Do you find it odd that when something is true we can assign meaning, analyze, evaluate, and a host of other tactical uses, but when something is even just slightly inaccurate it’s not even slightly useful for the same tasks? I do.
How useful is a calculator that’s off by “just a little” when doing your taxes? It’s all-the-way useless.
It’s like the whole set-your-clock-five-minutes-fast trick. The most useful clock is the most accurate one. If the time on a watch is rigorously accurate, it’s utility is highest. Conversely, setting your clock some number of minutes fast in order to increase productivity usually results in two things. Firstly, the clock’s owner knows the time is inaccurate and, secondly, the clock’s owner often has to do more work calculating how much time he/she really has to get to work.
I’ll be the first to tell you that GPP class isn’t the seventh game of the World Series but, while were at it, we might as well get some accurate information. If you so choose, you can then assign meaning, analyze, evaluate, etc. It’d be tough to improve on an effort that can’t be accurately measured, right? So, in turn, we assign specific range of motion standards, rep schemes, and loads. Except, once you cut a rep short, (say not squatting to depth or missing the lockout on a push up) the statement of what occurred in that day’s training isn’t true anymore. Not only is it not true, it’s not even measurable anymore.
When the integrity of the information is lost (even just a little), we lose everything. What does it mean when you run a 400m run in one minute and fifteen seconds, but only go to the corner (rather than the full distance)? Who knows, should we measure that distance? Should we take a mental note that you have a hell of a 389.63m run time on you? It doesn’t seem worth it to run all that way for zero information in return.
Movement integrity is an all or nothing game. When your chin doesn’t get over the bar, well, I don’t know what to call that. Calibrate your watches with movement integrity even if it’s for nothing other than selfishly getting some useful information out of your effort.
As we say, “hold the standard.”
Logan Gelbrich
@functionalcoach
5/31/16 WOD
Complete the following for time:
21 Snatches (135/95)
21 Toes-to-Bar
400m Run
15 Snatches
15 Toes-to-Bar
400m Run
9 Snatches
9 Toes-to-Bar
400m Run