“You must begin to think of yourself as becoming the person you want to be. – David Viscott
The person I want to be is an crossfit athlete who is able to compete at a level which takes dedication and hard work. The last few weeks since I started my personal training I find my mindset changing to be more focused on goals, pushing myself, and making better choices to ultimately get to a better me.
Today in my training I experienced something I have never experienced before. I must say when coach says okay we’re at 15 its up to you to do go the last few, more recently I find myself pushing to go the last few. Today I pushed myself so hard I failed. It surprised me more than anything when I fell to my butt with a 35# barbell on my lap. Luckily I still have some padding back there. I went to get up and finish. Great coaches help you see how you fail and how to correct it and that is exactly what Coach Anthony and I talked about so next time I can work on correcting what may have caused failure faster than just muscle give out.
Training:
A: Forward alternating lunge with bar in front rack position. 10-12 times, rest 1 minute x 4.
Since my reconstructive ankle surgery last year I still have some balance issues. Holding the bar in the front rack position was challenging because I sort of wanted to lean forward but the bar forced me to stand more upright. Each time the goal was 10 and the first three sets I managed to push myself to do 12. It was the 4th set in which I failed on the 6th lunge. For some reason when I lunge I go back to the position with my feet together instead of shoulder distance apart. I did dance for about 10 years, but that was 20 years ago. When we do lunges at the gym I will have to retrain myself to make home position shoulder distance apart.
B: GHD Back Extension @ tempo 2 down, 0 rest, 2 up, 0 rest x 8, rest 45 seconds x 3.
The back extension is much easier when you can swing up and down. When you have no rest at the bottom and no rest at the top it is much more of a harder workout. By the third set I found it hard to get back up at the top and found myself taking more a few seconds rest at the bottom in order to push to get back to the top.
C: Russian KB Swings x 15-20 rest 1 minute x 4
KBs are one of the many movements in CrossFit that I really enjoy. With Russian KBs you are swinging it to about eye level. I knew the last time we did a WOD with KBs I was swinging a 35# bell about 8 times over head.
Coach Anthony had me start thinking like an athlete on my breaks instead of walking around using that time to shake out my arms and start focusing myself to take on that next set. Today I two sets of 20 with the 35# pound KB with pretty good smoothness and then I was upgraded. I didn’t want to know the number until the end, I just wanted to get the mindset I was going to have to push a little extra harder to get that bell up. For the 3rd and 4th set I used a 40# KB.
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10 minute a/d in zone 1 at a conversational pace
After I was able to bring my heart rate down a little bit before jumping on the bike to do a ten minute ride. At first my legs started to burn, but then I found my pace and I was able to converse with my coach and keep a good steady pace. I really like this and I think I would probably start doing the a/d after workouts going forward. It was a good way to cool my body.
It is so fun to have firsts, firsts today were pushing until failure and swinging a 40# KB. What are your “first” in your WODs? Push yourself each day to you can be the person or the athlete you want to be one day.
-Juls
Anchor of Strength 