Are you still having fun?

As the 2015 CrossFit Open season nears its end, I wanted to talk about having fun.  This may seem like a silly question, or a topic of little importance.  However,  most of us (those who did not make Regionals, aka the 99%) get to start a new training season.  And as with most things, if it's not fun....it's done!

Just like the flowers and trees begin to bloom with the new life of Spring, we as CrossFit athletes can take a minute to reflect on how the Open went and where our training needs to improve.  So lets take a breath, and look honestly at your training.

I have had the pleasure of watching both new and not so new athletes get their first Muscle-up, Handstand Pushup, & Double-Unders.  Now these are great accomplishments, especially for the newer athlete.  For the rest of us we have to ask ourselves "why didn't I work on those specific skills ALL year?"  These movements are not new to CrossFit, and with the exception of the handstand pushup have been in the Open forever.  The best part of watching an athlete get a new skill for the first time is to see the smile on their face.  The realization of the work they have put in to accomplish this goal.  Those reactions are what makes the hard work worthwhile to the athlete, and as a coach is the best part of my job.

But why does this feeling have to be reserved for a "first time" accomplishment or a Personal Record?

The usual order of things is to go into a heavy strength cycle, or Olympic Weightlifting cycle after the Open, Regionals, etc.  This is a great time to get strong and focus on heavy weight.  If you go into this time of year with the right mindset it may be the difference between having a great 2015 season, and burning out.

By the time the Open ends and the dust settles most people are glad it's over.  They can let go of the stress of competing each week, and the stress of whether or not they prepared correctly.  They can start fresh again with a higher level of fitness than the year before.  But if your not having fun, you may be doing more damage than good.  Let me explain with a scenario.

You are traveling out of town and you drop into a box for a workout.  You buy a t-shirt to add to your collection, talk with the trainer, and take in the change of scenery.  You follow what the coach tells you, do your skills, do your WOD, and have a great time.  Why is this so different?

1. The change of scenery automatically puts you in a different mindset, much like traveling to a competition.
2. You don't know anyone at the gym and therefore do not have to prove anything to your usual nemesis.  You don't care about the scores on the whiteboard because you have no personal attachment to those people.
3. You get to feel like the new person again.  When you first got into CrossFit, everything was new and shiny.  You felt excited about everything, but as time went on you may have gotten complacent.
4. You get to see and hear people coach in different ways.  This can be a bad thing if you get a terrible coach, but for the most part it's a good thing.  If you listen closely you may hear the same points your usual coach talks about, but heard from a different perspective.
5. You don't worry about things like "I squatted heavy yesterday, so I'm going to take it easy," "Didn't we just do cleans?" "Why do we have to run, we ran last week."

The fact is this:

You will make the most progress when you are in a good state of mind.  Quit worrying about the sets and reps, just do what your coach tells you.  If you feel good it's ok to throw a little weight on, just as it's ok to work sub maximally if you didn't quite recover from the week before.  If you have a good and positive training environment, you will always make better progress than the "worlds best program."  That is because there is no "best program."  At Steel Mill there are scientific principles that we put into place that have been proven for over 50 years, but if you half ass it you will not get better.  But if you go in and work hard, push each other, and not worry about the little things you will make huge gains.

You should be able to walk into the gym and with a smile on your face tear the barbell apart.  Destroy the WOD, and be happy that you could push that hard.  Hard training makes you feel alive.  Why else would getting under a squat that has the potential to crush you be acceptable...because when you stand it up you can smile knowing you own that weight.  If you want to do bicep curls after a workout, then DO it.   There are many roads to Rome, and you MUST enjoy the journey.  The journey is the key to all success.  If you ever reach the destination, you will just make a new one anyway.  If you squat 300 pounds, the next week you will be looking towards 350. 

If your not having fun during training, you need to change your mindset and start having fun.  Not only will it make you better, but progress will happen quicker.  When everyone in the gym is having a good time and crushing weights you can't help but smile.  And if this happens enough...you may just start having fun again.