The #TB12Method – Fact or Fallacy?

Over the past couple of months, I have been contacted or approached by countless people to voice my opinion about Tom Brady’s TB12 Method book. With so much noise surrounding the weeks leading up to a Super Bowl, inquiries were compounded with Tom Brady’s release of his 4-part documentary, Tom vs. Time, which is a movie documenting his integration of his newest product. Airing the documentary in the week leading to ANOTHER Super Bowl appearance by the G.O.A.T., only serves to reinforce the messaging behind the TB12 brand.

I have heard so many talking heads give their opinion of his method, yet I don’t think any of them really took the time to read the book or seek out a professional opinion. If they did, they would have first concluded what I determined; this is a SYSTEM, not a METHOD.

What is the difference?

[blockquote]Method [meth-uh d] noun: a procedure, technique, or way of doing something, especially in accordance with a definite plan

System [sis-tuh m] noun: an ordered and comprehensive assemblage of facts, principles, doctrines, or the like in a particular field of knowledge or thought
[/blockquote]

In the book, The TB12 Method, Brady talks about 12 core principles. He goes on to explain that if you follow all of these principles to the letter, you can achieve optimum health and ‘pliability’, hence reducing your risk of injury and improving overall performance and quality of life.

If he stopped there, I would agree that this is a ‘method’, however, he goes on to express,
[quote_simple]“contrary to what the media thinks-I won’t always turn down a cheeseburger or an ice cream cone-I just won’t have one every night, and I won’t have ten of them either. Too much of a bad thing is bad for you, but too much of a good thing isn’t a good thing either.”[/quote_simple]

In other words, although he follows every principle 99% of the time, it’s simply not possible or realistic for anyone to do this, nor must they do everything it states to achieve a positive outcome. Everyone needs to adapt their individual lifestyle accordingly to get the most that they can out of his product. Tom Brady’s first principle in his TB12 Method is ‘Pliability’. The simple fact that a guy like Alex Guerroro performs the pliability work, work that Brady claims to be one of the primary contributors to his longevity, tells you that unless you have this same pliability work done, you will never truly accomplish the results TB12 has ascended to. Yes, the book demonstrates ways for you to apply self-pliability work, but does Tom Brady (or Alex Guerroro) really think that Alex’s impact on his muscle pliability can be so easily replicated by YOU? Of course not. Again, this is Tom Brady’s ‘Method’ for using the TB12 ‘SYSTEM’.

Tom Brady and Alex Guerroro have developed a SYSTEM that was meticulously constructed to get optimal physical and mental results. If you can only follow certain components of his ‘system’, that is certainly better than doing none of it at all. The more of the system you can integrate into your wellness plan, the better the results you will see. This in turn, becomes YOUR ‘method’ of the TB12 ‘system’.

The substitution of the word method for system may seem trivial, but if TB12 sincerely wants to transform the way we go about training and create long-term change in the way we think about peak performance, they must first lay it out as something that anyone can achieve, realistically.

Ultimately, there are a bevy of internal and external influences that have allowed Tom Brady to rise to the heights of his sport. Without things such as family support, loving parents, genetics, good fortune, etc., Tom Brady will be the first to acknowledge he would not be where he is today. The TB12 ‘system’ is a well configured blue print to help anyone achieve maximum results for themselves. Like anything else in life worth having, it takes dedication, hard work and sacrifice to attain the best results. The question you should be asking yourself is; “Am I willing to make certain sacrifices to achieve the goals that are important to me?” If you are, then the I encourage you to learn more about the TB12 ‘system’ and develop your own method to achieve a lifetime of sustained peak performance.

Next month, I will dig a little deeper and discuss the science behind Alex Guerroro’s muscle pliability approach to bodywork. Spoiler alert: I don’t agree 100%, but I like what he is selling.

Go Pats!