Training vs. Performance

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