One of the reasons that I enjoy CrossFit is because it is both a mental and physical test. The only way to gauge improvement is to test, and retest.
That could be testing body composition, how much weight you can lift or how fast you can finish a workout.
On March 22nd we capped off the final week of Friday Night Lights, a workout that most of our gym tested. It was tough. Legs were burning, it was difficult to breath and all that was going through my head was...stop, take a break, slow down.
Anyone who has ever gone on a run has had this same feeling. You start to get tired and you tell yourself that you need to take a break, or start to walk. It takes a strong person to push those thoughts away and keep on track.
The workout at hand was a pretty tough one. Thrusters and pull-ups. The reps must be completed in 20 minutes or less. On March 22nd Joey was only 5 or 6 pull-ups shy of finishing the workout as the 20 minute clock hit.
Most people (myself included) thought “I’m not doing that again”, but not Joey. Hours after doing the grueling combination of pull-ups and thrusters, Joey committed to give himself until May 1st and he was going to try the workout again and this time FINISH.
Not many people were willing to get uncomfortable again to do that workout. On May 1st Joey suited up, devised a game plan and was off and running, committed to finishing this time. It wasn’t any less painful the second time, Joey didn’t miraculously become a superhuman fitness demigod in 5 short weeks, but he did commit to a goal.
If you put your mind to something and get out of your own head, chances are that you will succeed. This has nothing to do with the gym or fitness. Pick an important aspect in your life, commit to it, and see what happens. Chances are the results will be overwhelmingly positive.
What did that mean for Joey? This time he finished the entire workout with :90 seconds to spare! Commit to it, and see what happens!
