Science and training

Science in training? How and why? How can it be relevant? What can you or can you not do?

## Types of science

There are two main types of sciences.

* The experimental sciences, where all the knowledge was gathered from experience. Examples of such sciences are biology, medicine, and to a certain extent, physics. Results are obtained through experiences, studies, polls,...Models are then built upon those results. One very important rule in these sciences is the existence of exceptions: a model is usually applicable, but nature doesn't always go as predicted. For example, a human child will not always have 46 chromosomes in their cell cores.
* The abstract/theoretical sciences, resulting from the exploitation of various models, built on axiomae. Examples would be mathematics, informatics, and in certain domains, physics. Results are often immaterial: the curve of y=x^2 doesn't exist in real life.

That being said, street workout being a story of levers and body movements, we can mainly use fitness science results to optimize our performances, as well as certain mechanical models.

## Using models

There is a good way and a bad way of using models in street workout.

The bad way would be to use it as an excuse to not train for a specific skills (my arms are too long, etc.). even though on the paper the skills seems much harder to achieve than for other people, it doesn't mean it is not. Looking at you, Geek Cimber.

The good way would be to understand the positioning better, to calculate percentages of force needed in the skills, and to prove some skills are impossible...For anybody!

As an example, the CTI places an almost uncounterable torque on the wrists and is considered impossible to achieve. The dead planche seems impossible: the support point and the center of gravity are not aligned! This proves the existence of a counteracting force backwards, initiated by the wrists flexion.

## Using data

Street workout being a strength-oriented sport, we can use data of other famous strength sports such as powerlifting, strongman or rings gymnastics and try to apply it to ourselves. Even studies on general fitness are applicable. This gives us new training methods and possibilities, and how well they function. However, don't fall in the trap of relying primarily on science to construct your workouts: even if the studies were meant to be applicable to most people, you may not be of these people. The difference in sports, activity and movement patterns can also make it irrelevant.

## Using experience

Fitness science being a sub-sub-branch of biology, it is obviously an experimental science. Which means you need to experience to know what works! Some exercises that work for most might not work for you, you need to try countless exercises to finally find the one or ones that will work best for you, over several criteria such as personal enjoyment, tension potential, overload potential, convenience and safety. This works also for rest times, training schedule, session duration, recovery methods, and so on.

The usual way to experiment with a new parameter is to try it for a certain duration, at least 3 weeks. If the results are unsatisfying, try to find what is bugging you, or simply drop down the idea.