For those of you who were in class today, this will be a repeat. For those who stayed home, let me explain today's workout. It is subtle but brilliant. This is a post I shared with the other coaches to make sure nothing was lost in translation.
30 minute AMRAP
15 second chin up hold
15 unbroken double unders
15 unbroken push ups
Think of this workout as being two strength pieces and one skill practice, packaged into a mildly aerobic endeavor. The chin up hold can be broken up as necessary (no more than 3 slices of 5 seconds, ideally.) This allows athletes to strengthen the range of motion that sucks across the board- the last two inches. The chin up hold (supinated grip) prepares them for beach season- sun's out, gun's out. The 15 unbroken double unders is skill practice. If they fail to do them unbroken, begin back at the beginning of that set of double unders. If 15 is a ridiculously easy range, bump it up by 5s to no more than 30. Do no more than 3 failed sets. (If the athlete is performing single unders, it may involve minor skill development, but is mostly aerobic work.) The push ups are again, strength work. If the rep range of 15 is excessive, suggest 5 or 10 (whatever you choose, it should sound easy for one set.) Both unbroken exercises are purposefully written that way so that you have to rest prior to completing them in order to complete them. Rest is inherent, it is just not mandated.
Today's email is wordy, here are more.
A student texted me this AM: ...when you suck at a WOD and it bugs you all day (slow clap) (Read: a workout has me sad &/or pissed off.)
I gotz thotz...
CrossFit is a huge commercial success (and labelled a cult) because they incidentally figured out how to perfectly merge exercise and emotion: the WOD. We're addicted to the Sport of Fitness not because of the tangible physical results, but because of the huge emotional connection we have to exercise now, whether we realize it or not.
This emotional connection is very important on a person by person level. To get through many of the WODs you need to care on a level deeper than skin. To beat the shit out of yourself day to day and week to week CrossFit has to be more important to your psyche than a stroll in the park or a lifting session at the local gym.
When the emotional connection takes you over, instead of you using it to your advantage, you lose. Exercise should always supplement your real life, not detract.
Is it a bad thing that a workout got you down in the dumps for a bit? NOT AT ALL. It means you're at the perfect level of obsession. The emotional connection took you over, you said fuck you and conquered it. If you cared any less, you wouldn't care enough.
What do we do when the emotion of it all is drowning out the positives? When a workout has us all up in our head? Answer these questions:
1. Did you have fun?
2. Did you learn something from the experience that you can put to good use in the future? (This can mean learning from a mistake or knowing what you need to work on.)
3. Did you meet your goal?
A. No? Did you set the right (quality or quantity) of goal?
4. Are you going to live to see another day?
In a lot of ways, you can re-read this email, replacing "emotional connection" with "competing against other athletes" and it's still true. Use competition to your advantage, when it beats you, you lose.
Slight digression- any given day's workout does not matter. It is one brick in a huge wall. It's the commitment to consistency and excellence that matters, everything else simply paints that picture. Are you troubled by the little picture? Look at the big picture. Usually it all starts to make sense again.
This email has turned out much heavier than I intended. Here's your moment of zen.
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