The relationship between a Paramount member and their coach is essential to their success. We make sure everyone is taken care of and reaching their goals!
Lose Your Crutches
by Mike Warkentin
What’s holding you back, and why do you let it?
The legless man in the wheelchair made a very strong point without saying anything.
On the way to the gym for a workout, I was bemoaning my situation and wishing I didn’t have to do a 5-kilometer run. My inner monologue alternated between bitching about my tight left hip and outlining the reasons I prefer power to endurance.
You know the drill. I longed for workouts involving movements in my wheelhouse, I pre-made excuses for a poor performance, and I thought about skipping the run in hopes of snatches the next day.
Then the guy in the wheelchair rolled by with a bunch of empty grocery bags as I was stopped at a light. No markets can be found in the area, so he was clearly buckling down for a long haul to his destination.
No bitching. Just getting it done.
After feeling like an asshole for a moment, I drove the final block to the gym with a much clearer head.
Of course the workout turned out to be exactly what I needed. What I suspected would be a lengthy period of suffering was actually a 5-kilometer cruise on a sunny day while surrounded—and lapped—by friends. I did my best, owned my time and got fitter. And I felt grateful that I was able to run.
As I soaked a sweat angel into the asphalt, I found it interesting that a man in a wheelchair had helped me lose my crutches.
Mental Toughness
Mental toughness is a key difference between good athletes and great athletes; and as a coach, it’s important to me to give my athletes every opportunity to succeed. Today, I put my high school freshman to the test. I asked them to hold a wall squat for two minutes, which if you aren’t familiar, creates an intense burning of the quads very quickly. I wanted to teach these young men how to eliminate the desire to quit when it hurts and becomes unbearable, to teach them how to use their focus and determination to grind through and see the task at hand to completion. At the two minute mark, no one had quit, so I kept them going, asking repeatedly if they wanted to stop. These guys proved their desire to be great and went three minutes as a team, with no one quitting or failing. I can’t wait to see how these guys grow into young men over the next few years!!!
Couples Who Sweat Together, Stay Together
Husband and wife teamwork at Paramount!
Fitness can be about you, or it can be about you and your partner, so why not share this aspect of your lives, either regularly or just on occasion, and discover how doing so might give your relationship a new dimension and new life.
The Morning Grind
While exercising at any time of day is beneficial to your cardiovascular health, there are positive outcomes of morning exercise that make it worth getting out of bed a little earlier than usual.
1. Better Performance at Work
2. A Metabolism Boost Throughout the Day
3. A Better Night’s Sleep
4. Increased Likelihood to Stick with It
5. A Happier Outlook
One thing is certain: whether we exercise in the morning, afternoon, or at night, we’re doing something wonderful for our minds and bodies.
MLTHS Gym Class Meets CrossFit
Hosting two P.E. classes from Mountlake Terrace High School today. It’s great to be able add some variety to the students classes by introducing them to CrossFit!
