Christopher Douglas

by Coach Vanessa Dickens

The other day I was having a conversation with a non-CrossFit friend, yes believe it or not I do still have a few of those that I have yet to convince to drink the proverbial Kool-Aid. 🙂

Initially, I was going to answer “Why Do I CrossFit?” with my standard “Because lifting is cool, AMRAP, EMOM, FOR TIME, is a neat way to challenge your overall metabolic conditioning, to look good naked, etc.” Then, I actually took a moment to really think about it, “Why do I CossFit”? It dawned on me that I’ve been doing it for so many years that it’s just what I do, kinda like brushing your teeth, you do it because it’s good for you. Plus, I’m a coach so it’s a given to actually take part in the daily beatings.

Allow me to share a few of my reasons, and I invite you to take some time to reflect on why you are CrossFitting too.

I do it to quiet the crazy and insecure thoughts in my head; there’s something about Cleaning more than my bodyweight that just shuts up that negative self-talk.

I do it to remind myself to be thankful for my healthy and able body; gritting through a high volume of double unders and pull ups until my shoulders are screaming and my lungs are burning, is truly a daunting experience.

I do it to have direction and focus; setting concrete fitness goals and the pure sense of bliss that follows when achieved.

I do it for the love of coaching; sharing fitness and helping people see the joy of working out brings a genuine smile to my face.

I do it for the friendships formed over the years, all the cheers and high fives fill me with joy on a daily basis.

I do it for the competitions, stepping out of my comfort zone and finding the strength within to keep pushing.

I do it to embrace my eccentric personality, literally covering myself in bright colors from my lifting belt to my barbell collars.

And most of all, I do it to evolve and make the most of this human experience called ‘life’.

by Coach Aaron Hyatt

There are three ways to approach goal-setting. First, the goal must be concise and specific. For example, “I want to complete 50 kipping pull-ups in a single set.” Second, the goal must be expressed in the positive tense. Such as, “I want to safely perform a free standing handstand hold.”vs. “I don’t want to fall while trying a free standing handstand hold.” Lastly, the goal must include a time frame that is challenging yet realistic and achievable.

A goal must be specific.

Before an athlete can go down the path to achievement, the athlete must understand the desired end state. The more focused the definition, the more opportunity there is for precise planning, preparation and training. In addition, by specifically defining a goal, the athlete can evaluate with precision when the goal has been met.

A goal must be expressed by the athlete in the positive tense.

In order to maximize human athletic potential and harmonize the mind-body connection, athletes must realize the significance and power of positive expression. The conscious and subconscious brain will either promote or inhibit athletic perfor- mance. If an athlete tells themselves consciously, “I don’t want to fall in the handstand,” their subconscious brain in fact hears, “I want to fall in the handstand.” This is because the subconscious does not hear the negative tense. By telling yourself what you don’t want to manifest, you actually create a blueprint for exactly what you intend to avoid. The key lesson for athletes, therefore, is to keep in a constant state of positive affirmation of the goal’s desired end state.

A goal must include a timeframe that is challenging, yet realistic and achievable.

The final point is perhaps the most important but least understood: a goal must contain a timeframe that is realistic and achievable, while at the same time providing the athlete with a certain amount of challenge and motivation. A goal set too far in the future will lack the urgency and fail to create the internal desire needed for accomplishment. On the other hand, too short a time frame may lead to discouragement and despair.

When deciding upon the time frame for a goal, a certain degree of self-assessment on the part of the athlete must take place. For example, if an athlete states that their goal is to perform a single set of 50 pull-ups in three months, they must realistically ask how many consecutive pull-ups they can currently complete. How specifically the athlete can answer that question will help in determining the best approach to supporting the achievement of the goal. If the athlete responds, “I’m not sure how many pull-ups I can do right now,” we need to find out immediately! The approach that should be taken to setting a time frame for completing 50 consecutive pull-ups will vary greatly if the athlete has five pull-ups as compared to 45 pull-ups.

When the lesson of goal setting is implemented by the Athlete, an exciting and rewarding journey suddenly awaits the five-pull-up athlete whose goal is to achieve 50 pull-ups: he or she has an opportunity to set and reach several smaller and more immediate goals along the way! These mini-triumphs will reaffirm to the athlete their ability to succeed and provide them with motivation and confidence. Remember, well before an athlete can reach 50 pull-ups, they must first reach 10, then 15 and then 20 pull-ups. Each of these seemingly small increments can in fact become a huge milestone and a chance for the athlete to say, “I can achieve that which I set my mind to.”

Athletes can use this advice to set goals that are concise and specific, expressed in the positive tense, and have a set time frame. This will help athlete stay motivated and achieving milestones well into the new year.

Have you thought about your 2018 goals? We’ve just entered the last month of 2017 which means the 2018 CrossFit® Open, slated to start sometime around the end of February, is barely three months away. So my question, more specifically is—have you thought about your 2018 Open goals?

Here at Paramount, we like to look to the CrossFit Open each year as a seminal event in our fitness career. Although most of the elements that will be programmed are well known in advance, the combinations are endless. The Open is expressly designed to test the unknown and unknowable and provide a true mark of fitness and expose weaknesses in our fitness and training. After that fifth and final workout, it’s on us to spend the rest of the year attacking those weaknesses so that we can come back better the next time.

We’ve all had plenty of time to reflect on our 17.x performances. If we’re going to come back stronger, faster, and harder to kill for Open Workout 18.1, NOW is the time to commit to a training strategy for an awesome 2018 CrossFit Open. If your training strategy has been to just show up to class and do the WOD, be sure to honestly assess whether you’re getting everything you need during the class WODs. A little bit of extra time scheduled with a coach, a strength training program, a few yoga clinics, or additional practice during our Open Gym could make all of the difference in the world when you face 18.1.

Three months might seem far away but in terms of learning new skills or even fine-tuning them, that’s not a long period of time. Improvements don’t come by simply declaring that you’re going to do something; you need a mapped-out plan to follow, and accountability to attack those weaknesses. Do you struggle with any of these?

Handstand Push-ups (Strict & Kipping)

As your coach, I’m challenging you to think hard about this: With the skills listed above, are you taking the actions that will lead you to success or failure? If you answered “no” why not consider some extra help? At Paramount, we offer personal training. Our coaches each possess a rich body of knowledge, tapping into a deep understanding of different aspects of fitness. Whether you choose to come once, or for a specific number of sessions, 1:1 personal training sessions have their advantages. And don’t forget, you can always put in extra practice time during Open Gym.
—Coach Chris

Additional Resources: Best Advice for the 2018 CrossFit Open

by Coach Vanessa Dickens

 Burpees, Wall Balls, Double Unders. I used to shudder when I heard those words and think to myself “I’m going to die!”

Today, that’s a different story. I actually kinda like Burpees and Wall Balls. I’ve learned to challenge my mental toughness and grit through workouts with the reward of knowing I gave it my all.

When I first started CrossFitting there were a number of things I disliked simply because I wasn’t good at them; actually, make that almost everything. I had absolutely no previous sports experience so several movements felt awkward, the number of times I fell, smacked my face with the bar, or did something with modified form because my body didn’t bend that way or I had no idea how a movement was supposed to “feel”.

When it came to the things I disliked, such as “running” or the more complex lifts, it would honestly make my eyes glaze over. However, throughout the years I’ve worked to apply a positive attitude, listen to my coaches, and make time to practice on my own instead of avoiding it. Thankfully, with all this hard work I’ve become a better athlete, I’ve even performed well in competitions. I can humbly admit there are movements that have become more tolerable than others, some have even become favorites, and I relish workouts that have those movements – they allow me to excel – feeling the progress my body has made through hours of hard training and dedication.

Some say we tend to not like things because we are not good at them. For me, that dislike or sometimes downright dread has never stopped me from showing up for a class because that cursed movement is in it. You learn to suck it up and know you’re becoming better each time because you’re practicing. The more you step out of your comfort zone and practice the better you’ll get. You might be surprised what you can truly overcome with the right mindset.

Have fun with your fitness journey and never stop learning.