Mindset Creates Change
What did you set out to accomplish in 2015 that escaped you? I am not referring to a specific goal in the gym. I am thinking bigger picture. Did you want to become a more generous person or a better friend? Greg Glassman the founder of CrossFit opened his first gym in Santa Cruz, California. Every year he would have his athletes write down three things they want to improve on. Be a better parent, partner or friend. Eat more vegetables or get stronger. Fitness related or life related. Either way he was confident enough that in one year of being a member at his gym you would improve on all three of those things. They wrote them down and one year later they opened them up again.
I fully believe the same thing is possible at CrossFit Federal Hill. I have no doubt that if you wrote down that you wanted to be a better mother/father that after one year of suffering, laughing and bonding with the CFH community that you would be a better parent with a stronger back squat. It is the power of pushing yourself physically with a group of like minded people that benefits all facets of your life.
The only thing holding you back from reaching your full potential is your mindset and your attitude toward working out (time and nutrition also play a role). If you are reading this you are one step ahead. You have joined the community, you believe in the processes and you know that you are working for something bigger than 15 unbroken chest to bar pull ups. But it is hard to avoid having bad days. Not hitting a PR or totally hitting a wall in a workout one day is going to happen. How you react to them is the key to success.
I encourage you to use the community and the coaches for advice and support. I highly encourage that you not commiserate and complain. The word “CAN’T” is about the most contagious, negative thing you can bring into the gym. Talking about how you can’t do a pull up, should not happen, but rather you should be talking about your plan to get to a pull up. A simple mind shift will be the difference in you moving forward or moving backwards.
You come into the gym, set your bag down, grab a spot on the mat and your friend walks in:
Athlete 1: What is happening!?
Athlete 2: Same old, just happy it is Friday!
Athlete 1: Stupid Pull ups today in the WOD. Uhhh I suck at pull ups….so stupid that we have 50 of them today…”
Athlete 2: “I have been struggling with these, but I watched that video Coach Alexa put out and started to hit some of those rack pull ups. I already feel better. I am going to ask a coach for some pointers and get on a pull up progression plan. My goal is one strict pull up by June.”
We have all been Athlete 1 before. A comment like that usually leads to more commiserating and no positive outcome. Athlete 2 has the right mindset is developing a plan and sees the glass as half full. Success breeds success, positive thinking and actions create positive people.
Overall as a gym we do an amazing job of being positive and taking people to a better place. But, inside we all have our demons and our self doubts. Eventually they will come to the surface. Show up, embrace the work and kill the demons with kindness and positive energy. From there you will have no choice, but to be awesome. Lets be awesome.
-Geo
Check out the video below with Coach Ryan talking a about the split jerk!
Strength WOD
Split Jerk
1/1/1/1/1/1/1 (build up in weight, there are seven sets)
Between each set complete 10 scap push ups and 3 Jerk balances with a PVC pipe
WOD
800 M Run
21 Handstand Push ups
600 M Run
15 Handstand Push ups
400 M Run
12 Handsatnd Push ups
200 M Run
9 Handstand Push ups
Fitness: dumbbell/KB seated Press
RX: Kipping Handstand Push up
RX+: Strict
**Focus on good reps for Handstand Push ups. Quality over quantity. Use the coach to help find a good scaling option.**
Nicole hitting a few Bar Muscle ups!