How To Avoid Slippery Slopes: Sensitivity, Inconsistency, Injury...

 

Brittney...

“To revolt is a natural tendency of life. Even a worm turns against the foot that crushes it. In general, the vitality and relative dignity of an animal can be measured by the intensity of its instinct to revolt.”

A while back The Journal posted a video of Coach Glassman speaking to a host of trainers. He said, "I'm a master of negativity, if you don't do don't do shit wrong, I will leave you alone". 

Coach wasn't being arrogant of flippant, he was being honest void of emotion. "There is no need for me to go over all the shit your doing right, my goal is make you the fittest, and healthiest you can be, and to do that I fix what your doing wrong", he said and I paraphrased.

The creator of CrossFit realized early on that the equation to making everyone lead healthier more fit lives had a lot less to do with bullshit books and theories and a lot more to do with honest facts, and cold output. The only thing that disrupts this formula is overly sensitive patients.

One thing our world seems to be teaching by the barrel-full is sensitivity. Commercials are dedicated to pulling about our heart strings, advertisements are meant to invoke sensitive spots in our past so we will be emotionally motivated to act on their product, and the mind is looked to as a sort of an antiquated accessory to a warm soul. And as it would seem, the more sensitive we are, the unhealthier we get. The more we can't bare to hear what we are doing wrong, the more we will never be able to do right.

Our chicken soup for the loser, psycho babble, real world confession booth society is producing an unending amount of "ultra-sensitive" humans today. Humans that can't handle a way-ward breeze, much less a surprise hurricane.

Being sensitive to the needs of others is a beautiful trait. Being overly sensitive when we are in need of correction doesn't make us better, it makes us weaker. Weaker comes right before injury. And many times sick can easily follow.

I wager almost all injuries, tweaks, pulls, or discomforts comes from athletes to sensitive to listen to the truth, living in worldly inconsistency, placing intensity before everything else. The slippery slop starts with our worldly baggage. And the more weighted down we are with the luggage of the world, the faster the world seems to move without us.

Adding to the worlds ever climbing "acceptable" range of sensitivity is removing our ability to edit our activities in such a way that helps us not only live injury free, but better than we ever thought possible. The ability to simply listen to someone who cares for you without adding your sensitive baggage to the conversation has all but disappeared. I know because I still get the "I can't believe he just said that look" all the time when my entire effort is honesty without harm.

Maybe your not willing to become vulnerable in every area of your life. Maybe your too scared to lay it out at your career. Maybe that new relationship is still suspect in your mind, or maybe that quality friendship hasn't reached that stage. But there never has been, and there never will be a better place to experiment that CrossFit.

The next time you CrossFit it up, realize the person instructing you wants success for you. Maybe more than you do. They want that bar to go up, those pounds to come off, that chin to rise, and everything they are telling you to get that to happen is for the greater good. Either we can be too sensitive and hear what we are doing wrong, or choose to hear how close we are to being right. 

Strength:

-Work up to a Heavy Clean (power, or squat)

or

*Back Squat

Max Reps @85% 1RM

For Time:

10-Power Cleans 95/135

10-Burpees

5 Rounds

Post weight moved and reps to comments.

*This week we will provide a platform and formula for those athletes a little unsure of their true 1RM Squat/Deadlift/Press.

Comments

[Mo]

135 pc
7:30 way to finish with me partner!

[vicki]

75# PC
9:48m 65#

[runmelrun]

135 pc
7:30
Mo, is this a sign we are spending too much time together? LOL
Everyone wish me luck on my first work trip...got my Paleo cooler packed :)

[Krissy]

165 1RM back squat
8:54m @ 75#

[holly]

145# PR YAY Fishy's
6:30

[jen w]

125# PR pc
9:41 m @ 85#

[heather mc]

125lb power clean
6:47 (m @ 85lbs)

damn glad to be back...m's an all!

[k]

6am/9am-ers...great classes this AM. Have to say the best part was seeing some of the corrections you all made to each other's movements as you worked on your maxes today.

MJ...BEAUtiful pcleans during the wko today. Didnt see a butt-up in a single one.

Cassie...much improvement from max work to the WOD on shortening that squat for the pclean.

Rick...I know travel's making WOD-time hard but you really gutted thru today. Nice job on the PR.

Betsy...THANK YOU for staying for mobility. Your body appreciates it.

Holly...fish crackers?! honestly?! child abuse, dude. love how Cameron just laughs at me. And I'm serious about your PR...should be MUCH bigger given your beastliness. Commit to the technique mastery, damnit!

Matt M...very nice work on PCleans rounds 2-5. Amazing how big a difference just a small adjustment can make.

Kelly...wow, you're almost a natural! Will be great to have you w us. Hope you can bring more than Bob's ghost w you a few of those days.

Jen W...you're so damn tough. Imagine what your PR COULD be if you'd work on catchin that hip.

Mo/#10...glad to see ya'll back in. Take care.

Some days I need ya'll more than you need me...today was one of them. Thanks for startin' your day w me.

[heatherT]

75# pc / 11:00 (m @ 60#)

[Nikki J]

165 max back squat

9:00(m) @75#pc

[jen w]

Thanks Kara for your cues today, we need you as well....

[franchise]

175 pc. 6:59 wod. I will just keep my mouth shut

[terra kennett]

125 pc (PR) 3 attempts at 135, my mind just got in the way...

10:41

[HN]

150/7:29

[ASH]

11:20

[Sammy]

6:10

[k]

133/8:30(i think)...all those 730-ers, damn. def sacrificing a bit of endurance for some small gains in strenght.

Kara Mic...that 145# pclean i pulled in the parking lot two wks ago? fluke. pulled that damn weight to my friggin shoulders 3x tonight and missed it each time. recovering from a bit of a weekend cold (tho im willing to consider it's an allergic reaction to the gluten in the scone i snarfed Sat AM), tho so im trying this one again asap.

Chuck Taylor...any chance you can fab me two 1lb plates? can't find em anywhere.

Shane...so glad you're in for the week. Your squat cleans are BADASS.

Andrea/Min...your squat cleans were stupid good too. little chick wants to play w ya'll so bad.

[JN]

Great to be back in the box! I missed you guys.
200 lbs power clean pr
11:09
Dave nice work buddy I was trying hard to keep up with ya!

[Shelly]

115# pc PR
13:13
First UNmodified WOD. It was after the 13 minute cut off...but, I'm taking it. Thanks again Dave!

[NP]

225 clean
8:02 M @ 115lb

[Dave]

185 clean PR
9:52 wod. Had a goal of sub 10 and I got it!

Great to see you back JN! Honestly, I kept looking back at you thinking to myself "He's gonna catch me if I don't keep moving!" You were right there up until round 4 I think.

[Min]

165 squat clean, PR

6:51

Shelly congrats on the rxd wod, fantastic!

[k]

crap, min. forgot about your stupid good time. nice.

[jb]

6:30 was amazing

Shelly killed it,

Cindy layed it down with Doug cheering her on

just about everybody PRed that I could see, especially Dave and JN

Chas is a great instructor and insured the class was as intense as possible.....

5:43

[chastity]

7:46
165 pc

todays WOD was a lot of fun to instruct and watch. 5am SURPRISED the pants off me when I said 3,2,1 GO! You guys were animals. Every last one just killed it. Special notice to Heather and Brandi, so excited with your work with 60lbs for the workout! NICE.
6:30pm - I have to say I expect everyone there tonight to be beasts when you we start the clock. You didn't disappoint! so much fun!! Special notice to Cindy and Shelly with 95lb bars and pull it up when it hurt like hell!
Nice UNModified WOD today!!