Then and Now!

What's Different: "The No Fear Zone"

I'm thinking it might be wise to briefly go over the ways my "Methuselah Fitness" program is different from any other programs currently available. In so doing, I think it also wise to start by specifically addressing how my current version of the plan, which has evolved after much thought and the aid of some additional college level instruction, is different from what once was "Masters of Independence".

For many who have followed my coaching endeavors these last six years, I can imagine you've been asking yourself exactly what's different from those days at CrossFit Independence.

Surprisingly, little has changed in our overall goals and the tools we use to achieve these goals. There is however, one major (and critical) difference in our approach to achieving those goals.

One factor that seemed to gain attention and override most other aspects of the older program was that the workouts were exceptionally hard! While the difficulty of the tasks I'd prescribe to my members was indeed designed to be considerable, this was hardly my primary motive and, to be honest, that level of difficulty was certainly one of the reasons the program could be so effective.

Unfortunately, it is this principle of "Progressive Overload" in which our various physiological systems must be challenged for any growth and progress to occur. It is also unfortunate that it is this exact principle that the majority of "Senior Fitness Programs" omit. It is still my contention that the senior participant is more than capable of thriving and surviving under sufficient stress to induce  significant gains in their overall fitness (and associated improvements in overall health!). 

To simply set forth this new approach at arriving to an adequate level of difficulty, it would be helpful to directly compare the "Then and Now" approaches utilized.

• My initial program utilized the standard CrossFit model (my previous training and certification), in which you would start with a prescribed level of difficulty that would reflect what the human body would ideally be capable of achieving and you would aim to eventually grow to be able to perform that activity "Rx'd". Once that high level of capacity was defined, it was the coaches job to work hard to "scale down" that activity to assure the participant could safely work his way up to that desired and lofty ideal.
• Under the Methuselah Fitness model, we start at a baseline that anyone can perform and we work hard to "scale up" each activity and each participant must individually earn their right (via good form and acceptable resistance) to progress to a harder implementation.

In a nutshell, what was once my job to "work hard to scale down" in order to make it safe, is replaced with my responsibility to "work hard to scale it up" in order to deliver adequate stress to produce the growth desired.

To walk into a gym and immediately be challenged with a task that can hardly be imagined as even being possible is not the way to encourage gym participation! 

Rest assured, I will help to find an adequate level of challenge to help you grow and progress but I also promise you that you needn't be afraid!