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This Week’s EIE Challenge is to drink enough water! At least 1/2 your bodyweight in ounces.

Thursday February 20, 2014

Warmup

2 rounds:
Hollow Hold, 60s
50′ Duck Walk
10 Scapular Pushups

Gymnastic Strength:

5 rounds or 15 minutes:
3 Press to Headstand- DEMO
10 Seated Overhead squat stretch (light bar or weighted PVC)- DEMO
:15 second Hanging L sit (Tuck sit)

Notes: Use spotters for the press to Headstand. 

Conditioning

5 Rounds for Quality:
2 Rope climbs (or 4 Rope lowers)
4 Wall Climbs
6 second 1 arm hang, Right
6 second 1 arm hang, Left
8 Pistols, alternating
10 Weighted GHD Hip extensions (10-45#)
-15 min cap-

Notes: Use a bar/box for the pistols to help with full ROM or perform high box step ups. 1 arm hang is done on bar, but rings may be used. 

Cool Down

30s Side Plank Each Side
1 min German Hang
Foam Roll T-Spine

I got a great response from my unbroken mind post last Thursday, and some great feedback. Instead of a nutrition post this week, I will write another ‘unbroken mind’ themed post. Before I do that, I just want to clarify something that I did not do a great job of addressing last week: there is a difference between pain and discomfort. If you feel pain, real pain, you should not push through it. You need to push through the discomfort, through the point where you normally take a break, but pain is a warning signal that you might hurt yourself. It is important to be mindful of the difference. So, to modify last week’s challenge for safety: next time you see a benchmark WOD that does not include movements you are uncomfortable performing (especially O-lifts)- see how far you can go unbroken.

Now for this week’s challenge.

We tend to underestimate the power of language and its effect on our reality. For example, the old childhood rhyme “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” is a poorly constructed defense mechanism against bullies. In my experience it just led to more pointed and aggressive insults by my tormenters. And those words fucking hurt. Worse than a cut or bruise, mean words led to internal doubt about my self-worth, and turned me against myself. I bullied myself, and (I think) we all do to some degree. Especially when the WODs gets tough. The thought that “oh I suck at the snatch” or “I’m too fat and out of shape to do that many burpees” are examples of negative self-talk that are holding you back. Those thoughts are not serving you, and are not getting you any closer to snatching better or losing weight and improving your fitness.

I want you to combat thoughts that use what I call ‘limiting language’.

In my opinion the most overused limiting word is ‘try’ and you need to remove it from your vocabulary ASAP. If you try something, you have accepted failure as an outcome before you even do the task. If you try something there is theoretically a 50% chance of success and 50% chance of failure. Nike has something right. Just Do It. If you do something instead of trying to do something, failure isn’t an option until it happens.

An example of even worse limiting language would occur if you said ‘I want to try something’.

To nerd out on that one, you’ve got about 50% shot of trying which gives you a 50% chance of success…thats a 25% chance of success and 75% chance of failure before you’ve tied your shoes.

My challenge to you is twofold:
1)Be mindful as soon as you start to bully yourself, and reverse that thinking. Instead, encourage yourself 
2)Bring it into your consciousness when you use the word try, and correct yourself. Instead of saying or thinking “I am going to try to hit a PR” say, think and believe “I am going to hit this PR”. Your rate of success will go up.

Author: Matthew Walrath