January and February Reflections

A couple of months of hard work went by really fast and at the same time, where I was in December seems like so long ago. The 2 things that have made the greatest difffeence in my successes are 1) I got help from others by joining a Crossfit gym, subscribing to their journal, getting coaching at our work gym 2) drops in the bucket : a little bit each day adds up. Each day I spend a little bit of time reading or listening about the exercises I am working on, the eating plan I am following etc. Each day we do the same warmup routine which has been full of teachings.

THE CROSSFIT WARMUP http://library.crossfit.com/free/pdf/08_03_Better_warmup.pdf began as a workout in itself. I was often ready to puke after the first 2 rounds. The tools that can be used to help anyone scale it are awesome. For example there is a tool used that will allow ANYONE do a pullup and feel great about it. As progress came it became a confidence builder when I could finally get through it all (like most the pullups took me a while to get used to). Peeling a layer deeper I began to notice that it was also a great time for learning movements. I could take each exercise and break it down into components to be worked on and progress in (for example 10 pullups vs. 10 good kipping pullups to chest). This aspect of learning something, practicing it, using it and then re-learning what you think you know with an open mind, is central to Crossfit. Further I’ve noticed that these learnings within the warmup all transfer directly to other movements that are performed (shoulder press, squat, overhead squat, power cleans) and that those who consistently do the warmup properly have had great successes in other areas. Although I say “directly transfer”, it is interesting that a direct transfer is never what you expect it to be. For example deadlift has made my pullups stronger, pullups have made my sholder press stronger, squats and deadlift are probably the best exercise for abs. This is intriguing and frustrating. For example when someone comes and tells you your pulllups are “cheating” because there is too much swinging and kicking your legs up, it is hard to argue. Pullup work is no longer about latissumus dorsi isolation, and so we are not even coming from the same place so any argument on either side is essentially invalid. Though I can see this a little clearer now, the guy/gal on the other side cannot so it provides a really cool challenge to make him/her understand…which often brings us back to the warmup. Thus begins the aspect of community, looking outside of your own workout, what are other people doing?..what are people doing right, wrong, what can I learn from watching them?...as we all do the warmup together we critique each others’ form and ask each other questions…open ourselves up to being wrong…others often come in and ask questions, practice movements add to them from their own experience. It becomes a wholesome experience…each person, from the 23 year old naturally strong wipper snapper to the 40 year old mom who can kick his but in many areas he has never gone to bring something to the table. The lady who has awesome flexibility from practicing correctly every day, the 100 pullup man, the handstand gymnast girl, the tire flipping deadlifting strong man, the kung-fu grappler, the jump rope queen, the two year old pretending to be a cat….with our minds as one we give thanks. I'm ready to get going this spring! I should have some measure-ables in a few days for the numbers aspect of this.