CROSS-fit #93 My warm up is your workout

We've heard that statement said by pretty much all Crossfit boxes around.
Your workout is my warm up.
Which is kind of true to a certain extent.
But let's be tactful here and think about it...

I don't look down on any other sport or fitness program other than Crossfit.
I really don't...
I may not see it as effective or 'right' relative to Crossfit but SOME exercise is better than no exercise.
So although your workout is really my warm up.
I wouldn't want to rub that in would I?
It's similar to the idea that if you're generally better than someone else, don't rub it in.
Be humble.
Through my course of touring boxes here in USA, I've noticed one thing...
That in every box, there's a balance, a good mix of well pride and humility.
They're proud of the people that they work out with and they think they could all be the next Froning one day, they really do!
But what about humility? Well, they express it in a simple way. They don't talk much, they don't brag about the weights that they're doing or how hard their workout is...
They just remain silent, approach the bar and lift.
Cause they know that someone out there is massively stronger than them.

Yeah, you may be the highest grossing company around...
But don't let that get to you.

I recently saw a facebook status "WOD : 4 rounds 25 DUs 15 burpees 5 pullups. time 5:55 (no disrespect to my new box but all that went thru my mind was...i probably do twice that amount of work for my warmups back at home. lulz)"

Alright so there's so much I can tell from just this one statement.
Disgusted?
Very much so. (Don't worry CFSG guys, it's not one of us...)
I recently had a WOD with Annie Sakamoto and the WOD was a simple alternting tabata of core work.
Was it easier than I had expected? Yes...
Did I push myself nonetheless to complete it to the best of my abilities? Of course!
It's not the workout, it's the attitude and how you approach it.

If you think you're too good for organizations, churches, cell group, boxes or workouts.
Please, step aside, let the real committed take over.
Cause no matter what small workout or trial it is, I'm giving it my all.
(Slight aggression here, but I was really quite put off by a statement like that)

CROSS-fit #92 Patterning

If you've got an hour to spare and want some real motivation to work out...

Watch this, a day in the life of the fittest man alive, Rich Froning.

If you don't practice crossfit, it's okay, you wouldn't get half the jargons in the video anyway...
But the focus of this is how he lived his life, we see how he wakes up early in the morning, works out 3 times a day and the 3 workouts mind you, are more intense than the normal Crossfit workouts you'd have seen.
He eats in a very erratic manner and loads alot! Contrary to popular belief, he doesn't do much paleo
He has a great relationship with his wife and his motivation to do well is God.
He coaches and trains at the same time and helps his training buddy, Dan Bailey reach his goals too.

He's living quite an amazing life. He's someone special and many people look up to him.
For many, even me, I'd only dream of patterning my life following his, the time management, the dedication.
However, the point is that we're not Rich Froning.
We may envision ourselves to be as fit as him, to have his dedication but the fact is... We're not like him...

We have different body compositions, we have different standards and we, most importantly, have different priorities in life.
Man, this guy trains to win $250,000 every Crossfit Games. We aren't on the same level.

So don't come out one day thinking that alright, I am going to train 3 times a day and just eat lotsa peanut butter and somehow hope that I'll be like him.
Guess what, you probably won't, you may end up injuring yourself along the way.
Rest is important, recovery is important, eating peanut butter and overworking your body doesn't instantly make you the fittest man on Earth.

Not just for Froning, we pattern our lives after many people.
But don't forget that we AREN'T them, we're not supposed to do EXACTLY what they're doing.
If they're eating 5 bowls of rice a day, don't necessarily follow them cause he's some MMA superstar or something, we all have different needs!
Don't give up your social life and train all day or stare in front of the computer crunching out sums and figures for your boss just cause you want to be like him, so successful in life.
No, you're not like him.

You're you. Have your own priorities.
Yes, we follow certain lifestyle examples cause they're generic and overall good for you.
But when you get down to details, that's when it gets dangerous.
Don't just take it wholesale, apply it to yourself with some common sense.
I look towards Pastor Kong as a good example, but that doesn't mean I have to be a full time Pastor...
So don't be rash and overly inspired. Be stable and sure of decisions...
Pattern your lives after others smartly.

After all, we're to model our lives only after one person.
[1 Cor 11:1] "Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ"

CROSS-fit #91 Waves come crashing

I learnt from a very knowledgeable man once,

That there're really 2 kinds of suffering in life, 2 distinct kinds.

Of which have originated from the Chinese language.

辛苦 vs 受苦

Now for those whom are oblivious to the Chinese Language,

The former is "Xin Ku" which represents the need suffering incurred when you didn't do anything to deserve it. You get caught in the rain, now that's a form of "Xin Ku" to me....

The latter is "Shou Ku" which in essence represents the suffering which you asked for. It implies that you simply asked for it. You come home past your curfew, that's just asking for it....

Now you may think that "Shou Ku" has a kind of bad connotation to it but it's somewhat neutral until you put it into context.

You experience "Shou Ku" when you go out of your way to make a difference in another persons life, when you take time to meet your grandparents or put in the extra hours just to make that cake.

It's a suffering, yes, but a good kind....

Recently, I went to a surfing trip with my college and it was really a swell time.

However, I had initially thought that surfing was well, an easy thing to do.

The tough part would only be the catching of the wave and balancing on it.

Wouldn't it?

Well, sorry but that totally wasn't the case...

To those whom want to surf in the future, please prep yourself for an extremely tiring time!

The hardest part was in fact battling the waves to get out into a deep enough an ocean.

It was a really hard time to get out there, my shoulders and arms were all steamed up by the time I got to the right position.

It was quite a "Shou Ku" moment for me, I didn't have to get out there to surf at all, but hell I wanted to.

I so wanted to stand up on that surf board and go "KOWABANGA!"

I have no idea if that is even the right spelling to begin with....

Eventually, I did.

Was it worth it?? It was worth every single wave that came crashing into my nose, eyes and mouth.

Was I in pain? Very much so, so much so I think I got an impinged right shoulder.

The point is, that if you want something badly, it won't come easily.

You've got to tide through that period of "Shou Ku".

It will take quite a bit of time, no doubt, but it'll be worth it.

CROSS-fit #90 Heart Rate

I guess it's in almost every crossfit athlete or sprinter or probably any athlete whom dabbles with high intensity workouts.
The high heart rate.
It feels good to get that heart going, it feels pretty awesome to have that feeling burst out of your chest.
We rush into that...
We want to well, be like this fella right here, down and wiped out completely.

Don't get me wrong, Crossfit is made to be intense, you're SUPPOSED to be in this kind of state often.
However, there're days where sometimes, the workouts are just made for you to take it one step at a time.
Not to rush to be flat out but for you to take a break.

Strength days.

Now we all rush into them, "DAMN I WANNA GET MY HEART RATE UP"
But what's the point? Do you want to get all breathless before doing a heavy squat?
Or do you want to have a calm breath every single time...
It's a wrong mentality many Crossfitters have, to just rush into it.
(Of course, for dynamic days, it's supposed to be fast)

Quick question, have you taken a seat midway your squat sets to just chill?
Have you walked away, got a sip of water and cleared your mind.
Getting your mind all into the heavy lifts might just cause more tension for you, won't it?

It's even said, to "Be still, and know that I am God"
Even in the midst of life, not everything has to be rushed, not everything has to be the fastest possible.
This is your LIFE, determine how you want it to be and not let pressures determine it for you.

Try it.

(Another lesson learnt from Greg Amundson, all from just one WOD at Crossfit Amundson)

CROSS-fit #89 Emotions

We seldom think about well, our emotions, our thoughts, our feelings.
Talking about them during the pulpit sessions seem the be the easiest doesn't it?
Reflecting about them in a very intimate way is easiest when you're quiet with yourself.
But what when all hell breaks loose.
What about when you're faced with the biggest moment in your life.
Would you have the capability to control your emotions?
Your thoughts and your feelings?
Would you be able to control those jitters? Or that feeling of climbing over your fellow friends to reach the prize? Or downplaying every other team mate in your pack to just look good?
Very often, those come as instincts.
And when we look at others, it's always easier to look at them with the prick in the eye isn't it?
Like you just don't want those emotions in you.

Just imagine a lifter doing something totally wrong.
What goes through your mind?
How can that fella improve right?
But what comes immediately...
Man, I DON'T WANT TO DO THAT...

So take that idea of looked at other negatively and do that to yourself.
Look at yourself and think about it.
Instead of what you desire in yourself...
What do you NOT want to see in yourself.
Stamp that out quick.
It's an easy way to identify what's good and what's bad.
Then meditate and build a better life for yourself, before doing so for others.
So make sure that your emotions are right before the Game Day, before any D-Day

CROSS-fit #88 Believe in the end

You know sometimes, you work out.

And it's hard, gosh it's so hard.

Like you run a 10km race and well. 

My goodness it hurts so much.

I'm not talking about Olympic athletes here, not like people like Usain Bolt or Phelps.

More like the normal guys, you and me.

Those guys have a solid pace, they know that each stride, one at a time makes a big difference.

For us, we just do it, well, for the sake of it.

Our form is terrible etc.

But hey, we still do it.

So you're going hard for it.

You feel that tremendous amount of pain and you don't exactly see the end of the tunnel.

You just pull and drag every single rep or step or workday for that matter.

The end isn't in sight.

However, you ever had that feeling when well, you can see the light at the end of the tunnel.

Like how you're studying and you just lose steam, until well, 3 days before the exam and all the drive comes back?

Or like how your project just doesn't seem to make any sense till you're approaching the deadline and tadah, everything just falls into place.

Bringing it somewhere closer to home, how about something like a marathon and you see that last 2 km.

Don't tell me you'll intentionally slow down and take a chill pill.

Gosh, I can imagine that speed, that stride, everything somehow becomes lighter...

Everything becomes easier.

If there's one thing that I've learnt while travelling the United States, it's that personal drive, personal motivation is important, it really is...

But it's believing and remembering that end goal that matters...

Too many times, I've seen designers, athletes, artists and in fact gym owners..

They just lose the steam for their job, they just give up...

Is it human nature to succumb to pressure and the pains of the World.

But hey, there' always the light at the end of the tunnel, have some far sighted vision here...

It'll help you succeed in this race that you run.

Believe it in your heart.

That's what it means to walk by Faith and not by Sight.

I had the honor to workout with this man, he's really something.

If you're ever in Santa Cruz and well, you wanna be a better person.

Go, Crossfit Amundson