It behooves both coach and athlete to have a thorough understanding of the importance of context when it comes to movement.

For example, I may cue an athlete to slow down the descent in her squat one week, and may cue her to speed up the descent in her squat the next week. I wouldn’t do this because I’m forgetful or unknowledgeable or uncertain, but because different contexts demand different approaches. Standards form our backbone -- we always defer to principles of good biomechanicals -- but context forms everything that covers that backbone.

Deciphering movement context (i.e., what is good movement in this case?) works best in the form of a few simple questions:

1 - Is the movement safe? (Are the biomechanics sound?)

2 - Is the movement effective? (Does it accomplish the task and adhere to the standards?)

3 - Is the movement efficient? (Does it waste or conserve energy?)

Sometimes movement won’t look exactly how we expect it to look, sometimes movements may break rules, and often this can be uncomfortable and confusing. But we can decipher context with our basic litmus test of questions to get some handles on how to talk about movements as better or worse.

Rules are easy, and undeniably helpful, and it’s imperative to learn the rules first. But remember, context matters.

- PS

6/27/18

• 5 min AMRAP

• 2 rope climb ascents

• 10 cal row

• Rest 3 mins

• 5 min AMRAP

• 10 push press (75/55)

• 10 cal row

• Rest 3 mins

• 5 min AMRAP

• 2 rope climb ascents

• 10 push press (75/55)