Do you need a pull, a push or a nudge?

Sometimes it doesn't take much to nudge someone into action who is already leaning in the right  direction.  A colleague of mine likes to put it in terms of pushing and pulling.  He does not mind pushing his clients, but will not pull them.  In other words, if they are out in front and just need a shove from time to time, he is their man, but if they are unmotivated and he feels like he is there as a watchdog to drag them in for training every time he is not interested.

But if someone is really ready you don't even have to push, you just need to give them a little nudge.  It all depends on where the person is mentally in their process of deciding what is right for them.  There is an interesting and well recognized scale of mental readiness for exercise developed by Marcus et al.

• Precontemplation describes the stage of readiness to exercise of a person who is not exercising and has no intention of exercising in the near future.
• Contemplation describes the stage of a person who is not currently exercising but is thinking about exercising in the near future.
• Preparation is defined as the stage when a person is not only thinking about exercising, but also is starting to participate in physical activity on a limited basis.
• The Action stage describes the stage of someone who has recently become physically active on a regular basis.
• Maintenance describes the stage of someone who has been physically active on a regular basis for at least 6 months.

Marcus et al.(from Brenda L. Rooney, PhD, MPH)

Someone in Precontemplation could not even be pulled into a training regimen.  Wellness and exercise are not even on the radar.  You could probably pull someone in Contemplation into the gym and hopefully move them along the spectrum through action.  But as we move into Preparation, especially if you've been there for a while, sometimes it just takes a little nudge to make a meaningful difference.

The day before yesterday I sent a message out to my Momentum Training News subscribers.  It talked about the importance of taking action to achieve goals.  And it provided free access to the FlowFit program in order to start taking action immediately towards their wellness goals.  At any rate, I was very gratified to receive the following message as a result.

HI Adam,
 
Thank you so much for this email.  I had been an athlete at pretty high levels during my first thirty years.  I have fallen very out of shape which is not unusual and have been trying to build momentum to get my butt moving over the last year.  For whatever reason (usual, time, limited space home etc.) I had not been able to.  Now there really is no excuse with the suggestion you make to begin with flowfit!  I’m psyched, not cause it’s such a revolution but because it finally gets me going and I know where it’s gonna lead.  I am going to be by doing!
 
Many many thanks,

All this guy needed was a gentle nudge.  He was ready!  I left his name out because I don't know if he would want it floated out into cyber space, but I'm hoping he'll drop a few lines into the comments on this post.

So, what stage are you in?  Does it vary throughout the year?  Can you actively affect what stage you are in, or is it a completely organic process?  I'd love to have your thoughts.

Comments

[John Sifferman - Real World Strength Training]

I've been in a maintenance stage for the last 8 years. Physical activity has always been a part of my life, and I have my parents to thank for that. It is such a blessing to be able to move so freely, and a gift to enjoy good health.

For the most part, I have to take action daily to remain physically active. It's certainly not a built-in feature for life that just happens automatically. It takes work. But it does get ingrained as a habit, especially in regard to practicing certain things and playing. Who wouldn't enjoy playing a little bit every day?

Sometimes, I need a nudge to get started on a new training goal - but more times than not, I have to hold myself back from trying to do too many things at once.

Wintertime is when I have my most formal, and structured training time. Summertime is usually more relaxed, since I'm active almost everyday doing something fun - climbing, hiking, swimming, etc. I'll still work on specific goals in the summer, but I can't be rigid about it all the time. I usually adopt more a practice mindset during the summer, and a training mindset during the winter - but not always.

To your health and success,

John Sifferman

P.S. I filmed those clubbell mills for you Adam - I think there has been a slight improvement in shoulder pack - but mills don't feel any easier, and they felt awkward yesterday, I'm afraid to say. There are two clips, one from Monday, and one from Wednesday.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsG9VMCYJN0

[Adam]

Hey John,

Always great to hear how you are doing!

I took a look at those Mills. Actually they are VERY good. You are among the smoothest "Millers" I've seen. Right now, to take it to the next level you have to work on the trajectory of the Clubbell head and by extension your hand.

Take a look at my Mills here (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLMfRXM2S2Y). You'll see that my hand really never goes any further than my shoulder. Now watch your video and you will see that your hand often travels as far as behind your head. This all starts from the end of the bottom of the arc created as the Clubbell swings in front of your body. When it gets to about 45° you need to pull back on the Clubbell so that it starts to "clean" up to the side and can slip in just over your shoulder instead of traveling high and then deep behind your back.

Let me know if that makes sense to you John.

Cheers,
Adam

[John Sifferman - Real World Strength Training]

Thanks for the critique Adam! and for the compliment, I didn't think my milling was all that great. I see what you mean, and I think I am doing what you're saying with the "side clean," only perhaps I'm a bit too late resulting in the extra, unnecessary ROM. I will try to improve it in today's session, and get it on tape. I'll send you a video once I've nailed it down. RPT 10 :)

When doing the "side clean" portion of the mill, I have been working on getting the lift from leg drive and hip snap, but it still feels like a mostly upper body movement (ie from the shoulder shrugging). My understanding is that the clean should be a combination of both, but do you have any pointers for improving leg drive and limiting shoulder shrug. I think that was one of my problems with keeping shoulder pack before - I would tend to clean the clubbell up with too much upper body pulling.

Best regards,

John

[Adam]

Hey John,

I use the term clean, but it really can't be compared to a clean with a conventional tool because of the circular nature of the movement and the inherent momentum involved.

The "side clean" action comes mostly from arm flexion (bicep would be most involved muscle if you wanted to break it down like that). But this is aided greatly by both a lateral weight shift away from the Clubbell (that is about the only "Leg Drive" ivolved in the movement) and a rotational movement of the shoulder (the same side shoulder is rotating back slightly) as it shrugs.

That probably all is a bit hard to grok in writing, but if you look at my YouTube clip again with that in mind you should be able to pick it up.

Hope that helps.

Cheers,
Adam

[John Sifferman - Real World Strength Training]

Adam,

I definitely grooved a different movement this week when changing my arm positioning - felt different, but more efficient. So, that's progress!

I think what I need to focus on right now is trying to make it feel smoother, rather than focus on little details like leg drive. I can visualize myself performing mills perfectly, and I think just a little more practice will yield excellent results. Thanks again for your help!

Best regards,
John

[Adam]

Hey John,

You're dead on! Have you ever read the book The Inner Game of Tennis? It is all about seeing and feeling the skill and then reproducing that image in practice and competition. It is right along the lines of what you are saying. Mills more than any other Clubbell exercise, feel more a dance to me than an exercise...

Cheers,
Adam

[John Sifferman - Real World Strength Training]

Adam,

I have not read the book, but I do use visualization regularly to help myself and my clients learn new skills. I have found visualization to even help rudimentary joint mobility movements improve. The idea that ROM at a joint is physically limited by mental limitations we place on ourselves is fascinating to me.

John

[Sara at On Simplicity]

Push, pull, or nudge... How about a hearty shove off a cliff? That's more where I am. I appreciate your point here, though--I need to work on my readiness and overall interest level before anything's gonna stick.