature length movie. The snapshot has no
context, Where? When? How? Who? Most importantly of all – Why? I notice when I
do presentations and put a workout on the screen people will frantically
scramble to write it down before I go to the next screen. The same with the
video clips. Everyone wants copies of the clips because that it is a cool
exercise. I can’t tell you how many “cool exercises” have blown up in my face.
Why because I tried to use the “cool exercise” arbitrarily without taking the
time to put it in the context of the system. For example I just saw a clip of
Daron Robles, World record in 110 meter hurdles, doing a series of drills over
one hurdle in place. It was poetry in motion, one of the coolest series of
hurdle drills I have ever seen. I took a deep breath sat back and starting
thinking with whom, how and where would I use it. Certainly with no one I have
ever coached. This drill was obviously something he had grown up with and
mastered as part of his whole routine. Therefore I filed it under very cool
exercises in my library. For all you middle distance and distance coaches the
current infatuation with GS – General Strength exercises and random medicine
ball  drills would fall under the
same category. Why are you doing what you are doing when you are doing it? I
see coaches finding another way to make to make the athlete tired rather than
systematically addressing specific needs for the various distances. As I have
implored you many times in this blog think, think think! It is always more than
an exercise or a drill.