10/24/2022
The following thought experiment sets the foundational mindset for all of our clients with regards to their approach to training.
Every person has their own unique capacity. Capacity can be viewed through multiple lenses, but for now, let’s focus purely on tissue capacity.
The dotted line represents your tissue’s capacity to withstand load. Stay under that threshold and you are both problem and pain-free. Exceed that threshold and the opposite becomes true; problem and, sometimes, pain. In general, our goal in training is to increase the space under the capacity line.
You wake up every single day with a “pre-existing load” on your body. We’ve parsed this load down into three broad categories: Anatomical Dysfunction, Stress/Diet/Sleep, and Functional Diagnosis. Some of these loads are within your control and others are not. Let’s break it down.
Anatomical Dysfunction: This load is a representation of your unique anatomy. Bony anomalies, scar tissue, and medical hardware are all examples that would fit in this box. For the sake of conversation, this box remains unchanged without surgical intervention.
Stress/Diet/Sleep: Pretty self-explanatory here. How well are you recovering? Do you sleep 8 hours per night or 5? Do you eat well or not so much? Are you stress-free or stressed out? As I’m sure you know, all of these are within our control to a large degree. Consider this box HIGHLY modifiable, especially day-to-day.
Functional Diagnosis: This box represents your current mobility, flexibility, and strength balance. Each of our clients are evaluated to see if there is any “low-hanging fruit” that could be remedied with some focused work. For most of us, this box is also HIGHLY modifiable.
This is what you start with every single day. In part 2, we will address additional load placed on the system. We’ll call these your “wants & needs”. Stay tuned!
