X-Ray Company

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Reminder:  The below programming will be performed at MDR on Wednesday and Venice on Thursday due to the EIE discussion happening on the opposing day. 

Mobility

2 Rounds:
External Rotation w/ Theraband
10 Lat Activations
10 Push Ups
3 Way Pistol x 3 each
Bottom of Squat, 1 minute 

Gymnastics Strength

5 rounds or 15 minutes for quality:

5 Weighted Strict Pullups, heaviest possible
5 Plyo Pushups –  DEMO
10 Weighted Pistols, heaviest possible

     Notes:  Sub 10 Ring Rows if you cannot perform a strict pullup.  For the plyo pushups use plates and increase depth each round to find a challenging depth.  Sub 10 regular pushups as needed.  For the pistols, hold the KB at chest.  Sub weighted step ups if you cannot perform a pistol. 

Conditioning:

‘The Chief’’
5 Rounds
3 minute amrap:
3 Power Cleans (135/95)
6 Pushups
9 Air Squats

Rest 1 min between amraps

Cool Down

External Rotation w/ Theraband
20 Hip Extensions
20 GHD Sit Ups

This is a continuation of  a story ( Part One and Part Two ) chronicling my start with PCF.

I was in a military program for teenagers a lifetime ago, and if any of you know how it works it looks a lot like a corporation in structure.  There are the workers (enlisted) and the executives (officers),  each with it’s own food chain and hierarchy.  If you are an enlisted guy long enough you will be the top of the enlisted chain but still lower than the lowest officer, etc.  In our world, teenagers were enlisted, officers were adults.  Anyway, our beginner, bottom rank enlisted group was called X-Ray Company and our senior enlisted group was Alpha Company, teenagers all.  Our officers were badass, ex WWII admirals and grizzled Marines who were even scarier than our Alpha Company seniors.  Being new and soft and in X Ray Company I intuitively understood that the Alpha Company guys were taught by the Officers and were passing their knowledge (and punishment and anger) onto us.   Basically we had to do whatever the Alpha guys told us to do, right now and without question.  It almost always involved marching or push ups or random tasks and we were generally miserable all the time.  

     One day one of Alpha Company guys in charge asked us if we thought they were just on a power trip the whole time, to which one of us answered, yes.  It certainly seemed like that at some points, even for me, where I tried to be the most forgiving and understanding of X Ray Company.  Little did I know that there was in fact a purpose and method to the chaos they were trying to create.  On their brochures, it was a preparatory program for young men and women who wished to serve in the Navy or Marine Corps.  And that’s exactly what they were trying to do:  prep us for the harsh realities of service life.  Being a better citizen, becoming more patriotic, instilling discipline, training, brotherhood, leadership, bravery, honor, etc. certainly did happen and were lessons I carried my entire life, but they were not the goal of the program.  They were only side effects of how good of a sailor or Marine we became or were ready to be. 

     “We pound on you because we don’t want you to f#ck up when you get to Boot Camp.  We pound on you because we believe in you and you are not ready yet.  If you hate us or are scared of us, we’re nothing.  When you get to the service your DI’s will pound on you because they don’t want you to Die!”  So I understood then that their training was only a reflection of our future realities.  They were preparing us for war:  At worst we would be in foreign lands, perpetually scared, confused, worrying about our buddies, facing imminent danger at all times with little/no food or sleep.  At best, well. . . that would depend on how hard our training was.  But this understanding is not why I am telling this story on our blog.  It’s what they said next, “You have no idea how much we wish we were you.”

I was shocked by that.  Still moves me inside thinking about it as I write this.  I didn’t understand.  Why?  Why would you want to be just shat on all the time?

“You have no idea how much we wish we were you.  To have no responsibility.  To just do what I’m told.  To not have to think about anything.  You have no idea how much we care about you guys, every single one of you.  How much we f#cking love you guys and want you to be the best.” 

I was sixteen when they told that to me.  Six fucking teen.  They were training us because they wanted the best for us.  They were training us to protect us, and they were protecting us because they loved us.  The subject never came up again in the ensuing years.  This story is important because I heeded their advice in the most skewed, indirect way.  I forced myself to stay in X Ray Company.  They tried promoting me to Alpha, told me I had what it took, that I was strong and smart and didn’t belong in X Ray anymore, but I refused to take the test (I purposefully failed the first time), purposely held off testing dates.  Because I believed them.  If they wished they were in my position, and I have that position now, well I’m going to keep it.

And I’ve been like that ever since, PCF.  I hold onto things.  I’m stubborn.  I find something good and hold onto it like my life depends on it.  Even if it’s time has passed, even if I know I should move on, even if it does both parties no good whatsoever to keep things the same, I do not embrace change willingly.  I have to be forced to change.  I have to be forced to grow.  That’s why I am the way I am, Diso.  Right now, I have the fitness and health of at least 70 full grown, wild, fit, athletic animals in my care from 4pm to 10pm every single night.  70 to 80 stampeding wildebeests that I’ve gotten to know and have learned to love.  Right now, I’ve got the greatest job in the world, in the greatest gym in the world.  I really believe that.  I really, truly believe that with my whole, entire, stubborn fucking heart.  Even if it’s not true, it’s true to me and that’s all that matters.  And I’m holding onto it with everything I’ve got.  I have been holding onto it for the last two years at least. 

To be continued next week . . .