You are not anywhere close to being fit. Oh you already knew that. You also already know that you have a lot to work on and that it's going to take a lot of time to actually be one of the top 500 people in your region. You now know that you need better mobility, to help you get better technique, to help you get stronger.
If you are strong, you learned that you need better technique. You don't have the mobility to get into optimal, or efficient positions to be competitive. If you are weak, you learned that you are really weak. You weak people need to get stronger. There are no secret magic coaching cues that will make your snatch technique impeccable, or your press or squat to double in weight. You immobile weak ones have a lot to work on. Don't get discouraged. Your journey is often more fun becuase you can get better at something different all the time. PR this. PR that. PR train. Yada yada. Actually that is pretty cool, but a pull up PR from green band to blue band....ehh. Or a 60% of body weight clean and jerk to 61%. Hmm. I guess those are PR's. Definitely not FB status update worthy.
The CF Open exposes your weak links. Make an assessment: snatch technique, burpees, stamina, strength, overhead position, weak back, squat depth, double unders, muscle ups...During which movement or workout were you embarrassed most? Where do you want to not suck next year?
I see many different types as a coach.
One or more of these are you (not the last one):
-Body weight ninja (that can rarely RX)
-Heavy weight only master (sucks wind on any gymnastic movement)
-No skills (works like a dog then hits a brick wall when a skill is required)
-Low intensity (just doesn't leave comfort zone, cruises through a workout, light weight, no sweat, always saying they should have gone harder, but never does)
-No range of motion (No repped like a M'er F'er, tight hips, shoulders, ankles, no rack position, no squat to depth, no overhead position)
-No technique (Plateaus in training, becuase they don't actually use the cues from the awesome coaches)
-Wet noodle (weak everywhere, no body awareness, no core strength, probably eats too many noodles)
-Fringe athlete (person you see around, but don't know their name becuase you rarely see them)
-Always injured (when they do this, that hurts... and when it doesn't hurt they go so hard they get hurt again)
-Junior Beast Moders (actively working on their weakness, demonstrates great technique, checks ego at the door, eats to perform better, desires to get better, is a community supporter, reads CF and applicable articles)
-Jessica (great attitude, turns off the pain on '3-2-1-Go!', technical perfection, supple leopard, hard body, eye of the tiger, beast mode)
Now to be fluffy.
You are so brave to compete in the Open. It is scary and you overcame your fears of being judged, leaving your comfort zone and trying weights you never thought possible. Good job surviving 17 minutes of burpees and snatches, and taking minimal rest during 13.2 and good job attempting to do 150 wallballs. You were such a good supporter for all of the other athletes doing their workouts and they really appreciated it! You shed tears of happiness and defeat which means you care about your successes and pitfalls. You are getting a sense of community at the gym and you now understand that we want you to succeed. Succeed not just physically, but mentally and socially as well. You have learned that you have areas that need focus. You have found your weak link and you are going to work on your weakness until they are not weaknesses any more. You show up to the gym early or stay a little later to get one step closer to reaching your goal. You know that you need to be more mobile in areas and more stable in other areas and you think about it randomly throughout the day. You understand that going heavier with sloppy technique will not make you are better athlete but that you need to be mobile enough to be able to use good technique to get stronger.
If you don't care about being competitive, you don't care about results, about self improvement, about getting stronger or healthy, that's all cool, but just know that I am more prone to help people that ask for it.
Are you content with where you are at? or are you going to do something about it?
I really enjoyed your post -yep definitely fall into several categories. Thanks for your continued effort to try to make us better and stronger
ReplyDeleteEloquently said. I never saw myself in so many forms as you described here. I know inside that failure to me isn't pretty. I did not sign up for any kind of pity party, no doubt I will fall mentally sometimes. I want that push, that last "GO HARD OR GO HOME" verbage. Thanks for just caring for all that walk through Rise's doors.
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