When planning for a competition or an event that will test performance it is helpful to differentiate between real and perceived limits.
Real limits are those things that are either physically impossible at this time, are physically impossible permanently, are currently lacking in skill development, or are emotionally beyond reach. There is something calming about recognizing these limits.
Perceived limits are the angst-ridden limits. These are things that feel impossible but are possible. These are skills that have been developed but are unused. These are emotions with unpleasant yet inaccurate correlations.
Instead of burning energy on inner-conflict, make a list of real vs perceived limits.
Choose 1-2 alternate plans of action to "answer" attacks on real limits.
Choose 1-2 perceived limits to address per event or per season. Practice the experience of breaking through the perceived limit.
Then go compete in the event.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Humor
Athletic performance and physical exercise sometimes result in emotional-loading.
Positive emotional loading is a lot of fun. Endorphin rushes, a sense of accomplishment and the experience of increased physical capacity lead to good feelings and associations.
Any physical practice system that is advancing in progress will involve some of the flip-side emotional work as well. This might be experienced as feelings of dread of an intense workout, or broad spectrum feelings of fear relating to exertion, or possibly a correlation between physical practice and self-worth.
Physical work load and performance can be viewed pragmatically. This eliminates some of the derailment from negative emotional associations.
Take a moment to note that:
Volume of physical work is not equal to personal worth
Completing a workout is a chemical process driven by will
Athletic capacity increases based on consistency
Go through a short physical check-list to make sure you are free of unnecessary tension, you are breathing effectively and that your face and jaw are relaxed.
Keep a short list of humorous events to reference when in the midst of extreme exertion. At the moment when you most consider quitting, remember a lighter moment and consciously release tension unrelated to the actual physical task at hand. If you manage to laugh at least you know your breathing is on track.
It should go without saying that over-training and consistently feeling run-down are not long term desired outcomes. The creation of a healthy balance of challenging physical exertion and recovery time is the objective. Keeping physical practice emotionally light is one way to maintain consistency.
Positive emotional loading is a lot of fun. Endorphin rushes, a sense of accomplishment and the experience of increased physical capacity lead to good feelings and associations.
Any physical practice system that is advancing in progress will involve some of the flip-side emotional work as well. This might be experienced as feelings of dread of an intense workout, or broad spectrum feelings of fear relating to exertion, or possibly a correlation between physical practice and self-worth.
Physical work load and performance can be viewed pragmatically. This eliminates some of the derailment from negative emotional associations.
Take a moment to note that:
Volume of physical work is not equal to personal worth
Completing a workout is a chemical process driven by will
Athletic capacity increases based on consistency
Go through a short physical check-list to make sure you are free of unnecessary tension, you are breathing effectively and that your face and jaw are relaxed.
Keep a short list of humorous events to reference when in the midst of extreme exertion. At the moment when you most consider quitting, remember a lighter moment and consciously release tension unrelated to the actual physical task at hand. If you manage to laugh at least you know your breathing is on track.
It should go without saying that over-training and consistently feeling run-down are not long term desired outcomes. The creation of a healthy balance of challenging physical exertion and recovery time is the objective. Keeping physical practice emotionally light is one way to maintain consistency.
Monday, August 22, 2011
The Arch-Nemesis
How many arch-nemeses are on your list? How do you respond to their presence in your life?
Sometimes they can be used as motivators - in competition - competing against the same person year after year, using the interaction to hone game strategy and skill.
Other times they kick you where it hurts, and the way to solution is unclear, especially when in social setting.
It is possible to view an arch-nemesis as an external representation of the stuff that's hard to process internally. Instead of putting on the inner-vision blinders and pretending that the issues aren't there, the arch-nemesis provides live action proof that there is work to be done as long as the hurt stays active. These people are reminders that we do not live in a bubble.
Part of inter-relating is figuring out how to turn these conflict-oriented connections into something more productive. Did the arch-nemesis interaction highlight personal feelings of anger or reactivity or rejection or betrayal? How does the arch-nemesis likely feel in all of this? How is it easier to handle the person out there than the inner feelings of both parties?
Why is this even a topic in a fitness blog?
Its really about preventing derailment. Its about maintaining clear perspective. Its about allowing the things that are beyond control to exist while still being effective.
Arch-nemeses show up. They are going to be there. Flowery forgiveness is not often viable, especially when intuition warns against it. Arch-nemeses are some of the best indicators that we have a pulse, and are on a powerful trajectory. Arch-nemeses assure us that we are interacting in the world, and help to alleviate the fear of offending people or making enemies, because they already fulfill that role. They keep us honest.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
Prepare to Win
“Most people have the will to win, few have the will to prepare to win.” - Bobby Knight
When pushed conversationally far enough, athletes will often say that the ultimate competition is with oneself. Even combat athletes note that mental toughness and the handling of inner voices is crucial when dealing with a direct physical opponent.
All of us working to develop a healthy physical relationship with ourselves come up against some form of inner conflict, or the urge to derail progress via inner dialogue.
To "compete", from its Latin root means,"to strive together" (Thank you Mushtaq Ali for that lesson).
Outer events (and goals) are in fact, inner opportunities to "strive together" with ourselves. Fighting ourselves rarely works, especially in the long term. Progress is made by convincing our doubts to take (at least) a short break and trust us to get the job done well. Getting the voices to either take a rest or join the cause sets the foundation for a breakthrough.
Scheduling time to check-in and take stock of common internal themes allows us to develop a mental strategy for whatever we are working toward. That is preparing to win.
Whatever style of physical relationship we have with ourselves, "striving together", rather than "fighting against", is the way to long-term balanced strength and meaningful outward success.
When pushed conversationally far enough, athletes will often say that the ultimate competition is with oneself. Even combat athletes note that mental toughness and the handling of inner voices is crucial when dealing with a direct physical opponent.
All of us working to develop a healthy physical relationship with ourselves come up against some form of inner conflict, or the urge to derail progress via inner dialogue.
To "compete", from its Latin root means,"to strive together" (Thank you Mushtaq Ali for that lesson).
Outer events (and goals) are in fact, inner opportunities to "strive together" with ourselves. Fighting ourselves rarely works, especially in the long term. Progress is made by convincing our doubts to take (at least) a short break and trust us to get the job done well. Getting the voices to either take a rest or join the cause sets the foundation for a breakthrough.
Scheduling time to check-in and take stock of common internal themes allows us to develop a mental strategy for whatever we are working toward. That is preparing to win.
Whatever style of physical relationship we have with ourselves, "striving together", rather than "fighting against", is the way to long-term balanced strength and meaningful outward success.
Monday, July 11, 2011
Failure: an Outcome
Last week this quote flashed around my social media pages and I even received it via text. It wouldn't go away.
"It was scarier not to try than to try and fail." - Carrie Wilkerson
I've been risk-discussion averse for a long time, mostly due to my own unresolved feelings about failure. As I write this today, I find that I'm glad I have not succeeded in some things I intensely attempted. Figuring this out has not been pretty, but it is important. Future choices will be built on these acknowledgments.
Many high-stake personal and professional risks totally bomb in terms of outward success. A lot of people don't talk about it. After a few well thought out risks go wrong, it can be tough to step back onto the ledge. It can feel irresponsible to dare to go for it again. That's why I want the "Now That You've Failed" guide.
The "Now That You've Failed" guide would be a great feedback manual. It would welcome the reader to the post-risk-recovery area, the other side of the fear of failure. The place where courage is acknowledged, strengths and weaknesses are assessed, and the faulty game-plan is reverse-engineered to evaluate the exact moment(s) it went wrong. How else can progress occur?
I am especially in favor of the fail fast model. If its not working, make it not work quickly! Figure it out and move forward. Lingering too long, trying to save a sinking ship is unnecessarily draining.
Sometimes success/fail measures in life are more like getting a belt promotion in martial arts. You do some things pretty well. Sometimes you make stupid mistakes, or miss your angle (repeatedly, for years). Some days you bang your head against the steering wheel of your car (I do this), ready to quit, but you don't. Then out of seemingly nowhere you get a promotion. Then you must train harder and smarter, and do it all again.
Does failure motivate or defeat? A giant trajectory follows the answer. The experience of losing begins to eliminate the fear of losing, building a stronger constitution. Learning from mistakes makes the likelihood of success much higher. Finding the right balance between sanity and reaching too far too fast is vital.
Failure happens, sometimes a lot. Failure is no reason to stop pursuing something important.
As Dave Checkett said: “Success builds character, failure reveals it.”
"It was scarier not to try than to try and fail." - Carrie Wilkerson
I've been risk-discussion averse for a long time, mostly due to my own unresolved feelings about failure. As I write this today, I find that I'm glad I have not succeeded in some things I intensely attempted. Figuring this out has not been pretty, but it is important. Future choices will be built on these acknowledgments.
Many high-stake personal and professional risks totally bomb in terms of outward success. A lot of people don't talk about it. After a few well thought out risks go wrong, it can be tough to step back onto the ledge. It can feel irresponsible to dare to go for it again. That's why I want the "Now That You've Failed" guide.
The "Now That You've Failed" guide would be a great feedback manual. It would welcome the reader to the post-risk-recovery area, the other side of the fear of failure. The place where courage is acknowledged, strengths and weaknesses are assessed, and the faulty game-plan is reverse-engineered to evaluate the exact moment(s) it went wrong. How else can progress occur?
I am especially in favor of the fail fast model. If its not working, make it not work quickly! Figure it out and move forward. Lingering too long, trying to save a sinking ship is unnecessarily draining.
Sometimes success/fail measures in life are more like getting a belt promotion in martial arts. You do some things pretty well. Sometimes you make stupid mistakes, or miss your angle (repeatedly, for years). Some days you bang your head against the steering wheel of your car (I do this), ready to quit, but you don't. Then out of seemingly nowhere you get a promotion. Then you must train harder and smarter, and do it all again.
Does failure motivate or defeat? A giant trajectory follows the answer. The experience of losing begins to eliminate the fear of losing, building a stronger constitution. Learning from mistakes makes the likelihood of success much higher. Finding the right balance between sanity and reaching too far too fast is vital.
Failure happens, sometimes a lot. Failure is no reason to stop pursuing something important.
As Dave Checkett said: “Success builds character, failure reveals it.”
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Open Workout for Athletistry 6.10.11
Athletistry: Custom Athletic Programming, Yoga and Ayurveda brought to you by TJ Burleigh and Carey Rockland.
The following workout was done as part of my collaboration with my partner, TJ Burleigh. She has been engaging in more dynamic physical training, and I have been integrating more yoga, Ayurveda and mindfulness to my practice. We bring these traditions together through Athletistry.
Warm-Up: dynamic stretching, foam roller
Sequence One:
Single Arm DB Snatch x 10 reps each side
Low to High Barbell Rotation x 10 reps each side
Single Side Rotational Barbell Shoulder Press x 10 reps each side
Complete 3 rounds, resting only as needed to ensure proper form
DB Snatch
Low to High Barbell Rotation
Rotational Barbell Shoulder Press
Sequence Two:
DB Swings x 20 reps total
Recline Rows with dynamic "switch grip" x 10 reps
Floor to Bench Burpees x 10 reps
Complete 3 rounds, resting only as needed to ensure proper form
DB Swing
Recline Rows with dynamic "switch grip" - smooth transitions are very important
Floor to Bench Burpees
Finisher:
Hanging Leg Raises - 5 sets of 10 reps
Cool Down, Stretch out.
This very dynamic workout was inspired by material from folks such as: Chip Conrad of Bodytribe, Vince Brown, Ross Enamait and BodyWeightCulture.com
Proper form is vital to completing this workout safely - if you are unsure, please consult a fitness professional. Always get your doctor's clearance before participating in an exercise program.
The following workout was done as part of my collaboration with my partner, TJ Burleigh. She has been engaging in more dynamic physical training, and I have been integrating more yoga, Ayurveda and mindfulness to my practice. We bring these traditions together through Athletistry.
Warm-Up: dynamic stretching, foam roller
Sequence One:
Single Arm DB Snatch x 10 reps each side
Low to High Barbell Rotation x 10 reps each side
Single Side Rotational Barbell Shoulder Press x 10 reps each side
Complete 3 rounds, resting only as needed to ensure proper form
DB Snatch
Low to High Barbell Rotation
Rotational Barbell Shoulder Press
Sequence Two:
DB Swings x 20 reps total
Recline Rows with dynamic "switch grip" x 10 reps
Floor to Bench Burpees x 10 reps
Complete 3 rounds, resting only as needed to ensure proper form
DB Swing
Recline Rows with dynamic "switch grip" - smooth transitions are very important
Floor to Bench BurpeesFinisher:
Hanging Leg Raises - 5 sets of 10 reps
Cool Down, Stretch out.
This very dynamic workout was inspired by material from folks such as: Chip Conrad of Bodytribe, Vince Brown, Ross Enamait and BodyWeightCulture.com
Proper form is vital to completing this workout safely - if you are unsure, please consult a fitness professional. Always get your doctor's clearance before participating in an exercise program.
Tuesday, June 7, 2011
Open Workout Tuesday, June 7
For the month of June I am opening up my workouts. You can workout "with" me at a fraction of the cost of a private session. I will design the program to address your needs, but you will also do my workout. This is a great way to inspire each other and keep the quality of work high. The limit is 3 training partners for any one workout. Workouts may be indoors or out, contact me if you would like to join in! We meet Tuesdays and Thursdays at 10 AM.
Today Joe Houston was my workout partner. Joe is a great athlete, who always inspires me to up my game. Today we worked on full body movements to get the most out of our time, building strength while keeping our heart rates up.
Warm-up: Foam roller work and dynamic stretching
Sequence One:
Rack Pull x 10 reps
Sandbag Clean x 10 reps
Box Squat & Shoulder Press x 10 reps
Complete 3 rounds, taking rest only as needed.
Sequence Two:
Floor Press x 15 - 20 reps
Leg Raises while supporting bar x 15 - 20 reps
TRX Chest Press x 15 reps
TRX Back Row x 15 reps
Squat Deck x 20 reps
Complete 3 rounds with minimal rest.
Sequence Three:
Upright Rows x 15 reps
Shoulder Press x 15 reps
Biceps curls x 10 reps plus 30 count isometric hold at end
Complete three rounds with minimal rest.
Cool Down, Stretch Out!
We had a blast. I look forward to mixing it up with those of you who would like to join me! I will continue to post several of our workouts here as well. Happy training!
**Please note** You should get a doctor's clearance to exercise and make certain that you are using correct form with any of the exercises described above. Ask for help from a fitness professional if you are unsure.
Today Joe Houston was my workout partner. Joe is a great athlete, who always inspires me to up my game. Today we worked on full body movements to get the most out of our time, building strength while keeping our heart rates up.
Warm-up: Foam roller work and dynamic stretching
Sequence One:
Rack Pull x 10 reps
Sandbag Clean x 10 reps
Box Squat & Shoulder Press x 10 reps
Complete 3 rounds, taking rest only as needed.
Sequence Two:
Floor Press x 15 - 20 reps
Leg Raises while supporting bar x 15 - 20 reps
TRX Chest Press x 15 reps
TRX Back Row x 15 reps
Squat Deck x 20 reps
Complete 3 rounds with minimal rest.
Sequence Three:
Upright Rows x 15 reps
Shoulder Press x 15 reps
Biceps curls x 10 reps plus 30 count isometric hold at end
Complete three rounds with minimal rest.
Cool Down, Stretch Out!
We had a blast. I look forward to mixing it up with those of you who would like to join me! I will continue to post several of our workouts here as well. Happy training!
**Please note** You should get a doctor's clearance to exercise and make certain that you are using correct form with any of the exercises described above. Ask for help from a fitness professional if you are unsure.
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