bluejeff
Level 7 Valued Member
I think I should maybe add a little addendum:
I think that Dan John's quadrant system really breaks this stuff down. Pros are usually REALLY good at just a FEW things. I have spent the majority of my fitness journey in the calisthenics and bodyweigth world. I spent quite a bit of time training handstands, and have spent a fair amount of time learning what I can from some high-level handbalancers, both in person at workshops and online through podcsts and such. They are prone to overuse injuries because to perfom high level skills (they often consider a solid one-arm handstand "intermediate" for reference) they must practice a LOT. Like, at LEAST four days a week, often for hours at a time when including flexibility and auxilliarly exercises. They must also be vigilant to do excercises that compliment their constant shoulder elevation and wrist extension. However, not as many handbalancers can do high-level strength-oriented calisthenics moves such as a clean 90 degree pushup. Some contortionists are terrible at pullups but can fold themselves into a human-origami.
Thus, I think perhaps pros can often (though perhaps not always) be "defined" as "specialists."
I think that Dan John's quadrant system really breaks this stuff down. Pros are usually REALLY good at just a FEW things. I have spent the majority of my fitness journey in the calisthenics and bodyweigth world. I spent quite a bit of time training handstands, and have spent a fair amount of time learning what I can from some high-level handbalancers, both in person at workshops and online through podcsts and such. They are prone to overuse injuries because to perfom high level skills (they often consider a solid one-arm handstand "intermediate" for reference) they must practice a LOT. Like, at LEAST four days a week, often for hours at a time when including flexibility and auxilliarly exercises. They must also be vigilant to do excercises that compliment their constant shoulder elevation and wrist extension. However, not as many handbalancers can do high-level strength-oriented calisthenics moves such as a clean 90 degree pushup. Some contortionists are terrible at pullups but can fold themselves into a human-origami.
Thus, I think perhaps pros can often (though perhaps not always) be "defined" as "specialists."