“Some people … are gifted with high trainability.”
I just read a fascinating article in the Guardian about athletic performance. The concept of the ‘10000 hours’ of training needed to reach world class performance is well known, but recent research has shown another dimension to the equation, especially in the area of endurance sport. There is, apparently, a big difference between individuals when it comes to their responsiveness to training. In the studies, some people showed huge gains in their bodies ability to process and transmit oxygen to their muscles as a result of aerobic trading, but others, performing identical training blocks, showed little or no improvement. This implies that a genetic predisposition to adaptability is critical for the budding top level athlete.
This fascinates me. I’m intrigued by the ingredients that go into excellent performance. It seems that both natural giving and disciplined, intentional training are needed.
You could find this research depressing, as it implies that people will never become too level marathoners, for example, no matter how hard they train. But another way of responding to it would be to ask ‘what are my unique, inborn talents and abilities, and how can I nurture them to create my own excellent performances?’