Part 2

Regional Workout 6

For time:

Row 20 calories

30 Burpees

45 pound Two-arm dumbbell ground-to-overhead, 40 reps

50 Toes to bar

100 foot Walking lunge with 45lb plate held overhead

150 foot Sprint

Post time to comments.

CJ grinding through it.

Delving into the second half of our “10 Mental Skills To Have To Be A Bad Ass Athlete And More Attractive Person In Life”, I remind you that while the opinions expressed are that of mine alone and don’t necessarily reflect that of Paradiso Crossfit , it is the truth and should be accepted as such (Martina said so). On we go….

6) Concentration/Focus: Crossfit is hard and potentially dangerous. For this reason alone, your focus and concentration needs to be there.  You hippies like to call this “staying present”, whatever it is, if you don’t have it, I don’t want to be within 50 feet of you and that barbell you have overhead. Sometimes we run in traffic, sometimes we have 15 people overhead squatting within inches of each other, sometimes we are swinging kettlebells with sweaty hands, all potential disasters if you aren’t concentrating on what you are doing and possess an awareness of what’s happening around you. Duh.

7) Goal setting: Yes this is a mental skill!

Everybody wants something. I want to be stronger, faster, I want handstand push-ups, I want muscle-ups, I want to lose 20 pounds, I want, I want, I want! Talk is cheap, and not very attractive if you can’t back it up.

I’ve seen the people out there who consistently set goals and methodically and stealthily tackle them.   They don’t talk about it, they don’t brag, they just practice….religiously. And once they reach their goal, they plan another one, and another one. Remember goals should be simple, measureable, attainable, realistic, and time bound. So now that you have your goal, what sort of jedi mind trick does it take to get there? Read on.

8) Motivation and Discipline, or Discipline and Motivation: Is there a difference? Hell yea. So you want to lose 20 pounds but you don’t have the discipline? Straight up, discipline is a myth. I get up before 5 every morning and it’s not because of discipline. I workout almost everyday and nope, that’s not discipline either. I have crafted a set of disciplined actions that have developed into habits. Habits are the key, not discipline. Lets say you’re vegging out on the sofa (not super attractive) when you really want to go for a run, or surfing, or practice your snatch (now what could be better?). If you don’t have discipline how will you ever get your ass off that sofa? Do you think about how good it will make you feel? Do you do it because you told someone you were going to do it?

Do you set up a reward at the end like a massage or for some of you a “cheat” meal of epic proportions? These are all motivations. The two most powerful motivators I can think of are public pressure (positive and negative) and enjoyment.  Whatever the motivation, find it.  Start with small actions that will develop into your habits, and you’ll be the envy of people because you have so much discipline 🙂

9)Listening: It is unavoidable at times that during a workout we will have to get in there and coach you through something. Yes, it might disrupt your “flow”, but being reminded that there are standards and scaling could save your ass from injury. Please listen to us!  We want you to move SAFELY and efficiently! I really don’t like the sound of my voice THAT much. Disregarding our suggestions and ignoring the coach is a big FAIL (and rude). Listen up and start WINNNNN-ING!

10) Common Sense! I realize my audience is adults, and yet I feel the things I’m about to say should be directed to a class of 5 year olds. Common sense should be common, but when it’s not it comes off like a list of “rules”. Deal with it. Common sense for our purposes includes, but is certainly not limited to:

-Putting equipment away(especially if you dragged it out to begin with)

-Keeping chalk in the bucket (especially if you feel the need to chalk your face, arms, legs and hands)

-Wiping off any and all bodily fluids off the equipment and floor. If you tear your hands, or shred your shins and bleed all over the place, you better make sure you silkwood your area.

-Picking up your “gear”, including that gob of tape you throw on the floor mid-workout, wrist wraps, head wraps, water bottles, towels and the like. Your mom does not work here. This is a second home for me, Zeb, Miso and many of you where we bring our kids, pups and friends. I would never leave a friend’s home worse than when I got there.

Common sense also includes checking the site for awesome tips like these, knowing the workout of the day with the movement standards, knowing general stuff like scheduling changes and volleyball excursions. Common sense is showing up to class on time, and if you’re late getting into the mix quickly. Common sense is knowing how and where to drop your weights. Common sense is knowing how much and how long you need to scale something. Common sense is asking if you don’t know.

There you have it.  Here’s to a lifetime of physical and mental prowess.  Cheers.