Training with Pain #14: What our programme is showing us

Training Update

I'll finish Week 11 this Sunday with an easy 12km around Brimbank Park and I'm really looking forward to it.

The run isn't too long, the intensity has come right down, the weather looks decent and, if everything goes to plan, England will have knocked Norway out and booked themselves a World Cup semi final spot.

If that happens, I could be in a very good mood by the time I see you all.

Tempo Run

Wednesday's session was one of those runs that reminds you why tapering works.

The session was simple. An easy warm up before settling into what I had in my head as a hard 3km effort.

The splits ended up looking like this:

• 1km @ 4:00/km
• 1km @ 3:55/km
• 1km @ 3:47/km

I felt really good. The biggest thing I noticed wasn't actually my fitness. It was that my legs felt alive again. There was a bit of spring back in them and I could feel the extra power when I wanted to change pace.

That probably shouldn't surprise me, but it always does. Tapering messes with your head.

You've spent nearly three months convincing yourself that the harder you work, the fitter you'll become. Then all of a sudden someone tells you to run less, rest more and trust that you'll somehow be faster on race day.

It feels wrong. Every part of you thinks you're losing fitness, but you're not.

What's actually happening is you're shedding fatigue. Over the last couple of months I've built the fitness. The taper simply gives my body the opportunity to show it.

During a taper your muscles replenish glycogen stores, the nervous system becomes fresher and all those little aches you've been carrying start settling down. The fitness stays, but the fatigue gradually disappears.

That's exactly what we want. The discipline now isn't pushing harder. The discipline is sticking to the programme.

For most runners, the biggest mistake before a race is trying to squeeze in one last "magic" session.

There isn't one. The work is done. Now it's about arriving fresh enough to use it.

Strength Update

This week I managed Tuesday's 6:30am class and Thursday's 5pm session.

Both upper body and both great sessions.

One pairing I really enjoyed was:

• 1¼ dumbbell bench press x 6
• Pronated pull ups x 10

The pump was unreal.

There's a reason we often pair a press with a pull.

From a programming point of view it allows one muscle group to recover while the other is working, so you can keep training at a high quality without spending half your life sitting around between sets.

From a movement perspective, it also keeps things balanced.

The bench press develops your chest, shoulders and triceps.

The pull up challenges your lats, upper back, biceps and grip.

If we only ever trained pushing muscles we'd eventually end up with shoulders that don't move particularly well and posture that starts creeping forwards. Training both directions keeps the shoulder strong, balanced and functioning the way it should.

Plus, there aren't many better feelings than finishing a session with your chest and lats both feeling absolutely pumped.

Winter Challenge

We're underway. I've loved seeing all the photos coming through the WhatsApp group already.

It's funny how motivating it is seeing someone else tick off their walk, strength session or mobility work. Before long you find yourself thinking, "I'd better get mine done too."

That's exactly what we were hoping for.

Who's joining us this Sunday? We'll be meeting outside Lumbar Coffee at 9:30am.

Under one condition. England kick off at 7:00am.

If it goes to extra time and penalties, there is absolutely no chance I'm leaving the TV.

If that happens I'll be there around 10:00am instead. Priorities.

Whether you run or walk doesn't matter. Some of us will knock out a long run. Shaz and Jaz, who are running the half marathon, will be doing their easy 10 to 12km, so give them a word of support.

Others will walk 5km.

The goal has never been about pace. It's about building habits together.

If you haven't started the challenge yet, don't worry, jump in.

Missing the first few days doesn't matter. Waiting until next Monday does.

The whole idea behind this challenge is that small habits, repeated often enough, end up changing much bigger things.

Get your sleep right. Train consistently. Walk more. Eat well. Recover properly.

Do that for a month and you'll feel like a completely different person.

What Our Programme Is Showing Us

This is probably my favourite part of this week's newsletter.

For the past ten months we've been testing every member coming through our six week programme.

Dr Nick and Dr Dani complete a series of strength assessments when people first join us and then repeat the testing after six weeks.

On Monday, Dr Nick presented the data to the team.

The results were pretty exciting.

The Testing

We analysed data from 49 members who completed their reassessment between 30 and 56 days after starting.

We measured strength in:

• Knee extension
• Knee flexion
• Hip flexion
• Hip extension
• Hip abduction

We also looked at:

• Maximum force
• Average force
• Left versus right differences

What Did We Find?

The programme is working.

Across every single strength test:

• Strength improved.
• The weaker side improved the most.
• Left to right differences reduced.
• Most people finished within 15% side to side difference.

For context, in elite sport we generally aim for asymmetries below 10%.

One area really stood out: posterior chain strength.

Hip extension and knee flexion showed the biggest improvements across the group.

Those muscles are heavily trained throughout the programme.

Many people who came to us with persistent lower back pain started with relatively poor hip extension and hamstring strength.

As those strength measures improved, many also reported that their back pain settled.

Now, that's an observation rather than proof of cause and effect. Pain is far more complex than one strength test. But when you see the same pattern over and over again, you start paying attention. The data is now backing up what we've been seeing clinically for years.

Members are getting stronger, moving better, building confidence and many are experiencing less pain along the way.

That makes me incredibly proud.

Not just because the programme works, but because of the team behind it.

Emily, Nick, Dani, Sam. Well done. Thank you.

They genuinely care about helping people move better and live with less pain.

If you know someone who's been struggling with persistent pain, send them this newsletter.

Show them what's possible. We'd love the opportunity to help them too.

Finally, thank you.

Thank you for trusting us. We know starting something new isn't easy, especially when you're already dealing with pain. Watching so many of you get stronger, more confident and more active over the past year has been one of the highlights of building IAC.

Long may it continue.

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Chat next week.

Craig