Positive Self-Talk and -Thought

PC: OSCAR BRAVO

We are highly critical beings, and often more of ourselves than anything else. We are our own harshest critics. The criticism we give ourselves is often of the negative variety. I have a hard time recalling the last time I gave myself a mental pat on the back for doing something right, but can easily bring up examples of times that I have berated myself for messing up a situation. It can become so common that it feels normal.

Negative self-talk and -thought are very easy traps to fall into when doing CrossFit and they can really hinder your progression if you let them. Whether you actually verbalize the negativity or just think it, you have a profound impact on your abilities by doing so. The best example I can think of is when someone tells me the bar feels heavy or that they do not think they will be able to lift the weight. At that point, once it has been said or thought, you are probably correct; you won't be able to lift that weight. Just by speaking or thinking it, you have given that idea permission to exist and by allowing that existence, you may have taken away an opportunity to improve yourself.

Instead of depriving yourself of a potential improvement to your fitness, try practicing POSTITIVE self-talk and -thought. This is MUCH more difficult to learn and master but will have endless benefits throughout your life; not just in the gym. It is far more natural to let the negative thoughts dwell in our subconscious but we can alter this. It almost feels like the default setting we were born with. When approaching that bar that is a weight you have never lifted but is well within your means, tell yourself that you've got this and attack the opportunity with ferocity. By doing so, you are eliminating any room for negativity to encroach your mind. Don't let your mind fail the lift for you before you even get the chance to try it.

Even if you miss a lift, that's not necessarily a bad thing. Look for the positive silver lining such as the fact that you even attempted it to begin with! That's worthy of a cognitive pat on the back if you ask me.

Happy training! Coach Caleb

TRAINING FRIDAY-SATURDAY

WARM-UP:

10 single arm KB swings

10 hanging knee raise

10 push-ups

SKILL:

Work on strict pull-ups to find the right weight/difficulty for the WOD

WOD: "STRICT NICOLE"

This workout is elegantly simple: run and do pullups. The goal is to continue to build running volume and tolerance while balancing that with some tough strength stimulus. Adjust the difficulty of your pullups so that you are having to break up the sets after the first round (i.e. challenge yourself and be SMART about breaking up the reps)

Rx: 20 min AMRAP of run 400m, 10 weighted strict pullups (15-25/30-45) - use DB between the knees with legs crossed

TG: 12 min, strict and slow ring rows, adjust run as needed

FG1: Assisted band pullups but should not be unbroken

FG2: Unweighted strict pullups