Happy July 1st!
I have had a good deal of amazing conversations with some of you about how great it is to be back. I couldnt agree more and as your head coach I am always trying to find ways to learn, to grow, to evolve. Throughout quarantine I made it my goal to keep you guys as invested as possible in your fitness. And what was most eye opening about that was how much that changed as we started to get more comfrotable with our new normal. DFor some it meant rationalizing moving a little buit less. For some it meant working on becoming a better runner and ditching strenght training all together. For some, it meant there were too many other things to get done and fitness became nonexistant.
But, before quarantine, most of us prioritized coming to the gym 4 or 5 times a week, working out hard and leaving sweaty only after laying on the ground for 10 minutes. In our mind that was what we lived for, it was our escape, but also the ONLY way to get and stay fit. But what I noticed is that with a dumbbell, a box and a band, working out 3 to 5 times a week in my garage at a slightly lower intensity was plenty. I felt fit but also felt a lot less sore, I had a ton more energy and could recover a lot faster.
Now, I know it might seem like I continued to do CrossFit, just in my garage. I was probably working out 2 hours a day. Coming into the gym to squat. But the truth is I did the Port @your Place workout everyday, and most days that is all I did. Some days were spent doing a long cardio session on a assualt bike, or going for a run. Other days I would do a lot of unilateral weight training like lunges, step-upss, presses and rows. I was working out alot less, focusing on moving well and I really enjoyed how my body reacted.
Some of us learned we are really bad at doing it on our own. Some of learned that going to the gym was a huge part of their success.
The thing I learned is that investing in your fitness was the most important part. Prioritizing your time in the garage, or the basement led to results. Really good results. It didnt matter how long I gave myself, what mattered is I made every minute, every rep productive. I made sure my knees where tracking inthe right direction. I was controlling my breathing. I was hitting full range of motion.
What does that mean for you? Well that might mean that we should take a look at what we prioriized before the quarantine. I can assume that a lot of us, notice that I said us, not you, were priorizing weights and reps over moving well. We cared more about weight on the bar then we did full range of motion. Wodify, the Rx button, and/or what the person next to me was lifting was more important then the goal of the workout, the reason I was there and even how well I am moving.
What if I told you that getting more fit wasn’t just about lifting heavier weight and moving faster. What if I told you the most important thing was to move better. Think about it. Most injuries do not occure because the weight is too heavy, most injuries occure because we had terrible form. Now imagine you worked on never having terrible form again. Wouldn’t that make you ‘more fit’? It would certainly make you move more efficiently which in turn would help you move faster. But because you priorize quality, it would prevent you from ever tweaking your back, your knee, or your shoulder ever again. This month I challenge you to rewrite the chapter in your life dedicated to how you move. Think about what is important to you and how approaching your time in here a little differently might create enormous change.
And if you need any help working out what that might look like, do not hesitate to reach out.
Warm-up
3 rounds
200m run
10 barbell S2OH
Strength
PortFit
Push press – 3×8;
Build to a challenging weight and stay across. No tempo to control your volume, so be smart.
The first time we are using our legs to put overhead. That means we will be able to put a heavier barbell overhead than normal. Be smart and do not push something that isn’t within your capability. There is no rush back.
PortBurn
3 or 4 rounds
8e SA DB strict press
12 weighted sit-ups
WOD
PortFit
4 rounds
400m run
15 HSPU’s
PortBurn
4 rounds
400m run
15 down dog push-ups
No matter what track you pick here, the challenge is exactly the same. Try to look at the clock after every set of push-ups, whether they are HSPU’s or down dog push-ups, and do you best to keep your rounds as consistent as possible. That means pacing the run so that you are right in and right on the wall. That means you are approaching the HSPU’s with a plan in mind.
Think about this one. If you foresee yourself having to break up the later rounds, why not break them up from the beginning and try to hold on to bigger sets?