It's All About The Stimulus

Evening athletes,

Tonight I want to let you in on a secret that might just blow your mind...

THE GOAL IS NOT TO COMPLETE WORKOUTS RX.

RX (shorthand for prescription) is a term used in the pharmacy world to describe a medication, dosage, and timing. The three of these combined are designed by the doctor to elicit a particular STIMULUS in the body.

Were the doctor to give a 300lb man with a severe heart condition the same RX as a 100lb healthy woman one of them would at best be getting no stimulus, or at worst have a severely negative if not fatal stimulus!RX workouts are exactly the same. An RX workout has a movement, loading, and timing. The three of these combined are designed by the programmer to elicit a particular STIMULUS in the body.

Were an athlete with a 300# clean and jerk and one with a 150# clean and jerk to complete a workout with 30 clean and jerks at 135# for one the workout is a sprint while for the other it's a slog. One of them missed the stimulus of the workout and missed out on an opportunity to cause their body to grow and adapt as was intended.

With every workout when considering RX you should be asking yourself:

"If I *can* do that, *SHOULD* I?"

The answer to that question lies in the STIMULUS of the workout which your coach explains to you at the whiteboard at the start of class every day. That's why it's extra important to pay attention and ask questions!Best of all... When you stop treating RX as a goal and start treating stimulus as the goal you get to let go off all those comparisons of yourself to others, secure in the knowledge that you did the right thing for YOU to advance YOUR fitness in the way we intended.