Last week I posted a podcast with Paul Oneid, where, amongst other things, we discussed the current state of biometric testing. The prevalence of fitness trackers and the symbiotic relationship between man and machine, with the machine playing the role of master, rather than a tool.
This got me thinking about the good old days, days long before step goals and calorie trackers, sleep apps and “readiness” scores. How did we ever get by in the archaic ages of the early 2000s...
When it came to recovery and readiness we used to look no further than the palm of our hand, not a handheld device or the latest new fitness wearable, quite literally, the palm of our hand.
Grip strength can be looked at as a great indicator of our bodies most peripheral expression of our central nervous system. Monitoring grip strength over time can be a valuable way to gauge recovery, now this shouldn't be looked at as a gold standard, but consider this…
Of all the current methods of testing recovery and predicting “readiness” is there any more specific or correspondent measure than actually testing the hand that's going to be ripping the barbell?
Rings, bracelets, tendo’s , force plates, GPS, all have their place, but I'm challenging up and coming strength coaches to not lose sight of the basics, not get lost in novelty.
Stay Strong,
Jordan Shallow
