Have a Loose Structure

Categories: Blog, Press RESET, Pressing RESET, Training, Training Program, Movement Routine, Agile Dec 12, 2022

I used to be like Rain Man. 

Definitely. Definitely. 

I was very regimented, and I was obsessed with my regiment. Especially when it came to my training. I had routines, logs, plans, cycles, set and rep schemes, and so on. I showed up and trained according to my plan, which I did not deviate from. 

No matter what!

And sometimes, it hurt me. My body would be in pain, or it would try to warn me to make a course correction, and I wouldn’t listen to it because I had to follow my plan. So I would push on to carry out my plan and get injured and unable to carry out my future plans. I was rigid, and I would not bend. 

And oftentimes, this kept me from growing. By insisting that I follow my magic plans, I failed to listen, learn, and adapt. Even when I got injured, I refused to learn from the incident and instead looked for “work-a-rounds” to get back on my newly updated routine as soon as possible. Sadly, I often still find this habit hard to break. 

Anyway, by rigidly adhering to my plans, I failed to learn how to go with the flow of my body. The body has so much more wisdom than our mind’s plans, especially when it comes to all things involving movement and physical performance. By not acknowledging my body’s messages, I abused it instead of nurturing it. 

Thankfully, my body’s gentleness and forgiveness have weathered my mind's relentlessly rigid ways. And thankfully, I’ve started learning how to bend and learn from my body. As a result, I move better than I ever have, and I feel amazing a great deal of the time. 

I won’t lie. I still make training plans, but they are loosely held. I call it a “loose structure.” For example, Monday might be RESET and bodyweight day - That’s the plan. How it works itself out may be more up to my body than my mind. I’ve learned to let go of sets, reps, and schemes, and instead, I often move for blocks of time. I may roll unstructured for ten minutes. I may explore rocking and my body’s response to rocking for ten minutes. I love doing this as this is how I now learn to move in new and different ways. This is how I learn what my movement options are, and this is how I increase my movement options. 

Ok, to be very honest, I haven’t set aside all numbers. I still LOVE my Daily 21s, and that certainly is a number, but I’ve learned how to explore and listen inside of that number. And I may change out a movement for a new movement every single day. For example, instead of doing 21 Hindu Squats, I try to perform 21 different squats. Again, I’m exploring, listening, and learning. I’m trying to create more fluidity in my mind by exploring the fluidity of my body. 

And it is working. 

By being less rigid and exploring through my training sessions, I’m learning to move better and become freer in both my mind and body. And that feels good. It’s even allowed me to become curious about “traditional strength” movements that involve bars and weights. Now, for the first time in my life, I am able to try to learn from the movements instead of simply trying to complete the movements. 

And, because I’m not being rigidly led by my Rain Man alter ego, I am able to listen to my body and respect the loads it feels the best using. I’m not trying to lift any certain weight other than the weight that makes my body feel great. And, of course, that does indeed feel great. 

I’m sharing this because it’s very easy to get swept away by a plan, an idea, or a way of training. It’s easy to make our training approach like a religion. Plans feel comfortable. Knowing what sets and reps we are going to accomplish feels “safe.” But much more gold is to be found at the end of the self-exploration rainbow. By getting uncomfortable and just showing up to learn from our body and movements, we can gain more wisdom, physical literacy, and freedom in our lives. I’m not suggesting that we abandon sets and reps altogether; I’m mostly maybe suggesting that we lower them down on the Priority Pole, that we loosely hold on to our training plans, and that we approach training to learn something about ourselves. 

Add some loose structure to your training. Once or twice a week, train a movement or series of movements for time. Have no other purpose than to learn something or discover something about your body and about yourself. It can be well worth your time and it really can lead you to discover how good it feels to feel good. 

 

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