CrossFit-'tude

Thursday, June 30, 2011 Stacey Baker 0 Comments

CrossFit is more than just the physical aspect, it's more than the sense of community you get when everyone suffering alonside you still cheers you on.   There is a huge psychological component to this that can't be overstated.
First we have positivity and perseverance.  These are what fight against the self-doubt and negativity and scream You CAN Do It...what ever "it" may be.  If you fail this time, so what?  Work to improve and succeed in the future.  This is not just mindless excercise where you just show up, move around, then go home.  This is "training", a focused process with immediate objectives, and long term goals, and ANYONE can be the next bad A firebreather if they put in enough effort.
 I know for a fact that around here, the only thing that matters is coming in and doing your best!  You give that to Coach Paul and he will give you the world, and our community will give you their repect.  Egos do not survive in CrossFit.

Next we have grit.  The flip side of CrossFit-'tude.  Any kind of effective serious training, is to prepare you for the unexpected and sometimes undesired, like a physical confrontation or carrying an injured person to safety.  When preparing for this kind of thing, it is important for your training to reflect this harsh reality as much as possible.  This is why they yell at you in military training; why you spar;  why you learn to shake off a hit in martial arts; why we carry heavy sandbags and swear in CrossFit.  Heck...anytime I do a Freakin crazy hard WOD, you'll hear a few colorful words out of my mouth between reps, sorry.  BTW...studies have shown that swearing and music actually improve pain tolerance. (but I'll never tell my kids that!)  Life is gritty, unaccomadating and unforgiving.  You need to be able to adapt and mentally prepare for that, because when s*!#  hits then fan you don't have time to catch up.

Combine these traits and you have CrossFit.  You can lift that weight sitting infront of you - maybe not today, maybe not even next month, but one day you will.  Now maybe your at the box, mid WOD, sweating your butt off, and the puke bucket is looking more and more inviting.  Guess what?  The person right next to you is in the same boat, so push each other and make a new friend.  After all, misery loves company.


 So where does the 'grit' tie in?  It's that sense of defiance, the will to live, the drive to go all or nothing and shatter the obstacles in your path.  We are here training for life, putting ourselves through substantial physical discomfort for the sake of improvement.  And there will come a time when you need to think...'to hell with it!."  Get angry with it and into your raw aggression.  Believe me, it's the only way to keep going when you step up to a PR.  And that grow-or-die mentallity does wonders in life.