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dwight pargee's avatar

Hi Todd,

great first chapter, I’m really interested in how your creative book project will turn out.

You’re probably aware of UW professor of neurophysiology and his book “The Throwing Madonna” and his theory of the evolutionary relationship between human throwing function and brain and language development...always fascinating to uncover these evolutionary and developmental relationships:

http://www.williamcalvin.com/bk2/bk2ch1.htm

https://www.nytimes.com/1983/08/21/books/the-throwing-madonna.html

related:

Evolution of the throwing shoulder: why apes don’t throw well and how that applies to throwing athletes

https://www.jshoulderelbow.org/article/S1058-2746(24)00077-6/fulltext

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Todd Hargrove's avatar

Thanks Dwight. I am not that far along on throwing because that's the last movement! But I have seen the study on why apes don't throw well. I haven't seen the throwing Madonna idea though, so I will take look. Thanks for passing it on.

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Smartroller1's avatar

Always a step ahead Dwight, thank you both for this conversation.

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Jane's avatar

Thank you for this Todd, I used to be a gymn instructor and often felt that posture and good alignment were needed before weights were lifted or speed increased. Also I am a horse rider, and most beautiful picture I have seen of anyone riding a horse was a native American Indian, so different to how Europeans ride horses. Any thoughts on how we have evolved to work/ride/harness animals.

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Todd Hargrove's avatar

Thanks Jane! Humans have only been riding horses for about 5,000 years. It’s a long time to learn skills and pass them on through culture, but not much time to adapt genetically.

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Per Stenboeg's avatar

Thank you Todd for a 'new' perspective on a very important subject. I came across your texts searching for hand-mind literature and I am glad to follow your work. I found your recommendation on Frank R Wilson The Hand very interesting- and I see notes here going back to our evolutionary roots. I think your new book could sell very good in Denmark as we are very fond of exercising and the fit life. I like in particular that you take the reader by the hand with examples like the infant child/animal. I think we are not aware of how much harm we do our children not taking them out in the bush. Thank you!

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Todd Hargrove's avatar

Thanks Per, glad you like the idea.

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Matthew's avatar

A very interesting introduction thank you, really sets the scene. I think a lot of people into fitness and movement would be keen to filter all their workouts through this lens to see what is say core and other bits which may surprisingly not be. I personally think carrying is so neglected, and see very few people training this. I used to ruck a lot to compensate for this before I got an injury with my glutes from cycling (which can’t be an evolutionary movement surely)!

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Todd Hargrove's avatar

Thanks Matthew. Carrying is one of the exact movements which the evolutionary perspective suggests is a bit underrated by modern humans. Definitely a natural move and an easy way to load the body with minimal injury risk.

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Egger's avatar

Very nice introduction, i 'l wait every new weeks with excitation, the topic is really passionate ( escuse me for my bad english i read you from France...)

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