Thursday, June 24, 2010

Nutritional Balance Beam...

Tonight I weighed myself for the first time in a long time.  I have always hovered right around 153lbs but tonight the scaled read 159lbs.  I thought the scale must be wrong so I weighed myself again and again it read 159lbs.  I kind of freaked out and started to look for reasons why I have had this weight gain over the past 3 months.  Many reasons came to mind and some have to do with my nutrition.  Let's look at a few.

The first reason for the weight gain could be due to increase in muscle mass.  Some of my lifts have increased significantly in the past 3months.  I put 20lbs on my snatch, 15lbs on my clean and jerk, and 10lbs on my squat.  These increases came from increase muscle mass so that could be the reason.  I like this line of thinking.  I am getting stronger so in turn I gain weight.  There has to be more to it than that. 

Then I began to look into my nutrition.  Chicago as a whole creates many nutritional traps.  There is so many great places to eat and they all serve massive portions.  Now I have not been going crazy eating out all the time but I can honestly say that I haven't always made the best decisions while eating out.  I have consumed unfavorable carbs and fats and I am not proud of this.  I  have also consumed more beer than I did all of last year.  Now I am not saying that I am drinking all day everyday all I am saying is that there has been an increase in alcohol consumption.  So the combination of poor dietary choices and alcohol could be a huge contribution to the weight gain.  This is a good possibility but one cheat meal and 1 or 2 beers on a weekend can't add 6 lbs.  There must be more.

How about we look into my block counts and what I consume at each meal and snack.  I eat strict zone and paleo foods...ONLY those foods.  My zone block count for each meal currently is 5-5-15 and for snacks it is 2-2-6.  Now some of you know what this means and some of you may not.  I will give a brief explanation.  If you want more info refer the book "The Zone Diet" by Dr. Barry Sears.  This basically means that on any given day I consume a total of 19 blocks of protein, 19blocks of carbs, and 57 blocks of fat.  At each meal I consume 5 ounces of a protein source, a combination of low glycemic high fiber carbs, and lots of healthy omega 3 fatty acids and fats.  A typical dinner will be 5 ounces of chicken, 1 cup of broccoli, 1 cup of cauliflower, 3 cups of spinach and a combination of zucchini, tomatoes, and onions sauteed in olive oil.  I then will also consume 1 whole avocado.  This fulfills my 5-5-15 requirements.  I have decided that I need to reassess my dietary needs.  Let's go through the process!

I need to calculate my body fat percentage.  First I measured my waist at my belly button and got 32 inches.  Next I measured my wrist...6 1/2 inches.  I now need to subtract the wrist from my waist and the result is...25.5 inches.  Using a chart I found out that my body fat percentage is 11.5%.  Now I need to calculate my lean body mass.  Multiply my weight by my body fat percentage.  159 x .115= 18.25 which is the total weight of the fat in my body.  Now I need to subtract my weight from my body fat mass.  159-18.25= 140.75.  This is my lean body mass.  Now I need to figure out my protein requirements.  Okay I need to determine my physical activity factor.  According to the chart I am active (1 hr per day 5 days per week) which equals a factor of 0.8.  To get my daily protein requirement I multiply my lean body mass times my activity factor.  140.75 x 0.8= 112.6.  I need to consume 112.6grams (113) of protein a day.  Now each block of proteins equals 7 grams.  I need to figure out my block consumption for the day.  113/7= 16 blocks per day.  I have been over shooting my nutrition by 3 blocks per day.  Looks like I need to adjust my intake.  I will need to go down to 4-4-12 per meal and 2-2-6 per snack.  Okay so here is the goal starting tomorrow reduce the blocks to the right portions and see where I go from there.

There is a lot of science behind the zone but in my opinion there is some wiggle room.  I three times my fats because that is what I have found to be the right amount of fats to consume in order to fuel my body.  Any less than that per day and I suffer massive headaches.  I will eat the 16 blocks of protein and carbs and see how I feel.  I know that I will feel great and I need to get back to this point.  I knew my nutrition was off but I wasn't sure how much.  A solution has been determined and away I go.

Let me give you a small fact list about what The Zone Diet and Crossfit has done for me.  First of all it got me to lose 35lbs, reduce my cholesterol from 204 to 130, decreased my blood pressure from slightly above normal to 112/72, cleared up my skin, reduced aches and pains in my body, decreased my body fat from 26% to 11.5%.  Crossfit has done more for me than I can explain in words.  Lets just look at some numbers.  My first Fran time was a 11:30 mins and now it is 2:39mins.  My deadlift went from 295lbs to 405lbs, squat from 300lbs to 365lbs, snatch from 155lbs to 205lbs, clean from 225lbs to 260lbs, and front squat from 250lbs to 300lbs.  You want to know what else this was all in less than a year.  I started Crossfit at CF Durham July 20th 2009.  It is now June 24th 2010.  11 months!!!

See what determination, sacrifice, proper nutrition, and an undying desire to succeed has achieved.  I wish that everyone could experience what I feel right now.  I am very happy and excited and know that the only way for things to go is up.  So I gained 9 lbs...I can fix that, hit the workouts harder and more often and adjust my nutrition.  A great inspiration to me is my friend Melinda.  With proper nutrition, Crossfit, and yoga she lost 100lbs and she is still going.  I love her story and love to see her accomplishments.  She is one of my inspirations for never giving up and always looking on the bright side of life. 

If you have any questions or need advice on nutrition let me know I will do my best to help you or send you links and resources that can help.

"Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory.”
- General George S. Patton

Monday, June 21, 2010

Trust the programming...

It has been a while since my last post and there are many reasons for this.  There has been a lot going on recently and I have been extremely exhausted.  Today was the fourth day in a row of rest.  I have been hitting the Olympic lifting classes really hard but haven't really done a metcon since last Wednesday.  I feel really guilty about this but at the same time I think that my body may need this extended rest.  During the past four days I have had a lot of time to think about my training and where I feel I am in Crossfit.  I am working hard, studying the journal, and pushing my limits during the Oly class but something does not feel right.  I am still motivated as ever but something is missing.  I am not sure what it is and I am having a hard time figuring it out. 

I looked back over the past couple of months of training and narrowed it down to the week that was the most motivating.  I loved how I felt before and after each WOD.  It was the week of the affiliate team tryouts.  It was so exciting, so difficult, and a great test.  I loved the wods.  They were incredibly difficult and required not only strength but skill as well.  I miss those wods.  I really love tough programming and WOD's that leave you feeling  like you can't take another step.  I decided that I need to get back into more regular Crossfit WOD's.  I still plan on doing the Oly class but may double WOD on those days.  I want to feel the pain, suffer with my friends, and compete.

I think that what one person finds to be difficult programming to another may not be.  It must be extremely difficult to prorgam for everyone in a box.  There is so many different levels of ability and experience.  At what point does a coach decided to increase the difficulty of the programming for certain memebers of their box?  I think this a very difficult question or situation to tackle.  I don't think there is ever a right time but I do think that coaches should program to the ability of the most experienced or best Crossfitters in their box.  This gives the newer members or less skilled members something to shoot for.  I also think that it is probably frustrating to the less skilled or newer members to always see the fire breathers finishing so quickly or finishing and be looking for more.   What if those fire breathers were on the floor right next to the newbies.  Struggling for air, suffering in pain, and just exhausted.  I personally think that is how it should be.  This builds unity and community but most of all it builds a better Crossfitter. 

Give me crazy heavy strength cycles and massive WOD's and I will eat it up.  I want to be destroyed by the WOD's and I want to be strong.  Most of all I want to be the best Crossfitter that I can be.  I am not sure how to do this but I do know that I have to hit WOD's on a daily basis and get after it during the strength segments.  Most of all being the best Crossfitter possible means being competitive.  Being competitive with people in my own box as well as with potential competition during the games.  I need to increase my work compacity and to train my body to recovery effectively and quickly.  This comes with proper training, strength cycles, nutrition, and discipline. 

My goal for the next couple of months is to keep my chin up.  Always look and train in the positive direction and have faith in my coaches and programming.  I am placing my faith in the hands of people I respect a lot.  They will help me achieve my goals and ready me for the next competition...I just have to be patient. 

"We're never so vulnerable than when we trust someone - but paradoxically, if we cannot trust, neither can we find love or joy”
-Walter Anderson

Monday, June 14, 2010

Longevity

This past weekend I attended the wedding of one of my best friends.  The wedding took place in Columbus, Ohio and the Wife and I decided to drive down to it.  I have never actually visited Columbus, Oh but have driven through it a number of times.  It was a nice little city with a nice arena district and a great collection of little bars and restaurants.  I can't imagine how crazy it must be when all the OSU students are there especially during football season.  The wedding was great!  Lots of family and friends all coming together for a common cause...celebrating the union of two wonderful people. 

There was a very special moment during the reception.  Instead of throwing the bouquet the bride decided to give it away in a different manner.  She had all the married couples stand up and move onto the dance floor.  At that time the DJ started to play a slow song and as the song progressed he would ask people to leave the dance floor based upon the length of their marriages.  "If you have been married 5 years or less you can leave the floor now", etc.  He worked his way through everyone except one couple.  This couple had been married for 54 years and they were my best friends Grandparents.  They played a very special song for them and they got their own personal dance.  The bride handed my friend's Grandma the bouquet and the room erupted with cheers.  People throughout the room had tears of joy streaming down their faces.  At that moment I thought to myself how amazing it must be to have a love that has lasted that long.  One decision these two wonderful people made many years ago led to everyone celebrating that night.  Trust, faith, and love brought these two people together and has kept them together for more than half a century.  They were amazing...it was amazing!

So how does this relate to my usual Crossfit stuff?  In every way possible.  Longevity is very important in an athletes career.  Without longevity success is only short lived, training is not effective, and the health and fitness benefits are not obtained.  Why would anyone want to put so much time and effort into something and not stick with it?  We have all seen it within our boxes.  There is the person that starts in the foundations/on ramp course, makes it all the way through and then never comes again.  There is also the person that comes for a couple of months makes huge gains and improvements but then just stops coming.  I get so frustrated with these people.  I want these people to be successful and to stay with it but they just won't.  I think that maybe they get in over their heads, find it too difficult, or other things in their lives interfere. 

The simplest solution to all of these problems is to take a step back and re-examine their pursuits in Crossfit.  Maybe they don't fully understand the movements, are using too much weight during the WOD's, or in need of more coaching and support.  Whatever it is we need to give it to them.  Now we cannot make Crossfit easy...that would be a sin.  What we can do is help teach these individuals that they can conquer the hardest of Crossfit challenges... it just takes time and hard work.  Maybe this will carry over into their everyday lives.  Maybe they will improve their work output at their places of business or will work through tough times with their significant others instead of running away and giving up.  Whatever it is the lessons in Crossfit longevity can carry over to longevity in their everyday lives.

We need to train consistently and with purpose and direction.  We need to work to make consistent gains and improvements and to never be satisfied with where we are in Crossfit.  To increase our longevity in this sport means that we need to train smart, maximize recovery, and perfect our nutrition.  We need to realize that even though there may be sprints in our WOD's that our career in Crossfit is more of a marathon.  What I mean is that it takes time for us to reach our maximum potential.  We cannot just walk into the games and win them.  It takes many years of refining your skills, building strength, and working tirelessly.  I have to remind myself this on a daily basis.  I need to contribute more time to becoming a better Crossfitter and refining my skills.  We are a product of what we contribute to fires that forge our being.  If we work hard and contribute all of our effort into our training we will become the athlete we only dream of.

"The way to learn to do things is to do things. The way to learn a trade is to work at it. Success teaches how to succeed. Begin with the determination to succeed, and the work is half done already.”
-Anonymous

Wednesday, June 9, 2010

Unbelievable...

Everyday during my lunch break I spend at least 15 minutes reading current news and affairs on BBC.  I really enjoy the BBC news service it gives a totally different point of view than the usual American news channels.  I am not knocking the American news channels in any way all I am saying is it is nice to see how others in this world report the news.  So during my lunch today I stumbled upon a news story that made me laugh at first and then it made me extremely angry.  The title of it was "Is that woman fat of pregnant?" 

WHAT! ARE YOU KIDDING ME!  We need a news report about how to determine if someone is just obese or pregnant.  This is out of control.  I started to read the article because I needed to understand why this is important.  The basis of the article was about public transportation and how people are less likely to get up these days for women because they are not sure if they are pregnant or obese.  Fellow commuters are too polite to ask these people if they would like their seat because they do not want to offend an obese women by asking her if she is pregnant.  Oh the article gets better.  They then interviewed pregnant mothers and asked them how people, especially men, could tell the difference between the two.  They listed out seven items to look for that included huffing and puffing, belly or back rubbing, look at swollen feet, what she is reading, inflated ankles, waddling walk, and a well defined solid bump in their abdomen.  Okay so I get it these are all signs of a pregnant women.  But come on really...is this really that big of a problem.

Now ladies I am not singling your sex out I am just floored by this article.  I have seen plenty of men that look pregnant but based on their lack of proper equipment it just isn't possible.

So I finished the article and I was fired up.  I can't believe that there are so many obese people in this world that we need a guide to help us differentiate between pregnant and non-pregnant women.  I got an idea... get your lazy ass up off the couch, put down your fried khaki colored foods, and do some exercise.  Maybe we need to ask these people if they are pregnant.  Maybe they will get the point that they look like a pregnant person and they should loose weight and become a healthier person.  I know we are supposed to be confident in our skin but come on there needs to be a limit.  I know that I am far from perfect but at least I eat right and exercise.  We need to stop encouraging this type of behavior.  The behavior of encouraging obesity in our communities.  This is driving me crazy.  This needs to change.

Please let me know if I am crazy and if my expectations are too high.  I don't think so.  I don't expect everyone to walk into their local box and crush a 2 minute "Fran" but I do expect them to make little changes like going for a walk or eating a few colorful fruits and vegetables.  I wish I could go to people's houses and give them the tools to help themselves.  Maybe some day.

Obesity is an epidemic and is slowing killing many members of our communities.  We need to find a way to change the course of the American diet and to help eliminate problem foods.  I hope that this motivates you to help a friend or family member become a better person. 

To all the pregnant women out there.  I think that you are beautiful.  You have been given an amazing gift.  You can create, nurture, and bring a new life into this world.  That is something that I find to be one of the most amazing gifts that any person can have.  I am even more in awe when I see you pregnant ladies crushing Crossfit WOD's and doing pull ups or push ups.  You staying fit during pregnancy sets the precedent for the rest of your life and your baby's life.  Remember that special gift when you are making nutritional and fitness choices for them as they grow.  You are building the path for the rest of their lives. 

"Epidemics have often been more influential than statesmen and soldiers in shaping the course of political history, and diseases may also color the moods of civilizations”
-Anonymous

Tuesday, June 8, 2010

Humility...

Tonight I was talking with a good friend from Crossfit Durham.  It was awesome to catch up with him and to find out what he has been doing.  It was very hard for me to leave all my friends at Crossfit Durham and Crossfit Local.  They were all amazing athletes and were even more amazing people.  Every one of them would go out of their way for each other.  They created such unbelievable training environment full of competitiveness and support.  I was very stressed when I moved back to Chicago that I would have a tough time finding another box like this one.  Now we all know that no two things in this world can be exactly identical but they can be pretty damn close.  I was lucky to stumble upon Windy City Crossfit and it was exactly what I needed.  There are great coaches, a great training environment, a great sense of community, and a wonderful support system.  I am very happy to have the opportunity to be a member of Windy City CF.  I had found my new Crossfit home. 

Back to my previous thoughts.  I was talking with this friend from Durham and during our conversation he had asked how things are going.  I told him things were good, trying to keep up with everyone and getting used to the new gym.  He then said I am sure you are destroying it to which I responded I would not go that far I am just doing my best.  He replied "Big Pat you are always a humble man".  Now it is funny that my friend calls me big Pat because he is at least 6' 3" and 300lbs and is an ex college football player.  He is almost a foot taller than me and is double my body weight.  If anyone should have big in front of his name it should be him.  The conversation continued and it turns out he is doing great and can't get enough Crossfit.  What a guy!

After the conversation I began to think about being a "humble man" and what humility is in general.  What is it?  What does it say about you?  I had to look up the definition to understand all the various meanings. 

Humility (adjectival form: humble) is the quality of being modest, reverential, even politely submissive, and never being arrogant, contemptuous, rude or even self-abasing. Humility, in various interpretations, is widely seen as a virtue in many religious and philosophical traditions. 

I guess I am a humble man.  I believe that your actions in life always speak louder than the loudest voice.  We all have seen these people in life.  They have to talk about how great they are, all the things they have, and what they have accomplished.  If you truly have done all these things they will show in their own time.  You do not need to walk around squawking like a chicken.  Just go about your business.  I learned a great deal of humility from my parents.  They never talked about their accomplishments.  They told us nobody likes a person that brags all the time...they like someone who works hard and asks little in return. 

I think that a lot of humility comes from the understanding that no matter how great your accomplishments are there will always be someone that has a better accomplishment.  That sounds kind of harsh but it is true.  I learned this in wrestling.  No matter how good I seemed to think I was there was always someone out there that could beat me. 

I never feel it necessary to boast about my accomplishments.  I let them speak for themselves.  Whether it is a work accomplishment, a new PR, or a faster time on a WOD it doesn't matter.  I am proud of these accomplishments don't get me wrong I just no that there is more work to do.  I want to train around these kinds of people as well.  I want to train around people who work their butts off, push themselves to their limits, and never question whether or not they could have done more.  These people are the right kind to support your athletic accomplishments.

A humble man will reach heights that the biggest boast could not ever imagine reaching.  He will do this because instead of talking he is working.  He is constantly looking for ways to improve himself and to become a better athlete.  Be proud of all that you have accomplished.  Recognize the greatness of these but move on and do not dwell.  There is always more work to be done and room for improvement. 

Get after it every chance you get.  Wow people with your actions and let everyone know how much of a badass you are without saying a word.  People will be attracted to your amazing abilities and your work ethic and will return great amounts of respect.  You can do this without a single spoken word.  Powerful actions and humility are signs of a great person.  Exude your confidence but do it with how hard you work every day and by being an example in your community. 

"To be humble to superiors is duty, to equals courtesy, to inferiors nobleness.”
-Benjamin Franklin

Monday, June 7, 2010

Life as a precious resource...

One of the toughest things in life is the death of someone who you care for and love.  Over the past 3 days at work I have had to deal with this a number of times.  My occupation is a veterinary technician and each day I have to opportunity to save animals, keep them healthy, and share in their bond with their owners.  This job  has many facets.  You have to be good with the animals and with their owners.  You need to be the voice for the pet and give the owners guidance and advice in good times and bad.  Some days it is nothing but happy puppies and kittens and they keep a smile on your face all day long.  Other days it is a true challenge with mean or difficult pets or the very sick pets.  The past three days have been full of very sick pets.  Twice in the last three days I have been part of bringing an arresting animal back to life.  I am not sure how many of you have had to deal with a life and death situation where every decision you make or action you do will either make something live or die...let's just say it can be extremely stressful.

Saturday a cat coded.  This means the cat had no heart beat and was not breathing.  Within 30 seconds the cat was intubated, oxygen support was going, and your standard emergency drugs were being injected into the IV catheter.  A few seconds later the heart was going again and the cat was breathing on its own.  What a cool feeling.  We just took this dead cat and made it live again.  It was great.  Stepping back from the situation I began to think about it.  This cat died in my hands and then as a team we brought it back to life. 

Have any of you felt life leave something? 

It is an awkward feeling.  Something that was living and breathing has now stopped and there is a very good possibility that it will never do that again.  Even tougher than this is trying to explain to that pet's owner that their loved one is no longer with us.  There is a massive range of emotions of sorrow, sadness, and even relief.  Sometimes the owner knows their pet was suffering and they didn't know what to do.  Now they no longer have to worry...the suffering is over.  Watching adults cry is very difficult to witness.  It is equally difficult to be strong in front of them. 

Why am I writing about all this unpleasant stuff?

I am writing about this because I think that we all take life for granted.  We as Crossfitters are always wanting to be better, eat healthier, go faster, be stronger, etc. and get really frustrated when these things don't happen.  WAIT A MINUTE...You are alive!  You are working out, having a great time, and are more fit and a better athlete then most people anywhere in this world.  Think about how precious your life is and how precious the lives of your loved ones are.  Think about the people around you in the box suffering and sweating and how precious their existence is.  Sometimes we need perspective on how amazing you are as a person and as an athlete.  This perspective is the key to understanding how precious each day is. 

I get really frustrated with myself sometimes when it comes to Crossfit and Olympic lifting.  I am very hard on myself and never believe that I have gone fast enough or pushed hard enough in the WOD.  This motivates me to be better the next time I walk into the box and that is great.  After the past 3 days of work I will not go any easier on myself but I will be more appreciative of the chances I have to go into the box pick heavy stuff up and suffer through the WOD.  I am extremely lucky to have this opportunity.  Don't you think you are lucky as well?  If you don't come spend a day in my world. 

Everyone I know in the Crossfit community has been truly blessed by many things like determination, work ethic, athletic ability, and perseverance.  I think that most of us know how lucky we are to have the experiences and friends we have.  We cherish our opportunities to get better as an athlete and truly want the same for our friends.  Next time you walk into the box think about how precious your life and the lives of your friends are.  Be thankful for each step you take and each challenge you conquer.  If you are not motivated by these opportunities think about it a little more or watch the world news.

Life is a gift.  Cherish each moment that you have.  Put everything you can into it, never short yourself, and always be thankful for the people who love and care for you. 

"Life is full of beauty. Notice it. Notice the bumble bee, the small child, and the smiling faces. Smell the rain, and feel the wind. Live your life to the fullest potential, and fight for your dreams.”
- Ashley Smith

Wednesday, June 2, 2010

Living with your choices...

I know that everyone at some point in time has made a poor choice and had to live with the outcome.  We learn from this mistake and move on.  The same thing is true about Crossfit and the WOD's.  It happens a lot with beginners and with guys who think they are a true badass but really aren't.  I love the look on their face when they hit that moment in a WOD when they immediately regret their decision to use the weight they are using, wearing a vest, or going too fast at the beginning.

What does this mean?  A LOT!

There is a reason behind the design, designated weights and times of the WOD's.  They are desiged to create a certain metabolic conditioning effect within the body.  For example if the WOD is created to be completed in 8 mins at a weight of 95 lbs what do you think the finishing time should be?  It should be roughly 8mins +/- 30 seconds.  Does it make any sense to have an athlete take 16mins to complete this WOD just to say they used the RX weight.  ABSOLUTELY NOT!  This athlete got little to no metabolic conditioning.  They missed the entire principle of the WOD.  They did not become stronger or become a better athlete.  They simply can say they completed the WOD slower than every other person in the box.  They did do the WOD with the Rx weight...STUPID!  That is what that line of thinking is.

This drives me crazy!  It is a real hot button for me.  I hate to train with those people that are more concerned about Rx weights than they are about properly training the skill sets in the WOD's.  Back the weight down, modify the skill, use a band...whatever it takes. Just complete the WOD in a method that will make you a better Crossfitter.  There is plenty of time for skill work and strength building.  That is the point of the strength programming or skill programming.  The WOD's are there to improve your metabolic conditioning.  When you are doing back squats would you do an incomplete squat just to say you can squat a heavy weight.  NO!  You would train the full range of motion and use less weight because you know it will make you stronger.  This is the same for the WOD's.

Last August when I was fairly new to Crossfit I almost never did any of the WOD's at the Rx weight.  At that time I did not feel that using less weight would make me any less of a man or take away from my ego.  Instead I knew that if I trained the lifts and WOD's properly I would be able to complete the WOD's as Rx'd in no time.  By September of that same year I was all over the Rx'd weights and WOD's.  If I had not done this I would not be where I am today.  It is a slow building process and due to learning proper range of motion and properly building strength I am able to compete with the rest of the men at my box during the WOD's.

If I could say anything to new people or any Crossfitter it is to check you ego at the door.  Your ego will be the biggest hurdle to your training and will become the greatest interference on your path to Crossfit greatness. 

When do we decide that we should go Rx?  This is a very fluid concept and a bit subjective.  It varies from person to person.  Some people will be more willing to take the leap.  In my opinion once a person has developed the skill sets, been involved in the strength cycles, and has put their time in at the box then they should move onto to Rx.  Some people will ask "What are you going to use?  Do you think I should go Rx".  My answer is usually what do you think?  If I have been watching this athlete train and know they can do it I will encourage the Rx; otherwise I will encourage the athlete to use more weight than they normally would but not quite Rx.  It is important not to rush our athletes and friends into Rx weights or skills.  It is our responsibility to to ensure safety and proper skill levels and then encourage Rx. 

You can't sprint before you walk.  Pretty simple concept and it applies to every aspect of Crossfit.  This is not just for the beginner but applies to all levels of Crossfit athletes.  All levels of athletes continue to learn skill sets and build strength.  They too need to check their ego's and stay with fundamental and appropriate training.

Train honest and true.  Learn the basics and go back to them frequently.  Never forget where you want to go and where you came from.  Help others in your box learn the proper skills and techniques, support them and guide them. 

"Big egos are big shields for lots of empty space.”
-Diana Black

Tuesday, June 1, 2010

Inspiration and failures...

Today I was browsing around some of my favorite Crossfit blogs doing some research and looking for new training tips.  A suggestion from a friend lead me to Dutch Lowy's blog.  His blog is written very well and gave some great perspective in regards to Crossfit and Olympic lifting.  Today he wrote about Olympic lifting and how people his same size can snatch 2 times what he can.  He was obviously referring to the best Olympic lifters in the world.  In his blog was a video clip from the 2009 world championships and was the 69kg class.  What an amazing video...truly inspiring.  I watched this video not just to watch it but to learn from it. I watched a number of times and tried to see what made their lifts so effective.

Commitment!  Each time they stood on that platform to attempt their lifts everything in their being was in the lift.  Their technique was perfect, their execution was perfect, and the lift was perfect.  It was truly inspiring.  It is hard to imagine that these guys missing lifts, they make it look so easy.

I sat back and thought about my training and where I want to go with it.  I also thought about my lifts and whether or not I am fully focused and committed to making them better.  I know that I will never be like the guys on the video but I do want to be the best I can be and to be competitive.  This will only come with time and a lot of work.  I need to make the most of each moment I have in the box and to improve my technique every time I step on the platform.  These are all things that I can do.  I can work hard, focus on improving my technique, and with time increase my strength levels.

This is why I think Crossfitters and Olympic lifters are amazing people.  They do not look for a magic pill to make them better quickly.  They look at how to improve themselves and understand that it is matter of time and investment of effort.  There is no pill in the world that will make you better on a clean and jerk or help you do a muscle up.  Crossfitters get better at what they do because they are not afraid to fail a million times. They know that their efforts will be returned 10 fold when they get that first muscle up or a PR on any of their lifts.  Big shout out here to my friend Ashley Denton!  She was having a difficult time getting muscle ups and went to the Dirty South Regionals and still had not accomplished a muscle up.  Guess what was in one of the WOD's...muscle ups.  Guess what she did?

She got her first muscle up!  I wish I had been there to see it!  The look on her face must have been out of this world.  I am very proud of her!  She deserved that muscle up because of all the effort she had put in. Great job Ashley. 

What it really comes down to is whether or not you have the discipline to work your butt off.  Are you willing to put in the effort and deal with the frustrations of failure.  If you aren't then I don't want to train with you.  I want to train around athletes who go outside of their comfort zone and aren't afraid to take risks.  I want my fellow athletes to be strong and competitive and at the same time deal with their weakness and failures just like they do for the strengths.  Embrace your failures, take them in stride, and work to improve them.  You never know when your failures will become an success...it may just be exactly when you need it the most.  

"There are no secrets to success. It is the result of preparation, hard work, and learning from failure.”
-Colin Powell

"Fear of failure must never be a reason not to try something.”
-Frederick Smith