I have decided that there would be some value in sharing an earlier exchange between myself and a long-time good friend (and also an ex-client, as well as a colleague, as you’ll see from the topic at hand).
Until now, I’d hesitated sharing any of my musings on these topics on this platform (in this case, exercise, but I would also include nutrition in here. I’ll explain a bit more as we go along), because I had explored them “de fond en comble” for nearly three decades and a few years ago, had vowed to stay away from the topic, partly out of principle, and largely for my own sanity. I had seen and lived my share of frustrations with the “fitness” [sic] industry, as well as the field of nutrition as a whole, I had spent a good decade+ on Facebook doing my best to demystify all the dogma and nonsense, and I frankly just didn’t see the point anymore. So much of this stuff ends up being too emotionally-tied/-driven, bordering on fanaticism (not to say a form religionism), and finding a charitable place from which to rationally discuss these concepts became too challenging…
So, it may come as a surprise, especially for those who only knew me/of me through this platform, that I seemingly, out-of-the-blue, start writing on exercise, biomechanics, physiology or, God help me, nutrition! We’ll have to see on that last one...
I’m conceiving of this, at least for the time being, as more of an exercise in sharing where my mind is at at any given moment, “à l’impromptu”, as a means, if you will, for exploring the boundaries, philosophical and other, of what we could, broadly speaking, define as “human expression through movement”. Because ultimately, what is a human in the absence of movement… (“A dead human, my dear Watson, dead…”)
I had already expressed reservations, in my second Substack post, about setting any limitations or restrictions on the nature or scope of my musings, even struggling with coming up with an appropriate name for this blog, so let’s see this as a first venture outside of the realm of my first few write-ups (although, as I wrote, this is certainly not a neophyte’s venture, by any stretch of the imagination).
In a sense though, learning how to move, and why, may very well be the most basic step towards illegibility.
How so, you ask?
Well, as some of you very well know by now, I have spent much of my adult life exploring the concept of learned helplessness, and how the latter is perpetuated via our institutions, certainly, but also, quite often, through the very people who claim to care for or love us. Friends, parents, spouses, family members, teachers (it’s why sometimes I have referred to it as “taught helplessness”)…
And learned helplessness, I would contend, is the mother of all legibility. The more you seek and desire and, over the years, learn to need the comforts provided by the very institutions (educational, medical, political, etc.) that claim to have your welfare at heart, the more legible you become, by virtue of how you become embedded in the system, and increasingly so as technology takes hold of such spheres of human activity.
If the last two years have taught us nothing, it should have at least provided this valuable lesson: the more an institution insists (scratch that… coerces you into the belief that) your health is truly what matters to them, the faster you should run in the exact opposite direction. The more these same institutions and the people at their helm start bandying around words or terms likes “safety”, “security”, “protection”, “the greater good” or, worst of all, “Science™”, the more you should think twice about relinquishing to them any of your hard-earned freedoms…
On that concluding introductory comment, here is the shared exchange I alluded to at the onset. (I’ll offer, in [brackets], a few clarifications as needed, to provide further context)…
Colleague: "That is really interesting and something I find myself constantly struggling with. I have been exploring what type of training is best for me as I age and even what physique (weight) is most conducive to living a healthy life as I approach 40 (two years off).
Do you feel that the body building [physical culture vs. “bodybuilding”] and walking (with some biking) that we've been following [and recommending] over the last few years requires something else to compliment it? Is there a health and long-term benefit to exploring training like you currently are, or is it mostly about what you've experienced with [my daughter; as part of her triple jump preparation] and being able to play with the neighbourhood kids?"
Me: I am starting to think so. I remember really getting into Signorile's work, some 10 years ago or so [my dear friend Ken O’Neil, who recently died, was the one who introduced me to Signorile], and especially his book "Bending the Aging Curve", which stipulated that power output was a huge key to longevity and the prevention of injury. Now, of course, when you view this [strictly] through the lens of "slow movement doesn't mean low power output" [in reference, here, to peak vs. mean power output] (which I believe holds true, no matter what), one might end up brushing that off as inconsequential.
But I think that, outside of the evident "risk" that invariably comes with reducing "movement fluency", with one’s pool of regular movements typically getting further reduced over the years (compare a child learning to walk, run, tumble, fall, jump to the average modern Western adult), there is also something to be said about removing certain "peak power output" exposures, and the potentially nefarious consequences of neglecting that aspect of training. So, sure, power output (mean) may be the same in the context of slow controlled bodybuilding movement, but what does that imply in terms of PEAK power output, and the ramifications of neglecting this aspect, not just for muscles, but more importantly, for joints and tendons. Not to mention for the nervous system…
But then the question always comes: how do we juggle the benefits involved in providing an environment rich with various exposures, including peak power, while being aware of and mitigating the risks? For things as mundane as having to run for a train or plane, or having to suddenly catch ourselves to prevent a fall after stumbling over stairs, or a shoe? [Dan John often talked about the importance of ground/mat work, emphasizing that partaking in a martial art that teaches one how to fall… and get up, may be one of the most useful training one could partake in as they age].
I think if one were simply partaking in walking and some form of safe/slow/controlled resistance training WHILE also taking care to include in a few unstructured activities (aka play), then the potential risks I am alluding to might indeed be mitigated. But without that unstructured play, without those opportunities for exploring unplanned and multiplanar, multispeed, multi-ROM movements, I'm starting to suspect that one's training must conceive of a way of integrating these opportunities within its structure.
Colleague: "From your current understanding of health and aging, what does a well-rounded routine look like for someone who wants a mix of aesthetics, athleticism, movement ability, etc? And for you, can that be done at your current weight and physique?"
Me: I'm currently thinking it may be best to forego a bit of mass (this is relative, of course. The average gym-bro or powerlifter wouldn't even begin to think of me as "massive", but in the context of your average joe and of, say, BMI, I am considered overweight, and borderline obese! At my current 10% bodyfat, I know that BMI number is irrelevant in the context of general health, but I can't help but wonder how my joints feel about that) and then, from there, seek out ways to maintain or increase strength (I think at my age, maintaining is progress... maybe lol) and (re-) acquire some form of athleticism, loosely defined, at least for my purposes, as the capacity to play with my kids and their friends (at least for another 5-10 years, I would say).
I've been delving quite deeply into the work of Schroeder, as I said, stuff I hadn't really revisited much in almost 20 years, and through that, Tommy John III (quite obviously inspired by the former). I've been listening to all of the latter's rants (this was his latest; he's awesome, as he gets that "water doesn't hydrate", that "you heal you"—so bye-bye learned helplessness—and emphasizes, constantly, how daily sun exposure is imperative... but he can be a little harsh, so be forewarned!) and for the last little while, I have tried to integrate similar practices into my daily habits. And not just movement (or NEAT, as I have for years), but challenges throughout the day. Although I'm not quite willing to go as far as claiming that we should push so far as to risk injury in training, or that training is where you will/should get hurt, so that you don't get hurt in life... I think that is a fine line that some may wish to attempt to walk at least some of the time, but that the wisdom of the body and, more importantly, the wisdom of listening (or learning to listen) to the body, should come first. Of course, there is a caveat here: how does one come to be good at listening to their bodies if they never push or have never pushed it to the brinks? How does one know anything, without knowing its opposite? Would light, without dark, be understood as light? How about hot, without cold?
I wonder what would Bentov say?
And what says you…