Overcoming Doubt
Our Tuesday WOD at Arena Ready is a CrossFit.com main site workout, which reminded me of an old blog post I wrote a few years ago...
Fred Frey, 70 Years Young (Photo courtesy of CrossFit.com)
CrossFit posts pictures to their main site every day - some of them I really like, some of them I really dislike, and most are somewhere in between. A while back they posted the picture above of 70-year old Fred Frey performing a box jump, and it made me smile.
I can't tell you how many newbies we've worked with - from all ages, and with varying degrees of athletic and/or fitness background - who've had doubts about what they can accomplish in their training. Some folks who start out at AR haven't lifted a weight, ever. Some have never done a pull-up or push-up, or even come close to either. We often see the doubt in their eyes, and the tentative nature in their movement, when they're attempting something they either: a) haven't done before; b) haven't done in a while; or c) feel they'll never be able to do.
A simple box jump is something many individuals new to CrossFit must work through in order to overcome self doubt, hesitation, and even fear. And often those who are tentative about the movement seem embarrassed that they cannot wrap their head around jumping onto something that looks so harmless. How can such a simple task instill so much unsure energy, or cause one to be downright terrified? We tell these folks that it's not uncommon to feel that way (because it's not, trust me) - that many people who are starting out have reservations, and sometimes a fear, of jumping onto the box. Because for many newcomers, it's been a long time since they've explosively jumped up onto anything. Or perhaps, in some cases, they've spent many years of their life doing things they thought were getting them fit, but at the same time these same things were taking away from any explosive power they once possessed.
We're still talking about box jumps, right?
And it's an explosive movement indeed, the box jump. It requires strength, balance, coordination, power, speed, and agility - and sometimes experienced athletes take for granted how much goes into getting on top of that box, let alone doing it dozens of times throughout an intense workout. But we don't, because we see the doubt nearly every week - and we understand that it takes some courage, and some dedication, to overcome that doubt. For something as simple as a box jump.
But hey, how you do one thing is how you do everything - so it's not surprising when we see individuals who overcome the box jump apply the same process (read: success) to other movements in their training - and even to other parts of their life outside the gym. Overcoming doubt as a process of improvement and self-discovery, whether it be jumping onto a damn box or jumping into a new life endeavor, is pretty fucking cool.
So yeah, I liked this picture.
Sorry, dear, for the swearing.
WOD For 10-17-17:
For Time:
60 Pistols (alternating)
50 Wall Balls @ 20/14 lbs to 10/9 ft
40 Box Jumps @ 24/20 in
30 Deadlifts @ 185/125 lbs
20 Power Cleans
10 Front Squats
(Workout courtesy of CrossFit.com)