“You should be a competitive CrossFit athlete if you choose to coach or open a gym.”

What kind of coach do I want to be?

I’ve thought about this a long, long time. It’s never taken me longer to write a post, in fact. So here it is. Not necessarily a manifesto, but a general roadmap. I’d like to be a coach that:

Gets it.

Ever heard the term “the cobbler’s son goes barefoot”? Owning a gym has never made this thought more crystal clear. I went into thinking yeah, I’ll be at the gym all day. It’ll be easy to get in some awesome training sessions. 

I’ve never been more wrong. It makes sense, though. Imagine if your only option to train was right outside the offices of your boss, all your employees and co-workers, and ALL of your clients, patients, and customers. It would be nearly impossible.

So, when I ask for 5 hours a week from my members I’m also asking it of myself. I get it. It’s really hard – but not impossible.

Is reasonable.

I don’t live like a monk and I don’t expect you to as well. At the time I’m writing this, we’re in the throes of playoff baseball. I’ll admit it, my diet takes a backseat most of October. But that’s cool. We’ll get back on the train in November.

I’m not a competitor. I’m not a fitness model. I haven’t built my career on Instagram. But I am a guy that has 4-5 huge projects in the air at any given time trying to prioritize my health, family, and future. I feel a strong bond with every athlete going through this same struggle.

Is proficient.

Being the “Alpha” athlete in the gym is an unattainable task. Trust me; I’ve talked with plenty of gym owners chasing this title. There will always be a 20-year old right behind you ready to crush the next WOD.

However, I want to be an example of mechanics & consistency. My WOD times won’t take me into retirement but sound mechanics will. That’s my hope for all my athletes: safe, fun, lifelong movement.

Is of service.

Strip away all the burpees and thrusters – all you have is a group of people looking to be better humans. The shortest path to that end is to be of service to others. Whenever I’m frustrated with my fitness results, business, relationships – you name it – this is the piece that’s always missing. It’s my hope that my athletes do the same.

The Basics of the Kettlebell Swing

To make the most of your kettlebell swing for power and consistency, and to optimize transferability to other exercises, make sure to nail these basics:

• Perform a proper hip hinge, not a squat (like a good morning, not a wallball)
• Practice your hip hinge in sets of 15-30 to ensure consistency
• A Russian kettlebell swing brings the bell to your eyeballs, an American swings brings the bell overhead. Both are achieved by an agressive hip opening, not your arms. (Heavier Russian swings are generally preferred over light American swings.)
• Your arms are ropes attaching the bell to your torso. Set your shoulders back and down and keep your grip loose but firm.
• In conditioning workouts break your swings up into reasonable sets so your grip doesn’t fail and try to breath comfortably like you would during running, rowing or double unders.

Kettlebell swings can be used as a strength or a conditioning tool in CrossFit.

You’re The Average Of The Five People You Spend The Most Time With.

Jim Rohn’s famous words have been used EVERYWHERE. In business schools, corporate rallies, and – yes – even in fitness. Distilled down, he’s essentially saying: “surround yourself with decent people.”

Be the person you want to date.

I’ll never forget the words of my 9th grade chemistry teacher as I lamented my lack of homecoming date: “Stop looking for the person you want to take to the dance and be the person you want to take to the dance.”

Is the world always working against you? Do bad decisions happen to you? Is it the world’s fault when you don’t reach your goals?

Be a co-creator; Bring up someone’s average.

Instead of this focus on surrounding ourselves with a better 5 people, how about we try to be a better fifth? Instead of crapping on someone’s attempt at putting themselves out there – on their creating, momentum, success – why not stand beside them? Why not ask: “how can I help?”

Here’s your challenge this week: Come alongside someone attempting to gain momentum in any area of their life: diet, fitness, strength, career, family, education and become a Co-Creator. Bring up their average. Take the focus off yours and put it on bringing others up.

How can I help? 

Wrists and forearms can get very tight and uncomfortable after grip intensive work like rowing or high volume gymnastics. Jeremy Collum of Dark Horse Massage shows you how to use a lacrosse ball to mobilize your wrists and forearms. You can do this after or before a workout to make your next workout much, much better.

Your Comfort Zone

I love this graphic. Of all the things floating around the internet, this holds true. Things that are easy are not rewarding. Anything worth doing will be uncomfortable – health, wellness, relationships, selflessness, service to others, friendship. You name it. This does not mean that all uncomfortable things are worth doing, however.

Put into practice

Where I do take contention with this graphic is in it’s application. It’s often cited as the impetus for monumental, momentary change. Of drastic discomfort.

I know because I’m guilty. I used this mantra as an excuse to go traipsing all over the world doing things that I perceived as outside my comfort zone. Some sort of self-serving pilgrimage, seeking
out discomfort for it’s own sake – never reflecting inward.

An amendment.

Inward, lasting change will not be found by going on some elaborate international pilgrimage. It won’t be found by eating only spinach this week. It won’t be found by doing 15 training sessions this week. It WILL be found by a series of small, seemingly insignificant decisions made every day. Decisions that are just slightly outside your comfort zone. Deciding today that you will not allow an external factor to dictate your happiness in ONE instance. Then, next week, we’ll do that twice.

Maybe you’ll pack a gym bag the night before. Don’t even come to the gym, but just commit to that one, small habit that is outside your norm. In a year, you’ll look back on all those small dots outside your comfort zone and see meaningful, sustainable change.

I’m with the band

All you need is a band and a rig to have a great mobilization session.

You can become more flexible and resilient in just 10 minutes a day.

Here are a handful of stretches you can use to work out all your trouble spots:

The secret to mobilizing? Doing it.

You don’t need it till you need it.

I first heard the term “lagging indicator” sitting in a Poli Sci lecture hall. Used in economics, a Lagging Indicator is “A measurable economic factor that changes after the economy has already begun to follow a particular pattern or trend.” Most economists will say that a president, party, or congressional term’s economic changes will not have effect on economic health or detriment for up to 16 years after they’re in place.

Your health is a lagging indicator.

Humans are uniquely suited for adaptation. From frozen tundras to scorching deserts, our ancestors have always found a way to survive. Not only can we adapt to harsh conditions, but we can also adapt to sedentary conditions. Could I have a successful career, family, and wealth without ever achieving full range of motion about a joint? Of course I could. Could I navigate my environment with the use of modern technology while being morbidly obese? Absolutely.

But what kind of life do you want?

Yes, you can treat yourself terribly and potentially not immediately see the effects of your actions. Perhaps you’ll be one of the lucky ones to have employer-sponsored healthcare until you reach Medicare eligibility and never see the financial ramifications of ignoring preventative healthcare.

You may be one of the “my uncle smoked and drank everyday and lived ’til his 90’s.” Statistically, you probably won’t.

One thing we know for sure: Life is best lived moving functionally, eating healthfully, and in good company. There’s no rolling the dice on that lagging indicator.

Snatching in conditioning

The snatch is a complicated movement that deserves respect and takes a lot (a lot, a lot, a lot) of practice. With patience and humility, you can improve your snatch.

The snatch can be an effective conditioning tool in CrossFit.

In this video Coach Kyle lays out a template of techniques to improve your snatch in a conditioning setting. They are:

• Beginner: a traditional snatch to focus on proper technique and enhance carry over to the strength and power movement (low hips, includes jump)
• Novice: “easier” set up position to increase cycle speed with aggressive jump (high hips, includes jump)
• Intermediate: a muscle version of the movement to increase speed (low hips, muscle snatch)
• Advanced: a muscle version of the movement with high hips in the starting position

You will never perfect your snatch, but it can always improve.