Making the Impossible, Possible!

 Throughout history, some of the greatest sporting achievements have been perceived as impossible.  

 

And I am sure that you will have heard that you can't do something for various reasons.

 

Well, I'm here to tell you that you can! 



We are all familiar with Usain Bolt, his record of 9.58 seconds for a 100m Sprint beats Jesse Owens 100m record of 10.2 seconds by 0.62 seconds. And yes, we now have better training techniques and understandings of how the body works and adapts. We also have made huge strides (pun intended) technologically. Bolt uses starting blocks, and a specifically designed track to improve speed. Owens ran on cinders, having dug his own hole to use as a starting block. The cinders would be much like running on sand, the softness absorbing energy from every stride Owens made. Biomechanical analysis suggests that if Bolt and Owens ran on the same surface, and same conditions, Bolt would not be 0.62 seconds ahead of Owens. In fact, Owens would be right on Bolts heels, giving him a run for his money. 

So, you may not be as fast as Bolt now, but technology and advancements in science means anything is now possible. 

 

Before 1885, it was believed impossible to swim across the Chanel, from Dover to Calais. Then in 1985, Captain Matthew Webb, was the first person to swim across the Chanel unaided. Since then, hundred of people have swam the Chanel. 

 

Before 1954, it was believed impossible to run a 4 minute mile. Then in 1954, Roger Bannister ran a mile in 3minutes 59.4 seconds. Since breaking the believed to be impossible 4 minute mark, it is now commonplace for people to run a mile in less than 4 minutes. 

 

In 2018, Ross Edgley completed the first swim around Great Britain. In his book he reported that sport scientists and many people declared this an impossible feat - especially without a typical swimmers physique (thin, long torso and short legs). 1792 miles later, Ross takes his first steps on land after 157-days at sea, having completed the swim around Great Britain. 

 

So, next time someone tells you that you can't do something, just remember its because they believe it is impossible. If you believe it is possible, you can do it! 



Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

The Best Split... For You!

Image
  Wherever you look, and whoever you ask, they will all say that there is one workout split that beats all the rest.    Fortunately, this is not true!    The best workout split will depend entirely on you! What is a split?   A split is just a way of deciding what muscles/aspects of fitness you will train on a specific day. You'll likely have heard of leg day - which is just one day in a split when you work legs. And there are all manner of splits out there: Push, Pull, Legs. Chest and Tri's, Back and Bi's.  Chest day, Back day,  Leg day, Arm day, Core day.    And while each split has its own advantages, these are only really realised by more elite athletes (or anyone who goes to the gym about 10 times per week). Who, realistically, has time for that?   For most people, myself included, I recommend full body sessions. Full body sessions are perfect for if you are short on time, or have unstable schedules, and they are still extremely...
Read more

Exercise or Physical Activity?

Image
  What really is the difference between Physical Activity and Exercise?   And how can we use Exercise and Physical Activity to improve our health and help us reach our goals? First of all - Definitions!  Physical Activity  - Any movement created by the contraction of skeletal muscles. (This could be gardening, car cleaning or walking to work).   Exercise  - Planned activity with the intent of improving an element of our health and fitness or performance. (This could be going for a run, going to the gym, or attending an exercise class).   So, what does this mean?   in effect, any movement we make can be classed as Physical Activity, whether that is walking the dog or walking to the fridge. Walking to specifically improve our cardiovascular health is exercise.      So, how do we use exercise and Physical Activity to improve our health? Physical Activity can be done anywhere and at any time. Higher levels of Physical Activity have...
Read more

Cardio Training - For Any Goals?

Image
  You'll have probably heard something along the lines of 'cardio kills gains'.   But is this really true?    Mostly, no it is not true. Some people will tell you it is. Some people will tell you it's not. I will tell you it depends.    Lets look at the physiology. As we all know, to make 'gains', you must resistance train and have enough calories.  Cardio can burn a lot of calories, which is why it can be so effective for losing weight. And, why it can be tougher to build muscle alongside heavy cardio.  Muscle building from weight training generally results in increased Type 2 muscle fibres. Type 2 muscle fibres are larger than Type 1 muscle fibres, which are developed with cardio training. So, logically, to build more muscle you want to focus more on the Type 2 fibres.     However, cardio improves our heart, lungs, blood vessels and blood. This improves our bodies ability to deliver oxygen, nutrients, hormones and everything else ...
Read more