Generalist vs.Specialist In Fitness

A generalist is described as a person whose knowledge, aptitudes and skills are applied to a field as a whole or to a variety of different fields. A specialist is a person who devotes himself or herself to one subject or to one particular branch of a subject or pursuit.

In my opinion, the mind of a generalist operates slightly differently than that of a specialist. The generalist's mind tends to focus on matching patterns across many disciplines, finding similarities, and combining these similar ideas to create something new. The generalist skims the top of many disciplines, returning over and over to dig a little deeper in each so that over a lifetime he or she may become capable in a number of specialities.

The specialist see differences and explores them to gain a comprehensive understanding of a specific discipline. The specialist's goal is to master one specific goal or discipline over their lifetime.

As it relates to fitness, both personality types have their place. While a generalist may be able to address many issues that relate to your health goals, a specialist may be better able to help you reach a specific goal. Likewise, while a specialist may have the knowledge and skills to help you complete one specific task, that specialization could mean that they lack the skills to support you with your other fitness related goals.

So how to you address this quandary? Start with examining your interest. Is it one that requires that you have knowledge in more than one field? For example, a triathlete's knowledge base would necessarily need to be more extensive than a power lifter's. After examining your interest, determine your objective. If you find that it is a singular objective, then maybe a specialist is the way to go.

For me, because of the diverse clientele that I service, it is important that my knowledge and capabilities cover a wide array of disciplines . So in that sense I am very much a generalist. You may find that you like one thing and that you want to master that one thing only. That's fine, I have found however that because the body is a singular unit, at some point we all become generalists even if we decide to specialize in one thing. In the end, the goal is to find something or somethings that you enjoy and make their examination and exploration your life's mission. Thanks for your ear and keep reading!