Skólahreysti: Building Strong Kids in Iceland

I came across the VICE News piece about Iceland's culture around strength and fitness.  I got into the story because I have been focusing on strength training for the last few months.  I was impressed with another aspect of Iceland's commitment to fitness though. 

The reporter met up with family that runs a national physical competition for kids called the Skólahreysti.  This is a televised event similar to Ninja Warrior or the Crossfit Games.  Sölvi Fannar appears to be the mastermind behind this initiative for Iceland.  His comment that training to be better at this style of obstacle course will benefit athletes in any other sport.  I agree.

Unfortunately the trend today for kids in the US seems to be towards focusing on a single sport.  While there a host of reasons why I don't think this trend is postive, maybe something like the Skólahreysti, Crossfit or Ninja Warrior could take hold more broadly to help balance out the physical imbalances that single sport athletes might develop.  Maybe training for a fitness as a sport event could empower us to see lifelong physical fitness as a goal.

Ninja Warrior Training

Just looking at Mt. Midoriyama makes me nervous

I love Sasuke. The Japanese came up with an awesome physical test that no one was even able to finish for the first four years of the competition. Now called Ninja Warrior because of a huge international audience; we also have the American Ninja Warrior with a series of regional competitions that lead to a final round in Vegas. I've watched the show for years and every time I see a few contestants run through the course, I have to rush out to a playground to practice the moves myself. TV that motivates you to move is excellent television indeed!

Obstacle course training might be the most perfect form of physical conditioning. It taxes all the major muscles; stresses aerobic & anaerobic metabolic systems; develops coordination, agility & balance; creates body awareness for overcoming real life physical challenges; and most importantly, it motivates you to exercise because it's fun!

Finding an obstacle race is easy; training on playgrounds & "nature's obstacle course" is fun

Fitness is a multifaceted concept. I look at it as developing the physical components & skills to live a long life doing the things that make you happiest. When your body lets you down by holding you back from your dreams, you have to work to overcome the weakness (there's no quit in any of you I know). Obstacles and movement training highlight weaknesses but by maintaining a playful heart, they can inspire you to higher levels of fitness than you ever thought possible.

Running is an essential human movement, as is swimming. Goal setting & accomplishment is key to happiness--marathons and triathlons are brilliant personal accomplishments. These activities don't encapsulate total fitness however, and even can be counterproductive to developing or even maintaining other key fitness components like joint mobility, strength, agility, coordination and balance.

You also won't develop the physique that you desire by just running. You'll drop pounds initially but almost any activity will create noticeable body changes in the first months as your metabolism has to compensate for the new stress. After the initial months, our bodies adapt to the stress, it becomes a new normal and no further body composition changes occur. People also become bored with the same activity, dread working out and fall off the wagon. Incorporating obstacles to climb, hurdle, balance on, etc will keep your training interesting. Run backwards, shuffle sideways, vary speed--this will make your runs more interesting for your body and mind.

Running is an essential movement but taken to an extreme can hurt total physical fitness

Physical activity is a daily part of a long and happy life. Move in a variety of ways. Try new things. Explore!

Too much of a good thing is too much.

Movement Training Ideas

I'm all for going for a run. It's a great way to blow off steam and burn up some excess calories. It's hardly the best form of exercise for overall fitness though. To develop total fitness, you have to move your body in a wide variety of ways in addition to running. This is why I love outdoor fitness stations.

Fantastic outdoor fitness station I stumbled upon in Buenos Aires

Back in the 1970s, cities installed Parcourse outdoor exercise stations in public places. The stations had labels for how to use them and completed as a set, were designed to target all aspects of physical fitness. They fell into disrepair in many cases though and I'm not fond of many of the modern versions that have replaced them. I've encountered many great versions but most often in other countries.

You don't really need specialized outdoor fitness equipment though. While adult-sized high bars are fantastic for so many movements (pullups, muscle ups, bar rolls, skin-the-cat, toes-to-bar, etc), you can do so many cool movements with standard children's playgrounds. I often get little kids at the playground trying to mimic my movements. What better way to inspire youngsters to develop a lifelong movement habit than through personal example?

Don't overlook climbing up, balancing on, crawling around, carrying things or jumping over obstacles of opportunity in your local park or neighborhood. I love to string up a climbing rope in the park and incorporate climbing into a circuit course using a park bench, tree, steps, wall or whatever.

No outdoor fitness course nearby? Make your own.

Here's a sample workout to get you started:

1. Run to a playground (1/4 to 1 mile)
2. Do a couple of passes on the monkey bars
3. Hold a handstand against a wall or tree for 30 secs
4. Balance on each foot for 30 secs each
5. Carry a cinder block in each arm for distance 
6. Vault or leap a park bench x 10
7. Duck walk for 10 yds x 3
8. Sprint home

Experiment with other moves, duration and intensity. There are a bunch of great YouTube videos describing playground workouts or look into the MovNat sample workouts. Use your exercise time as a chance to have some fun while you get stronger and healthier.

La Méthode Naturelle

 Être fort pour être utile (Being strong to be useful)
- Georges Hébert

Contrary to what Nike might tell you, physical fitness training is not a new concept.

Georges Hébert was a French physical education thinker and instructor in the early 20th century.  He was inspired by the seemingly natural physical prowess and physique of indigenous populations. In his mind, these people had no instruction on diet or exercise yet had a superior level of fitness to people living a modern lifestyle. Other thinkers in Hébert's time were proposing physical training concepts and programs prompted by public health and military preparedness. His philosophy strove to mimic the behavior patterns of native people by centering on a return to the basic functioning and enhancement of natural human skills (La Méthode Naturelle). The 10 basic movements in his mind were walking, running, jumping, crawling, climbing, balancing, throwing, lifting, defending and swimming; a standard training session would involve a combination of these elements.

Old school obstacle course training inspired by Georges Hébert

USMC obstacle course training, Parkour, MovNat, Fartlek among others are all modern implementations of La Méthode Naturelle.  Essentially the principle is that learning to master obstacles in the world around you provides all the physical stimulation we need to achieve a fully functioning human body.  Individual components of fitness like strength, endurance, or flexibility are not trained in isolation but as a byproduct of developing useful skills.  Movements aren't scaled for age or sex. There is no end-state fitness goal. You listen to your body and practice everyday striving for greater efficiency in movement. Physique is also a byproduct of focusing on improving movement.

Fit bodies are not just for men

To Hébert, a strong, agile body was a useful body. Doing stuff when and how you want to do something was the purpose of training. Not just pullups for stronger arms but for better climbing ability.  Not just better climbing ability as an end-state but to better scale something for a vantage point or to escape. The underlying purpose of life enhancement permeates all physical training sessions.

Think about what drives you to train your body.