Integrity & Character...Do you possess it???

Its been a while but its time to address a few traits that should be important to everyone as an individual and certainly every CrossFitter.

Integrity and Character.  What is it, who has it, and how does it apply to life and CrossFit?  One of the amazing things, if you think about it, is how applicable CrossFit is in life.  Not just because of the functionality of the workouts or the benefits of increased strength, balance, and endurance.  CrossFit also transfers into everything you ever do, every person you meet, and every situation you find yourself in.  It shows itself through integrity and character. As I go to other affiliates, competitions, or even within my own box I see a recurring theme that revolves around these two identifiers.  Usually these names are more commonly heard in the negative as cheat, half ass, or liar.  Lets look at some practical definitions of these words and you should walk away with a little better understanding of what I'm talking about.

First is integrity.  Though integrity and character go together, this is the one people seem to have the hardest time with in life. Its the most difficult, because it begins with you.  Its that little voice inside you that guides you down one path or another.

 "Integrity is what you do when no one is watching; it's doing the right thing all the time, even when it may work to your disadvantage." Tony Dungy

This is where it all begins.  When no one is looking at you, what choices do you make in life.  Its so easy when no one is looking to do something bad and its so hard to do something good with no credit.  You have to have a belief in yourself and hold true to it  no matter what, even if it impacts you negatively.

An easy way to sum up character would be the old saying, "What you do is not as important as how you do it."   There is always someone watching you.  Every action you take allows someone a little peek into your character. 

"Character may be manifested in the great moments, but it is made in the small ones" Phillip Brooks

In the most challenging of times our character is put to the test.  It is in those constant battles that we grow and reveal our character to others and to ourself.  In CrossFit, you will be forced each and every day to face both of these traits within yourself.  Every workout will be so difficult that at some point you will want to quit, or skip a rep, or not do the movement to its entirety.  This is when you must be strong and continue doing what you know is right even when no one is looking.  At the end of the day, someone is watching and they will hold you accountable for the actions you take.  Thus leading to your character.  The more you lose the battle to do right, the less character and credibility you have among your peers in the gym and in life.

CrossFit is a funny culture, and I love it to death.  You wont hear anyone, of good character, talk bad about how little weight someone lifted, how slow their time was, or that they had to have assistance to complete a rep.  What you will hear is an extreme disgust for someone who cheats, lies, or does something half-ass to have a fast time.  At the end of the day, its more important to your family, boss, friends, and especially crossfitters that you do everything with integrity and character.  Finish to the best of your ability, complete each and EVERY rep, and get stronger/faster every day.  If you are more concerned with having the fastest time but not worried about how you acheived it, then you will find yourself the target of much opposition.

I tell my clients, you dont have to be the fastest; you just have to get better!  Results come from hard work and dedication, not shortcuts and deceit.  Do things all the way and the results will be there.

See you all in the gym and remember that people are watching and we see everything you do :)

Sacrifice for others...Sacrifice for self??

So it seems that we go through our daily routine without ever really taking a step back and looking at our actions and who we do them for.  Every day is a sacrifice and a commitment to something or someone, its just gotten to the point that its no longer viewed as such.  We sacrifice and commit to work, relationships, kids, friends, and strangers every single day.  Do we ever think of them as such or have they simply become routine?

We commit and give so much of ourselves to our family and friends; that committing to our own health, hobbies, and sanity is nearly impossible.  With everything that we do, one of the hardest things is making a commitment to ourselves.  Why is that so hard?  It should be the easiest of them, despite the difficulty of the commitment, because we are doing it for our self. 

I think we try new things and when faced with a little difficulty we quit.  Our own reasons don't carry the same weight as doing it for our spouses or children.  But what do you sacrifice by not making those changes or finding the time? These are all weak minded excuses that allow us to simply give up. Life is hard, marriage is hard, children are harder...yet we all manage to stay strong and get through them. 

What is the comparison between not eating processed foods or working out daily and being married?  Which would think is an easier task to manage?  Marriage takes a lot more work and sacrifice than going to the gym, changing the way you eat for you and your family, or sticking to a new hobby / lifestyle.

Its time we do something for ourselves and let our own reasons be enough to carry us through the hard parts.  Stop quitting on yourself and find the value in your own life for you.  Taking care of yourself is just as important as taking care of your family and friends.  Children learn their habits from parents, so set a good example to get them off to a great start.  If nothing else, show them that if you want something that you can get it with discipline, commitment, and sacrifice. 

Try something new for you.  It can be anything that you have always talked about.  Pick up a new hobby, start reading more, put down the cigarettes and donuts.  Get your life together and start living it the right way, not the accepted way.  The accepted way is full of excuses, quitters, and wanna be's.  Time to rise above the crap and get moving forward.

Hang in there, because it is a rough ride and will take everything you have to get there.  When you do arrive, you can look back at all that YOU accomplished on your own and be proud of your sacrifices and how far you have come. Sometimes it is a very lonely road, but remember that you are never alone.

Leaders in Inspiration

This is my challenge to everyone...be a leader in inspiration! 

What the heck does that mean, you ask?  Challenge yourself with the idea that others will be inspired and join in.  So often we get caught up in our own little world that we forget other people in our life are following our lead.  My belief is that everyone wants to be healthier, work out, eat better, and generally get out and experience life.  The sad part is, there are far more people that would rather you sit at home and do nothing, eat poorly, watch tv, etc.. because they are.  The old saying is true..."Misery loves company". 

So how do you be a leader in inspiration?  Easier said than done, but this is why I challenge you to do it.  Sometimes doing something new or difficult for yourself has a secondary affect on others in your life.  Your daily actions touch more people than you could possibly know, especially using the internet as a conduit to friends and family.

Making a drastic change for the better in your life can have a dramatic affect on others, simply because they know you.  You become the "ray of sunshine" in their life, or the inspiration to them to also make the changes they have been wanting to do for so long.  You may find that rising above the peer pressure and sticking to a goal will pull someone out of their slump to do same.  Starting a new healthy eating program or workout regimen will have friends and family wanting to do it as well.  Not everyone is strong enough to be the leader, but if you can be dedicated for yourself; you may be able to help others find the strength to be dedicated for themselves. 

The people in the following pictures inspire me, because they show up everyday and choose to not live the accepted life.  They challenge themselves everyday with the idea that we can be better.

Be a leader!  Make a goal and stay true to it.  Don't let peer pressure pull you away from you goals, because you are not only letting yourself down but all those silent followers who are using you as a way to get motivated and get their life on track.  Be strong and one day you may hear a story about how you inspired someone to take control of thier life again and be the person they once were.  No longer the person that just accepts the way their life is, because it is too late to change. 

Its never too late to change.  Every moment is a new opportunity to take back control and do something great.  Use this moment to be do something great and be a leader in inspiration :).

Alex

New Year...New You!

Its that time again.  The time of year to reflect on the victories and defeats, and to re-evaluate what you want to happen in the coming 12 months.  This is the time of the year to put away all the negative, reach for new heights, embrace the things you have, and move forward. 

I was talking to some friends the other day about perception and change. Being the new year, this is when we all make the choice to change the bad habits in our lives.  Usually these positive changes fall victim to suicide for one reason or another.  If you feel that something in your life is a negative, then its up to you to make the change or accept it.  Acceptance to me is quitting, and I am Not a big fan of quitters! How you perceive the change has a big impact on the success or failure of your endeavor. 

Lets use our example.  This year, my wife and I have decided to go Paleo.  We want to do this for a number of reasons, but ultimately we want to start having a positive impact on our health for down the road.  There is too much science out there that links the foods we eat to life threatening diseases and serious health problems.  Side note for all those that say it costs too much to eat healthy and I don't have the time to deal with it.  Lets look ahead 10-15 years.  Your monthly hospital/doctor visits, medications, and shots for the rest of your life will be far more expensive than the extra dollar for a quality meal vs. junk.  Not to mention the time it takes out of your life to see doctors, pharmacy's, etc. when you can go for a walk, play a game with your kids, or take an hour out of your day to work out for your own sanity and health. I'm sure you would rather spend that hour a day in the gym looking and feeling great than in a waiting room with a bunch of sick people who "don't have the time to work out".  Just a new way to view the excuses you make now and the consequences you will have to deal with later :). 

How you look at your situation now vs. 10 years from now will provide you a lot to think about, unless you just accept your situation and are willing to fall into that category.  I digress... So rather than looking at Paleo as a negative because of the foods we can no longer eat, we need to look at the positive and see what we can,  Keep in mind all these foods we eat are a direct link to diabetes, Parkinson's, Alzheimer's, and many others.  They have made us carb addicts and we feel that we have to eat them in order to go on. The point to all is to change your perception and you will find yourself achieving the goals you set.

Successful people aren't that way because of their intelligence, but because of how they view situations.  Replace "I cant" with "there is another way" and you will find yourself doing things you didn't know you could.  If your view your life as too busy, no time, not enough money, too tired, etc... then that is how it will always be.  Life is busy but if you want something then change your view and go get it.  You will never reach your goals or full potential if all you see are the hurdles in your way.  See the finish line and know that there is always a way around the hurdles. 

Wish us luck in 2011 as we transition to a new life of health and prosperity. I'm sure we will be chatting more about Paleo as we learn and live it the coming months.  I wish you all the same success with your goals and if I can help you attain any of them, please don't hesitate to ask.  I will also keep you posted as to the progress with the gym.  Looking at Mid Jan/Feb 1 as firm opening date.

Alex

PR

Just a quick post today. 

I want to congratulate my wife for having a PR on her deadlift last night.  She has only been doing CrossFit for about a month now and has already seen dramatic changes in strength.  When she first began, she was having a good workout with the 45# bar.  Last night, she deadlifted 135# after some gradual progression.

Anything is possible if you think you can.  Dont be afraid to try it because you just might surprise yourself.

Back in the Saddle...

Sorry for the break in posting.  I have finally gotten back in the saddle about letting you all know about how the gym is progressing, what workouts we are doing, and how our clients are coping.

To those following Hons on his journey through CrossFit, you can see the pics of his latest bashing below. 

The above picture is a typical cool down position from anyone who has ever given 100%.  You dont have to be the strongest, fastest, or most capable person to be a part of CrossFit.  All you have to do is come in and give it everything you have.  If you do that, you will obtain the goals you are trying to and so much more. 

The workout that left Hons in the supine position for 5 minutes was a nice all around physical challenge, involving some weights, gymnastics, and cardio. Nothing extremely difficult but enough to allow him to push his intensity to the max and go for broke.

3 rounds for time:

5 Pullups

10 Thrusters

15 Box Jumps

As any new client becomes more comfortable with the workouts, then we can increase load and intensity to keep the body growing and changing.

For those training with me locally and away, I will start posting my workouts and workouts for you to do at home on here.  Until we open the doors at Roughnecks CrossFit in a few weeks, this will be the best place to find your routine.  Soon enough, you will be able to access the website to see pictures, bios, workouts, etc...

Stay with us, the fun is just about to begin.

Alex



Danger... Watch That First Step!



Yes...this is an actual picture taken by me when in Northern California.  Though it is funny, it represents a lot about people and their fears.  Fear is a powerful tool and can keep you from doing just about anything in life if you let it get the better of you. You cant be afraid to take the first step.

I often quote the movie "What about Bob" when speaking to friends and family.  Not sure they are aware of what I am referencing, but it helps me to keep things in perspective.  The quote is..."Baby Steps!"  When you are faced with something you are afraid of or not quite sure how to handle, just think baby steps.  If you can do baby steps then you will eventually accomplish your goal.  Even baby steps are progress, and as long as you are moving forward then nothing can stop you.  

The problem is that everyone, myself included, tends to let excuses, fear of the unknown, and nah sayers get the best of us.  These hurdles are always going to be there, but you have to hang on to what you want and then just keep moving forward.  So why am I talking about this?  The morale of this cluttered conversation is this...If you want something in life for you or your family, you need to make the decision to change what needs to be changed and then simply DO IT!  Quit making excuses about work, family, money, time, etc...  These are the hurdles that will always be there, but if you want it, then go get it.   Excuses get you nowhere in life except on the couch with the rest of the nah sayers who don't want you to succeed b/c they were too weak to get up and make a change.  I applaud those who every day make a decision to do something and then make it happen.  Sometimes you succeed and sometimes you fail, but what is the point in never trying. 

Dont be a nah sayer and dont be afraid of getting the things you want in life, even if they come from baby steps.  Fitness and health is one of the biggest things that we tend to let excuses take over with. If health and fitness are one of your goals, I promise you we can get you there.  Dont be fearful of being sore, trying something new, meeting new people, not being able to do things, or feeling silly.  These are the things that will keep you tired, sick, weak, and unhealthy for the rest of your life.  At some point you have to take that first step and just show up.  Once you are there, a world of opportunity awaits you and then you can begin to realize that you are stronger than you think. Come see what we are all about in a few weeks when we open doors for Roughnecks CrossFit.

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first step to something better." (Wendell Phillips)

A.