It's Called Feedback

Your day can go a couple different ways -

You show up for class a little early, maybe you warm-up a little. . .

You show up for class a little early, maybe you chit-chat and talk up a friend or a coach. . . .

You show up for class a little early, maybe you work on a specific movement . . .

You show up just in time, breathing a huge sigh of relief . . .



It's when we (as coaches) just hear keys or a cellphone get put down on the ground, and burpees just get started . . .

It's the feeling that you get when you realize you are a couple minutes late for class and you try and sneak in unnoticed. . . .

It's the head drop when you realize that for every minute you are late, you might have some burpees to do, depending on the situation, depending on the Coach. . . .

Grunts, groans, side glances at one another, regardless of the exercise or the workout. . .

A smile when a Coach exclaims, "Yes, do it again!" or "Now you got it!"

A look of utter frustration, when you see the movement, you understand the movement, but similar to a dog chasing it's tail, you just can't seem to get it. . .

It's called feedback -

We as coaches get it in all shapes and forms.  When it's straightforward, it's much easier to address, if you don't understand or can't string something together, somehow you let us know.  Sometimes you are quiet - not the best way of dealing with a problem, communication, of the verbal kind, helps immensely.





So here is my story for today -

Last night a young lady was working really, really hard on one of our foundational movements, the squat.

After completing more than a couple reps, she looked up at me.  There was a wrinkle of concern that had quickly formed.  She was breathing pretty hard, beads of sweat starting to form on her forehead, she was more than a little tired.  Completely understandable, it was her first time.

She looked me square in the eyes, "Is this for me?  Can I really do this?"

I didn't even flinch, I changed the volume and timbre of my voice as I responded, "Yes, but you have to work at it.  This isn't easy, but we can get through this."

So she continued . . .

It's pretty cliche, but Rome wasn't built in a day, but if you want something non-cliche, think about this:

Jackie Chan wasn't a ninja coming out of the womb . . . maybe Chuck Norris was (kidding)
Dave Lipson didn't get 1400 on his CrossFit Total his first year of CrossFit. . . .
Chris Spealler didn't have 106 pull-ups in a row the first time he got on a pull-up bar. . .


By seeking the path of least resistance, do you really think you can change the most? 

It is work, everything that people do in our boxes, day in and day out, morning and night.  Some work hard, the gain is inevitable when this occurs.  Don't be discouraged by a minor setback, I want to use this example in the future, but think about the movie Remember the Titans.  Tons of major setbacks, tons of minor setbacks, but together they overcome.

"Opportunity is missed by most because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
                                                                                            -Thomas Alva Edison

-Coach Tony