Warning: I wrote this post to myself. Like Don Miguel Ruiz (“The 4 Agreements”) says: Never take anything personally.
10. Hold the bar straight.
9. Pay attention to your breathing.
8. Use less chalk. Really.
7. Read the CrossFit Journal articles and watch the videos. What’s this going to take? Like 15 min a day? Worth the time and worth the $25 per year. Stop whining and commit.
6. Stop whining and commit. Yeah, that was so good and simple, it needed to be said again and for like all of life.
5. Put sh** away where it belongs. You might call it housekeeping but, really, it’s a form of discipline. You don’t want bumpers or collars or KBs or whatever all over the place. Pick your item, use it, and put it away. Mental discipline is as important as physical discipline, maybe even more so.
4. Get to class 15 minutes early, all the time. Use that extra time not to chat or work on stuff you’re good at — use it to suck. Suck at L-sits, suck at deadhang pull-ups, suck at KB snatches. All the stuff you and your ego have been avoiding. Put on your big girl panties and do the stuff you don’t want to do. It’s called being a grown-up. And a CrossFitter. Go do it.
3. Shut up about programming. Nobody’s ever happy with programming unless they’re the ones doing the programming. Do the workouts. If you’re getting stronger and quicker and feel better, guess what? The programming is working. And if you’re not getting stronger or quicker and you don’t feel better, grab a coach and address your concerns privately. (Note: I am talking to myself here. If anyone hears me complain one word about programming for the next 30 days, feel free to call my ass out and institute a 10 burpee fine on the spot. If you want to follow this way, that’s cool too.)
2. Pay attention. Stop chatting and daydreaming and goofing off. Focus.
1. Stop praying at the bar. Gather yourself, address the bar, breathe, and lift. Don’t make it more complex — in movement or thought — than it needs to be. Lift the flippin’ bar.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:17 pm
me too…hehehe…
January 27th, 2010 at 5:31 pm
Okay, inspired by Rockstar, I feel the need to share more:
10. If going to the West Farms Mall, always park at Nordstrom’s. It’s the safest entrance and they have the nicest bathroom.
9. If you need a new look, go see Jules at Jules Salon. Really. She’s awesome and she’s one of us.
8. You’ve got to learn to live with what you can’t rise above.
7. When in doubt, wear black. Johnny Cash was right.
6. If you need a consult on mascara or making your face look fab, see Rockstar.
5. Some guys they just give up living, others start dying little by little piece by piece, some guys come home from work and wash up, and go to CrossFit.
4. If you need to learn some new swear words, see Viv.
3. You spend your life waitin’ for a moment that just don’t come. Don’t waste your time waiting. CrossFit.
2. If you need to open a beer bottle with no implement, see Nate.
1. When in doubt, be kind.
January 27th, 2010 at 5:38 pm
I have turned my car around b/c I was late would have showed up at 10 mins past, stupid dump truck, plus the time before I was late Jen called me out on it and made me run the stairs, so I knew right away that it was not cool
This is my reminder list:
1) Coming in last doesn’t suck, if you tried hard and maintained your form
2) Sprinting the last bit may burn your lungs for a couple of seconds but how far really is it and you’ll feel good about the next day
3) If your confused about what rep your on 3 or 4 then it is always the lower number
4) I’m going to get out of bed on Saturday morning even though it is early b/c Crossfit is fun!
5)Stop thinking about the movement so much
6)Going to the gym will destress you from work
7)Have fun and laugh at yourself
8)You will beat that rower someday, it may not be in the near future, but someday
9)Try and put this movement in your head so next time you don’t need it explained (hah, this one doesn’t seem to be working!)
10)Dead hang pullups are your friend
January 27th, 2010 at 7:27 pm
10. “Get naked.” – Jen
9. “Pick up the ball.” – Toon
8. “Keep your lumbar curve.” – Kirk
7. “Just get one more.” – Chris
6. “Get my good side.” – Rockstar
5. “Get back on the bar.” – Pam
4. “Go faster.” – Melissa
3. “Laugh at yourself.” – Sue
2. “Stop whining. Kyle Maynard doesn’t complain and neither should you.” – Barry
1. “Look up, when squatting and in life.” – Lis
January 27th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
I am so sad I missed all this fun today- stupid job, I gotta quit workin..
January 27th, 2010 at 8:02 pm
Good for you!
January 27th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
LOL — Becky, that was good!
(Now, you know I must caveat that “look up” to mean “not down” on the front squat. But not look up, like up to the ceiling. Although I would rather have you look up to the ceiling than down to the floor when front squatting or cleaning or high bar back squatting. Now that I’ve confused everyone and used too many words, I will be silent.)
January 27th, 2010 at 8:58 pm
And Barry’s quote is the best.
January 27th, 2010 at 8:59 pm
And nobody has yet called me out on my list?
P.S. Keri — I LOVED #8! See you on Sat morning!
January 28th, 2010 at 12:16 am
@Lis, called you out on which list. I liked’em both. Now I know, if I need a mascara consult, I’ll check with rockstar. I was looking for a source for new swear words and you pointed me to Viv.
January 28th, 2010 at 7:35 am
Ah, David, but that’s not what I meant . . .
N8, perhaps you have deciphered the clues?
January 28th, 2010 at 10:15 am
Hmm, not really. I ran it though the Beale Cipher, my WWII Enigma decoder (that I hijacked from a German U-Boat with Matthew McConaughey back in 2000), and I applied the Bible code to it. Apart from an overall “you look good = you feel good” message – the only thing I think people might miss is #5, which I read as try not to show up to class stinky.
Though I hope leaving stinky is ok.
January 28th, 2010 at 10:45 am
Ha! Nate ur too funny…. if we cant leave stinky, CFW will go out of business lol
January 28th, 2010 at 11:08 am
N8, I have just changed your name to N9. As in “nein” or “no” or “nyet.”
8,5,3.