CROSS-fit #114 Ken

While doing Crossfit, many are continually amazed by the movements and intensities of it all.

However, certain things need no real explanation.

They say that you can't really argue someone into the kingdom of God.

You can surely explain the whole concept of Christ or anything at all but if the other party just isn't willing then really, you're wasting your time.

During my exchange here in Arizona, I've met Ken, a Japanese.

Someone not too fluent in English but I've learnt one really important thing from him.

That communication doesn't always involve speaking.

He's sincere, kind and extremely outgoing. Most of all, he expresses most of everything via actions.

He doesn't really think too much, he just does it.

I've seen who he is through his actions and not really his speech.

I've learnt to hold back talking and maybe just do the things I wanna say I do.

If I wanna eat 2 pounds of meat, just do it! Don't talk too much bout it!

If I wanna travel the World, DO IT!

Likewise, maybe we shouldn't talk too much bout stuff.

About Crossfit or about anything at all.

People whom criticize the lifestyle may just need to see it.

So don't be shy about your convictions cause you may speak a totally different language but actions and habits speak for themselves.

Arguing will only push them away.

Ken has been an amazing friend and this is really dedicated to him.
See you in Japan real soon buddy!

CROSS-fit #113 Bear Down

Being here in Arizona, I've learnt one important phrase.

"Bear Down"

The story goes as such...

Years ago, the UofA football team was on the road to victory and it was the last championship game.

It was a tough one and it was going to take every ounce of effort.

Then the worst occured, the captain of the football team met a terrible accident.

On his death bed, he said these words.

"Tell the team to, Bear Down, Bear Down".

UofA went on to win that resounding game and emerged victors.

"Bear Down".

It isn't the simplest thing to say, not the phrase which has the best ring to it.

But it hold power and strength.

Why?

Cause it came from someone whom represents everyone in the UofA.

They identify with it, recognize it an understand the power that those 2 words have.

Enemies fear it, supporters chant it.

The words that drive you, everyday.

In Crossfit, one motivational phrase could be "Keep going".

Or something like that, but what meaning does it have? Are they just words or do they hold something deeper?

Everyone has their own version of "Bear Down". Something personal, something they don't just know but something they feel.

That's how you motivate your team, that's how you motivate yourself.

In the Bible, there're so many phrases, verses and words.

It's a treasure trove of these words. They represent who you are.

Calling on them gives strength.

It's not like a magical spell, you don't change your surroundings...

You just change yourself.

CROSS-fit 112 The fun should never end

Post Wildcat Crossfit Party and I'm adequately happy.
It's the last party I'll ever go to over here, apart from missing these guys.
I'm going to miss all the fun I've been having.
Every week, I'm learning something new. Something I never thought I could do.
The talents here are so widespread.
They're very willingly shared.
If I knew how to do a Muscle Up, I'd teach you.
If you knew Salsa, you'd teach me.

That's the fun of Crossfit.
All of us came from different backgrounds.
For sure, some of us have learnt real different things to share.
Never stop having fun here.
Never stop being too 'old' to learn something.
Be fresh, be new. :)

CROSS-fit #111 Wildcat Crossfit

I've had the great great privilege of working out with an awesome bunch of people.
I've been to many boxes all across the United States while I've been here.
However, nothing really compares to this box (Of course CFSG kicks ass)
Wildcat Crossfit!!!
So here's a shoutout to Wildcat Crossfit and something really valuable I learnt whilst I was there.I never knew that I could find a home away from home this way.
They are an amazing bunch. Honestly, they don't have games competitors, they don't have fancy stuff.
They don't have much of a perfect program.
But they're real.
They're not fancy, they don't do west side programming or do it the outlaw way.
They manage and work with us. They change things to help us.

One of most important moment in your fitness life or in your life period.
Is for someone to believe in you.
Believe that whatever you want, whatever you are striving for is actually possible.
I've heard of a friend, Ryan, whom was 300 pounds and is now 185 pounds.
Amazing?? Well, he believed he could do it, the people in Wildcat CF believed it too.
Now he's one of the Firebreathers around.

Recently, they moved into games preperation for those whom want to "go get it"!
Surprisingly, the people whom joined in, honestly, in my opinion, stood NO CHANCE in getting into the regionals AT ALL.
However, I felt something different about this bunch.
Something really really important.
That I might not be the strongest around, I might not be the best or the fittest.
I may not be Rich Froning or Annie Thorisdotter.
But when I'm here working out, I give it my all.
I may not be snatching 250# or doing Fran at 2 minutes.
But when I somehow achieve my goals, people celebrate it like I was the champion in the games.

That means a whole lot to me.
I see elderly people come in, some less fit than normal, but are treated as Rockstars when they do something they never thought they could.
This really changed my perception of Crossfit and of Life.
We don't need to be the champs of the World or champs even in our box.

We need to be champs of ourselves.

We need to believe that the change is possible and to work at it.
No, it's not just for yourself either, cause when you can break your body, your heart is seen.
All that effort, all that sheer will, is seen.
That, amongst all things, inspires.

Wildcat Crossfit, you've taught me much, I can't thank you enough :)
To Nic, Jen, Noah, Eric for all the coaching and help you've given me
To the friends I've made, too many to name, your companionship, flattery, encouragement, appreciation, congratulations and most of all, your sheer will and heart, will be missed.
I may be far away, but I'm definitely a Wildcat Crossfitter. :)

CROSS-fit #110 This has your name all over it

When something has your name all over it.

It essentially means what? That you pretty much own this workout.

And that you're great at it.

Well, I'd like for such a phrase to be coined slightly differently in a Crossfit context.

Recently I had a workout and my trainers called it mine.

My name written all over it.

I genuinely thought it'll be body weight movements, simple pull ups and MUs.

Hell no.

All my weaknesses combined in one tiny workout.

Toes to bar, grip strength, running, you name it.

Be unafriad to expose your weaknesses to others.

Cause then they'll know where to hit.

Know where to really target.

This is a different spirit from other competitions, really.

It doesn't matter if everyone knows what you suck at. Cause they really ain't competing against you.

They're doing so against themselves.

Don't hide behind your strengths.

Don't hide behind your fame, wealth and happiness.

Acknowledge your shortfalls and deal with it.

Better yet, let others in your life, those you can count on, those you're vulnerable to, know about it.

That's when the growth kicks in

CROSS-fit #109 What are your weaknesses?

In Crossfit, many many people say that their weaknesses is their strength segment of fitness.
They all say that they just wanna get stronger and the heavy stuff has been pulling them down dramatically.
But is it? Or is it something we just want to believe in?

We all have weaknesses in our lives, not just in Crossfit.
Yes, sometimes we are deficient in one area more than the other.
In this instance, it's going to be in the area of strength.
For me, its that way too, I suck at anything heavy, I suck at it so badly.
Although I'm honestly lifting heavy for my small size, it's still mediocre compared to the big boys in my box.
When it comes to the heavy metcon, I suck at it even more.

But really, is that it? So if strength is my biggest weakness, should I devote all my time to punching it out?
Well, previous Crossfit Games Champion Jason Khalipa states it very clearly.

"Question to ask yourself. Is strength really your weakness? I find so many CrossFitters working strength as a "weakness." My question is, "Can you do muscle ups well, HSPU's, run? What is your Fran, Cindy, FGB. Often times it's easy to look at strength numbers and quantify where you are at compared to others. Don't neglect CrossFit workouts. You may have weaknesses elsewhere."
 - Jason Khalipa

When its time to put the mantle to the test, that's when ALL your weaknesses gets revealed.
Your strength may be your weakness.
But my question to you is... 
Does that translate into neglecting fixing up on other weaknesses too?
Of course, of course, Crossfit focuses on strength so much since this aspect of fitness can be best translated into almost every other segment of fitness easily.
But that doesn't mean neglect the other stuff too.
"Lift heavy and smash your weaknesses"

Everyday, we all have 24 hours.
We have different priorities and "weaknesses"
Take time, to identify what is your "strength' aspect of fitness in your life
What is it that you're really not good at, but you know that if you work on it, gains will be seen on all areas of your life.
It could be spirituality? It could be how your live your life in your household.
Get a hold of that and work it and work it hard.
However, don't forget the other weaknesses too, don't forget the small details.
That makes a world of a difference.

CROSS-fit #108 Do something new!!

In a bid to be the best of the best. To make it to the Games and possibly win it.
Many coaches, many boxes adopt the "no nonsense, no bullsh*t" approach to training.
Everything is structured, everything is in place for a reason.
Workouts are chosen because they produce the best results.
However, they are no longer different.
They no longer throw in that random factor in to daily life anymore.

Think just a couple of days ago, Crossfit SG had a fun workout with the trainers.
Have a games like team workout.
It was really a treat to see that everyone was having fun with that.
Does CFSG care about results?
Of course! Damn we're darn serious about it!

But once in a while, do something new!
Recently, I did my very first "Skin the cat".
I did my very first bar MU and one arm snatch.
It doesn't exactly translate into me being the best athlete.
But hey, at least I'm having fun and doing something new!

So what's that new thing you've done today?? Maybe not in Crossfit...
But with your lives and with family around you.
What is that new spice in your life?

CROSS-fit #107 Hitting the wall

Quite a common phrase for many people, especially runners.
They hit a 'wall'.
They just can't progress anymore, they don't see any more improvements regardless of months and months of training.
They just can't seem to get to a higher level than they already are at.
For the amount of work (And this is alot of work), the returns they get are well, less than desirable.
I've seen so many people just lose the steam to push on anymore.
They lose the fight to win, they lose the fight to go for another repetition.

There's a simple saying which goes...
If you want something you've never had, you must be willing to do something you've never done.
It's stupid, really, if you do the same thing over and over again and expect to have a miraculous breakthrough.
If you're doing a Fran and only been doing Fran for the past 2 months. (This is an extreme case)
Maybe, in your first week, your Fran would probably have a huge jump! You'll feel good.
Sometime down the road, you'll still see some gains, shave some seconds off.
But you'll hit a wall, you just can't break past a certain point.

Thus, Crossfit is constantly varied.
Throw in something totally different, some heavy lifting, some fun stuff.
Some hard runs, some prowlers, some different training and programming methodologies.
Spice up your day, you'll see some really big gains!
If you've been a runner all your life, try something different! Then go back, hit a marathon.
Bam, I'm sure you'll run a PB.
If you've been staring and forecasting accounts all your life. Try something different!
Improve yourself!! After a while, you'll just be a better person overall.

Now I'm going to talk about something sensitive now.
Some may not agree, some will hate me for it, some will agree without a doubt.
Let's talk about programming.
We all try to follow a structure of programming your training here in Crossfit.
There's the heavy day, the speed day and the conditioning day, so on and so forth.
It's a template, you can fill it with whatever you want, but it's a template.

Now say you suddenly break free from that template. What's going to happen??
Do you think you're strength will jump? Or drop? Since you've been following that template forever!
You've been gaining but maybe not as rapidly, but hey it works!
So what'd you think...

A couple of months back, I came over to Tucson, Arizona.
It's been a great ride here every since.
However, the biggest change, the workout programming.
There's a whole different template they follow. Honestly, in the first few weeks, it threw my body out of sync.
However, I still tried to follow the program back home. Heavy Mondays, speed Tuesdays.
Then I started to get a bit more worn out... Double days for many days ain't fun (I'm no Froning)

So I tried it, I gave in to their template and went full out on that.
When that happened, my Power Snatch went up 20#, deadlift 20#, backsquat 10#.
The lack of adaptation and frequent weekly use of that energy pathways caused me to gain.
A whole lot more...

So what am I trying to say?
Sometimes, when things are going good for you, really good for you.
Still, change it up.
Throw yourself out of that adaptation. Let your body adapt afresh.
Gains will be massive. Growth will be measured. Try it...
Maybe the template for you life has been good, maybe, try something different.

CROSS-fit #106 The Games Prep

The much anticipated Crossfit Games 2013
To many people, it's all or nothing this year. To a few, it'll be their first.
However, one way or another, all of them, all the competitors-to-be are all gearing up for it.
They all have different programs lined up, they all have different systems and training ideas in mind.
Some are out resting and taking a break due to injuries, some are on a highway to an injury.
The smart ones are using this time to get strong, looking at their nutrition and mobility.

HyperfitUSA points out some good training tips on workout programming for the Crossfit games.
This is their link, HyperfitUSA
They make sensible conclusions on planning and preparation.
Not just for the physical concept but for the mind as well.

Many if not all athletes mostly focus on their physical training regime.
The 3 on - 1 off idea.
They follow the paleo diet real strictly and have no time to mess around.
They pound their bodies by doing multiple double day workouts (With the exception of Rich Froning)
Come back broken and beaten only to get up the next day to follow the 'plan'.

That's good and all, don't get me wrong.
I follow a training plan myself.
Being here in the states, I've got to fend for myself, do my own share of planning and programming.
The fascinating thing is that sometimes, we follow so closely to the plan, we lose sight of what really matters..
Your physical condition, your body and your mind.

If you get up one day and feel like hell.
Look at your program and it's a heavy heavy day for you.
How would you think you'll fare?

There's a fine line between being lazy or succumbing to your body and actually listening to it.
Your body doesn't feel tired simply because it's lazy. Sometimes it's really beat.
Training in that condition, that's just a recipe for an injury or deteriorating the level of gains for the same amount of time.
Remember, you're not just a Crossfit athlete, you're also a student, an employee, a father, a son, a husband and a Christian (Make time for that). So maximize your time.
But as said previously, sometimes, your body just feels lazy, you feel lethargic and tired.
But pushing through may just break that mental barrier of yours.
So it's really up to you.

And your mind.
This is perhaps the most important portion of preparation.
Of course your physical conditioning is important.
But your mindset, your mental picture, has to be trained for success.
If you're doing workouts and constantly see the three letters DNF (did not finish) on the board.
Then probably you're doing something wrong.
Living in defeat is not the way to go, it trains you to be stronger, yes it does.
However, it drains you. It causes you to lose the very aspect Crossfit was supposed to instil in you.
'Confidence' and 'Hope'.
Have a program or days where by you build up to reach desired levels.
Probably not just in Crossfit but in life.
Sometimes, if failure is all you're seeing, switch it up once in a while.

Thomas Edison failed many times to get that light bulb going
But nobody mentioned how many small successes he had along the way.
Measure those successes, keep the hope up.
Be confident.

All the best for Crossfit Games 2013!
My training has already begun! (Quite a while back now)

CROSS-fit #105 The board says otherwise

One of the few things I love about Crossfit?
You can't lie.
You can't lie about your fitness or cheat your way through this one.
(Of course if you want to cheat yourself then sure, I guess you'll live a relatively sad life)

Couple of days back, I was about to hit a relatively 'favourite' of mine.
A couplet of heavy ground to overhead and pullups. Simple and fresh
So a friend commented right before the hour commenced.
"You're gonna kill it buddy".
In my head I thought I was, I genuinely did. But hey, the only nice thing to do is to reply...
"Nah, I'm sure it'll hurt and I'm not too good and those stuff."
A failed attempt at being humble, really....

But what he said after made me change the way I answer any of such questions ever again.
"The whiteboard clearly says differently buddy, either that, or there's another Lionel around I've never met."
I had no comeback for that... I was dumbfounded.
But it's true isn't it! You don't need to hide or say anything to cover your strengths or your weaknesses!
The whiteboard says all.
It'll exclaim loudly whether you owned it or got massacred by it.

Find that whiteboard in your life and not just in crossfit.
Maybe it ain't too far away, maybe you can stop hiding right about now.
Stop hiding your weaknesses or your strengths.
People can tell... No word of a lie.

CROSS-fit #104 Embrace the SUCK!

The phrase of the week has to go to my dear trainers are Wildcat Crossfit.
Midway during probably one of the toughest workouts ever (I don't normally say this)...
One of our coaches, Nick, shouted out, keep going! Embrace the Suck!
Hilariously, one of the athletes literally walked towards a pole and embraced it.

As figurative as it sounds, gosh sometimes you need to embrace something to actually feel something inside.
Our outward nature clearly reflects our inward nature.
Often, we need to say hello to the suck, smile at it and hug it.
It could very well be the person next door whom you probably want to murder.
It may be your boss.
Or oopsie, it could just be your spouse and dearest right beside you.
But whatever it is, you've got to embrace it.
It sucks, big time. It really does.

Especially when it hurts so bad and it's been hurting for the past 10 minutes in a 15 minute workout.
Yeah, the feeling when the pain will only get worst from here on out.
Yupp. I'm sure everyone kinda knows what that feels like.
Halfway through Cindy, and really!? Push it!?
Only one way to do it... Embrace the suck.
Somehow, somewhere deep down that determined sick mind of yours.
You need to tell yourself, that...
"I Like This Suck".
"Wow, this pain is amazing!"
Somewhere along those lines.
Why!?
Cause just like every patient young child.
The goodies await at the end of the tunnel :)

CROSS-fit #103 It has to be fun!

We all want to be stronger, fitter, faster, better.

Therefore, we train.

We do Crossfit for that main reason don't we? We just want to better ourselves in every way possible.

However, has it come to a point whereby, it just isn't fun anymore?
Whereby the goals, the dreams just seem to be all that mattered, making that lift has become the entire World.

Has it come to a point whereby all you want to do is to become the fittest on Earth such that, well, it isn't fun anymore?

I've read many articles which say that training isn't a pretty walk in the park.

Don't get me wrong, training is supposed to be serious, dead serious.

But hey, when did we stop having fun in Crossfit?

The idea of Crossfit was to become a sport of fitness.

For people, like you and me to do the things we were made to do, to compete in the most basic movements!

In all that you're training for, be it in other sports or in Crossfit or even in your job.

Don't let it get all serious till it comes to a point whereby training becomes all that matters.

Chill out.

Have a fun WOD here and there. Do workouts which involve movements you know will NOT be in the Crossfit games and won't elicit the best improvements in your technique, skill or CNS. But do them just cause they're fun!

Take some time to just chill by the pool for no particular reason (No, it isn't active rest)

Crossfit is training. Serious training for that matter.

We are all striving for greatness.

But in that pursuit, don't wear yourself out in such a way that it becomes a routine, a monotonous routine.

Throw in some spice!

Happy Halloween Everyone!

CROSS-fit #102 No, you move

People will always have their say.
It's a free World, not just a country.
Everyone is entitled to their freedom of speech, no matter how derogatory.
They can say anything they want and honestly the people will.
They will remark about your dressing style, your commitment and dedication, your workout structure and philosophy.
Words will be shot at you and they will not be pleasant at all.
This is life.

Not everyone believes in the same thing as you.
Not everyone thinks just like you.
It's one thing to encourage change in the person for the better and another to just look down on another.
At times, you may feel like you discriminated.
For believing in God, for standing up for you beliefs as a Christian.
For Training this hard in Crossfit.
There is a saying, "Addiction is what the common call dedication".

Harsh words may be thrown upon you by even your loved ones.
Sometimes, it's just you, alone.
It may not be words but gestures even.
So what? What do you do?



Do just what Captain America says.
Be a boss like that.
For real, never let anyone dictate who you are, what you should believe in.

CROSS-fit #101 living it up

I was in vegas a couple of days ago and someone texted me...
Man, you're really living it up aren't you!?
Yes I am!
Shouldn't we all??

Shouldn't we all take hold of the opportunities now and go all out to have fun.
Make most out of your lives.
I hate (I rarely use such a forceful word) it when someone lives life being led by 'fate' or 'destiny'
They're good aspects and beliefs and all.
But if you're living in this current state, waiting for things to happen to you, then snap out of it!



Live here and live now!
It may sound Hedonistic in a certain sense, but aren't we investing this mindset into the future as well?
That's why many people do Crossfit.
We want to lead a better life, NOW.
Yes we want to do so in the future as well, but the real passion is the NOW.
We do Crossfit so we don't slip into the abyss of corrupted health and fitness.
So we make our own future, we make our fates.

I want to be amazed by myself on a daily basis.
I want to do new things every single day.
Living life without regrets.
Living it up.

CROSS-fit #100 Crossfit isn't just about Crossfit

No it isn't.
Everytime you step into the box, onto the platform, into the rack
Everytime you pull the bar to your shins, when your hands grab the pullup bar
Every squat, every ring work, every cheer and every sweat
Crossfit isn't always about getting stronger and fitter each step of the way.

There's a high chance, we will never be like this



No, Crossfit for the majority 90% of us all would be like this



Crossfit doesn't teach you how to be the fittest on Earth,
It teaches you to be a better you.
In and out of the box

Crossfit teaches you ...

Patience, to wait for the pull, to wait for the results, not to overtrain. Not to be greedy from the start and believe you'll be the most successful guy around during the first week of training. That like for all good things, progress needs time.

Discipline, in your diet, in your lifestyle, in your actions and words. How you conduct yourself in the box, how you treat your bar, your fellow athletes and your attitude probably determines how you are outside the box.

Humility, "Leave your ego outside the box". You don't always need to be the best in the box, you don't need to have the best time, the highest weight or the biggest biceps. You just need to better yourself, that's all that matters.

Respect, for your coach, for your fellow athletes, for the workout, for your family, friends, loved ones and most importantly, the respect for yourself.

Compassion, towards the fellow athletes whom are struggling along beside you, towards the unbelievable multitude of people whom are less fortunate than us and how we should always, always encourage,

Positivity, allowing you to always believe in yourself, that one day, you'd be able to do the greater things

To celebrate success, the small, the big and definitely celebrate the losses as well

Determination. Hell, when all things fail, when training methodologies crumble or when injury comes, nothing stops you, there're no excuses

Friendship, the athletes by your side, those you sweat and train with are probably the closest you've got when the tide turns. You learn to treasure and value those around you

The little things, overlooking the small movements, not paying attention that small inch below parallel makes a difference. And it'll make a difference in life outside the box as well.

Love, you have got to be passionate, you have to love Crossfit to stay in it. It teaches you the essence of love and passion, towards a vision, a cause, a loved one or even a belief.

Confidence, the motivation, feeling deep down inside your gut that whatever it is, you will succeed. It may not be now, it may not be in the near future, but one day, you will. In all that you do...

Integrity, counting or miscounting a rep, cheating here in the box only leads to cheating in real life. Honour yourself, give yourself some respect, have integrity. Be true to yourself.

Spirituality, cause when all else fails, when physical strengths are limited, or when you're all alone and nobody is cheering you on, there's always God, up above, giving you that extra lift and extra comfort.

Crossfit is really about life.
It doesn't just shape the physical, it moulds the mental.
It changes who you are and it effectively changes your future
So it seems, on the surface, Crossfit is all about a bunch of sweaty, grunty men whom can't stop throwing stuff around?
But maybe if you dig deeper, you might find some revelations for yourself?

CROSS-FIT #99 We'll never be perfect

About a week ago, I had my first ever big local throwdown here in Tucson.

It was NASTYYY

It wasn't a big surprise to me that I was the only Asian there.

Pretty much the smallest fellas around, I mean, these guys were huge and were stutting their stuff big time.

But hey, I'm here to compete.

Well, this ain't no 'Rocky' story, I didn't win, man I didn't even make it to average placing

I was quite roughed up at the bottom

Events like these make me see my weaknesses, they humble me.

They make me work harder.

But the point wasn't the learning from my mistakes

I had the privilege to have a real important person by my side the whole time.

My girlfriend! :) ris knew when I was down and when I did better than expected.

However, she said one thing which never really materialized.

Crossfit is a sport whereby people cheer for one another even though they've crossed the line.

Why??

Of course it's the community and everyone's friends around here.

But more than that....

Maybe it's cause we aren't really competing with the fella beside us.

We're competing with ourselves.

We don't need to hope for failure for our opponents to win, we don't need to step on others to be on top.

It's honest and true, it's real to each of us very differently.

Crossfit is so broad that there're bound to be moments where you hate or love the workout.

But at the end of the day, it's about the challenge to one's self.

I hope Crossfit remains this way, whereby the 'Spirit of the Games' remains this pure.

But more than that, I hope Crossfit athletes stay this way.

Not to cut corners, not to try to best others but ones self.

I hope everyone stays this way, not just athletes, but everyone. 

It's a naive hope, but imagine a place whereby corporations don't step on one another...

Whereby ministers don't throw each other down while pitching their campaigns.

A place where we lift, instead of throw down...

CROSS-fit #98 They be strong

Through the course of my stay here in USA.

I've seen many different types of crossfitters and many of them of different personalities, different advocates.

Those whom I'm always impressed and caught unaware with are those whom look tiny.

Gosh thy're so tiny, they don't look like they pack a punch at all.

Then 3.2.1 Go and HOOOMG!

I'm not trying to be sexist, or arrogant here.

I've got to admit, I'm not the one who's the most used to have girls take me down in workouts

But man, these girls pack a punch!

Then I realise the simple fact.

Why am I judging them? Not giving them a second thought, a benefit of a doubt.

I'm sure people look at me the same way.

This kid is small, can he do it?

So I suppose we shouldn't be too quick to judge aye.

The strength comes from deep down inside.

They may be small, they may be quiet and gentle, but inside, they're just monsters waiting to be unleashed

In a good way of course.

So chics out there! You've got my respect!

Look at your male counterparts and caution them! Tell them that one day, you'll take them down

Guys, don't ever let that happen.

CROSS-fit #97 Compete

For the first time ever, I'm actually joining a real genuine local throwdown in Crossfit.

Garage Games 2012

http://www.thegaragegames.com/events/crossfit-purgatory-redemption/

Am I scared?

Yes I sure am

Do I think I can actually win? Hell no.

But I'm doing this cause I am hungry for it.

I want to be better.

Every single day. It doesn't matter, win or lose, PR or not.

What matter is I lay it all out. This is me.

I'm not defined by my standards of fitness, no I'm not.

I'm defined by the spirit I have inside.

So I'm gonna do this. And I'm gonna come out stronger than when I first started.

The perfect run up for the Opens... Lets go!

CROSS-fit #96 Yoda

Currently at the new box.

There's a coolio picture right in front of the box.

It's staring at us everyday, every workout

Yupp, it's Yoda.

He's right in front of us during every clean, every deadlift, every pullup.

I never really got to ask the Wildcat Crossfit folks why he's there.

Maybe I don't want to...

Gonna form my own impression of it.

After all, Yoda IS the great Jedi Master.

But more importantly, he has great lessons about the 'force' and life

I suppose one thing that he always says, and something that I'll always remember.

"Patience, my young Padawan."

He keeps telling that to everyone he teaches, Anakin (Vader) and Luke.

But I guess it really is appropriate.

We all like to rush things. Gosh we really do.

We rush the second pull in the clean, we rush the butt rise on the deadlift

We are impatient in waiting for results, we can't wait another week to see your numbers on your lifts jump.

Everything has to be fast, now.

Well, the converse to all of this, is longevity, isn't it? (Maybe that's why Yoda is sooooo OLLLDDDD)

We're doing this FOR LIFE

Not for the immediate gains.

I'd rather increase my base strength in a stable manner such that I can keep going up for years to come.

And not just for an initial sudden jump...

Be patient in life.

Be patient and wait for the promotion.

For the positive response.

Keep working on it. But be patient, it'll come.

Look at yoda and be patient young padawan.

CROSS-fit #95 Reach for it

Just a couple of days ago, I put my functional fitness to the test yet again.
Bouldering, here in Tucson.
Firstly, Rock climbing and bouldering indoors and outdoors is a huge thing here in Tucson.
Simply because the scenery and environment to climb in is really amazing.
Sheer beauty when the weather is just about right.

So I was kinda psyched to go. Me and 2 other friends of mine, one of whom is a pro.
So how did I do?
Well, my forearms were completely wasted and had a real hard time getting through even the easiest ones.
But there's just one thing I realized.
That our functional fitness was really translated into everything applicable in life.

I think I managed to catch on relatively fast.
Grip strength was there and swinging my body around wasn't too difficult
Getting up and flexing my body up and down wasn't hard either.
My hands, being already rough, didn't suffer THAT much.
For the first time in a totally different sport, I could feel that my athleticism kicked in and was real useful.
Of course, I could improve a whole lot more with more work at it, there's so much technique to this.

However, what struck me more wasn't so much of the functional fitness in the physical sense.
Probably a bit more of the functional fitness in the mind.
As a crossfit athlete, failure is not uncommon, really.
You fail at lifting weights, you fail to complete a workout in the given time, you can't keep up with others.
There're so many differences when it comes to strengths and weaknesses in Crossfit.
You win some and you lose some
Failure in life, for that matter, isn't uncommon to the successful either.

Going up to them blocks, there was one particular sequence of blocks to hit which were particularly tough to get at.
I tried at least 10 times at it, even my newbie friend had a go at it, but nope, we didn't get anywhere near there.
It took me at least an hour at the same sequence, thinking, analysing and trying again and again.
And finally, I reached the top and with just a block away, I had to make a literal jump for it.
3,2,1.... No, I didn't make it.
Man, I didn't even make that jump. I was scared. I just let go and tumbled to the mats in defeat.

Then I remembered this feeling. This all too familiar feeling.
Of failure, but another stronger feeling, the "Bounce back", the idea of "Hell, I'm getting this!"
The gut feeling of "Give this another shot, give this another lift, another climb, another go at your life!"
And so, after a bit of rest, I hopped back on.
This time, I reached that top block.

What made the difference?
The tries, the attempts, the sweat and pain.
However, most importantly, it was the time on the mat.
Nope, it wasn't the time on the mat cursing and swearing at why I didn't succeed.
It was the time on the mat, thinking to myself that I'll get it next time.
Everyone needs some time on the mat.

Before you go up to the bar, before you step up on stage.
You need that moment to say "Hell, I'm getting this!"
GO, REACH FOR IT!