nehal : Feb 8, 2010
[ Also posted on CrossFit Genesis ]
We’ve all been there: In the middle of an intense workout, searing lungs, tired arms, burning quads; and it’s only round three of eight. Wait. Is it? Or am I on round four?.
It happens more often than I’d like. With all the things going on in my head – “keep that core tight”, “don’t pull early with your arms”, “drive off your heels”, all my body parts screaming at me to stop, coaches telling me NOT to stop, and trying to keep track of how many reps and rounds I’ve done – something is bound to lose, especially as the volume of screaming body parts approaches eleven. And every now and then, to add to the chaos, little thoughts enter my head, “Almost done. Wait, how many do I have left? Oh crap, where was I? Did the Bears win yesterday? I’m hungry; I should’ve eaten a better lunch.” It then takes real effort and mental stamina to stay focused and drown out that noise.
But this is all just another part of our training. Sure, we show up at the gym for physical exercise. Our bodies get stronger and faster; we are able to push and pull harder and longer. But we also learn to quiet our minds and focus on the top priority of the moment, over longer periods of time. We learn to turn down the volume from those screaming body parts (and know difference between ‘just screaming’ and injury). With practice we build up our mental stamina so we won’t lose track of our rep counts and still be able to focus on all the other relevant mental notes. In the mean time, we have some strategies to help:
- Have someone count for you (also a good way to make sure you only count reps with proper form)
- Use a whiteboard or a stack of poker chips or coins to count rounds
- Vocalize the count (just a whisper) as you exhale through the exertion of the rep
The training here has applications beyond the gym. Once you are better equipped to quiet distractions, you can improve your performance at work and school, and even social situations. You can ignore those instant-messages and e-mails so you can get your work done by the deadline. You can ignore the loud-talker in the next cube or at the next table and continue your conversation. You can stop turning your head to when someone walks by your dinner table and pay attention to your date.
How do you keep going? How do you keep track of your rep and round numbers? Are you focused on your work, or are you letting other thoughts enter your mind? Or are you so focused on your current rep that you’ve lost track?
nehal : Nov 16, 2009
I just got my body fat measured again (caliper method). The trend is pretty positive.
| Measurements |
Value |
| Age |
32 |
| Weight |
148 lbs |
| Chest |
4 mm |
| Abdominal |
18 mm |
| Thigh |
7 mm |
| Body Fat % |
8.96 % |
| Lbs Body Fat |
13.27 lbs |
| Lbs Lean |
134.73 lbs |
My last measurement was at 9.32%
nehal : Oct 19, 2009
[ Also posted at CrossFit Genesis ]
What am I talking about? Challenging yourself. Pushing your limits. At the gym. On the field. At work. In the classroom. It’s the best way to grow and adapt. It is too easy to become complacent and settle into a routine, only to find yourself bored and wondering what happened to the last six months of your life.
You will be surprised how quickly you can adapt and find what was once daunting and uncomfortable is now doable. Your limits are not fixed walls; they move when you get close enough often enough. Just look back to where you were a year ago or a month ago. If you’ve been challenging yourself, I guarantee you’ve improved.
As a concrete example, we have to look no farther than our Fight Gone Bad IV Results. Nearly everyone who participated improved their score, and some by a large margin. During the month of the challenge, coaches John and Phil chose a variety of workouts to push our limits on the movements and exercises used in Fight Gone Bad and stimulate our bodies (and minds) to adapt.
So run that extra mile. Take on another project. Throw another five pounds on the bar. “Push the envelope. Watch it bend” – Tool
nehal : Aug 26, 2009
[Also posted on CrossFit Genesis ]
I’ve had the pleasure of attending a couple of seminars where Brad Kearns was a speaker. One of his ideas that really resonates with me is that your best results come when your motivation is pure. When you train because you actually enjoy it and you’re not wrapped up in how you’ll perform at your next workout or event, you simply do better. You spending less energy fretting about performance and letting your body and mind just perform. Think back to school – when you got yourself all worked up about an exam in a subject you didn’t particularly enjoy, how did you do? Compare that to a subject you actually had a keen interest in. Did you even worry about those exams?
Do you worry about how you’ll perform in your next “Fran” or “Fight Gone Bad!”?
My best triathlon performance came when I told myself to just go and have fun. Prior to that, I had hired a coach who laid out a training program which I tried to follow for 6 or 8 months. I got myself wrapped up in my performance, missed workouts, worried more, missed more workouts, and the cycle continued until I showed up for the Auburn International Triathlon (and didn’t finish). I had psyched myself out and got so worked up about training that I didn’t actually train. After that, I took a little time off, got my head on straight, and just decided to have fun with it. Training came more naturally and my workouts became fun again. Fast forward one month to my performance at the San Jose International Triathlon where I still remember having a smile on my face for most of the race.
The next time you find yourself anxious about how you’ll perform on a workout or at an event, take a deep breath and remind yourself to just enjoy it.
nehal : Aug 12, 2009
[ Also posted at CrossFit Genesis ]
Looking back at this year’s CrossFit Games, I was very impressed at the variety of workouts the competitors had to perform; winning required doing well in all aspects of fitness – cardiovascular, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. That got me thinking about how that notion translates to real life.
Because we have so many demands on our time, attention, and energy, it seems we are all in a constant struggle to find and keep balance in our lives. We work. We go to school. We exercise. We socialize with friends. We spend time with our families. We recreate. We have friends or relatives who spend countless hours working only to see their health and relationships suffer. We had friends at school who spent more time socializing than they did studying. We wonder what elite athletes and CEOs do for fun. And the interesting thing here is there is no single, static balance point; there will be multiple equilibria depending on who or what is demanding the most time, attention, and energy at various points in our lives.
Personally, I’ve only been able to maintain a sense of equilibrium temporarily – a week or two, at best. It seems something always happens to tip me off balance – an illness or injury, a demanding project at work, an upcoming competition, a family emergency, a night out with friends (and the resulting hangover), or simple boredom. Sometimes it is a little nudge and easy to recover, and sometimes it is a shove that requires me to find a new balance point. But that’s what keeps things interesting.
What do you do to find or regain balance in your life?