I Can’t Perform This Exercise.

One of my young wards has an algebra final today that he has been dreading for the better part of the last two weeks.  The obvious reason: He’s “not so good in math.”  Now, mind you, he’s a thoughtful, insightful kid to whom most things (in school, anyways) come easy.

Often, when undergoing the learning process, clients will complain to me, “I can’t do this exercise! I’m not a natural athlete.”  Well, that may be true at the moment – “yet…”

What does it mean to be a “natural?”  To the observer, the natural athlete moves with a grace and fluidity that the average person doesn’t possess.  The natural makes everything look easy.

That level of performance can be a function of natural talent and latent ability, but more often, performance is an indicator of the amount of practice put into an endeavor.  One of the more interesting notions tossed around in Malcolm Gladwell’s “Outliers” is the idea that there is a quantifiable amount of practice that is required for skill mastery, irrespective of latent talent.  In other words, if you put in the time, you can end up performing at the highest levels, despite not having so-called “natural talent”.  In fact, it’s likely that you’ll surpass those so-called “natural athletes” – unless, of course, they put in more practice time than you do (and there’s evidence that they do just that – making them look like “natural athletes”).

What does this mean for you and your exercise?  That it’s ok if you can’t squat without falling over, or that your shoulders keep popping up when you press overhead.  You just need more practice; that’s all.  Take the time to perfect your form; allow yourself the opportunity to adjust to resistances before you pile the weight on; keep at it, no matter how awkward you feel.  Eventually, not only will you look like a pro, you’ll get the results you’re looking for as well.

So what did I end up doing for Max?  You guessed it: I did my best to help him understand the concepts and made him do practice problems until his arm fell off.  Practice might not make you perfect, but it sure as heck makes you better.

Edited (6/23/09):  In case you were wondering, Max got a 92 on his algebra final.  He’s a natural.