Introduction
If you're reading this you're probably interested in training, training to improve whatever metric you're focused on. I personally certainly am -- in fact, you can say that I'm obsessed with improving. The thought that I could ready myself for future events itself fills me with excitement.
As a kid I was always into videogames where you could upgrade equipment, train skills and do quests, because back then life didn't make sense as it does nowadays. I loved how my efforts had real results, and were measurable, which is why I spent an exorbitant amount of time playing said games.
Looking back, I don't regret the time spent, but I do know better nowadays. Nowadays, I know time is better spent working on yourself as a person to improve your odds against actual life challenges.
Training for life
If we were to stick with the videogame analogy, training from my point of view makes a lot more sense. Say there is this very difficult quest that you have to do, with great rewards upon completion. Obviously you will want to succeed with little to no damage (or even death), so you prepare. You prepare via leveling up your skills, getting better equipment among other things. Now back to life, you might ask what quests would I consider doing and how would I prepare -- good question!
Say you want to start a business, start a family, write a book etc. For each of these 'quests' you will need specific skills like grammar, financial knowledge, a working reproductive system and so forth -- but, there are overlapping skills that apply to whatever quest you will ever start, and here is where things get interesting.
No matter what your plans are in life, your body & mind will either hinder or help you, so it's best to improve your odds by fortifying and training both.
Before I get into the nitty gritty, I will first elaborate on what I mean by 'systems. Understanding systems can be a bit tricky, but once you do grasp the concept you can apply this wisdom anywhere.
What is a system?
Life to us seems infinitely complex, and it is, but it's also not. Just like anything, life has rules, or better said, principles -- principles that guide structures and flow of life. Once you understand these principles, you will know where to look and what to look for.
Understanding the principles of life can seem very daunting, and if you do not understand the structure, it is. But in this article we'll move away from the finer details behind principles, and focus on one VERY important principle; systems.
To keep things simple, just remember that a biological system (you) constantly tries to make sense of things, and it needs information to do so. What's also good to know that you (the biological system) consist of many smaller subsystems, like your respiratory system, cardiovascular system, digestive system etc.
Lastly, before we get into training, I'd like you to take note that systems abide by 'antifragility', a term coined by Nassim Taleb.
''Antifragility is a property of systems in which they increase in capability to thrive as a result of stressors, shocks, volatility, noise, mistakes, faults, attacks, or failures''
Source: Antifragility - Wikipedia
What this means is that biological systems can be made stronger via exposure to stress, AKA training.
What does the training look like?
if you wish to strengthen your biological subsystems via Antifragility, first and foremost you have to be specific; what exact subsystem do you want to train, and what are its entry points. I will list a few subsystems down below, and how you can train them.
The respiratory system
This system takes care of the circulation of oxygen and carbon dioxide. It's entry points are the mouth and the nose.
A few benefits of training this system are
- Greater ability to stay calm under pressure
- Greater fat burning capacity
- Higher neural output
- Better sleep
Ways to train this system
- Overbreathing
- Underbreathing
- Heavy nasal beathing
- Explosive mouth breathing
The cardiovascular system
This system takes care of the circulation of blood throughout your body. It's entry points are your mouth, nose, speed of movement, load on the body and state of the nervous system
A few benefits of training this system are
- Greater recovery
- Greater endurance
- Greater focus
Ways to train this system
- Short bouts of intensity
- Heat & cold exposure
- Walking
- Endurance training
The nervous system
This system directs most of the subsystems in the body. It's entry points are all of your senses as well as your predictions.
A few benefits of training this system are
- Greater agression
- Greater capacity to calm down
- More efficiency
- Better stress management
Ways to train this system
- Engage in intense willful stress
- Meditation
- Plant medicine
- Engage in novel activities
The skeletal system
This system takes care of stability in the system, as well as acting as a force transductor, vibrational information among other things. It's entry points are general impact on the body and tension.
A few benefits of training this system are
- Sensing of environment
- Handling more load
- Thicker muscles
Ways to train this system
- Impact training
- Carrying heavy weight
The muscular system
This system takes care of force production. It's entry points are the hands, the jaw and the feet.
A few benefits of training this system are
- Greater power
- Higher cell transduction
- Greater strength
Ways to train this system
- Move heavy weight
- Explosive training
- Controlled repetitions.
Final word
The main benefit you get from training subsystems versus general training is specificity, through a specific intent. General training will always end in hitting a plateau, training subsystems can get you much much further.
Wish to know more about the author?
Head over to www.willemvanzanten.com
Introduction
If you're reading this you're probably interested in training, training to improve whatever metric you're focused on. I personally certainly am -- in fact, you can say that I'm obsessed with improving. The thought that I could ready myself for future events itself fills me with excitement.
As a kid I was always into videogames where you could upgrade equipment, train skills and do quests, because back then life didn't make sense as it does nowadays. I loved how my efforts had real results, and were measurable, which is why I spent an exorbitant amount of time playing said games.
Looking back, I don't regret the time spent, but I do know better nowadays. Nowadays, I know time is better spent working on yourself as a person to improve your odds against actual life challenges.
Training for life
If we were to stick with the videogame analogy, training from my point of view makes a lot more sense. Say there is this very difficult quest that you have to do, with great rewards upon completion. Obviously you will want to succeed with little to no damage (or even death), so you prepare. You prepare via leveling up your skills, getting better equipment among other things. Now back to life, you might ask what quests would I consider doing and how would I prepare -- good question!
Say you want to start a business, start a family, write a book etc. For each of these 'quests' you will need specific skills like grammar, financial knowledge, a working reproductive system and so forth -- but, there are overlapping skills that apply to whatever quest you will ever start, and here is where things get interesting.
No matter what your plans are in life, your body & mind will either hinder or help you, so it's best to improve your odds by fortifying and training both.
Before I get into the nitty gritty, I will first elaborate on what I mean by 'systems. Understanding systems can be a bit tricky, but once you do grasp the concept you can apply this wisdom anywhere.
What is a system?
Life to us seems infinitely complex, and it is, but it's also not. Just like anything, life has rules, or better said, principles -- principles that guide structures and flow of life. Once you understand these principles, you will know where to look and what to look for.
Understanding the principles of life can seem very daunting, and if you do not understand the structure, it is. But in this article we'll move away from the finer details behind principles, and focus on one VERY important principle; systems.
To keep things simple, just remember that a biological system (you) constantly tries to make sense of things, and it needs information to do so. What's also good to know that you (the biological system) consist of many smaller subsystems, like your respiratory system, cardiovascular system, digestive system etc.
Lastly, before we get into training, I'd like you to take note that systems abide by 'antifragility', a term coined by Nassim Taleb.
''Antifragility is a property of systems in which they increase in capability to thrive as a result of stressors, shocks, volatility, noise, mistakes, faults, attacks, or failures''
Source: Antifragility - Wikipedia
What this means is that biological systems can be made stronger via exposure to stress, AKA training.
What does the training look like?
if you wish to strengthen your biological subsystems via Antifragility, first and foremost you have to be specific; what exact subsystem do you want to train, and what are its entry points. I will list a few subsystems down below, and how you can train them.
The respiratory system
This system takes care of the circulation of oxygen and carbon dioxide. It's entry points are the mouth and the nose.
A few benefits of training this system are
- Greater ability to stay calm under pressure
- Greater fat burning capacity
- Higher neural output
- Better sleep
Ways to train this system
- Overbreathing
- Underbreathing
- Heavy nasal beathing
- Explosive mouth breathing
The cardiovascular system
This system takes care of the circulation of blood throughout your body. It's entry points are your mouth, nose, speed of movement, load on the body and state of the nervous system
A few benefits of training this system are
- Greater recovery
- Greater endurance
- Greater focus
Ways to train this system
- Short bouts of intensity
- Heat & cold exposure
- Walking
- Endurance training
The nervous system
This system directs most of the subsystems in the body. It's entry points are all of your senses as well as your predictions.
A few benefits of training this system are
- Greater agression
- Greater capacity to calm down
- More efficiency
- Better stress management
Ways to train this system
- Engage in intense willful stress
- Meditation
- Plant medicine
- Engage in novel activities
The skeletal system
This system takes care of stability in the system, as well as acting as a force transductor, vibrational information among other things. It's entry points are general impact on the body and tension.
A few benefits of training this system are
- Sensing of environment
- Handling more load
- Thicker muscles
Ways to train this system
- Impact training
- Carrying heavy weight
The muscular system
This system takes care of force production. It's entry points are the hands, the jaw and the feet.
A few benefits of training this system are
- Greater power
- Higher cell transduction
- Greater strength
Ways to train this system
- Move heavy weight
- Explosive training
- Controlled repetitions.
Final word
The main benefit you get from training subsystems versus general training is specificity, through a specific intent. General training will always end in hitting a plateau, training subsystems can get you much much further.
Wish to know more about the author?
Head over to www.willemvanzanten.com