I start looking forward to IDEA Personal Trainer Institute around November when all the holiday hub bub starts. I am not a fan of the holidays, but this event is like Christmas to me and it's one gift after another--continuing education, networking, a break from routine and play. After enjoying a nice, full day of the conference I can definitely say I am like a kid who got exactly what she wanted for "Christmas."
The key must have been unlocking the power of my psoas first thing this morning in Sue Hitzmann's session by the same name. Hitzmann's passion for the neurofascial system and her commitment to sharing details about tensegrity in smart and entertaining ways speaks to the trapped inner athlete in me. The one who enjoys pain-free function, that is. Whatever you think you know about the psoas, you owe it to yourself to revisit your understanding and check it against your own body's intelligence. There's a lot more going on than a guide wire from your lumbar spine to your leg (to oversimplify it).
This is where I start getting philosophical about life. Consider yourself forewarned.
With a freshly decompressed lower back, it seemed a little easier to weave through the rest of the day. I was feeling less stressed, less tired, and I enjoyed the company of others a lot more. It also seemed easier to concentrate on the material being presented in the sessions. In fact, although I am more of a kinesthetic learner, I think I might have actually embodied a few concepts from the TRX Rip Training Workout simply from watching. However, it was from a place of action that I think I learned the most important piece of information today.
I am thinking about buying a heavy rope for my personal training practice (I can hear Sandy Todd Webster and Ryan Halvorson chuckling because I am known for collecting toys). I stepped in on Power Systems: Fit on a Rope session led by Don Bahneman and Shannon Fable to watch and determine whether or not I really needed to add this to my toolbox. What I didn't count on was joining in for a few Tabata drills.
I'm not new to this training tool, or much of the programming, but I definitely learned something new today. Maybe it's because I've been thinking too much about personal matters or not thinking enough about others around me. Whatever the reason, working with the ropes and a perfect stranger (new friend) became a metaphor for life. This is what I walked away with:
* Ropes are heavy; life is heavy. You have to grip it with both hands and not let go.
* Like life, heavy rope training encourages sustained output. You need periods of rest and recovery, however, to make real progress.
* You can't train with heavy ropes without some sort of anchor, whether it is a stationary object, a heavy kettlebell or another person. Likewise, it's important to have some sort of anchor in your life to keep you grounded.
* You can't just use your arms to create the movement; you have to use your entire body, from nose to toes. When challenged by life, you have to dig deep to meet it head-on.
* Finally, and most importantly, if you're not playing and having fun, what's the point? It's just a big, fat rope.
So the next time a client irks you, your practice isn't up to par or things just simply aren't going your way, take it to the ropes and see if your mindset shifts with your metabolism.
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