CROSS-fit #81 Get Real or get out

The innate nature of human beings is to be biased.
We can't trust our own judgement at times. Most of the times, we can consider ourselves right or wrong...
However, more often than not, we're biased.
Giving biased and unfounded comments on a certain subject or worst still a certain person.
And you'll notice that you're never wrong.
Even the best of the best, when they're in it to win it, they're always right.
"My lift is the best, my metcon is superior"
"My train of thought is more in depth compared to yours"
"Your training methodology is inferior, I'm obviously better."
We all think of it, it's natural.
But it's a totally different thing to act on it.
We're biased towards ourselves.
Something Coach K frequently does in a very subtle way...

He never boasts to say that his training methodology is the best, he let's the records and numbers show it.
With the number of incoming trainers from overseas, partnerships, sponsorships, athlete growth.
It's all staggering.
That is something that you can't be biased about. Hard facts.
Real numbers.
If you're good, you'e good.
Enough said.

CROSS-fit #80 Is it about you or them?

Our lives and our World revolves around people; friends and family alike.

Some of them, close enough to define our lives.

Close enough to shape whatever you do and guide your thoughts and dreams.

But is that supposed to be the way?

Are our lives ours? Or simple what others make it to be?

In the recent workouts I've done (Not many due to the pending papers approaching), one of which was really different and a first if I may add.

It was a heavy heavy workout, muscle ups and 170# thrusters. 9-6-3 in that order with a 10 minute cutoff.

Thought to myself that I should be able to do it, I have to do it, mentally I need to win.

Think Coach saw that in me that day and so 3-2-1 Go.

1st round done and it took a staggering 4 minutes. WHAT!? I've got 6 more minutes to blast through everything I just did and I'm gassed and exhausted...

2 rounds done and I'm at 8 minutes.

"Why on Earth is time passing SO FAST!?"

Then the countdown began on my last thruster. 10 seconds left....

Last round was completed in the nick of time with a second to go.

Or so I thought....

"8:21" said Coach.

Whoa whoa whoa, I thought it was like 9:58 or something, 8:21!?

Part of me felt extremely played, but another part, extremely glad I decimated the WOD.

So whilst breathing hard on the floor, I realized....

Do we do workouts or things for that matter to attribute it to our own level of expectations or that of others?

Many a times we gauge our standards based on what others tell us.

Of course it's a pushing factor but what we do know, is it for ourselves anymore?

Or to reach an elusive goal that someone else has set for us?

Then again, sometimes we don't know our limits and those who know us better than ourselves can push us better...

Taking a step back, it's actually simple..

Having the idea that you want it in your head, badly and letting others guide you along the way.

It's just like how anyone starts a fitness program, they have in their head, an idea that they want to get fit.

Thereafter, it's all on the trainer to guide, shape and mould that...

No man is an island, that's right.

But what everyone else needs to do is have something in mind, for yourself.

Then get whatever everyone else is saying and align it to what you want to see...

Gotta start somewhere, might as well start up in your head...

CROSS-fit #79 Trade off

There's always a trade-off.

No matter how small or big.

If you focus on your strength, your metabolic conditioning is bound to drop.

Focus on flexibility and stamina, your strength may just plummet.

Do heavy reps and never attempting a 1 rep max. Soon, the reps will catch up to you.

So how to be a all-rounder? One that's good at everything.

To be great at lifts and met-con at the same time.

The elites have somehow found a way to perfect it and no,  it's not just the genes.

As they always say, crossfit is constantly varied, purely functional, highly intense.

But then again, you will only get random success with random programming.

To ensure success, have proper programming.

The beasts out there have been training day and night for months.

However, it isn't just the sheer volume of workload they do every single day.

It's about what they do.

Carefully planned, meticulously scrutinized training regimes.

Every workout is planned and executed precisely as planned.

This is key.

The magic doesn't begin with the plates or the rack.

It begins on the white board.

What're you planning today?

Proper growth plans or just random scheduling.

The latter is easily disguised as the former.

Be careful to distinguish between both of them.

Patterns are not uncommon for good trainers It may seem to be a contradiction to "constantly varied".

But as said before, it isn't random success we're looking for.

It's a sustained one.