Episode 2 - Principles of Performance
from Unlocking Athletes Hosted by Evolution Athletics
In episode 2, we dig deep into 5 key principles that we use with our athletes. “As to methods, there may be a million and then some, but principles are few. The man who grasps principles can successfully select his own methods. The man who tries methods, ignoring principles, is sure to have trouble.” - Emerson Principles are the fundamental set of philosophies, propositions, assumptions, laws, and rules concerning a topic, problem, or circumstances. The principles can teach you why something works the way it does. Methods, on the other hand, are merely devices to apply those principles in a particular circumstance. While principles are immutable, Emerson reminds us that there can be many methods to interpret and apply those principles. 1: Context is king - Every athlete is a different story. We must know our athlete’s goals as well as WHY they want to achieve those goals. It is our job to combine biology, psychology, and social elements to help them achieve those goals. 2: Limiter Biased programming - Limiters must be identified through an assessment and then systematically eliminated through training. This DOES NOT mean “just do what you suck at.” Programs that follow that mantra typically create horrible compensation patterns in their athletes instead of actually removing the limiter. 3: Bandwidth performance model - Movement, mindset, nutrition, and recovery. You can only spend so much bandwidth from each of these on your performance. If you’re ‘wasting bandwidth’ on poor social choices or letting toxic people ‘steal bandwidth,’ you’ll never reach peak performance. 4: Tension is the common denominator - All athletes have a specific tension profile. Powerlifters, marathon runners, and CrossFitters all carry tension in different ways. Mastering that tension is what helps or hurts them - literally and figuratively - during performance. Our programming aims to modulate tension according to the needs of the athlete. 5: “Adaptation Currency” is the make or break metric. A program is only as good as the athlete’s ability to adapt to it. By taking this approach, we can better dial in the specificity of programming to the needs of the athlete. If they are not ‘adding currency’ to their bank through adequate sleep, nutrition, and recovery, we need to temper the program accordingly. This concept goes way beyond sets and reps. We will get into those next week.
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