Performance – Health – Longevity
3 separate objectives that people approach in their training. One can assume that performance is chased at the expense of losing health and longevity; this perhaps is accepted under the idea that a top tier athlete would not be able to sustain the level of performance without decaying (i.e. overuse, over-training, under recovering, injury potential due to intensity, or the fact you have played rugby for 20 years) in longevity and health. Whatever your argument, I would suggest that they are all the same thing, as long as you recover responsibly.
To excel in any one of these categories you need to perform (lift, pee, poop, hump, run, swing), and manage overall health/lifestyle (love, lust, sleep, eat, regulate) to perform effectively; the result would be longevity, due to a sustained development of the mind, body, and soul. They work with one another. The only separator would be a lack of recovery; which, essentially tares the cohesive nature of the three. There is such thing as over-training. There is also under recovering. Oh wait, they’re the same thing.
You have probably noticed time caps and technique/performance requirements. This is helping adjust output. Someone from time to time puts too much weight on the bar, goes to hard on the run, or picks a weight up completely blind. It’s not that we don’t want you to give it your all; it’s that we want you to give what you can sustain. Hitting these specific zones of output allow the correct amount of recruitment. Hitting the specific kind of rest is a different beast, but this will allow you to output the right way.
We hit every energy pathway (Phosphagen, Glycolitic, and Oxidative). These pathways are used to compliment each other and are rarely 100% used exclusively. Each of these have primary muscle recruitment.
Phosphagen: 5-10 second duration Type IIb fast-twitch muscle fibers. These produce a high level of force, but fatigue quickly. Ie. big ol snatch, 100m sprint.
Glycolitic: 15-180 second duration. Type IIa fast-twitch muscle fibers. These produce slightly lower levels of force, but do not fatigue as quickly. Ie. repeatable sub maximal snatches, 400m sprint.
Oxidative: Upwards of 3 minutes. Type 1 slow-twitch fibers. These produce a much much lower force, but fatigue even slower. Ie. light resistance work, 10k run.
These also have optimal rest/work ratios to maintain the optimal output.
Phosphagen: Work:Rest (1:12 to 1:20). Optimal recovery towards the higher end.
Glycolitic: Work:Rest (1:3 to 1:5). Optimal recovery towards the higher end.
Oxidative: Work:Rest (1:1 to 1:3). Optimal recovery towards the higher end.
We bleed the lines to attain varying gains in our fitness. When you neglect the parameters of a strength or performance piece, you alter the goal completely. When you rush into something to soon you alter the output completely. Sometimes we want you to go as hard as you can. Sometimes we want you to take adequate rest. Listen to the coaches explanation, follow the output percentages, and listen to your body. We don’t just come up with stuff to crush you. We measure, test, and craft some of the best programs, primarily to improve every part of you.
All yours,
Coach Chesty