Thought Leadership I would say one of the most profound training statements that have stuck with me the longest is, “if you are comfortable while training, you are wasting your time.” What exactly does that mean? It means that if you are just doing ten pull ups in multiple sets, you are wasting your time. If you easily lifting the usual bar weight, you are wasting your time. If you are just knocking out one push up after another, you are wasting your time.
Disclaimer, I am not an expert and I don’t even come close to knowing it all, however, I am always studying ways to improve, get stronger be more efficient. OK, so maybe it isn’t wasted time but if you are looking to improve, you are crawling to get there. Even if you are thinking, “I just want to stay fit.”
I have come to realize that maintaining that perfect balance isn’t really achievable. Life moves forward and the body adapts to whatever stress is put on it. If it isn’t challenged appropriately it could then slowly regress to a lower level of performance.
If you are looking to improve performance you will need to raise the intensity, amount of resistance and or reps depending on your goals. For intensity you might want to shorten the time it takes to complete the rep scheme. For resistance you can increase weight . I am always asked about strengthening the pull strength, I just add weight. 100 pounds of chains or a 70# plus 35# KB. Set your goals, start small and add weight and or reps each session. If it is a goal, hit it twice a week. If you want to increase your push up strength hold a band across your back and do your push ups. You will discover that it is easier at the bottom where it is normally harder and harder at top where it is normally easier. For muscle endurance, increase reps every session. These training cycles should be programmed for spans of weeks and then changed so the body doesn’t “get comfortable.”
If you truly want to get bigger, faster or increase your endurance, check in with one of the coaches. If you have questions we will do our best to get you the answers. Please understand that if it requires programming time or involved sessions we are happy to provide some personal training sessions for you.
WOD 5 kettle bell sit-ups (45/25)
5 weighted lunges (45/25)
*add 100 m each round
*add 3 reps each round onto each exercise
News, Thought Leadership Sometimes, apparently one can get so busy trying to build something – that they don’t see it when it’s happening all around them. So busy, in fact – that when they see it, it hits them super hard in “the feels” – as the kids say these days.
We set out early on to create a family friendly, respectful, healthy and strong community. A community – no, a family with great core values that would inspire all levels of fitness to believe in themselves and their new adopted family at Iron Legion.
Iron Legion takes this mission to heart and works tirelessly to create the best training atmosphere possible for it’s members. It goes without saying that its a full time job for a lot of folks – and we LOVE IT!
So what inspired me to sit down on a Saturday afternoon and type away? Huge stuff folks.
Our CrossFit classes have a lot of different ways to join. One way is to utilize one of our great programs – The World’s Best Boot Camp North Florida (WBBC). We’ve been running WBBC for about a year now with our other programs here at Iron Legion Athletics. It’s a great experience and a lot of our current CrossFitters have cut their teeth with CrossFit Iron Legion in this program.
Flash forward to today. It’s Enlistment Day for our latest 6 week Boot Camp. Such a nerve racking day for these 60+ new members – exciting, and new, and to make it even scarier – it’s in a place called Iron Legion – yikes.
But they came.
Pretty bad ass already in my opinion.
While they are going through Enlistment – I kick off the 9am CrossFit Class. This is easily a 50+ person 9am Saturday morning class of CrossFitters. We convene outside to give Enlistment the run of the gym. I begin to explain the particulars with the work out – like any normal Saturday. My back is to the street, so I don’t see it when it happens.
The Boot Camp Enlistees are coming in from their run. It’s their first day. They may have never seen or experienced a day like this. A crowd of CrossFitters is between them and the entrance.
I didn’t have to say it – it just happened.
The CrossFit crowd opened up. But not only did they open up enough to allow them to come through – they started cheering. And the cheering and clapping continued and got louder with each passing Enlistee. The looks of suffering on these runners faces turned to smiles of respect and acknowledgment. It visibly changed their demeanor as they came through.
I didn’t know where to look, what to do. A little overwhelmed – I just clapped and cheered – while realization sunk in. I was so proud of our Enlistees for taking that first step towards a better life – but I was equally proud of our family – our pack.
The encouragement given to our new enlistees was born from having been there themselves. Our members recognize hard work and know the journey can be long, and hard at times – but the reward soooo worth it.
It all starts with one step. One day. Before you know it, you will be that fitter person in the mirror, that stronger family, that confident employee or employer, part of a community of people who share a similar vision for themselves that hold themselves to a higher standard.
Now that we’ve recognized our community is strong and thriving – does that mean we stop? Hell no buddy – we are just getting started. We will continue to build this community – this family, this pack in hopes of changing as many people’s lives as possible for the better.
-Ted
News, Thought Leadership Brain, shut the hell up!
It is so easy to convince yourself that you NEED to quit. That it is too hard. That you are tired. That you can make it up tomorrow. That you just aren’t as good as they are.
Mentally self-imposed limits are as real as they come. For every individual, they’re different but they’re no less real. This week I want to talk about these limits and how to push past them (something I’m still working on myself).
For every individual, mentally self-imposed limits are different. If you’ve been a lifelong athlete or been trained by the military, chances are your mentally self-imposed limits are different from those of the “average joe”. You’ve spent years developing your mental strength and you have learned to meet barriers set by your brain and then push through them.
For many of us though, CrossFit is the first “sport” we’ve played in a long time and being competitive in this field is a first. I know for me, growing up as a gymnast and then cheerleader, there were fears I had to push past when tumbling passes were challenging or when I split the beam (ouch). However, those self-imposed fears are nothing compared to the barriers I face with CrossFit.
You see, in CrossFit, more times than not I’m fighting a battle against myself. Sure, there are other people doing my same workout, and I would like to do better than them, but more than that, it’s my own brain that is limiting me.
I can’t tell you how many times during a workout I’ve told myself “you’re tired”, “rest before you hurt yourself”, “you can’t do that weight”, “she’s already ahead of you so what’s the point”, etc.
It has taken me years to learn to tell myself to SHUT THE HELL UP. To speak words of affirmation when I’m working out. To tell myself “I can hit this lift”. I’ve had to work hard on being my own cheerleader. It really is so much easier to talk negatively to yourself than to speak positively. And that’s a damn shame really.
Why is it so hard? Well, I first blame society. Especially as a women, we are always trying to live up to a standard that seems to be unachievable. Secondly though, I blame myself. Personal development takes time and effort, both of which can be hard to find. I’m as guilty as the next. I have to set aside time to practice positive self-talk, or it just doesn’t happen.
So, my advice to you. First, learn to believe in yourself. Secondly, take some time to tell yourself positive affirmations. Write them on your mirror in the bathroom. Before a heavy lift, say “I can do this”. Visualize yourself being successful at what you want to accomplish.
And always remember this – thoughts will ALWAYS become things.
