Optimized and Unrealistic

Exercise physiology is complicated. Distilling out proper training methods from philology is difficult to do well and can lead to clunky, unrealistic training programs.

Coaching is a blend of art and science. You need to know the science, however, the art is in the delivery. In making it flow, making it able to fit into someone’s real life. I first had this realization after writing up a workout in an exercise science class in college. The workout followed all the rules I learned, and since it was a power and strength focused workout I had the imaginary person I was writing the program for resting for a total of 40-something minutes, because optimization.

It was completely unrealistic and since I had done some interning over the summer, I knew I wouldn’t be able to get 15 middle school kids all resting 3 minutes between efforts. There was just no way.

The great coach figures out what gets you most of the way there. You’re probably not going to the Olympics, so there is a point where optimizing the rest periods and rep schemes is majoring in minutia.

Lift heavy stuff, move with intention, use the most range of motion possible, lift light stuff fast and get out of breath frequently. It doesn’t need to be more complicated that that.

Justin Miner

@justinminergain