1/17/12

The Olympic Lifts play a major role in our development as CrossFit athletes. Proper technique is vitally important for improvement and injury prevention. Video analysis is an incredible tool to help you discover any faults that may sneak into your technique which can stand in the way of your progress.

Gym Geeks will be at our box on Saturday January 21 from 10AM to 12:30PM. Get a video analysis of the bar path for your clean & jerk and snatch. Click here to sign up!

See the video analysis tool inaction:

What Can You Discover?

Posted by Rob in Coach's Corner on January 11, 2012 | No Comments »

It is that time of year when people start thinking about resolutions. The end of one year signals the beginning of a new one. It’s a time to start fresh, do more, be better. Many people will take this opportunity to reflect, analyze, dream and set goals. Health and fitness are usually at the top of the priority list of things to improve upon. And, of course, we agree. But we also think there’s something beyond that: Discovery.

Many of you know about or participated in CrossFit West Houston’s Racked and Loaded: The Civil War. While we all had a great time and it was awesome to see everyone compete, our hope is that everyone discovered something about themselves. Many of you pushed past self imposed fears, limits and boundaries. For many of you, just signing up for the competition was a big hurdle to overcome. It was amazing to see you all break through barriers and leave nothing on the table. It was a great chance for you all to show yourselves what you are made of.

Now that the New Year is here, we will start our next Nutrition Challenge. Again, our focus here is on Discovery. We’ve done several Nutritional Challenges here at CFWH. In the past, we focused on pictures, points, weight loss, etc. Typically, people (and I am guilty of it myself) start off their challenge by indulging in that one last crappy meal. And they will count the days until they can eat crappy food again. And “cheats” are practically scheduled in. Sadly, nothing is learned; no knowledge gained. The cycle is interrupted, not stopped.

The only way to know what it feels like to truly improve, be better, achieve our goals, is to actually do what it takes to get there. And we have to understand that we can only do it ourselves. Make no bones about it, if we do not make the necessary changes improve our nutrition (even the most minute ones), improve our fitness, or improve our health, then we only have ourselves to answer to. For instance, if we set out to do a Whole 30, but then make exceptions like “I will have some drinks at this party or that” or “I’ll eat junk food and drink beer for this game or that event” then you are not doing a true Whole 30. You are robbing yourself of a learning experience. There’s a great article on the Whole 9 Life website called “The Question” we encourage you to read.

Know what it takes –You have the resources available to you here at CFWH and online. If you want it, come get it.

Know how it feels to do it – You can only know that feeling of true accomplishment and reap the rewards if you’re diligent and stick to it.

Know what the reward is – You have the opportunity to discover what you’re made of. It is one thing to have the mental toughness to finish a WOD, and it is a whole other kind of toughness to stick to a strict diet.

This is not just a chance to know what you’re made of, but also to really know how good feeling good is. Until you go there, truly and honestly, you’ll never know how high is high for you. Coaching here at CrossFit West Houston, we’ve seen people make real and permanent changes in their lives. Doing a challenge fully and completely, you will know how it feels to do your absolute best in a WOD, have more energy, and discover what foods impact you and how. But only you can know this and the only way you’ll know is if you do it, all in.

So as you consider your resolutions and health and fitness goals, consider how our next challenge can help you meet those goals. And consider it a chance to discover more about yourself. Discover the emotional attachments that you might have to food. Discover if certain foods make you feel bloated. Discover how foods affect your energy. Discover if certain foods affect your sleep. Discover yourself!