My journey in life has been a very unique 32 years. I guess that goes without saying as all of us have unique existences compared to each other. So scratch that. I will contest that I have certainly run the gamut of life goals and trajectories from graduation to now. I had legitimate jobs and career aspirations of being a lawyer (law clerk for 1 year), a baseball coach (5 years college), a Special Forces Operator (applied, failed physical, cried), a baker (applied, denied financial aid for culinary school due to this thing called “credit”), a worker for various humanitarian aid groups in Africa through Medicines for Humanity, and a CrossFit coach.
My journey in fitness has been similarly traveled around the dart board. Being a baseball player and specifically a pitcher I was told that I didn’t have to lift. That even evolved to I shouldn’t. I to this day wish I could track down so many old coaches and tell them how wrong they were and are and how I know so much better now. I did lift, however, and was a jacked fat guy most of my teen and early 20 years. After college I did a stint of dating yogis so had a year or 2 of great flexibility. I was that runner dude who ran marathons every few months and did yoga and legit convinced myself that was making me very strong because of the bodyweight focus. I was an insane person! I still laugh at the fact that I didn’t do a heavy back squat until my first year doing CrossFit in 2010. Oh how the times have changed.
I share this because I am a much different person with a much different perspective now. I am a CrossFitter through and through and will argue with anyone about the merits of a program compared to CrossFit. See it’s not that I am a “bible thumper” of the CF Manual who attacks anyone who derides constantly varied functional movements as anything but the greatest thing in the world, I just know that training the way we train accomplishes the most good for the most people. I truly cringe when people tell me they “don’t think CrossFit is for them”. That is like saying drinking water isn’t for you.
I share this because I am feeling like I am part of an unspoken group that many of you are part of that could be called “The Flux-ers” as in we are all in this state of flux in our fitness and training right now. Old enough to not care so much that the holidays or the 6 months before took away our stomach definition (I will never say 6-pack for me), alive enough to still know we should care, but into it with life enough that regardless of anything it’s just damn hard to get back into it right now. It’s been great to see everyone at the gym the past few days and the energy has been splendid at times, but there is a palpable blah hanging over both communities right now that needs a kick right in the ass.
It’s January. It’s going to be cold as f**k for the next month or 2. Deal. Snow, ice, shitty commutes, slipping and falling, dead batteries, awful bus rides, cold rooms, cold gyms, cold f**king everything, it’s happening. Deal. Remember mid July when we all complained about how hot it was? F**k off.
Fat doesn’t disappear any way other than working it off. Every day older you get it is harder to get fat off your body when it comes from crap food. Crap food = food that is not natural. Don’t over think it. If you think you shouldn’t eat it, it’s not ok. If you have to ask, it’s not Paleo, or good for you. Just because it’s Paleo doesn’t mean it’s good for you!!! A cookie is a cookie, a muffin is a muffin, ice cream is ice cream. You eat more calories than you burn, you gain weight. It IS that simple. This fat Santa (video coming soon) has gained 30-40# depending on when you are counting the start and the shame and fear I feel when standing in front of you all is a legitimate anxiety factor at this point in my life.
You know why I got out of shape? I opened another location for my business very quickly and with the same man power as I had before I opened it. Done successfully but with great tax to my personal health. I had many personal/family things come up that took my time and energy away from the gym. Lastly, because of the first in this list I dealt with horrible sleep that lead to many bouts of sickness, a broken wrist, back issues, all the while dedicating my time to coaching 2 athletes that qualified for Regionals and the first ever Operation Lando Regionals Team for the Reebok CrossFit Games. I got lazy, made excuses, felt bad for myself for 8 months, made more excuses, ignored mirrors, ignored reality, and finally saw a scale say 272# and remember that the night before I finally couldn’t fit into the last pair of pants I had literally wiping out my entire wardrobe of sized clothing. I wore sweatpants all of Christmas week. The only difference between my attire at home versus out in public was underwear or not.
We all have our excuses and reasons. They are all valid and acceptable. They are also excuses. Excuses give 0 results. So you have a choice, we have a choice : continue kidding ourselves and take a day off our lives on top of every one we are living because we are lazy, or stop and make a u-turn. The knowledge and tools are all here in this community. What choice is it?
The CrossFit Lando 2016 Lifestyle Challenge starts in less than 2 weeks. Prepare. Participate. Change.
WEDNESDAY
WOD: “The Cherry”
100 Double Unders
50 Push-ups
100 Air Squats
50 Pull-ups
100 Burpees
– 30 Minute Time Cap –
S : 100 Singles, 30 Pushups, 75 Squats, 50 Jumping Pull-Ups, 50 Burpees or 4 minutes
L1: 50 Double Unders or 200 Singles
Rx+: Hand Release Push-Up, Hang Release Burpees
The Program
1. WOD Rx+
2. EMOM 16m
O: 2 Rope Climbs, 15′, no jump, must lower completely down
E: 2 Front Squat + Jerk (squat + jerk, squat + jerk), hold squat for 5 seconds each rep
3. Volume Accumulation Accessory
Bar on back rack, 7 minutes of walking lunges. Start @ BW, every minute add 10-20# as able. Do not drop the bar. Can use rack.
