Episode #17 Written Breakdown

This is a deconstruction of the points made in Episode #17. I also touched on this in Episode #15. For reference, you can view these episodes at the bottom of this post. 

Do you hold your arms out when you skip?

Aside from this arrangement looking silly, there are performance based reasons to avoid it.

Shortening The Rope

This is not preferred because with a shorter rope, there is less margin for error with each skip. You will need to be more precise with your timing and jumping height, where with a longer rope, you can afford to be a little off with your jump height and timing. 

Fatiguing The Shoulders

Keeping your arms extended away from the mid-line of your body will be hard to maintain for an extended period of time. 

As your shoulders and arms fatigue, it will be more challenging to maintain a uniform rope length and skipping cadence. Once this becomes variable, you are likely to trip the rope up.

Try holding your arms out for a minute, compared to keeping your arms at your side for a minute. Which feels easier? 

If you are interested in training shoulder endurance, there are better ways to do this other than holding your arms in the described position. When skipping, I am normally attempting to go for longer durations than this position will allow.

Can't Progress

As a result of the first two points, it will be difficult for you to progress past a basic skip if you insist on keeping your arms wide. To be able to incorporate crosses, transitions, and double unders into your routine, you will need to have the arms close to the body.

This is because there is too much distance for your arms to travel when moving across the body (if the wrists are already stationed far away from your mid-line).

Keeping the arms tight will allow you to navigate the arms, wrists, and rope where ever you want (relative to your body), and still maintain rhythm. 

Why Does This Indicate a Lack of Flexibility?

From a relaxed, standing position, identify which direction your palms are facing. If they are facing behind you, they are internally rotated. If they face each other (or face in toward your body) they are oriented correctly.

I notice that people who (at rest) have internally rotated shoulders tend to hold the rope further away from the body.

The reason for this is because they have a hard time externally rotating at the shoulder joint. To compensate for this immobility, they abduct the shoulder to a point where the demand to externally rotate becomes less extreme. 

Abducting the shoulder.

A person having sufficient external rotation has no problem externally rotating from a more extreme position (arms tight to the body, where we want them to be). They are able to keep their upper arm against the body and twist their arm outward to where it needs to be.

If you have proper mobility through the shoulders, there is no need to keep your arms away from your sides. 

If you have to keep your arms out when you skip, you need to become more flexible in externally rotating at the shoulder joint.

You Don't Care

I know....

It's obvious that not everyone values health/fitness in the same ways.

You may not care about being healthy and fit as much as you think I think you should.

You probably think it doesn't matter that much to be doing things correctly and most effectively.

That just being present is good enough.

Or better than nothing.

"Better than nothing" is pretty on par with doing the minimum.

And doing the minimum isn't "good enough."

You may be able to get by with doing the minimum. For a little while anyway.

But wouldn't you rather thrive than just get by?

I don't mean just in fitness, but also life in general.

Fitness provides you the opportunity to establish habits that will directly benefit your everyday life.

One habit is accountability.

Not the accountability to show up to the workout.

Not the accountability to work hard. You can work hard and still not have a purpose.

It's the accountability to get the most out of everything you do.

You invest time and money to work out with me. Don't you want to make the most of that investment?

You already hate coming to see me.

There's no way for you to escape once you walk through the front door.

You might as well make the hour of agony count.

Make the miserable hour a productive one, not an unproductive one.

Care about your training and your health status.

Pay attention. 

Train, and do things with a purpose.

Learn to Fish

PREFACE: This is a piggy back off of my last post, Don't Come to Me for Results.... As I proof read this, I can see someone taking it as harsh. Don't. This is only another reminder and piece of encouragement to pay attention to what you're doing. To be in the moment as you become healthier. To apply the lessons you learn, and the characteristics you develop into other parts of your life.

"Catch a man a fish, he eats for a day. Teach a man how to catch a fish, he eats for a lifetime."

When it comes to training/working out/exercising, you need to learn how to fish. 

If you spend your training session mindlessly moving your body and weights through space for an hour while I "work you out", you aren't learning how to fish. 

If you're not doing the right things to work toward your goals in the other 165 hours of the week that I'm not around, you aren't learning how to fish. 

If after each attempt or set, you immediately turn to me and ask "How did that look?", you aren't learning how to fish.

Don't just go through the motions as I lead you through a workout. You need to understand at least some of this stuff. Examples....

Not understanding why a particular exercise is used.

Failing to identify active muscle groups.

Lacking respect for proper positions and mechanics. 

Never challenging yourself with progressions.

Reverting back to what feels comfortable, even after you've been taught differently.

Not being able to differentiate pain and training pain.

Never developing intrinsic motivation.

Of course, you do have the right rely solely on me.  

You pay me, so the burden is on me to make sure you are getting more fit and healthy in a safe manner. 

But relying solely on me is only half the equation.

Don't you want to maximize your health and fitness? 

You will, if you agree to take on some responsibility yourself.

If we just go through the motions of training/working out/exercising, we leave a lot that can be gained on the table.

I don't expect you to become knowledgable enough or motivated enough to be able to do this completely on your own. 

There will always be benefits that a trainer or coach can provide.

There will always be times to get help.

If you learn to fish, you will eat for life. If you depend on me to catch your fish, you may eventually go hungry.

Therefore, I encourage you to become more independent and self-sufficient with your training.

All it takes is being in tune with your body and your actions. 

Don't Come to Me for Results

PREFACE: In order to see results in aesthetic form, you must spend time developing a foundation of certain habits based around performance, lifestyle, and mentality. Anything less is a use of the band-aid approach - mindlessly treading toward results and forgetting about them once they are reached; not considering how you achieved the results, or strategizing a way to retain them. Results come in many forms. The most powerful results you can get are the ones that don't even show. Pay attention to what you're actually doing. Don't get Band-Aid results.

I hate the term "results". 

It is an overly used fitness-related buzz word. 

"The results speak for themselves."

"I get my clients results".

"Look at those results!".

If you come to me on day one and you are only interested in how I can get you an end result, I'm not going to be much help to you.

I'm not interested in getting you results. 

I'm interested in teaching you how to get better at things. Things that will allow you to get your own results. 

Lots of things happen between "day one" and the day you "see results". 

Some days you get better. Some days you don't get better. But you can learn lessons on both of these days.

If you fail to recognize the small victories and losses, you're doing it for the wrong reasons.

Don't go about the process unconsciously. 

Trust the process (the ups and downs) of working toward your goal. 

Acknowledge the challenges along the way. Take note of how you overcome them.

Do better than you did yesterday. Some days you won't manage to do better than yesterday. So make sure to do better the next day. 

If you do this you will be in a great position to reach your goal. 

Once you reach it, you will have an understanding of what it actually takes.

You will be better. 

You will have results.

Un-Categorizable

....is a question I am often asked, but have never been able to answer well.

As irresponsible as you (probably) think it is, I cannot even describe my gym to you. 

The gym is un-categorizable. Too many forms of exercise take place here, with too broad of demographics (in the form of members) for us to be labeled.  

Is this CrossFit? No.

Is this a Bodybuilding gym? No.

Is this a Weightlifting or a Powerlifting club? No.

Is this a Rock Climbing facility? No.

This gym is uniquely located and contains a unique assortment of equipment. 

Inside, numerous training methods and modalities (that I have determined to be useful, safe, and sustainable) are utilized to pursue goals. 

In order for clients and members to achieve their goals...

A state of the art facility is not required; that's why I'm in a warehouse. 

Extravagant equipment is not required; that's why the contents of the gym are mainly pull up bars, boxes, and free weights. 

Adhering to the latest trends in fitness is not a requirement; that's why my programs abide by the laws of time-tested strength training principles.

My clients and members work toward their goals by being challenged and forced to develop strength.  

By developing physical strength.

By developing stronger confidence.

By developing stronger social skills.

By developing the strength to be more positive. 

By developing the strength to better handle adversity in their lives.

By developing strength in tolerating others. People who are at a different fitness level. People who have different interests in fitness. 

This is why I go by "Drew Murphy Strength". It's a place where anyone who wants to challenge his or her self to get better (through strength) in any aspect of their life is invited to stop by.

I refuse to succumb to the pressure to "categorize" this gym. Quite frankly, it's impossible for me to simplify it down to one single category. That's because certain elements of CrossFit, Bodybuilding, Weightlifting, Powerlifting, Climbing - and more are used here. But we do not use only any of these elements. 

If you are interested in challenging yourself to be stronger in any facet of your life, I hope to see you here soon!

Healthy is Hard

Being healthy is hard......

Finding time to exercise is hard.

Choosing broccoli over fries is hard.

Passing up a cupcake is hard.

Getting to bed early enough is hard.

Skipping a Saturday night of drinks with friends is hard.

Owning a cat is hard.

Training for a competition is hard.

Avoiding the Doctor is hard.

Being out of shape makes things hard.

Dealing with the shame of choosing fries over broccoli is hard.

Eating a cupcake, then resisting the urge to take a nap is hard.

Getting through the day with only 4 hours of sleep is hard.

Surviving a Sunday morning hangover is hard.

Not having a cat is hard.

Losing a competition is hard.

Paying medical bills is hard.

Being unhealthy is hard......