FYI–I did have the best swim buddy ever who was also following the CFE swim WODs with me & he kicked major ARSE on the 1.2 mile swim of the SUPER FROG!!!…..Awesome as usual Mr Riebel!!!

….& I think I may have a pic of him looking very super-hero-esc in his super tight wetsuit….

WOD: 7 round + 3 box jumps Is it me or since most of the staff has turned 30 that it seems 30 is the new 24?

For those of you that don’t know, Christina’s training was entirely CF based. She’d regularly do the posted WOD at CFI, then later in the day do a CF Endurance WOD, that was often a series of intervals or other high-intensity piece of one of the three disciplines of the triathlon. It was a training program that had drastically reduced volume, but highly increased intensity. So how did that “unorthodox” training style pay off for the 1500m swim, 40K bike, and 10K run? I think the smile on her face in the home stretch says it all. Great job girl!

Great article, Mark! As coaches, we can only go so far to get people moving. Ultimately, it is the individual’s self-motivation and personal moxy that carries their success.

“You’ve Got to Want This”
“I had a conversation the other day that got me thinking. I’m in the fitness business, not the hand holding business. I have a system that takes ordinary people and turns them into athletes. I can look our women in the eyes and remind them of that day they asked if they would be a weakling forever. Now they groan and throw 65# on the bar for overhead squats, and they squat below parallel and reach full extension for each rep. They didn’t get there by being dragged along.

I didn’t hold their hands. I may have pushed, poked, and prodded. I may have yelled, encouraged, and told them that the last rep didn’t count. But not once did I mistake the source of their motivation. It came from them. It came from within. And I had nothing to do with it. They wanted this.

That’s what makes a successful CrossFitter. Of course there is always the desire to not look stupid, have the slowest time or lowest weight on the whiteboard, or be the one sounding like a B rated porn flick playing in the back room. Group dynamics certainly play a role in motivation.

But it’s YOU and your desire to “get better today” that keep you walking through the doors for your daily dose. Whatever your reason, be it for camaraderie, competition, weight loss, or that next PR, you make it through the door. I’m not holding your hand; I’m not dragging you along. You’ve found your stride and you’re using it to reach better fitness, better health, and better job safety. Your determination is inspiring; your motivation is praise worthy.

I like being around you, so does everyone else. The one who needs their hand held is the one who brings the group down. Its like the drowning swimmer who attacks their rescuer, suddenly a good deed becomes dangerous for both parties. Morale plummets, motivation wanes, and its like being in globo gym where everyone spreads misery like Pigpen’s dust cloud. Not exactly a recipe for success.

Unmotivated people who want fitness bestowed upon them won’t float here. Our job is to lead, guide, and support. We can’t do the work for you. And we won’t hold your hand.

You’ve got to want this”

(courtesy of CF Ranier)

Good post on a topic that deserves regular treatment. I am the kind of person to see some workouts and say that I dread them, but also WANT to do them because the dread comes from a need. Thanks for bringing on the motivation.

Cheers.