Rest Day.
"Cardiorespiratory endurance, stamina, strength, power,
speed, flexibility, agility, accuracy, balance, and coordination:
you're as good as your weakest link."
- Greg Glassman
1. If you are a beast, and don't "have enough time" to do the metcons/runs, but have time to throw around a barbell you are not going the Regionals or the Games. Your weaknesses will be exposed - and it will be your fault for not having the balls to train your weaknesses. The fact is, it's not a time thing, it's a priority thing. The easy fix to this - just start every training session with the metcon and I bet you will have time at the end for your barbell work. You are a beast - so train like a ninja.
2. NO EXCUSES - EVER. It was raining, you had to do pull ups at the globo gym, your hand ripped. Adversity happens to everyone, in every training session, everyday. Every Games athlete deals with the same issues as you - but they recognize adversity as a part of life. If you use excuses now what happens on game day?
3. Pay attention to the small things. This seems obvious when comes to things that directly impact your training: sleep, nutrition, warm up, cool down, recover and rest. But there is one small thing that will trump all those together - your mental thought process.
Your Thoughts become your Words, Your Words lead to Action, and Action will dictate your Results.
If you have negative approach to a workout or are disappointed with your performance you need to turn it around mentally. Instead of dwelling on how bad your handstand push ups are and fearing the workout, be excited at the opportunity to become better at a weakness.
During the workout recognize the voice in your head. That is your personal coach. Is that voice a good coach or bad coach? Is the voice telling you that you can lift the weight, that you can do one more rep, that you can be a little bit faster? Or is the voice reminding you about the pain, how heavy the weight is, and that you need more rest?
After the WOD reinforce anything that went well and use any negatives as a learning experiences. Take solace in the fact that we fail in training to succeed in competition. You need to fail reps, blow up, and try new things that don't work in order to improve. Focus on the improving, not the failing. While you are lying on the floor after the wod tell yourself that you love the feeling of battery acid in your veins, you love working hard, and that you got 1% better today.
I am not a regionals athlete and definitely not a Games athlete, and I absolutely LOVE this! No excuses at the end of the day, very well put Ben!
ReplyDeleteBen, we've never met, and you're still the best coach I've ever had.
ReplyDeleteAnyone can throw up some programming and YouTube links on a blog, but to take the time to read through the comments (which you clearly have) and dole out appropriate advice like this shows how much you care about peoples' results and success. I'm guilty of all of the things you just addressed and I will make a change. Regardless of whether or not I'm a Regionals or Games athlete, these are things that everyone needs to hear. I will be sharing, I hope you don't mind.
I'm juiced right now!!! Bring on the open!!!
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ReplyDeleteVery good read, my negative ass needed this! thank you :)
ReplyDeleteAwesome Ben, thank you for this. You're one solid guy!
ReplyDeletethis is awesome! although i couldnt be more depressed i havent gotten checked out yet but im strarting to think this "groin strain" may actually be my 3rd hurnea. ive already had 2 inguinal hurneas before on this side. well i guess theres always next year. trying to think positive
ReplyDeleteThank you Ben! These words have been taken to heart.
ReplyDeleteI printed out several copies of this and put them all over my house , car, gym bag. Good shit!!!
ReplyDelete2 prs today. 250# PC/SC complex and 305# 3Rm FS . Super pumped!!
Boom.... Just when you think you've had enough motivation already. More mental fuel.
ReplyDeleteThanks Coach!
This is a crossfit ray Lewis speech moment. Super motivational.
ReplyDeleteGreat stuff coach! I needed to hear that this morning.
ReplyDeleteAwesome, always nice to get that extra push to get the endurance work in.
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ReplyDeleteBen, thank you for all of your motivational and thought provoking posts... I look forward to them every day!
ReplyDeleteWell said Ben, thanks for the words of wisdom
ReplyDeleteBen, thank you!
ReplyDeleteAs I was leaving school today, I saw a bunch of the students out running around the track, so I decided, what the heck? I will go run around with them. Did some 100m sprints with some of the lacrosse team - then, since I was feeling warm, decided to try a 400m sprint on the track. I haven't timed a 400 on an actual track in a really long time, so I was curious. 1:18! I know that I couldn't maintain that pace right now for the 6 x 400m from yesterday, but still - that felt good. Plus, I beat a bunch of high school girls since I made them run with me :)
Just had to share; I was too excited not to :) Now focusing on mobility.
Made up for the last two days I took off. Mashed up the WODs from the past two days.
ReplyDelete1. 6 x 400m run with 1 min rest. 1:17, 1:21, 1:35, 1:34, 1:38, 1:31. Took advantage of the daylight to do the run first, encouraged by Ben's advice above.
2. Snatch complex. Just wasn't able to get stable under the bar today. Possible because of doing the runs first. 95, 135, 135, 155 fail squat, 155 fail squat. Had to move on...
3. OHS - 155 x 3, 185 x 3, 135 x 10. Went real slow and steady on these to work that bottom position.
4. OTM x 10 odd: push press, even: C2B unbroken max reps. 185 pp across, C2B - 13, 9, 9, 9, 8
Worked a lot of goats today! Glad back is feeling a bit better.
I enjoyed reading this little number. Really, what you should concentrate on is what YOU are in control of. You can't control what comes out of the hopper, and in the end it will be the same for everyone. Always try your best. You're there for a reason, so don't lose the opportunity to better yourself for simple things like avoiding the discomfort involved in improving yourself. It's always hard before it's easy. Embrace the challenge. If the MU was easy you would not want to do it in the first place right? I am a light guy, so when max weight events come up, I remind myself that I'm going out there to improve MYSELF, and get a PR, not a WR. If I'm getting a PR, how can I not be proud? I also try to embrace the suck a bit. You don't remember the ease of a simple poorly done warm up, but those hard fought reps are remembered and tatooed onto your heart and soul. If it's easy, it's probably not doing too much for you in the end.
ReplyDeleteThere is a differnce between hard and causing injury.. realize the difference and stay in the safe pain zone, not the other side where injury occurs/ Train hard, but also SMART. I'm 39 and been CrosFitting for about 8 years now. I'm constatnly still getting PRs and improving on many movements, etc. In the end this is a lifestyle and a mentality that I gain benefits from in all aspects of my life. If I cheat at a WOD to better my numbers, do I really win.
I love the line about failing at training is focused on succeeding at competition. There is a purpose to training and it's not to only getting PRs at the event, but improving Virtuosity in the movement, improving weight used, reducing time, improving efficiency of movement. Quality as well as Quantity... a lot of shitty reps is not a real accomplishment, neither is only a handful of perfect reps.
In the end you have yourself to answer to and the boring adage of you are only cheating yourself is so true I do feel it bears repeating. Be the best you can be, and relish in that. Everything else will come as a result of that pursuit.
Good post. I think you wrote #1 directly at me. Trying to be better, but I like lifting heavy things.
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