He SAID, She SAID
Specific Adaptation Through Execution and Effort
The ancient Chinese practice of foot binding is one of many clear, albeit macabre, examples of how humans use purposefully applied constraints to our bodies to elicit a known adaptive outcome. In the case of binding the feet as a class symbol the constraints are quite literal. In the case of exercise and human performance the application of constraints to illicit a physiological response is in most cases far more figurative.
The knowledge of imposing a precise demand on structure and chemistry is the cornerstone of the field of exercise science and strength and conditioning. Known as the SAID principle or Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand is a fundamental law of biology that indicates that an organism will adapt specifically to the stresses imposed on them, in this particular case, the human body.
None of this is any front page news to sports or exercise professionals. Trainers, coaches, and athletes wrap all training technologies around this fundamental idea. With that said, my hope is that this article will provide a deeper look into the SAID principle so we may increase our effectiveness in training environments whether you're a performance professional or you're just somebody who wants to maximize outcomes from whatever training you might be already doing. The imposed demands is not the exercise chosen but the execution of the given exercise or exercises.
He SAID
Normally, the application of the SAID principle starts by targeting an adaptation. In terms of physiological attributes those are things like speed, power, strength, and coordination. Natural human movement makes little differentiation in the development of qualities only in outcomes dictated by the environment we happen to find ourselves in. In the world of training however, we emphasize various aspects through the use of external constraints.
Examples of these constraints are exercise selection, repetition ranges, intensity, and time (both performing exercises and resting), as well as volume (the total amount of work) and density (the amount of work in a given time period). All of these together are the common variables that are manipulated in tandem in an effort to elicit more predictable adaptations.
The most obvious and often relied upon by strength coaches is exercise selection. This means broad exercises like squat, deadlift, and bench press as easy examples. But also variations on those themes through the use of specialized equipment or slight modifications that subtly change the effects of the exercise. Think front squat, back squat, goblet squat, and squatting while standing on wedges. All three are squats but each offers the opportunity to pursue some unique stimulus based on equipment or slight changes in orientation for the performer.
Again, not front page news. Every first year strength coach knows these things and has a thousand variations on themes of these exercises. In terms of application however, there are things that are missed by even seasoned professionals when coaching athletes. That is it's not just the what of the exercise that is essential. The how the exercise is executed is at least as important if not more so. This is also where more internal constraints of intention and attention take center stage.
She SAID
One of the issues with broadly assuming external constraints like exercise selection will illicit the desired adaptation alone is that the human body has no idea what exercises are. Like, at all. They are made up by us as a way to constrain movement to provide a more predictable stimulus to our structure. Our bodies speak a much more rudimentary language which is the language of force and chemistry. Magnitude, direction, and timing of force outputs matter as do the cost of fueling those efforts. Any training exercise ever devised by man is simply a combination of those factors imposed on human structure. Of course, yes, exercise selection matters in the manipulation of these factors but also essential is the way in which the exercises are done. Where we drive our intention, attention, and effort matters. A lot.
We know for example, that mind muscle connection is an important factor for maximizing hypertrophy of muscles. Focusing on not just getting er' done for that set of curls but focusing intently on creating high sustained tension in the tissues you want to grow makes a difference. In speed and power exercises simply approximating the exercise is wholly insufficient. A key component of getting more powerful and faster is, I'm not kidding, to try to be faster. When we understand the true purpose of the exercise, then task completion is never enough. We need to be intentional with our execution both mechanically and mentally.
In addition, internal feeling states can effect intentionality. Currently I'm doing the programming from Subversive Fitness by Greg Walsh of Wolf Brigade Gym. This programs uses a mix of barbells, kettelbells, and heavy maces. One of my favorite things about the program is how much the Coach's Notes area has intentions. They write things like "For the med ball slams, try to break the ball and the earth." That has a serious impact on how you execute that exercise and therefore. the outcome you get from putting it in your program.
My good friend Stu MacMillan wrote a great piece on using mood words with athletes like "punch" and "attack" to condense intention and execution into a succinct summary that reminds the athlete not just the what but the how. His summation was that: "Beyond their cognitive efficiency, the rhythm and temporal structure of mood words align closely with the motor system’s inherent language. The right word at the right time may cause a physical reaction in the body, potentially improving performance."
For some of you, ideas of intentionality and execution may seem obvious and trite. With that said, I've seen some truly gross and lazy coaching in my days and some of it from people with lots of letters behind their name. In addition to that, I've met bewildered athletes who were under performing or getting less transferability from their training at time because they did not have clear guidelines of focus and execution for the way they were operating in the strength and conditioning environment.
DEDbug
A simple example of a mechanical mishap I see often is in the application of the rudimentary dead bug. Before the anti-dead bug zealots starting shooting arrows at me or the dead bug romantics send me love letters please realize this: I don't care if you like the dead bug or not. I'm not making a case for or against it. The "truth" is probably closest to - under some conditions, it works for some people, in some ways, sometimes. Having seen the way it's often coached, I do understand why so many call bullshit on it. A person lazily laying on their back flailing their arms and legs about maybe whilst holding an implement all in service of working their core, whatever the hell that means. The only meaningful adaptation that they will get is feeling good about moving around that day.
To execute this exercise with a bit more purpose is to dig a little deeper and articulate with more clarity regarding the outcome we are really after. Why are we doing this? In my view it's to force the abdominals to hold an isometric contraction while the leverage of extending the arms and legs challenges that capacity. There are many variations on that theme (a quick YouTube search will provide more than you ever care to see). Knowing this purpose means we can now add or take away variability based on the skilled execution of the person performing the exercise. All cuing whether internal to the performer or externally from a coach reflect this original intention of the exercise.
Professionals and lay persons alike often rely on gadgetry to create a more intense or challenging stimulus without thinking about the original intent of the thing they are doing. We established that external constraints like time and equipment can be useful but not if the individual performing the exercise doesn't know where to focus their intention, attention, and effort. I'm not at all against the creative use of available tools but they should support execution of the exercise that leads to the Specific Adaptation to Imposed Demand.
"Beyond their cognitive efficiency, the rhythm and temporal structure of mood words align closely with the motor system’s inherent language. The right word at the right time may cause a physical reaction in the body, potentially improving performance." - Stu MacMillan
Adapting, Specifically
What if you're not in the business of performance? Do you need have as precise of an understanding of your exercises as what the dead bug exercise I described? Probably not. But what everybody does need is a clear understanding of the intention of the exercises they're doing and how they are going to sustain focus and effort as a means for getting the outcome they want in addition to punching the clock on whatever exercises, sets, and reps are prescribed in any program.
Remember, your body is adapting to the specific demands placed on it. The more specific you are with both the what and the how, the better outcomes you'll get from the work you do. Don't piss your training time away with half measures and then be surprised when you haven't gotten your wish granted from the gains fairy. Be precise and intentional. Give full effort.
An untrained novice or young athlete can get away with having the intentionality of a pool noodle and still get some results. But they won't be nearly as specific or sustainable as if you are engaging in a well planned program that is executed with a high degree of intention. This is true whether you make your money performing in a professional sport or are exercising for longevity.
Thanks for reading,
Rob