Week 7 of 16 Olympic Lifting and Russian Squats
COACHES COMMENT:
I’m currently reading “The Art of Learning” by Josh Waitzkin – eight-time National Chess Champion and now a martial arts champion who holds over twenty National Championship titles and several World Championship titles. So far it’s a very interesting read into different style of learning in both mentail and physical aspects. I thought I would share small extract from this book that holds true for life and movement/training. Are you simply wondering through life without pay attentiont to you existance, or are you learning every step of the way? Do you see life as a challange and attack it with a positive “can do” attitude, or do you approch life in a manner that is self praising? Are you willing to let go of your strengths and work on your weaknesses?
“The key to pursuing excellence is to embrace an organic, long-term learning process, and not to live in a shell of static, safe mediocrity. Usually, growth comes at the expense of previous comfort or safety. The hermit crab is a colorful example of a creature that lives by this aspect of the growth process (albeit with doubt our psychological baggage). As the crab gets bigger, it needs to find a more spacious shell. So the slow, lumbering creature goes on a quest for a new home. If an appropriate new shell is not found quickly, a terribly delicate moment of truth arises. A soft creature that is used to the protection of built-in armor must now go out into the world, exposed to predators in all its mushy vulnerability. That learning phase in between shells is where our growth can spring from. Someone stuck with an entity theory of intelligence is like and anorexic hermit crab, starving itself so it doesn’t grow to have to find a new shell.
In my experience, successful people shoot for the stars, put their hearts on the line in every battle, and ultimately discover that the lessons learned from the pursuit of excellence means much more than the immediate trophies and glory. In the long run, painful losses may prove much more valuable than wins – those who are armed with a healthy attitude are able to draw wisdom from every experience, “good” or “bad,” they are the ones who make it down the road. They are also the ones who are happier long-term. Of course the real challenge is to stay in range of this long-term perspective when you are under fire and hurting in the middle of the war. This, maybe our biggest hurdle, is at the core of the art of learning.”
RECOMMENDED WEEKLY READING:
Article of the week: Empowered Sustenance: How to Use Himalayan Salt? – Himalayan salt benefits include supporting weight loss, detox, and balanced hormones. You can even use it in your home improve air quality! I start and end my day with himalayan salt, with lots of salt in-between. Here’s how to use himalayan salt for (almost) all that ails you:
Freelap: Breathe New Life into Your Performance! – “Every breath you take, every move you make, every bond you break, every step you take.” – The Police The concept of breathing improving posture and movement quality was interesting to me. Improving physical performance without increasing the workload and training strain for me or my athletes sounded too good to pass up.
Strength Sensei: Squat: The facts! – Crouching down is a natural movement. Almost all of us did it as infants to pick something up and it is common in many parts of the world as a waiting position or for food intake. By the way, those are part of the world, where back disorders are not the number one disease of the population! Also, nobody there is walking on crutches because he has damaged his knees by spending too much time in a crouched position.
Breaking Muscle: Motor Control and Movement Patterns: A Must-Read for Athletes – “Movement patterns,” “motor programs,” what does it all mean? In the last couple of years the fitness field has become inundated with these terms. Despite the apparent trendiness of the concept, motor control is an extremely important facet of athletic performance, and it’s a rather involved topic that utilizes pieces of neurology, neuroscience, psychology, and exercise.
Tabata Times: Why Magnesium for CrossFit? Constantly deficient in magnesium = performing at very low intensity
CrossFit Hackney Levels Spreadsheet
