Finding it in Others

Saturday, February 11th, 2012

Mobility:
Pigeon on Box, 1 minute per leg

Warm up:
Jog 400 meters
Front Squats x 10
Push Press x 10
10 Box Jumps
10 Burpees

Load up barbell and practice bar facing burpees.

“Rahoi”

Complete as many rounds as possible in 12 minutes of:
24 inch Box Jump, 12 reps
95 pound Thruster, 6 reps
6 Bar-facing burpees

Cool Down:
Samson Stretch
10 Wall extensions

Jenn Jones 9 rounds + 19 reps (20″ box, 65lbs).
Post rounds completed to comments.

“You cannot just aim; you must hit.”  Navy SEAL axiom

A long time ago, I remember reading in the Hagakure that the way to wisdom is found in consultation with others, and I remember I had no idea what it meant.  Over time I found that getting to know people in different fields, and engaging, discussing, exchanging, debating, with friends, enemies, and strangers alike opened up untold worlds to me.  So I posed the question ‘What is your advice for people just starting CrossFit?’ to my great friends Eric Malzone and Traver Boehm of CrossFit Pacific Coast, and they gave me several great responses from their staff:

Traver:   The most important thing I’d tell a beginner is that CrossFit is a journey, it’s a process, and not something that is going to come overnight. Yes, you will see results in the beginning and those results may be unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before.

That all being said, the real changes, the ones down to the very fiber of your being, take years of hard work and dedication to reveal themselves.  But when they do, they are most definitely worth the effort.

That, and don’t get caught up in any of the drama that accompanies so many CrossFit gyms. Just do your work, listen to your coaches, train your ass off and love your life.

Zach:  Have patience and trust that the decision to start CrossFit was not a mistake.  The nerves will be unsettling at first but after the first few weeks everything will fall into place.  Your passion for CrossFit and will to show up will increase with experience and as you experience positive changes in your mind, health and strength. Just show up and don’t over think it.  Soreness will be fierce at first but your body will adapt quickly.  The CrossFit experience will become more enjoyable if you proactively build relationships with your fellow box members…don’t be the quiet one that never smiles.

KJ:   Scale as needed or as recommended by the coach.  Take your time learning the movement standards and getting the form and technique down.  Don’t let your ego get in the way.  It is extremely important and will greatly benefit your long term CrossFitting if you hone in on technique and form before going heavy or doing the WOD’s as RX.  Starting CrossFit is exciting and you’ll be talking about it often… very often, so grab some friends and show them what you’re so excited about- bring them to a class with you, because then at least they will know what you’re raving about.  You’re going to be very sore for the first 3 months… drink lots of water, stretch, foam roll, go for a walk or jog if you’re just too sore to get into the gym one day, but honestly… getting back into the gym will help alleviate the soreness.  

Christina:  The best advice I can give is device I got when I first started. ” just show up…the rest will come”. I know it seems simple enough but I can’t tell
you how many times I didn’t want to go because I was too tired or too sore but I managed to remember those words and drag my butt in. Once you are in the door is where the community  comes in.., they push you to try harder, they commiserate with you over how sore the last WOD made you and they celebrate with you once you’re done. So my advice is “get your butt in the door and give it all you got. Watch. Listen. Learn. Push yourself. Reap the awesome benefit.

Baker:  As a new Crossfitter, there are a lot of things to take in and absorb, it can seem daunting at times, but after several years of training and coaching hundreds of people through some tough skills and overall workouts, I’ve narrowed it down to a couple of key points for getting started.

1.  Just show up.  You’ll never make any progress in Crossfit, or anything else in life, if you don’t even make it through the door.  I’ve seen many people show up for a week or two and then lose focus, motivation or whatever, and then never see them again.  This stuff is hard but it’s also effective, in ways most new athletes can’t imagine.  Making the simple commitment of just showing up every week will pay huge dividends in the end.

2.  Go with the flow.  It may seem a little too 1970’s “groovy”, but the old axiom still holds true.  No one has ever walked into a Crossfit gym and mastered all of the different exercises, we use, on day one.  Simply focus on the task at hand, there’ll be lots of time for the rest later.

3.  There’s no point in worrying about what you “used to be able to do”/”can’t do”.  I’ve worked with a number of elderly clients, most of whom haven’t been physically active in years, sometimes decades, and once in awhile they will get hung up on what they “used” to be able to do.  I’ll generally remind them that a lot has happened between then and now, we’re starting form a different place and they’ll most likely have different goals then they might have had back then.  This same rule applies to someone whose recovering form an injury or any other trying to lose a significant amount of weight, they may not have had when they were younger.

There’s a lot more out there, that you’ll pickup as you go along, but these three rules should give you a solid foundation for building the skills necessary to be a proficient Crossfiter.