No Party Tricks Here

Athletes often refer to higher skill, fringe movements like the one legged squat, handstand work, and the double under as party tricks. The nickname insinuates a couple things, including it being a less important movement and that the movement is an island with little to no connection to other (more common) movements.

Firstly, stop it. Making things that you don’t excel at less important is just convenient and defeatist. Secondarily, high skill “party tricks” often require a complex combination of capacities. (Fitness blogs need more alliteration.) Without the ability to connect capacities, executing things like pistols, handstand walking, double (or triple) unders, etc can be quite challenging.

If we use “party tricks” as diagnostic tools, we can then up the ante of basic foundational elements like shoulder stability, hip function, basic squatting mechanics, and elasticity to name a few. Before you rush to call a movement stupid for its seemingly fringe nature, ask yourself why it gives you trouble first.

The first step in removing all the chinks in your armor, after all, is knowing you have one in the first place. There are no party tricks here, folks, only simple and complex movement.

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach