Kids at Play

It was a semi rough week for training. We had some illness (Strep)at the house that spread to my parents, so training was pushed to the side on Thursday and Friday. This morning was just recovery for everyone. What does that do for my current program? It just puts me a week behind. In the big scheme it is not that big of a deal. I will actually restart where I was last week, sets of 20 instead of 30 or even 40 on swings.

I have found missed workouts are just part of life. I would probably have a real setback if I did not train with children everyday. I have learned so much about training from the kids over the last two years. Children just like to move and play. While structure is needed, sometimes letting them chose what to do makes a world of difference. Children move and function naturally. they do not worry about "correct" movements as defined by trainers at the gym. It is great to watch them run and play with pure joy, it translates into the function that we as adults strive for. I believe that we become so burdened and bound up by training at the fancy gyms that it hampers us. There are all kinds of studies out there that touch on this. I will research some and write up an entry later.

I was on the sidewalk of the correct road at least before I found Pavel and the RKC. I trained heavy with heavy weights and lower reps. I trained compound movements for the majority of my workouts. I stayed away from machines as much as I could. It just did not feel right to use all of the cables and chairs that were at the gym. To sit down and exercise seemed to go against what we are trying to accomplish. There are some exercises were you are seated that make sense to achieve certain goals, seated Kettlebell military presses, but a complete workout seated? Maybe not the best way to do it.

I had a lot more injuries on the sidewalk. I was not using the correct methods to lift. My bench sucked for shoulder safety. I pushed with my shoulders by my ears. It was no wonder I was always hurt. I used crappy form in squats and my knees hurt all of the time. I had so much knee and shoulder pain that surgery was a real possibility on both areas.

What does this have to do with kids at play and their training? Kids are not injured all of the time by their exercise/play. Yes, they fall of the monkey bars, bang heads and fall, but how often are they injured by the exercise? It is something I am researching, but in my training of children, I have observed very few sports type injuries. Those injuries tend to occur when children begin to play organized sports and they are pushed hard to excel. Adults always seem to have nagging little injuries. Maybe we need to remember how we played as kids...

One thing I am seeing more of is video games affecting our kids lives. Children seem to be losing some of the real activity that they need in their lives. I was teaching tennis the other week and had several children that they already knew how to play. Where did they learn? They learned on Wii. It would be funny, but I have had them say it about numerous sports, baseball, football and especially bowling! These same children are the ones that seem to be in the worst shape physically and in some cases emotionally. Exercise and mental well being go hand in hand. The ability to catch and throw does equate with an increased ability to excel in school.

Somewhat of a random, meandering post, but hopefully gives a reason to think about training and also what are kids are doing.