It is a collection, a combination of multiple things. And improving our gaps improve our overall fitness.
- Cardiovascular/respiratory endurance – The ability of the body’s systems to gather, process, and deliver oxygen
- Stamina – The ability of body systems to process, deliver, store, and utilize energy
- Strength – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply force
- Flexibility – the ability to maximize the range of motion at a given joint
- Power – The ability of a muscular unit, or combination of muscular units, to apply maximum force in minimum time
- Speed – The ability to minimize the cycle time of a repeated movement
- Coordination – The ability to combine several distinct movement patterns into a singular distinct movement
- Agility – The ability to minimize transition time from one movement pattern to another
- Balance – The ability to control the placement of the body’s center of gravity in relation to its support base
- Accuracy – The ability to control movement in a given direction or at a given intensity
You are as fit as you are competent in each of these 10 skills, and a regimen develops fitness to the extent that it improves each of these 10 skills.
Importantly, improvements in endurance, stamina, strength, and flexibility come about through training. Training refers to activity that improves performance through a measurable organic change in the body.
By contrast, improvements in coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy come about through practice. Practice refers to activity that improves performance through changes in the nervous system.
Power and speed are adaptations of both training and practice.
If your goal is optimum physical competence, then all 10 general physical skills must be considered and developed.
Learn more here – What is Fitness?
Most of us have areas we naturally lean toward and areas we avoid.
You may be a great runner who never strength trains.
You may be very strong and avoid mobility or conditioning.
That usually shows us where the gap is.
At Railroad, we train for well-rounded fitness.
We want you strong, capable, conditioned, mobile and prepared for life.
Navigating the Noise:
But training gives us something else too.
It gives us a place to meet ourselves more deeply.
When met with a challenge or the workout gets hard, an internal voice usually shows up.
What does yours say?
- Does it judge you?
- Compare you to others?
- Tell you everyone else is stronger and you’re the weakest?
- Turn one difficult moment into a story about what you are capable of?
We often forget…we do not have to believe every thought that enters our mind.
We can observe, we can notice, we can question them.
And we can let them go.
We can always choose a more supportive response.
“I am getting better at what is difficult for me.”
“I am accomplished, for going through a challenge.”
“I am grateful to be motivated by what’s possible in others.”
[these feel inherently better than the alternative]
Training gives you an opportunity to practice that in real time.
You can struggle without making the struggle mean you are failing, not enough or not where you’re supposed to be.
The struggle is inviting you to grow.
You can be surrounded by stronger, fitter, faster people without using that as a reason to diminish yourself.
Instead – view it as inspiring, uplifting and what’s possible.
Choosing to not make it mean anything ABOUT you.
You can learn to stay with yourself through discomfort instead of turning against yourself.
This one is huge.
Coaching yourself inside with love, grace and support. That’s a muscle we all would benefit in committing to building. Powerful internal self talk through difficult experiences.
Exercise is vulnerability in motion.
You are learning, trying, adjusting and being seen while you do it.
Sometimes during practicing those things we fall short, we fail, we can’t do something yet, don’t possess the strength or skill YET…
We are in motion, we are becoming….and that is still vulnerable.
We can make it safe by supportive self dialogue.
We can make it suffering by disempowering internal language.
We get to choose.
Environment
The right environment, one full of challenge, of inclusion, positive, supportive and acceptance becomes a powerful place not only to improve your body, but your thinking and the way you relate to yourself.
That is what I know to be true and what our style of mixed-modal training helps build.
A stronger body.
A more capable body and mind.
A well-rounded human being.
And over time, a better relationship with self and real self-trust.
loving you, Coach Shawn
I understand life.