Minimizing Mistakes: The Rule of 3

Swim Night at 7:30pm at Culver City Plunge
EIE Support Forum from 630-8pm at Venice
Gymnastics Club at 8pm

Thursday June 11, 2014

Prehab:

Banded Hip Extension
Fire Hydrants
Wrist Mobility

Warm Up:

Tabata Perfect Single Unders
15 Tuck Ups
10 Wall Extensions
3 Wall Walks

Gymnastics Skill:

Spend 12 minutes practicing progressions to free-standing Handstands

Strength:

Three rounds, rest 60 seconds between movements:
10 Weighted Pistols (not alternating)
10 Single Leg Hip Bridges, each leg, 3 seconds up, 1 second down
60 sec Double-Under Practice

Notes:  For the pistols, perform all 5 reps on one leg, then switch, ideally without resting or letting your other leg touch the ground.  If you cannot perform pistols yet, hold the bottom position for :30 each leg.  Use a small plate under your heel and hold onto something if needed. 

Conditioning:

Complete as many rounds and reps as possible in 8 minutes of:
20 Jumping Squats with 45lb bar
20 Sit-Ups

Cool Down:

3 rounds for quality:
10 weighted GHD Hip Extensions or Good Mornings w/ barbell
10 pike situps with no or minimal momentum

For those who missed my accelerated learning course, I am going to give away one last quick and effective tip I taught to help maximize the time you spend acquiring or improving a skill. If you were interested in the accelerated learning course, but could not make it, I have created an Unbroken Mindset program that will include the information covered in the course. I have also created a Meetup group that will host workshops and speakers that will give you the tools you need to improve your athletic performance. If you’re interested in the Unbroken Mindset program, get in touch with me directly, and if you are interested in attending free informative workshops similar to my accelerated learning course please join the Meetup group here.

Now for that tip I was talking about. It is what I call the “rule of 3” and the idea is that your focus and interest are highest in 3 rep increments. So, if you are working on improving your snatch, make 3 attempts a single perfect rep and then take a step back to evaluate. Visualize how you will approach and improve the next 3 attempts, and  then execute. Stop taking attempts before you hit the point of muscular fatigue or lack of focus because each additional rep will only be counterproductive.

It may seem counter-intuitive but beginners should actually spend LESS time practicing a new skill. The shortest distance between two points is a line. As a beginner, you do not know what a good rep feels like and you will make many mistakes on the road to competence in a new skill. Instead of taking many reps when you don’t have awareness of what a good rep feels like (unless you have a coach evaluating your every rep), take a few highly conscious reps and get feedback from a coach. Once you have hit a level of competence, you can start to add volume to your practice, but don’t forget to always be deliberate and conscious of each attempt so you can evaluate and

The closest thing to a shortcut is a solid system, and I have discovered that the best system is one that minimize mistakes. The rule of 3 is a tool that will help you minimize mistakes and maximize deliberate reps that lead to progress. I want to give respect to Dutch because he has set a goal of missing 0 olympic lifts. He is not taking attempts near his 1 rep max, but he is being deliberate and conscious of each attempt and will progressively increase the load he is lifting. This is the type of practice that will help you reach your goals faster.

Author: Matthew Walrath