As we come to a new year and a new cycle of training we hear more of the acronym PR or PB standing for Personal Record or Personal Best. When saying this in class this week someone asked a question, What’s that?. It’s a simple question with a simple answer but then I thought about it some more. I ended up with more responses than you may think.
A PR/PB is usually thought of as more weight or more reps than you have done previously, which is fair because that is how we measure most things. If you can lift a weight never previously lifted…PR, if you can do more reps of push ups, pull ups, sit ups in a faster time…PR, if you can do a weight that previously you could only do once for five reps…PR CITY! But that can’t be it can it? No it is definitely not it! There are many other ways to think about PRs
We always talk about virtuosity in movement ( we may not use that word) but we always strive for solid smooth movement over just heaving and hoping. So can you take a heavy weight and move it well…yes, did you previously struggle with that weight and the rep look scary…yes well welcome to a technique PR! These may be more important than adding weight or reps, these PRs show that not only have you built the capacity to move well under load but also that you understand the movement. ( We can ALL get better)
What about PR’s for how you feel the movement, let’s say you always feel deadlifts in your low back, so instead of running away from the deadlift you decide to meet up with a coach and work 1 on 1 and fix it. Now you feel the deadlift in you glutes and hamstrings…how is that not a PR!
I have always kept track of my weights and metcons but a couple years ago I decided to try something a little different. What if I mentally reset every year? Would I still see progress over all? Would I fall behind? Well I can tell you that doing this not only keeps me from comparing my 21-25 year old self who had a girlfriend and a dog to my current 32? Or 31? Year old self with a wife, 2 dogs , a 20 month old and another on the way. We aren’t the same as last year. Hopefully we have improved but to look at old numbers may not be worth it.
In short PRs are important, they tell the story of your training, have you gotten better? Have you fallen short? Or is there room for improvement? Once you answer those questions my last question for you is….What are you going to do about it?
As we come to a new year and a new cycle of training we hear more of the acronym PR or PB standing for Personal Record or Personal Best. When saying this in class this week someone asked a question, What’s that?. It’s a simple question with a simple answer but then I thought about it some more. I ended up with more responses than you may think.
A PR/PB is usually thought of as more weight or more reps than you have done previously, which is fair because that is how we measure most things. If you can lift a weight never previously lifted…PR, if you can do more reps of push ups, pull ups, sit ups in a faster time…PR, if you can do a weight that previously you could only do once for five reps…PR CITY! But that can’t be it can it? No it is definitely not it! There are many other ways to think about PRs
We always talk about virtuosity in movement ( we may not use that word) but we always strive for solid smooth movement over just heaving and hoping. So can you take a heavy weight and move it well…yes, did you previously struggle with that weight and the rep look scary…yes well welcome to a technique PR! These may be more important than adding weight or reps, these PRs show that not only have you built the capacity to move well under load but also that you understand the movement. ( We can ALL get better)
What about PR’s for how you feel the movement, let’s say you always feel deadlifts in your low back, so instead of running away from the deadlift you decide to meet up with a coach and work 1 on 1 and fix it. Now you feel the deadlift in you glutes and hamstrings…how is that not a PR!
I have always kept track of my weights and metcons but a couple years ago I decided to try something a little different. What if I mentally reset every year? Would I still see progress over all? Would I fall behind? Well I can tell you that doing this not only keeps me from comparing my 21-25 year old self who had a girlfriend and a dog to my current 32? Or 31? Year old self with a wife, 2 dogs , a 20 month old and another on the way. We aren’t the same as last year. Hopefully we have improved but to look at old numbers may not be worth it.
In short PRs are important, they tell the story of your training, have you gotten better? Have you fallen short? Or is there room for improvement? Once you answer those questions my last question for you is….What are you going to do about it?
