Archive for the ‘Adam Dunlap’ Category
Posted by misterparkour on
December 20, 2008
The Efficiency Principle is a new training principle created by MisterParkour.com. It seeks to correct and replace the erroneous ideas put forward by the efficiency paradox in an effort to aid Tracers across the world in implementing proper training methods in their own progressions.
Parkour is a utility art based on overcoming obstacles quickly and efficiently. Much of the Parkour community has found it amusing that to become better at this you have to train “inefficient movements.” (a misconception in and of itself which we will address shortly.) This enthusiasm has recently led to the coining of the phrase the “efficiency paradox” defined as training inefficient movements to promote efficiency. Unfortunately the “efficiency paradox” is a physiologically misguiding principle, and it should be permanently discarded from Parkour terminology in favor of the physiological accurate training concept known as the Efficiency Principle.
To say that Tracers train inefficient movements to promote efficiency is physiologically inaccurate (we will explain this momentarily). However, because of the linguistic novelty of the purpose of Parkour (namely, efficiently overcoming obstacles) and many common methods of training which do not encompass this type of movement, it is logical to see how some could erroneously and inadvertently support the Efficiency Paradox. Nevertheless, this concept has no credence once one understands two basic, foundational training principles that blatantly contradict the Efficiency Paradox. These concepts are What is Training? and Training vs. Performance. Analyzing these two training concepts proves the Efficiency Paradox inaccurate and also simultaneously provides the basis to found the Efficiency Principle.
The concept of true and proper training discredits the Efficiency Paradox because it contradicts the definition of the Efficiency Paradox. Contrary to the definition, correct training always reinforces efficiency of movement to the point that saying one is training “inefficient movement” is kind of like saying the color blue smells like roses. Neither statement makes any sense. Of course the rebuttal is that one could “move faster” or “move more efficiently”, but one must realize that efficiency in movement has absolutely nothing to do with speed, and efficiency in training has nothing to do with performance value. Efficiency has to do with optimizing output and minimizing waste given a certain input. Suffice to say that just because someone is not running as fast as he/she can does not mean that he/she is not moving efficiently or training efficiency.
The definition of the Efficiency Paradox not only puts forth physiological misguiding training principles by erroneously telling people to train inefficient movement (something that can not be done in proper training), the term also erroneously unites the two independent concepts ideas of Training and Performance. In opposition to the Efficiency Paradox the concepts of Training and Performance are two distinctly different actions. We do not perform so that we can perform better, and training is not a part of performance. Rather we train (concept 1) so that we can improve our performance (concept 2). The Efficiency Paradox however, erroneously assimilates and unites these two ideas. By explaining that we train inefficiency, the concept directly correlates Training and Performance by implicitly defining training as a lesser level of performance (the inefficient performance to be exact). Some may see this as a linguistic formality but it is not. The Efficiency Paradox is therefore in contradiction to the Training vs. Performance principle, and in this it is further misguiding and flawed.
The efficiency paradox puts forth erroneous physiological principles that are exposed when analyzing the What is Training? and the Training vs. Performance concepts. When combined, these two concepts not only defeat the Efficiency Paradox, they also create the new Efficiency Principle:
The Efficiency Principle is the act of training efficiency so that one can perform efficiently.
In the first person perspective one can explain the Efficiency Principle by saying, “We train efficiency so that we can perform efficiently.”
It is the linguistic novelty of the term Efficiency Paradox that has made it so widely publicized in the Parkour community. Unfortunately in spite of its originality, the Efficiency Paradox is an physiologically erroneous term, and its perpetuation is the direct result of a misunderstanding of the two principles What is Training? and Training vs. Performance. On the other hand, the Efficiency Principle is an accurate training guideline that succinctly explains the purpose and goal of training from a Parkour perspective through physiologically sound doctrine. Consider the Efficiency Paradox not only dead, but in the sentiment of Parkour, inefficient.
Posted by misterparkour on
December 18, 2008
In the 5th behind the scenes episode of B13 – Ultimatum we said, “Pay special attention to David’s movements at :37 in the video… [it] is… an incredible testament to his athleticism.” We promised to explain this statement, and now we are keeping true to that promise.
Most people see David jump from buildings and awe at his athletic ability. In reality, even the simple things he does are awe inspiring from an athletic perspective. To this day no one has provided an accurate physiological explanation as to how David can do what he does, but simply enough it is through his seemingly inconsequential movements which we can understand and explain it.
What is so incredible about David’s movements at :54 of Episode 5 is his dexterity and range of motion (also shown in his window perched position in :58 of Episode 15). These are signs of the dynamic tension he has achieved in his muscles. Dynamic tension is the perfect state of muscular equilibrium, where every muscle is proportionally strong in correlation to every other muscle in the body. Not having dynamic tension (also known as having a lack of muscular integrity) creates unnecessary tension in the body, and pulls the joints into an improper alignment causing the body to move compensatively and inefficiently. One of the most obvious signs of a lack of muscular integrity is a lack of range of motion. A lack of integrity also commonly manifests itself in aching joints (forget all of the “itis” diagnosis’, it is caused by a lack of muscular integrity). Injuries in Parkour of every kind are almost always the result of a lack of muscular integrity as well.
David’s body has been trained into a perfect functional state characterized by this dynamic tension which is why he is able to do what he does. Most peoples see the big movements David performs, the man power gap at 1:44 in his Et Vous? video, or the massive building to building leap he did at 1:07 in the BBC commercial, and are in awe. But we would argue that far more inspiring are his subtle movements that clue to why he is so capable. You can see it in his abilities to immediately change direction as in his lateral jump at 2:53 in the French News Feature. You can see it in his explosion from a standing position at :47 in the Accrohes Toi video (notice there is absolutely no tension in his body when he jumps). You can see it in his leg movement at 30:19 during his interview at the New Yorker Festival. You can see it in his resilience to absorb shock in his jump over the railings at 1:43 in the Speed Air Man video and when he drops from the overpass later in the video at 2:21. And you can clear your mind of any confusion you have from David’s famous fall on the UCLA campus. The fact that he walked away uninjured was also the result of his perfect muscular integrity.
All of David’s abilities as well as his resistance to injury can be credited to the dynamic tension of his muscles. This analysis of course circles back to present day David where we can verify our claim. Many Tracers train for only a short time and begin suffering from physical aliments. Others train for a long time without aliments, but then are all of sudden seriously injured. Both instances are the result of a lack of muscular integrity. David on the other hand has never been seriously injured. Furthermore he is in his mid 30’s and he is stronger, faster, and more capable than ever. He has no joint pain, no shoulder, knee, or wrist issues, and he continues to perform feats of athleticism that a few decades before would have thought impossible by even the most capable humans. How can David perform such incredible feats of athleticism? Maybe we should not ask how David can do what he does, but rather how we can attain that same dynamic tension that will enable us to follow in his footsteps.
Posted by misterparkour on
July 28, 2008
Here is a recent nationally published Parkour article written by Sarah Skidmore of the associated press. The article is as accurate as it is simple which is good in both cases given its comparison to the flashy-Parkour-descriptive and often inaccurate pieces that still (in some way or another) dominate the majority of written and filmed media Parkour pieces. In this case the accurateness and overall message of the article has overcome the editorial simplicity, and the result is a piece that has resonated with news organizations across the U.S. This piece has already been featured in numerous newspaper publications across the country including the Oregonian and the Colorado Daily, as well as on countless national internet news sites including MSNBC.com. The article quotes Adam Dunlap of Revolution Parkour™ and Mark Toorock of American Parkour.
Parkour’s popularity taking off in U.S.
By Sarah Skidmore
The Associated Press
PORTLAND — At first glance, parkour practitioners look like modern dancers unleashed on an impromptu obstacle course.Usually seen in cities, parkour involves jumping, rolling and vaulting over, under and through the objects found in a typical urban setting. Traceurs, as parkour enthusiasts are called, strive to move as directly and fluidly as possible, using only their bodies and the objects they encounter to propel themselves forward.
Parkour may require vaulting a wall, jumping off a ledge or leaping over a railing, but devotees say there is more to it than being a daredevil.
“We don’t want people to see parkour as something crazy,” said Adam Dunlap, a 21-year-old in Beaverton, Ore., who teaches parkour. “It’s hard work … the creativity comes from training.”
Parkour has its roots in France but its popularity is taking off in the United States. The relatively new and largely underground practice, sometimes also called free running, requires strength, agility, discipline and guts.
“I think it’s just humans moving the way humans were meant to move,” said Mark Toorock, a leader in the U.S. parkour movement. “People were meant to jump, climb, play.”
Traceurs are often self-taught or gather in groups to “jam” in parks, college campuses, or anywhere they are inspired by the constructs of an urban landscape.
As parkour has grown in popularity, so have the opportunities to learn the discipline. Parkour-inspired classes are sprouting up in gyms, online forums are growing and Toorock wants to take it to the level of a professional sport.
“It’s not that parkour is this new fresh thing,” he said. “It’s kind of human rehabilitation, which is getting back to what we are meant to do.”
Some participants say parkour resembles martial arts in the mental and physical discipline it requires.
It tends to draw the younger, male, daredevil sector. But in the parkour-related classes Dunlap teaches, he has everyone from young children and 30-something women to middle-aged men.
Parkour has caught on in popular culture, as well. The movie “Casino Royale” featured a parkour chase scene. K-Swiss and Nike have had ads showcasing traceurs doing their thing in company shoes.
And Toorock, founder of American Parkour and a member of a group called the “tribe” that dominates the American Parkour scene, says he gets a phone call a week from people wanting to make reality shows about people jumping off buildings.
He always says no.
To him and others dedicated to parkour, it’s not about jumping off things. Although many will admit that was part of the initial appeal.
“It’s very serious,” he said. “It’s about increasing your own capacity to eliminate risks.”
Posted by misterparkour on
May 5, 2008
Demand vs. Function
This paper is based on the foundational principles of the ADAPT Training System
(www.adapttraining.com)
In the Training vs. Performance paper we defined performance and showed how it differed from training. We also touched on the principle that performing a movement which you do not have the abilities to do correctly (i.e. with the ideal muscular function) is dangerous. In this paper we will begin to explore the physiological explanation behind why it is dangerous to do so. Like always we will begin with definitions:
Function is how your body currently works which includes strength, endurance, and range of motion etc.
Demand is what you ask your body to do. This can be anything from skiing, to walking, to jumping off a building, and even taking a gallon of milk from a shelf in the grocery store.
It’s pretty straight forward but to rephrase it, function is you current physical capabilities, while demand is the performance requirement you place on yourself. Have you ever seen someone in the gym doing bicep curls with a barbell? If he can complete the rep with correct form then function is greater than demand.
No matter how strong you are there will always be demands that are greater than your function, and for the most part this isn’t a problem. If you can’t lift the back wheels of your car off the ground this doesn’t matter. However, when demand is greater than function DURING a performance move this is when the problem arises. Think back to the guy in the weight room. He is on his last bicep curl. He doesn’t have the strength left to complete the rep, but instead of letting the weight fall down to his waist he arches his back so that he can pull the weight to his chest. This time demand is greater than function, and because the lifter is performing the movement anyway he is putting his body in a compromised position and is physical vulnerable to injury.
Compromising your body’s integrity is what will cause injuries and that is why ‘Demand vs. Function’ is such an important concept to understand. Additionally when the body is not capable of handling a demand, adding more force will only increases the body’s vulnerability! Nowhere is this more applicable than in Parkour. If you are in the weight room and you have a hard time benching 150 lbs you probably won’t put another 25 on each side and attempt to press it. But in Parkour doubling the demand is sometimes as simple as jumping off the next highest step or ledge! And although it is commonly accepted that your body can and will become stronger and adapt to be able to handle these forces, when the demand is greater than function this is never possible. I’ll repeat this concept because it is so important:
When the demand you place on your body is greater than your functional abilities to handle your body will never learn to correctly handle the forces no matter how many times you attempt the move.
In fact, if you continue to place more demand on your body then it is capable of handling you are only bringing yourself closer and closer to inevitable injury (More on this in “The Biggest Misconception in Parkour Training” article*).
This week I want each of you to take some time out of your training to think about the movements you do during your Parkour workouts. What are the biggest movements you do and/or the ones that have the most demand and require the highest level of function? Are you able to do these moves correctly or does your body “cheat”? To accurately analyze this, you may not even have to look at your most intense moves. You might only have to look at your easiest. Try to do a full squat with your hands behind your head while keeping your heels on the ground. If you can not do this then jumping off any size ledge is not something that your body is capable of handling correctly (Reference “What is Training?” for tips on how to correct vulnerabilities like these).
In any performance where the demand is greater then your functional abilities, performing the movement will put you at serious risk because it compromises the structural integrity of your body. That is because when demand is greater than function, demand will always win. Do not be in a hurry to progress, but instead always train within your means where your function is greater than the physical demand you place on yourself.
*Although we will continue with the weekly articles, this specific article will not be released for a few weeks.
-MisterParkour
Posted by misterparkour on
April 20, 2008
Training vs. Performance
This paper is based on the foundational principles of the ADAPT Training System (www.adapttraining.com)
In the last paper we covered the definition of training and its implications in our Parkour workouts. This is the basis for all material we will cover in future papers so I will repeat the definition of training here once again:
“Training is the act of introducing and reinforcing the ideal function of a muscle or muscular system.” (Brian Cassidy, ADAPT Training)
By perfecting the ideal function of your body you are instilling muscular efficiency which is at the center of Parkour philosophy and technique. However, before we can begin to unpack the physiological explanations behind this, we have to differentiate training from its brother performance.
Performance is not the same as training. We train so that we can perform, or, in other words, performance is the ideal we strive towards in our training. In thinking about the best way to describe this principle I was reminded of a post in a forum, written by “Pkdanno” of Toronto, Canada, that I read a couple years back. Pkdanno was with David Belle in L.A. on top of about a 30 foot drop. There is a lot of context behind what was said, and I am going to take this quotation slightly out of context by not describing the circumstances. However, suffice to say that the purpose of the quotation brings my point across. David said, “If my family was over there and needed me, I wouldn’t even hesitate. I would [jump].” That move is performance. Training is what David did beforehand to give him the capabilities to jump from that height.
Although we have now covered the idea of performance, like training before I will present you with a definition:
“Performance is the recruitment of the necessary movement to accomplish a task.” (Brian Cassidy, ADAPT Training)
Notice the differences between training and performance. Training builds the tools that make performance possible.
The one caveat that I will emphasize before I wrap up this paper is that ideal performance mandates correct movement. Unfortunately performance with the human body is achievable even without the proper tools, because even if you do not have the capabilities to move correctly your body will most likely still find a way to move. But this is highly problematic and presents severe physical dangers especially in a Parkour context. It doesn’t matter whether you are walking, doing a full squat with only your body weight, landing an 8 foot drop, or jumping the Man Power gap in Lisses, in the right context these are all performance movements and there are ideal ways for your body to perform all of them. And although the Man Power gap does require a much higher level of performance, if you do not have the tools necessary to perform EITHER of these movements correctly, then performing them puts you at risk for injury (More on this in the “Demand vs. Function” article).
This week my assignment for everyone is to figure out what parts of your Parkour workouts are training and what parts are performance based. If you are not performing a movement correctly (Note: strength and endurance are both parts of movement) then this is dangerous and you should ask yourself what you are doing wrong and how you can correct it. If you are performing a movement that you are not physically capable of doing correctly, then this is even more dangerous and you need to take a step back and find a way to train for that movement. Ask yourself how you can break down the move so you can build the necessary physical characteristics. This is the only proper way to ensure safe progression.
When you train you are building the physical tools necessary to move correctly. Performance is utilizing those tools to accomplish the desired movement. By understanding this difference you will be able to begin structuring your training and progression in the safest and most effective way.
-MisterParkour
Posted by misterparkour on
March 31, 2008
On March 5, 2008 the Oregonian published a prominent article in the Living section about Parkour. The article was written by Nancy Dow and featured Oregon Tracer Adam Dunlap. Below is a copy of the article as well as a link to the online copy.
http://www.oregonlive.com/living/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/living/120466410921710.xml&coll=7
Demanding parkour keeps him moving
Adam Dunlap - The OSU grad says the sport has helped him get healthier than ever
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
NANCY DOW, The Oregonian Staff
Who: Adam Dunlap, 21, Portland.
Stats: 5 feet 10 inches, 155 pounds.
Life so far: Dunlap was born and raised in Portland and graduated from Westview High School. He zipped through Oregon State University in three years and came out with a degree in business administration. By night, he delivers pizza for Garlic Jim’s.
Fitness history: He was active from a young age and basketball was his life. He wanted to play in the NBA, but he was a short, scrawny kid. At around 10 he watched a short feature on parkour (pronounced par-koor), and it stayed in the back of his mind. Two years ago he took up the discipline in earnest.
What is it?: Also called free running, parkour began about 20 years ago with a Frenchman named David Belle. Practitioners are called tracers or, in London, where it’s popular, traceurs. In Dunlap’s words: “Tracers interact with their environment using only their bodies to overcome obstacles in their path. Whether it be a 12-foot wall, a 10-foot drop, cars, rails or other natural or man-made obstacles, a tracer learns the appropriate techniques to overcome even the most difficult terrain.” He also talks of the focus and concentration he’s learned and the opportunity to overcome fear and doubt. “The rooftop to rooftop jumps are visually interesting but it’s not all big jumps. Anybody can do this.” For further information, and videos: www.misterparkour.com or www.urbanfreeflow.com.
Current workout: His goal is to work out four hours a day, six days a week. Sometimes he makes it, sometimes not. He can practice on school playground equipment or just use the curb. He says, “All the resistance you’ll ever need is your own body. Play like a kid on a jungle gym.” He prefers to be outside, but during the winter he works out at Adapt Training, where he finds a similar philosophy and plenty of indoor equipment. “Since starting this, my whole body has changed. I haven’t lifted weights in two years, but I’m more fit than I’ve ever been.” He hasn’t forgotten his first love, though; he still plays pickup basketball now and then.
Nutrition: As a freshman in college he was diagnosed with Crohn’s, a chronic inflammatory disease of the intestines, and he had to change his diet drastically. He eats no sweets, processed food or fast food, not even the pizza he delivers. He’s big on produce, chicken, eggs, peanut butter and honey sandwiches, whatever’s whole and natural. “It was hard at the beginning,” he says. “But now it’s good, it gets easier. I’ll take an apricot over a Snickers any day.” He takes supplements that include capsules as well as powders that he mixes with water. He drinks no alcohol or coffee. He sticks to water and juice and has cut back on milk.
Earth to swoosh: Dunlap wants to see his sport accepted and knows that corporate involvement will help. K-Swiss has a shoe already on the market and Adidas sponsors a team and a Web site in London. “I see where it’s going,” he says, “and I think it’s going to explode into an industry. I see it as where skateboarding was 20 years ago. People will catch on. Even if nothing commercial develops, it’s still a fitness revolution.”
In the future?: Though he has yet to make any money from parkour, Dunlap will soon begin giving lessons. And he’s pretty pumped about it. He’s spent a lot of time promoting the sport, and he’s prepared to take it as far as he can. X-Games? Olympics? Who knows, maybe soon he can give up the pizza gig.
Posted by misterparkour on
March 22, 2008
Preface
This is the first paper of many that will start to unpack the physiological principles that are central to proper Parkour training. The education and knowledge behind these papers encompasses what I have gained from my personal Parkour training, my experience as a Parkour instructor, and the education and knowledge of Oregon based gym ADAPT Training, a gym with close to a decade of experience in athletic training, fitness, and physical therapy.
What is Training?
Training. We all do it, but how many of us understand its purpose and how to do it properly? Forrest of Parkour Generations says, “There are no secrets to improving your skill in Parkour other than hard training.” This idea is simple enough to understand, but the principles and methods behind this concept are many, and few of them have simple explanations.
So what is training? As you all know training is something that is usually referred to in the same context as “working out.” It is something we do to get better, faster, stronger, or more consistent at creating a specific physical result. In the context of Parkour it may be doing pull-ups to become stronger so you can progress to planches. Or it might be practicing a precision jump over and over again until you can stick it every time. Although both these examples serve to identify specific training methods, in order to be able to dissect the concepts of training and discuss how to implement proper training techniques –the goal being so we can progress in the safest and most efficient way- we must have a training reference point that we can always come back to. For that reason I offer you this definition of training:
Training is the act of introduction and reinforcing the ideal function of a muscle or muscular system. (Brian Cassidy, ADAPT Training)
Take a second to really think about this definition because whether you realize it or not it may be fundamentally different than the definition you are used to hearing. I’ll repeat the definition again:
TRAINING is the act of INTRODUCING AND REINFORCING the IDEAL FUNCTION of a MUSCLE OR MUSCULAR SYSTEM.
As the first paper in the commencement of my weekly training articles, I do not want to dive any deeper into the concepts of proper training and the implications they hold for you and your training sessions, progression, goals etc. To cover any more material would put us in way over our heads. For now this definition is enough because it is dense with conceptual information. Do your best to deeply contemplate this definition and think about what it means and how it applies to you and your own training. The more thoroughly you do this the more you will learn from it. In order to help you towards this goal I have created an assignment for you.
Sometime over the next week my assignment for everyone is to switch up and simplify your normal training techniques. Whether your training usually involves jumping, vaulting, balancing on rails, pushups pull-ups, squats etc. instead of the typical methods you employ, take all those techniques and break them down into the smallest possible foundational building blocks of physical movement. Question and analyze why and how you move how you move. What gives you the ability to jump over a bench? What fundamental movements are required to enable you to propel your body off the ground so you can clear an object or gap? How and when do your legs/arms/torso move to give you that physical result? What muscular systems have to fire to enable those actions? How can I train those systems at a less dynamic level to ensure the ideal function of my muscles and make sure those parts are working together in their most effective sequences? Very few Parkour movements, if any, can be isolated to single muscular systems. That is why the most effective training will involve every muscular system in your body. Ask yourself if this principle is included in your training. If it isn’t, find a way to incorporate it.
The goal of training is to get better, stronger, faster, and more efficient by introducing and reinforcing your ideal muscular functions. Whether that means becoming stronger by doing pull-ups, or becoming more consistent by practicing your precision jumps, the goal in your training should always be focused on improving the coordination and ideal function and performance of all the muscular systems in your body. Understanding this concept and learning how to implement it properly is the first step to truly effective training.
-MisterParkour
