#Cross-fit 148 Are you ready?

It's less than a week away...

It's the time of the year yet again.

The Opens!

This year, however, was slightly different.

After last November, the shoulder was quite out of action.

So it really dealt quite a big blow to be physically as well as emotionally.

Strength wise, i wasn't able to do very much for my upper body.

Mentally, I just somehow lost a whole lot of spirit.

Then for some amazing miraculous reason, I started to recover, FAST.

One and a half months ago, I was pretty sure, I wouldn't be in the running for the Opens.

Weights being pulled were simply not there yet.

However, right now, I'm just a couple of pounds shy of my previous maxes.

Which in turn translates to my shoulders pretty much being at a 100%.

So yes, just a week ago, I signed up for the opens.

Unprepared. Completely unprepared.

I signed up for the Opens.

Why? I mean, I haven't been really focusing and dialing down the extra metcons.

I haven't been working as intensely as previous years.

So why bother?

I realized that at the end of the day, the CrossFit Games is really gonna be a test of my fitness.

Right here, right now, how fit am I?

How capable am I of certain tasks? No matter my current physical state.

But that's life isn't it?

There isn't gonna be any big sign boards telling you to prepare for a big ordeal coming your way.

It just happens.

And when it does, how're you gonna respond to that?

Are you gonna face up to the challenges or flee completely?

The Opens is upon us, I'm facing that head on.

Irregardless of how I perform, how well or how badly I do.

I'm gonna be happy and thankful that I'm given this opportunity to do so.

CrossFit Games Opens 2014.

Let's get it on!

Cross-fit #147 Attention

There's a kid in all of us.

We all love to move, jump, throw, run and do things that kids all like to do.

And it's not exactly a bad thing. Just like kids, seeing some people do things they never thought they could, makes it all worth it.

However, just like kids, we adults sometimes have the attention span of kids as well.

Ever had a few moments where you just came back from a rough day of work.

Walked in to the box and gosh the workout is extremely tough.

And to add to the fire, it's technical too.

The movements need to be carefully taught before executed.

And now you grow impatient. Then you do the one thing that is so natural.

You switch off. You begin looking around, playing around with your own weights and bars without really paying attention.

However, its the minor details and attention you give that would really help in producing a great athlete in you. It's the attention you give that will prevent you from being injured.

Just like kids, we all love to have fun.

Sometimes, we take it overboard.

Then we get hurt, we come home crying and complaining about this teacher or that.

However, instead of being kids, now we're adults. We aren't exactly in the position to go home to mummy or daddy. Then what do we do? We take it upon ourselves and just not show up altogether.

Each step of the way, we have to learn to pay attention to the simplest of instructions, no matter how mundane, there's always something new to learn or better still, remember.

Cross-fit #146 The habit

"I am your constant companion. I am your greatest helper or heaviest burden. I will push you onward or drag you down to failure. I am completely at your command. Half of the things you do you might just as well turn over to me and I will be able to do them quickly and correctly.

I am easily managed – you must merely be firm with me. Show me exactly how you want something done and after a few lessons, I will do it automatically. I am the servant of all great individuals and, alas, of all failures, as well. Those who are great, I have made great. Those who are failures, I have made failures.

I am not a machine, though I work with the precision of a machine plus the intelligence of a human. You may run me for profit or run me for ruin – it makes no difference to me.

Take me, train me, be firm with me, and I will place the world at your feet. Be easy with me and I will destroy you.
I am Habit"

Habits is the root of commitment to a lifestyle or anything at all in life.
Your life is effectively determined by it.
In the small and big things.
From hygiene to business.
From lifting to walking posture.
Habit forms the basis for success and it's going to be so especially in Crossfit.

Form the habit of walking up to the bar with the same procedure every single time.
Form the habit of mentally cueing in your head when it does get tiring.
Form the habit of simply showing up day after day even after a totally smashed day.
Habits like these make the progress easier, it makes the ride less painful.

Similarly, habits form the basis of any successful individual out there.
Do a quick Google and you'l notice many habits of successful people and the small little things that they do.
Notice that, the habits aren't big noticeable ones.
Most crucial habits are the small ones. Those that go unnoticed.
But those habits are the ones that will bring discipline, maturity and confidence in your life.

Jesus had the habit of praying daily, even when he was so tired in the garden of Gethsemane.
Because of this habit, he had the mental capacity to deal with the other issues which needed more drive.
Form good habits.
Because they're going to determine, You.

Cross-fit #145 Caution vs Fear

In the midst of rapidly recovering from my injury, I feel like I'm just starting out all over again.
I find myself re-learning movements, re-learning the basics of basics.
And excelling at them, even though they're darn simple.
Then there're movements which are just ground-breaking, those which I (Kinda) never thought I was going to do ever again, or at least not in the near future.
Things like Snatching, Jerking, Toes To Bar or Muscle Ups.
I recall doing them and being in utter amazement at how great God is.
But of course, there's always that fear in the back of my head.
So many, what-ifs....
What if I fall and injure myself? What if I snatch and somehow dislocate my shoulder?
So much fear.

Of course, I went into those movements because I was given the green light by none other than Coach.
He encouraged (Forced) me to do them.
So after succeeding, there's still that sense of fear.
Coach asked, "Any pain? Any at all?"
The response was, "No, but I'm scared, really scared".
Coach replied, "It's not fear, it is now caution and you need to be cautious".

I realized that there's really a fine line between being cautious and being fearful.
Being cautious is to take extra care, to pay extra attention to every detail that is in a movement. It focuses and brings out the best while pushing the limits bit by bit.
Being afraid, simply just causes you to be all over the place. You keep thinking of the problem, such that there's a good chance that it might just actually occur. You focus on the problem not the solution.
We should be cautious and not afraid.
In our movements, approach to Crossfit and even to life.
Be cautious of a workout, know that it is going to be spicy but give the appropriate attention to the smallest of details to make you succeed. Being afraid just causes you to hesitate and might even "fear-out" from doing it altogether.
Be cautious in life, be aware of your surroundings and your environment you're working in. Be aware of the fine points in that big presentation. Don't be afraid because that'll just cause you to stumble.

"For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and of love and of a sound mind."
Even in our relationship with God.
Live life, not just as one whom is afraid of God and the consequences that might arise because you sin.
But to know and have Godly fear, to be aware that his presence is here and to live life because you want to do it right, not because of the potential downfalls.
We all live for the Glory of God in our lives. So when the time comes and we have to actually make certain decisions to live it right, are we going to do so because we're afraid of going to hell? Or are we doing so because we want to please God.
The mental state of both approaches are so similar but are in fact, very different.

Live life differently.
Not being afraid, because living in fear or things isn't going to help you grow.
Live life with caution and embrace that God-given freedom you have.

CROSS-fit #144 The little battles

Social media, advertising and marketing have sensationalized the big battle.

You see the big games on the court or field. You see clips of big dunks and big lifts.

You see the big battles and big victories.

Little do they know that the big battles have already been decided weeks before it has even begun

The media has perverted the way someone actually achieves success

it begins in the small battles and the big one is just the one tipping point of it all.

It's the little things in your life that count, not the small ones.

The BIG battles could be, Making that big Clean or Snatch.

It could be the big business deal which is about to be clinched.

But really, the important moments are the small ones.

Just turning up day after day, is a victory in itself.

Deciding to show up, deciding to make a conscious decision to push yourself daily.

Not giving up when you're tired, not from the workout or from your job, but deep down inside in your spirit.

That's a small victory.

It's these small victories which make a man.

Rich Froning wasn't made overnight. I'm sure he had many small battles.

Live life like Christ, fight those small battles day after day, to make yourself count for Christ.

Fight the temptation, that nudging thought in your head, it might be a small battle, but win them all.

2013

When I thought that 2012 was pretty much the best year yet, with all that travelling and new experiences in the states.
2013 somehow seemed to outdo itself. Perhaps the lessons from 2012 just carried forward to 2013.
I don't think I'm gonna do what I normally do, record the year in pictures, soundtracks or places.
I suppose 2013 is more than that...

The magic happened quietly this year.
The spark was set off many times and passions caught fire once again.
Could I have done anything better in 2013? Of course I could have.
But nah, wouldn't have changed a single thing.

If I could, I wanna thank God for just a few things.

For the friends and family I have around me.
Everyone, really everyone.
I  may miss you out... But the international friends, ISE buds, Shelby, 1989, BDPs, E406, Crossfitters and Ning :)
You've all made my journey in 2013 a whole lot sweeter.
Through all the opportunities and encouragements, you've made me able to pursue my dreams.
You've given me courage to live freely again.

For the dreams, revived.
When they say that life can come back to dry bones.
It is indeed true. :)
Visions, dreams and passions have never burnt bright, never burnt stronger.
May it continue to grow each passing year.

For the opportunities I never saw coming.
From the startup ideas to the open doors to coaching and even the ultimately random Europe trip.
God has literally dropped blessings into my life.
Even bumping consecutively into a certain someone and eventually seeing magic happen.
And at every juncture, it was a full on pursuit.
Success or failure, you'll never know till you try. Isn't it?

For the failures I've had
For each and every one of them. Painful and sad.
From injuries, to mistakes in life, loss of relationships and fails in school.
Every single one of them got me thinking deeper each time.
Reflecting back on the decisions I've made and how things just could've been better.
It just prepares me for 2014!

2013 was awesome ya'll.
Looking forward to 2014 with everyone else :)

CROSS-fit #143 Complacency

It's the root of all evil in Crossfit.
Complacency quickly kills of any gains by any athlete or trainer.
It reduces you from a well established individual to one whom can't hold much anymore.
When someone thinks that, "I'm pretty good, I think I'm there".
Is where the fall really begins.

When you start being lazy and treating your training sessions as 'just another workout'.
When you start taking the presence of your coach and your fellow athletes for granted.
When you start thinking that you're grown up enough to live your life without any guidance (Spiritually).
Then it's the start of ego, pride creeping in.
When these come into the picture it isn't pretty.
It's written right smack outside the box in Crossfit Singapore.
"Leave your ego at the door".

Why? Why no ego or complacency in the box?
With ego, you turn a blind eye to your own faults, you begin to notice the faults of others instead.
You begin to think that you're probably stronger and fitter than everyone here.
The downhill descend to injury is what awaits you.

Leave ego or complacency at the door.
Hang on, lemme change that.
Leave ego or complacency outta your life. Period.

CROS-Fit #142 Now that you're healed, what's next?

We all pray for that miracle, that one miracle in out lives.

For the sake of illustration, let's take the oh so tender shoulder as an example.

So I've been praying for healing and for it to get better (It's really getting better, bit by bit, Praise God!)

But what I realized was that after I do get better, I'm really blessed to be surrounded by people who know injuries like that, whom know what you can or cannot do and how to get it stronger than it was before.

But for some people, it's really the opposite.

There're people whom pray for healing and when they get it, they jump straight in to lift heavy again, with no change in technique or mindset and what happens? Yeah, you can guess what happens....

We all pray for healing, and when we do get the healing, we go right back in to our lifestyle which led to that injury to begin with.

Say you've been having diabetes all this while and you somehow managed to overcome it, miraculously.

Then you go back to work and change not one bit in your lifestyle.

Then you contract diabetes again and curse God along the way.

Do you see the strange way we humans tend to treat our lives.

When we finally get our healing, what's next?
Are you gonna go back to work straight away, sit down in front of a desk and put your body in a bad position? Or are you going to get moving daily and get engaged in activities to prevent that injury or sickness?

I'm not trying to be a heretic here. But sometimes, I look at people whom raise their hands when theys ay they want healing in their bodies, I look at them and really wonder.

Do you really really want it?

If you get it, gosh you're gonna set yourself up for another injury coming back, then oh the cycle repeats.

Maybe that's what Jesus referred to when he said that "He could not do many miracles here due to their lack of Faith". (maybe something else, but hey, it's my interpretation of it)

Set up a plan for yourself.

Think, right now, when God does heal me, what am I going to do differently?

I got sick, I got injured for a reason. Something, somewhere, in my lifestyle went wayward.

It's as simple as that.

So think of a plan, think of a recovery plan for yourself.

Pushing it a little farther.

Maybe that's why God doesn't bless us with all the wishes we have in our prayer list.

Probably because the moment we're given it in front of our eyes.

We simply don't know what to do with it.

Blessings? Sure! Now that I've got it, erm.... Now what?

We all have to take that step back and be prepared for our blessings.

Prepare in Faith, prepare to succeed, set yourself up for that and not just to waste the blessings God has given you/

So students, God has given you your A's. What're you gonna do with that?

Working adults, you got your big break, that big promotion, what next? What're you gonna do with that?

Your response will dictate how far that blessing will go.

Your response will probably dictate the next blessing that is gonna come your way really soon.

Now that you're healed.

Now that you're blessed.

What's next?

CROSS-fit #141 Live NOW

There's always a big tendency for everyone to dream and dream big!

On the flip side, there's also a tendency for people to continually live in the past.

The former speaks of people living in the hopeful glories.

The latter speaks of people living in their previous victories.

However, don't do both.

I'm not denying that it isn't good to live by Faith, to believe in the things unseen.

But some people push that a little too far.

People begin to guide their lives based on how they were in the past.

Or they guide their lives based on how they want to be.

Upon rehab for my shoulder, I've been rather impatient.

I've regained quite a significant amount of range of motion and am able to load it just a little.

Just when I wanted to push it a little.

A friend reminded me, to live in the NOW.

Don't treat your shoulder like it's all healthy and good in the past.

Don't treat it like it's already recovered in the future.

Treat your shoulder as it is.

Take it in and face up to it. Tell yourself that right now, it is injured and you need to treat it differently.

Treat your life as it is.

No matter how wayward or successful it might be, take it in and deal with it.

It may not be in the best of positions but sometimes you just need to work with what you have.

Doing it any other way may just do more harm than good.

Imagine if I rushed my shoulder rehab, how bad it would've been.

Live your life in the NOW.

Not in the past or in the future.

Because when you do so, you lose sight of the things which need to be done NOW.

These things might just be the make or break for you.

CROSS-fit #140 Lift your hands

We very often, take for granted, the simple joys of life.
We really do, and it's quite sad to see that sometimes.
They say that you never know how much something means to you when you actually lose it.
Yeap, that's what happened to me.

We take for granted, the simple things and we even complain about doing them.
We whine and complain about doing thrusters (oh we hate those, don't we)
We're constantly contemplating whether we should miss the workout if it involves something we don't like.
But now after injuring my shoulder...
I am so envious of everyone who can do anything shoulder related.
I look at those who do pull ups, thrusters, toes to bars and I gaze with jealousy.
You don't know how much I wish I could just hop on and crank those reps away.
You have no idea what that means to me and how one would feel.

So it seems that what they say, about how you never know what treasure really is till you lose it...
Is really true.
I've taken for granted, my ability to use my shoulders and I've learnt to appreciate this God given gift.
Not just for my shoulders but even for my legs.

Not just in Crossfit, but even in church.
We so often, take for granted, the ability to raise our hands in worship.
We get lazy and instead of really raising our hands, we take the easy option and rest them on our laps.
They call it a sacrifice of praise for a reason.
It's supposed to be done, especially so, when it's the hardest.
I never knew what that mean till last weekend.
When lifting my hands felt so so so hard.
And the inability to do so crushed me just a little bit more than it normally did.
But there were moments where I was able to summon some flexibility and strength to raise them.
Those moments felt magical, those moments (no matter how many seconds they were), made my day.

So take it from me.
You may not be able to fully understand how I feel (Till you actually go through it)
but maybe this will allow you to understand.
That at every junction in life.
Take some time to smell the flowers and appreciate the small beauties around us.
That's how we become...
"More than conquerors".

CROSS-fit #139 Hello shoulder, it's good to meet you :)

Sometimes in life, you take a fall (Literally).

Some falls leave you with just scars and wounds.

But some, gosh, some leave you with a majorly dislocated shoulder.

Well, yes, that happened to me.

I've been through my fair share of injuries but this....

Most 'falls' result in a shoulder impingement,  sore back, sore wrist, slightly pained knees.

Nothing much, really, nothing that I can't deal with.

This on the other hand brought everything to a whole new level.

This 'fall' was the worst (best) that I've ever had.

It's brought me back down to reality, back down to understanding humility again.

That at the root of everything I do, I'm after all, still human.

The injury has hurt me tremendously, on the inside and out.

But at the heart of it all, there's probably more to gain.

I've learnt to appreciate things a whole lot more.

Right now, I'm limited in terms o mobility and that has greatly affected my lifestyle.

The fear of decrepitude (The loss of human function) has never been more real. 

I've learnt to appreciate the small things we all take for granted.

On the road to recovery, I've also learnt that small steps make a very big difference.

It takes effort, patience and a whole lot of humility to do the proper rehabilitative work.

It's a good time to know my body again.

It's a good time to fix up the many issues my body has had since I was 14.

It's a good time to work on my other weaknesses while taking my shoulder out of the equation.

It's also a good time to reflect on my training, abilities and character.

Some 'falls' may come and go.

but the very cliched saying of "It doesn't matter how hard you fall but how hard you stand back up" has never meant more.

The next few blog posts (Whilst I'm recovering) is dedicated to learning about my body, lifestyle and habits that we all take for granted.

Superheroes have their kryptonite. They do fall once in a while.

But really, what matters...

Is how much of a hero you can still be while climbing back up.

CROSS-fit #138 Layers

Very often, we can layer our lives.
We can classify them in terms of priorities, proximity or even intimacies.
But it is also very common, for our decisions to be layered.

There was a post about values and value judgement a couple of posts ago.
This is taking it a little deeper.
Our reasoning and decisions are very often layered in our heads.
Of course, there's the outer layer, the layer which everyone sees.
"Oh I don't Crossfit cause well, I don't wanna be associated with such a place".
"Or, I don't Crossfit cause I think it's too expensive."
There're reasons or 'excuses' for everything we do in our lives.
And we really do like to pin them on the ones that are the most apparent.
Either that, or we simply want to pin them on the ones which make us feel the best,
We want to pin them on reasons which are within our comfort zone, whereby we don't get challenged.

Peel a couple of layers back and those reasons change.
They become something a bit more intimate. They become a bit more painful.
"I don't Crossfit cause I'm afraid of ..."
For the current athlete whom has had a past. They hate being called this...
"I don't Crossfit cause I'm simply lazy...."
It isn't an easy thing to face. To once be a real professional athlete and be called lazy.
But sometimes we need to be honest with ourselves
So don't take the easy route. Sometimes we all need to take a step back.
To take stock of our own lives and the real reasons we make certain decisions.

There may be a 100 reasons.
Of that 100 reasons, 99 could be legit reasons but they may be legit excuses.
Often there's the 1 reason that, deep down inside, is the real factor.
Don't blame the minority for the majority.
Because once that single 1 reason has been addressed, the 99 fall away.

Yeah, there'll be many reasons for many things in our lives, in work, passion, family and even your walk with God.
"I can't cause I don't have any more spare time."
"I can't because the people there aren't my type,"
"I can't because it's just too out of the way."
Maybe that real layer is,
"I don't Crossfit because..."
"I don't go to my Cell Group meetings because...."
"I don't eat dinner with my parents because...."

Take a step back and let's focus on that one reason.

CROSS-fit #137 What are we telling our kids

The few complaints (few but still largely irritating) I get from others when I ask em to do Crossfit.

"It's too expensive".

Yeah, it's 200 bucks per month, which really seems like alot.

But you dissect it a little deeper, it's very likely 200 dollars you can easily spare.

I see people willing to spend that same 200 (Probably even more) on eye candy gyms which don't teach you anything and the only benefit that, that gym has over the box is well, massive mirrors, a tv and showers.

But beyond just talking about where you're spending your cash.

Let's talk about our kids or rather, the next generation.

Let's talk about what we're telling them and teaching them via our actions.

Here in sunny Singapore, we are willing to spend the same 200 dollars for a tuition teacher whom comes once a week, for 2 hours. Making it a total of 8 hours.

You're paying 200 dollars for a 'private' lesson for only 8 hours.

And I'm gonna get alot of hate but many of these teachers (Unless they're ex school teachers) aren't exactly trained to teach. They don't know how the kid is supposed to react to certain cues and lesson plans etc.

I know I' generalizing but this is rampant out there, tuition teachers who can't really teach but claim they can, simply because of their stellar grades?

Most kids get these tuition teachers and yes, they do learn.

But when asked, why don't you let your kid join, say Crossfit kids?

It's going to be cheaper than tuition and you get more value out of it.

Your kid will be able to meet like-minded children, have a ton of fun, learn how to keep fit and movement from a very young age which will likely allow him or her become a potential athlete in future?

Basically, your kid will be allowed to 'play' in a very educational environment.

The common reaction?

"Fitness? Sports? Play? No, please NO!"

"Can these things get my son into a University? Studies first, fitness later"

"Letting them learn such things won't help them get their A's right? Forget about it"

I'm not trying to hard sell Crossfit here, don't send them to Crossfit, send them to some track class which suits you better.

But what I'm trying to say is, what on Earth are we telling our kids?

We are telling them that getting grades is more important than your health or play.

That working your ass off is more important than keeping fit or having a balance in life.

It may not just be fitness, but it may be Sunday school, or it may be family time.

What are you teaching your kids?
That work on the weekends, sacrificing family time, is more important than family itself?

Hopefully, everyone sees this.

That it isn't just about the grades or climbing up the social ladder, it's about every aspect of life.

it's about the balance you need to have for yourself and for the next generation.

CROSS-fit #136 The road less travelled

Matt 7:14
"But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it."

Through my course of study and research in Crossfit (Experiences included)

It is undeniable, the benefits and evidence that Crossfit is a good training program and system.

You can't point any fingers and say that anyone who seriously went through the program has emerged un-fitter or have had no change in their health or body.

It is open and in the books, Crossfit is effective.

But why? Why don't people do it? 

I mean, I've told people about it, many have seen the visible effects of it.

It's simple, Crossfit is Hard.

Gosh it's hard.

It's hard, it's exhausting and often painful.

It leaves you on the floor, gasping for air multiple times a week.

But of course, it's not without people around you to share that experience.

Crossfit is hard and people don't wanna do it.

Many people know that certain things in their lives are good for them.

They know that walking the "Narrow path" is going to bring them to green pastures.

But this "Narrow path", is gonna be painful.

it's hard and very potentially exhausting.

Following that "Narrow path", no matter what it may be, may drain you at times.

I'd imagine teachers, following their calling to be who they are, get so drained and tired from teaching at times. They might lose their temper, break down and risk getting fired.

But still, they choose to walk the narrow path.

Everyone who walks through the doors of the box understand the moment they step in.

They see the sign outside which says, leave your ego at the door.

Because there's no room for ego here.

It's a narrow path that these athletes have chosen to walk.

They can very well indulge in their comfort and go to zumba or pump class (No offense!)

Because it is genuinely easier! (Measure your VO2 uptake during both sessions and you'll know it's true)

So I have a whole lot of respect for everyone who has chosen to stick with us.

I have respect for those who have chosen to walk that Narrow path in fitness

I respect those who have chosen to walk the Narrow Paths in their calling

Those who take up a smaller salary to do things they know they were called to do.

Those who realize that this is the road that is less traveled but do so nonetheless.

Those who forsake, friends, fortune and fame just to walk this path and they aren't afraid to walk it alone, in the dark.

I respect those who follow their values in their lives as well.

So often, it's easier to take that easy way out, to follow the person who promises more money.

It's easier to follow the person who promises an easy life and fame in an instant.

It's the narrow path when you choose to stick with the person who gives vision.

Everything else that comes, fame, fortune, is really all just a bonus

Walk the narrow path with me.

Because, just like Crossfit, this narrow path, is made easier when there's someone sharing the same experience and gasping for air beside you

It's not easy, I guarantee you that.

But what waits at the end of the tunnel is undeniable.

The results are evidence based.

Whatever your goal, whatever you seek, is waiting.

Come on board with me!

CROSS-FIT #135 Value Judgement

Decisions that we make, all our decisions in our lives are all an extension of ourselves.
From the smallest to the biggest of decisions, these are all value judgements that we make.
When you choose to spend time with your loved ones and not spend that extra hours in OT.
You are choosing and valuing your loved ones over money and the need to always impress.

It's not that you have NO TIME. It's just that you choose and value things in life differently.
We all have 24 hours.
We all have the same amount of time and decisions we need to make.

Bringing it to Crossfit.
When you choose the 'better opportunity' over the happiness of others, you have made a value judgement as well. You have chosen 'Worldly gains' over the vision mapped out when we first began.
In the workout, our values shape the snap decisions and subconscious decisions as well.
Before a big lift, before a big wod.
Our mental state reflects our values at that very moment.
Whether we feel full of faith or fear is very reflective in our movements and it shows.
Our values will ultimately shape our lives and this is extremely crucial in making us better people.

If you choose to come back again and again despite failure.
You're simply valuing success over comfort.

What are we willing to die for?
Those are our values.
What are you willing to live with and stand by all the way till the end without wavering?
Those are our values.

Values aren't just for the individual but also for the organization.
Whatever company you're in, organization or even box you're in.
Every decision that it makes as a whole (Likely driven by the owner or head coach) is a reflection of values as well.
If you're sharp enough, you'll catch on to it.
if the box or gym you're training in seeks to make a difference instead of getting you comfortable
Then you know you're in the right place.

CROSS-fit #134 Be More

Being an athlete at Crossfit Singapore and a final year student at the National University of Singapore has given me great insights into the idea, business and meaning of fitness.
Currently, I'm embarked in a research project, studying the trends of Crossfit and how people view that.
In the course of my research, I've come across an article written by a fellow athlete at my box.
Exposing some very real perceptions of fitness, as well as beauty.
The link is here
In this article, he dabbles on the very nature fitness and what it means to people.
That coupled with whatever research I have done so far has brought me to this simple simple conclusion.

Alot of us, are sadly, superficial, insecure and downright monsters inside.
I've come to realize that people all want to, as the articles has said, be less.
In joining any fitness program, the aim for them is really, to lose weight.
To lose this, or that, shed some weight, not gain muscle and to basically, be less.
They all want to get 'hot' by losing some weight, fitting into that tiny thing called a dress.
It's all perception and advertising put into context.
Instead, I dare challenge you.
Any of you readers out there.
Even the men.
Look at the mirror and ask for more.

Ask for a whole lot more out of yourselves.
Not just in size or on the scales.
Let that be secondary.
Want to be stronger, faster, quicker.
Desire to lift more, live more.
(Guys, I'm not just talking about getting the biggest biceps, I'm referring to the man INSIDE of you)
We were all meant to reach for greater heights.
So don't shy away and say that being less, thinner, skinnier is better for you.
Aim to do / be more with your lives.

That being said, Christ came down and commissioned us to 'do greater things'.
So why, why are we focusing on what OTHERS are saying instead of actually DOING greater things?
Real beauty comes not from the outward appearance but what someone is on the inside.
Helping others in need, using your body and energy from your fitness to make this World a better place.
That, is real beauty.
Not the chopsticks that can barely carry her own child.
So take up that challenge for some time. Disregard what others are saying.
Be more.

CrossFit #133 Not everyday is a PR day

Yupp. Sorry to burst your bubble.
The fact that you're working your ass off everyday, doesn't mean you're gonna be making PRs everytime you decide you want to.
Yes, determination plays a part, planning plays a part.
but there're days you need to live by the motto, "Live to Fight another day".
What matters is that you win the war and not necessarily every battle isn't it?

People beat themselves up big time when they apparently don't make the lift.
They hate themselves for it.
I'd rather have the attitude of coming back stronger the next time.
It's not just a failed lift, it's also about how you react from it.

You can learn from your mistakes.
Every failure, can be attributed to a reason.
Wait, I take that back.
Every failure, can be attributed to several reasons.
If you look deep down, there may be reasons you never knew why you failed.
On the surface, it could be your technique which has flaws. Often the case for beginners.
Come closer, look deeper, you'll realize that the athletes mobility might have caused it.
Now go even deeper, perhaps there were distractions, a thousand and one things floating in the mind.
This is just a lifting analogy but you can imagine what problems cause your failures.
Don't just think, "Oh I didn't put in enough time in studying"
Did you work smart?
Was it productive and conducive.
Be critical about our lives.


So instead of making sure you win every single day.
You need these failures.
You need them to dig deep and find out why you've had troubles.

CROSS-fit #132 Big Hearted

Studies have shown that very often, our brains circuitry runs faster than we can feel.
In other words.
Our minds are racing so much, in the heat of the moment, we think of a thousand and one things
It happens all the time...
Not just to Crossfitters, I'm sure.

Before any big exam, big race, competition or even proposal.
Everyone over thinks everything.
They run the whole procedure in their mind.
They visualize and run through the entire sequence like a thousand times
It's a perfectly GOOD thing to visualize, it's encouraged and advocated by the experts on successful thinking.
But it's one thing to visualize in confidence and another to do so in anxiety.
Doing so in anxiety just messes you up, you think of the many possibilities.
The possible hits, how you're going to celebrate. You think of the possible misses, how you may fail.

Now I'm gonna push it a little further.
There're those whom, in the process of over thinking, over confess.
I'm not going to be the scriptural specialist here and have to admit that this might be wrong to many.
But it worked for me....
Over confessing God's promises in a feat of fear and anxiety.
Yes, confessing will help, it brings confidence to you.
But if you're doing so all outta 'the fear of failing' then something is wrong ain't it?
It's like how people make that heartless desperate prayer all for the sake of salvation from whatever shithole they're in but can't be bothered to pray any other time.

It's one thing to think of these things, it's another to hold them in our heart.
Last Monday, I failed a big lift, I was so psyched about it, I knew I could get it up and do it.
I prayed desperately moments before the lift.
'God this is my calling, this is my CALLING, SO I GOTTA MAKE IT!"
I thought to myself, this is going to be it, This Is Going To Be It, THIS IS GOING TO BE IT!!!
But I failed...
Coming away from the bar, an unlikely friend saw me and told me in his own words...
"You know you can do it, you know you can.
But your heart, your heart must be F**king big."
I guess it meant something to him but it meant a totally different thing.

We all know our promises, we all know our victories promised to us.
We know the word.
We know the confessions.
But if our heart isn't big enough to keep it in, then there's no point racing them in our head.
If you can't 'internalize' them, calm down and really live that word out, then take a step back.
Really let the promises sink in.
If you don't then whatever promises and just random words strung together.
You'll be surprised at the confidence that such calmness will bring.

"Be Still"
Let that word sink, sink, sink.

Re-attempting that lift.
I went in surprisingly calm.
I didn't need any unnecessary psyching or pump up.
I didn't need any loud raging music.
I just needed to use my heart and not my mind.

Before the day ended,
Last Monday became a PR day.

CROSS-fit #131 Is this a business or a lifestyle?

When I commenced my University Education back in 2010, I caught a very important movie.
"3 Idiots"
The essence of the movie was simple, chase excellence and success will chase you down.
4 years later, I can see that such a  philosophy really works.

There are Crossfit boxes that really have awesome programming, awesome community and great trainers whom actually TEACH movement and teach them in the right manner.
Then there are Crossfit boxes whom operate just like a globo gym. Whom run a business more than a good place to get people fit.
The issue here is focus.
As said in the previous post.
Ain't nobody got time for useless activities.
You want to be the best? You want to attract the right crowd?
Then what you do, how you spend your time will dictate that.



Focus your time on marketing and advertising, then you attract people whom just want to 'look good'.
You will attract people whom want to get a 'quick fix' or have their egos up in the air.
You'll attract the masses, yes you will, you'll probably get the clients nobody else can get.
But hardly, hardly, hardly will they stay. Cause there's something lacking.
The improvement you promise doesn't come readily. The success that they desire is as you promised, all superficial.
Similarly, focus on marketing YOURSELF too much, then the people you'll attract will just be like that.
Skin Deep.

Focus your time on programming, training and learning how to get people better at moving, then you'll naturally attract the people whom genuinely want to get better. They may not start out as star athletes from the get go, but they've got something inside them which isn't common in many people nowadays.
Drive.
No you won't be the most popular kid on the block. Not everyone will flock to you.
You'll only be attracting the people who make the effort to do their research on stuff. That number though, is more often than not, small.
But would you want a hundred pigeons on your back? Or just a few Eagles?
I'd pick them Eagles

Focus your time on being a better person, on being stronger and more Christlike.
Then you really don't need to boast about many things.
(Gosh the last thing that I want to hear is another person repeatedly boast about his kindness of humility)
Character is what you do when nobody is watching.
So keep it that way.
Get up and get going on being better as a person.
Not being a better salesperson.

CROSS-FIT #130 Ain't nobody got time for that

Think of your day today.

Think back of everything you've done the entire day.

Were they all doing the things you were meant to do or just got distracted to do them?

We all have 24 hours a day and gosh you got to spend it well.

In a recent video posted by Crossfit HQ, it was titled "How to beat Rich Froning".

In this video, everyone talks about what to do, what to think of when trying to do so.

Should everyone really be focusing on "How to beat Rich"? 

Or really just be focusing on besting themselves? After all, Crossfit is a very individual sport.

Instead of thinking of how to beat Rich, shouldn't they place more concern on themselves?

The champ, Rich Froning made it pretty clear, what he does, is just to be better than himself.

He wants to win, so he spends alot of time, alot of time, training.

He trains 4-5 times a day with no rest days. Honestly, I might die from that kind of volume.

But that speaks of dedication and focus.

No time for computer games, no time for idling.

But hey, we're all not Rich Froning.

Not all of us are meant to be the fittest on Earth.

But we can all try to emulate that kind of dedication and focus.

Ain't nobody got time for games all the time.

On the entire flip side, you're not supposed to be some machine to think of nothing but work.

But to me, mos of your time, most of your effort has to be dealing with what you're meant to do.

If you're called to be a business owner but end up working in the military with no connection to furthering the success of the business.

Then something is wrong isn't it?

You wanna be a champ?

Figure out what you're meant to do and spend hour on end, doing it.