Growing up as a Preacher’s son, I’m no stranger to the good book. Ecclesiastes is probably my favorite book in the Bible. It talks about the vanity or fruitlessness of many pursuits in life including the pursuit of knowledge. Every time I pass my bloated library, I’m reminded of this verse:
“But beyond this, my son, be warned: the writing of many books is endless and the excessive devotion to books is wearying to the body.”
–Attributed to Solomon
Ecclesiastes 12:12, ASV
It’s no accident that I’m personal trainer. I share so many of the traits: the foremost being my packrat nature. In times past, I was a collector. I collected gym shoes, clients, injuries, information and certifications.
In the more recent past, I’ve started collecting something else: PRs. Personal Records. But to collect these personal bests has required I stop collecting everything else.
“We’re not here to put another tool in your tool box. We’re here to clean out your garage.”
–Adam T. Glass
The body is a sensorimotor organism. It moves and it feels. For every sensation, there is an appropriate action. Hunger means eat; thirsty means drink; tired means sleep.
I consider information to be just a collection of sensations. These are sensations which, just like hunger, require action. What does this little piece of information require of us?
It requires us to stop collecting more information, more dots. It requires us to connect more information to other information, connect more dots and connect our sensations to our actions.
For a trainer, this means stop collecting. Stop collecting every certification, every pop neurology book, every fancy piece of equipment…unless you change your actions based on that information. Your only limitation in life is time…and you’re running out of it.
How are you going to spend it? I recommend you get your ass to the gym to collect more PRs, collect more clients by working on your online and offline business,’ and collect more incredible life experiences by connecting with higher quality people.
The only time we need to collect more information is when we don’t know how to act or know that we can act better. Are there things you know to do that you aren’t doing? Test it. See if you can do it now.
There’s always something you can do. Collect the right things and your life will connect in very interesting ways. It’s worked for me and it’s working better all the time.
{ 38 comments }
I think finding unlikely associations is what leads to creativity. hmmm
I agree Darryl.
But we only need distal associations when the proximal ones are insufficient.
That is what metaphor and simile are all about.
Ah, yes…connecting with people. It’s such a good feeling when you meet someone for the first time and click with that person in an instant, isn’t it, Frankie?
Tomas I believe you missed the point on this post
Maybe YOU missed it glassy.
No, I didn’t. Frankie mentioned connecting with higher quality people and it brought up sweet memories.
I completely agree, Tomas.
Great post Frankie and I find myself asking more and more lately ;
“Do I need to be doing/know more or do I need to be doing/connecting what I know better?”
GM is so very JKD in philosophy, I love it.
Big fan of our first MMA – JKD and its founder Sifu Lee.
“If you are going to collect the dots, you must connect the dots” – ck
It’s only cool when I quote myself. Doesn’t work for anyone else.
Thank you! I needed to hear this today!
You’re very welcome.
I’d like to introduce myself. My name’s Michael Hood and I’ve followed this community for several months now and want to say “Hey!” for the first time. I finished Z Health R phase about five months ago and discovered this site not too long ago after hearing about this thing called biofeedback/Gym Movement.
I have a question:
Is Gym Movement/Grip n’ Rip really and different than basic Z Health principles?
I suppose putting a label on something that is true regardless of who’s selling the idea doesn’t really make a difference. I’m curious though. Is it simply difference in application or is there something entirely new here? The concept of testing movements and avoiding elements of effort seems pretty much the same basic idea that was thrown out in R-phase, namely the four elements of efficiency and testing everything you do.
I ordered the Grip n’ Rip DVD to my house stateside but since I’m deployed on a frikkin’ ship in the middle of the ocean I haven’t been able to watch it yet and see if there is any more info in there. Any responses would be awesome!
Peace,
Michael
You got it, it’s completely the same thing.
That’s why all the Z nuts (examples: Cobb, mc) are broken and in pain.
And all the GM people are setting obscene PRs and injury-free.
Dave is a just a tad hyperbolic.
Watch what happens when someone mentions Tennessee, Whitley or Iron Tamer.
The Iron Tamer’s no (no = 90%) nonsense post after trying and not properly applying the GM protocol didn’t go over so well with Dave, ah?
I’m hoping the protocol keeps working as well as it has so far, because in a couple of years, we’re all going to be some pretty BAMFs.
Iron Tamer.
Oh god damnit.
Where is a kettlebell fat loss expert when you need one?
My guess is hiding in a walk-in closet eating Ben and Jerry’s while guys half his weight match his personal best deadlift.
Michael, I have almost no experience with z, but in my conversations with mike Nelson, he has said to me that if what you do doesn’t help you hit prs every time you train, then it isn’t what we are doing. The application seems to be quite different in gm. You move better and better specifically to hit prs every time.
Very different, Z is far off the mark in many areas. Look at Frankies article “Pain makes you stupid” for your starting point.
Z. Yes, it’s that different. Speaking from the perspective of a “Level 4 Z-Trainer…although that doesn’t matter much,” the theory is much different than the application. I’ve seen a lot of trainers miss the boat entirely, including at the level 4 certs where you see grimacing faces during muscle testing by both the testee and the tester, Level 1 certs trying to “effort” their way into movement in the associated joints, and oh yeah – secluding Z to only joint mobility, rather than to any and all exercises they do in the gym.
Oh and besides that Gym Movement works that much faster. Besides that it’s even more user friendly. Having gone to some several days of Z training, and only going through 2 days of Movement training…yeah, I’ll stick to Movement training and recommend anyone else I know to it. Faster, Physiological, and Effortless – What Z should have been, but never was.
Well, of course, I agree Darryl.
But thanks for saying it.
Daryl,
I’m considering attending the Z level 2 course in a month or so. Seeing as you’ve gone through all the levels. I’d like your input: Is the info there concerning visual/vestibular issues that valuable or can those same sorts of issues be addressed through GM?
My thought is that GM is more or less fool proof and quite a bit simpler but it seems like there might be quite a few people out there who could benefit from the directly targeting specific vis/vestib issues. What are your thoughts?
Michael,
Here is the take away from I-Phase.
1. No need to do any of the joint mobility as taught.
2. Test Cervical movements and perform what tests well.
That addresses all “vestibular” issues that can be addressed biomechanically.
3.Test both eyes up, down, either side or any transition.
Practice those that test well.
One oculomotion that isn’t/wasn’t taught at I-Phase is convergence/divergence.
Eyes cross / eyes uncross.
Test and practice if that tests well.
That addresses all “oculomotor” issues that can be addressed biomechanically.
4. No need for specific PREP, PNRT, Rombergs or Fukuda tests.
Wish someone would’ve told me this.
Would’ve saved me a few thousand dollars.
Waste of time. Talked to another Z trainer I previously inducted into Z and when I explained the differing philosophies – The Movement came out much more logical and straightforward without all the fluff (She’s done Level 1 and 2 of Z), and that’s from her.
Read Frankie’s post below and that pretty much is I-Phase in a snap, including any Vestibular specific issues you were asking.
Michael here’s a question, If the body is really all the body, all the time, why do visual and vestibular systems have to be targeted with “special” drills? Don’t the visual and vestibular system play a part in any and everything we do?
Michael,
First of all, welcome.
To your comment.
Myself as well as many other members of The Movement were among the first of the Z-Health educated including Craig Keaton, Mike T Nelson, Marty Lotspeich…and a few others that haven’t made themselves public yet.
While we agree on many principles, our practices are fairly disparate.
I did my best to take what I learned in Z – specificity, adaptation, etc. to their logical conclusion. While our starting points are similar, where we’ve ended up is very different.
I often say,
“If you’re not PRing every workout, then you’re not doing what we’re doing.”
It’s really that simple.
I think you hit on the essence of happiness there. If you’ve got health, good relationships, and your passion/purpose then what else is there?
Michael, in our BioPsych course we redefine happiness…but you’re in the ballpark.
Cool stuff! I’ve heard quite a bit about the the two way relationship between body language and emotional state. I understand that negative body position (head forward, slump posture, etc) induces negative emotions while positive body positions (chest lifted, shoulders relaxed, etc) induces positive emotions. Most of this info has come from social dynamics and relationship coach types who always talk about getting in “state” for peak performance. I’m really curious to hear what you’ve got to say and where you’re going with it.
I like a lot of NLP and Tony Robbins info.
While biomechanical postures and movements alter emotional states…
there are more specific and linear paths to resolving emotional stresses.
Frankie
very nice, it is something i am working on myself very helpful piece thankyou for the insight
You’re very welcome, Mike.
Look forward to meeting you soon.
“The simpler you make things, the richer the experience becomes.” -Steve House
Defanitely connected some dots this past weekend. I have a whole lot of dots from several extremely unlikely places that fell into place in absolutely epic ways: drug and alcohol addiction researchers, tracking/survival/wilderness awareness experts, etc. Adam- I think I might have been the “weirdest one in the room.” Frankie- philosopher vs. scientist some time. Lots of questions!
Hey Frankie,
Funny that I was just thinking about how much I get from your posts (hence the tweet), then you go and drop this bomb on us. Bomb in a good way, haha.
I’m sure you’ve seen time and time again just how much of the opposite (collecting) approach there is. In fact, it cracks me up when I talk about GM etc at work and people say “Ohhh, I heard about..” something related but they NEVER FUCKING ACTED!
Not only that but people never evolve ideas, they never extrapolate and expand. What’s the point in collecting information if you’re just going to regurgitate it instead of evolving and actually freaking utilizing it? Case in point, instead of signing up for Z-Health courses I used GM (specifically through Toe Touch) to test various eye movements and focus ranges on two workmates that have chronic “lazy eyes” and they are now consistently progressing toward correcting this issue that has irritated them all their lives. One was even going to pay thousands of dollars for corrective surgery which he now will likely not need!
If people are only connecting dots that seem related at a glance, they’re missing out too. Seems inapplicable? Test. Yes or no? Relationship status resolved. Simple.
Fuck, bit of a ramble there, sorry bout that. Main point: This post should be made compulsory reading for all over the age of 8 or so. Full stop.
Excellent work, Piers!