Time
Time is an unusual phenomenon that we are all very familiar with. We often describe it as if it is slipping past us, or that we are losing track of it, maybe we are even trying to make more of it. I recently discovered an interesting way to think of it, which is that maybe we are actually moving through it instead of the other way around. Movement requires space, and our best understanding of nature indicates that space and time may indeed be the same thing.
Movement is based on simple rules that create complex emergent behavior. What we see every day in terms of how people move is the outcome of an extremely sensitive network of events that are all contingent upon each other. One of the more interesting things, is that the events all require the passage of time in order to adequately unfold. As an example, if you want to bend your elbow for a preacher curl, your brain must first generate the idea. Messages are then sent via electrical impulses through nerves to muscles in a sequential manner that activates the appropriate tension and musculature to aid in completing the movement. From there, the head, neck, shoulder, elbow and hand all coordinate to produce a fluid motion. That is a very distilled version of what happens but suffice it to say that all of these actions require time.
One question I often receive is in regard to barbell training. The primary consequence with barbell work is the immediate loss of time as soon as it makes contact with your body. What I mean by that is, the load on the bar compresses you at initial contact, and the ability to create motion declines as space diminishes. This is why powerlifting is so effective at developing force production in folks. The compression results in an enormous degree of stiffness and muscle activity, allowing the barbell to move and musculature to grow. My work as a physical therapist is often the opposite, restoring time and motion in you.
Time and space appear to be equal in their representation within nature. Both of these elements are required for movement. Whether it be to lift a cup of coffee or a heavy deadlift, without them motion stops. The ability to create space, move, stop time and then recreate space underpins how we interact with the world. Certain activities reinforce this pattern, other activities restrict it. There is no right or wrong way to go about it, only tradeoffs.
Austin Ulrich, Physical Therapist
