Lab Time

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A concept that is discussed in RTS is, if you are a trainer, using your personal workout time as lab time to experiment with all of the different variables that comprise exercise.  Personally, I hadn't done much of this up until the past four weeks or so, opting instead to carry on with the programs I was writing for myself in order to improve my bench, squat, and deadlift and to just get physically stronger.

Funny enough, nobody was paying me to help them increase their bench, squat, or deadlift and maybe one of my clients truly cared about getting significantly stronger.  All of my clients, however, were coming to me because they enjoyed the way their body felt while they worked out with me thanks to the experiences I was able to create with exercise.  At least that's what I was telling myself.

The thing was, I was starting to get frustrated with myself and my inability to really create these experiences with a purpose.  I could break down the magnitude profile of a machine or exercise with little difficulty.  I could tell you what tissue was being challenged and where the approximate resultant was that was being created when I would apply more than one force to a point.

In other words, I could see the whole and break it down to the pieces.  I was struggling with the inverse, though--knowing what specific piece I wanted and creating an exercise for it--until I actually started using my own workout time as lab time.

There's nothing wrong with how I was training before, but if wanted to actually understand what I was doing and how to create it from scratch, I needed to experience it first-hand.  So that's what I've been doing for roughly the past month.  I practice figuring out different ways to challenge, for example, my elbow flexors at different points in the range, intentionally increasing the torque production demand of my tissue at some points in the range and decreasing it at others by manipulating moment arms and force angles.  I experiment with different things to focus on during the reps as well as use different tempos and use different tools to manipulate the resistance.

The result of all this has been a significant improvement in my ability to actually construct exercises as well as create an experience for my client.  Furthermore, it has forced me to think more creatively when it comes to designing exercises, which, when applied appropriately, has improved client experience.

If you don't already, I highly recommend substituting at least one of your regular workouts each week for lab time.  Do the things you have your clients do.  Create the awesome experience for yourself that you are trying to create for them.  Don't be the proverbial skinny chef of personal training!

How much time do you spend each week getting better at creating exercise experiences?

Your body.  Your training.

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