It’s time. Time to step up to the plate. Time to put your reputation on the line. Time to see what you are made of.
Everyone has these moments in their lives, regardless of whether or not you are an active “competitor” in any sport or business. This past weekend was one of those moments for me. I had the pleasure and honor of representing my gym as part of a team competing in a regional crossfit competition. It was an event we qualified for through 5 weeks of competition in the winter.
Going in I was plenty nervous. How would I stack up? What if I let my team down? I could feel the pressure and I could tell my teammates, as well as the individual competitors, were feeling it too. Luckily, I have this blog so I think about this kind of thing. Here’s what I came up with…
Focusing on winning won’t help you win. On any given day we all have our limits and there is (usually) no way to know beforehand if what we can achieve is enough to win. The only way to truly give yourself a chance is to focus on giving all you have that day, in that moment. When it’s laid out on the line, the only thing that matters is whether you have bested yourself.
Focus on the work rather than the goal. Focus on pushing your limits to their very edge. Don’t worry about whether you win or whether you lose. Worry about what you can control and how much effort you can put forth. Do that over and over and I guarantee you’ll be a winner.
#1:
WARMUP:
3 Rounds of… 15 Jumping Jacks | 10 Medicine Ball Slams | 5 Burpees | 2 Pullups
WORKOUT:
Part A: 5 Rounds for Time of… 12 Pushups | 10 Single Leg Squats (each) | 8 Bodyweight Rows | Rest 2 min
NOTE: All out efforts each time through. Chest hits the floor on each pushup. Use a bench to sit back on during Single Leg Squats to help hit full depth.
Part B: 3 x Max Dips (use dip bars or off a bench with feet elevated)
#2:
WARMUP:
3 Rounds of… 15 Jumping Jacks | 10 Medicine Ball Slams | 5 Burpees | 2 Pullups
WORKOUT:
Part A: 20 min AMPRAP of… 800m Run | 30 Wallballs
Part B: 3min Plank Hold with 20 Situp Penalty each time you rest.
#3:
WARM UP:
3 Rounds of… 15 Jumping Jacks | 10 Medicine Ball Slams | 5 Burpees | 2 Pullups
WORKOUT:
Part A: 2 x 7 Rep Max Shoulder Press | 2 x 5 Rep Max Shoulder Press | 2 x 3 Rep Max Shoulder Press
NOTE: Warm up your standing shoulder press. Then make 2 attempts at a 7 rep max. Go heavier and make 2 attempts at a 5 rep max. Go heavier again and take 2 tries at a 3 rep max. Rest 1-2 minutes between attempts.
Part B: Death by Burpee: start a timer and complete 1 Burpee the first minute, 2 Burpees the second, 3 Burpees the third, and so on until you can no longer complete the prescribed reps in the minute allowed.
NOTE: This gets hard. Really push at the end to keep going. If you have to stop, take a 2-3 min break and try to pick back up where you left off to see how many you can get.
#4:
WARM UP:
3 Rounds of… 15 Jumping Jacks | 10 Medicine Ball Slams | 5 Burpees | 2 Pullups
WORKOUT:
Part A: 5 x 5 Weighted Pullups (go for max weight possible with chin over the bar on each rep)
Part B: For Time… 2k Row | Rest 3 minutes | 1k Row
Last Monday I found myself tired from lack of sleep, strung out from a hectic day at work, ready for dinner and bed, but still needing to complete my workout for the day. I headed to the gym and pressed on. Toward the end of the workout, while recovering between sprints, I was talking with my friend, Elisabeth. She and I have found ourselves together a lot lately as we stay late at the gym preparing for upcoming competition.
What we were talking about I can’t remember, but at one point Elisabeth stopped suddenly and said… “I love working out around you. You are so positive. It’s helped me so much.”
I was blown away. First, Elisabeth is one of the best athletes I’ve ever seen and has competed at the highest levels. Second, I was the one broken down and fighting off the urge to quit. It was an incredible and eye opening moment. Here I was, totally oblivious to the impact I was having on those around me. And here was Elisabeth – who I call Superwoman behind her back – needing help staying positive as pressure from competition and expectations beared down on her.
As I thought about it over the following days two very important, but often overlooked, lessons emerged:
- You would be surprised if you truly knew the impact you have on others. Being positive spreads positivity (and vice versa) even if you can’t always see it.
- Even the “always positive” people in your life need a pick-me-up from time to time. If someone has a positive impact on you, share it with them. You will make their day, as Elisabeth did for me.
Don’t be afraid to be that positive light in the world. Others will see it and be drawn to it. And at the same time thank those who brighten your day and keep you going. Because without them, life just wouldn’t be as fun.
#1:
WARMUP:
3 Rounds of… 20 High Knees | 3 T-Pushups Each Side | 5 Leg Swings Each Side
3 Rounds of… 20 Jumping Jacks | 5 Squats
WORKOUT:
Part A: Every 2 min for 20 min complete… 4 Box Jumps | 6 Clap Pushups | 8 Squats
NOTE: These are ALL OUT efforts. There is plenty of rest so go hard.
Part B: 3 x Max Dips (dip bars or off a bench with feet elevated)
#2:
WARMUP:
3 Rounds of… 20 High Knees | 3 T-Pushups Each Side | 5 Leg Swings Each Side
3 Rounds of… 20 Jumping Jacks | 5 Squats
WORKOUT:
Part A: 40 Weighted Step Ups – at least 20″ step/box (use two 1/4 bodyweight dumbbells)
Part B: 3 Sets of… 3 x 10 Hanging Knee Raises | 30s Plank (complete this set 3 times, rest 2 min, complete another 3 sets, rest again, complete a final 3 sets)
Part C: 40 Weighted Step Ups (same as above)
Part D: 2 min Superman Hold (rest as needed)
#3:
WARM UP:
3 Rounds of… 20 High Knees | 3 T-Pushups Each Side | 5 Leg Swings Each Side
3 Rounds of… 20 Jumping Jacks | 5 Squats
WORKOUT:
Part A: 4 x 6 Incline Bench
Part B: 3 Rounds for Time of… Run 800m | 30 American Kettlebell Swings | 15 Pullups
NOTE: American Swings finish completely overhead. And 800m = 1/2 mile.
#4:
WARM UP:
3 Rounds of… 20 Mountain Climbers | 20 Jumping Jacks
3 Rounds of… 2 Wide Grip Pushups | 2 Narrow Grip Pushups | 2 Wide Grip Pullups | 2 Narrow Grip Pullups
WORKOUT:
Part A: 3 Rounds of… 500m Row | Rest 3 min | 400m Run | Rest 3 min
Part B: 2 min Side Plank (each side – rest as needed)
