This post is inspired by the writings of Keith Norris, Mark Twight, Frank Forencich, Erwan Le Corre, and the guys at Bodytribe Fitness.

Consider this story: a young boy is learning how to add. Fascinated, he explores the world around him, adding everything he possibly can. 2 apples plus 3 bananas equals 5 pieces of fruit. 6 red toys plus 4 blue toys equals 10 total toys. One day, amidst the boy’s endless calculations of addition, his teacher explains to him how to multiply. Intrigued, the boy seeks to apply this new knowledge. 3 quarters equals 75 cents, and 2 rows of 10 seats equals 20 seats. By adding another tool to his arsenal, the boy is able to consider more in the world. With the eventual inclusion of subtraction and division, he will have developed a more nuanced perspective towards numbers, amounts, and the world around him.

Okay, here’s the fun part. Apply that story to any venue you might pursue, whether it be fitness, music, cooking, etc. For instance, strength is a foundational and essential component of holistic, functional fitness. Train it intensely by lifting heavy weights and recovering properly. However, you also need to develop other tools, such as technique, speed, balance, etc. If you are an inexperienced Olympic weightlifter, then use lighter weights and focus on moving the bar quickly and in a straight line path. If you are working towards achieving your first strict pull-up, then get on a bar several times a day and work on some pull-up progressions (negatives, band pull-ups, ring rows, etc.). Approaching fitness from a nuanced perspective will allow you to improve your capacities and enjoy your workouts.

A key element of developing a nuanced perspective is actually learning the content of the art. If you intend to improve as a rudimental percussionist, you have to learn how to play flams, diddles, rolls, etc. You have to spend a lot of time with sticks in your hands working out the particulars of each rudiment. This type of immersion promotes an embodied form of learning where you can really get inside the music, the movement, or whatever you are working on and striving towards.

Spend the time to learn the skills. Develop a nuanced perspective towards training. Grow, embody, and enjoy!