PREVIEW- Do Hard Sh*t
- 100 Burpees A Day
- Sober Walktober
- Fall Classic
- Famous Owner
- Foster Fail
- Mind Gym & Good Energy
DOING HARD THINGS This burpee challenge has been fng hard for me. There’s been several days I’ve wanted to bail out. And, the L-Sits.. they’re miserable for me. Last week I was lamenting the L-Sits to a 5AM athlete (Amy Zhao), and she said, “I agree! I don’t actually feel like I’m getting any better at the L-Sit – after 20 days of doing them.” I feel the same about the burpees. I keep waiting for the burpees to get “easier,” but they still suck – though after the first 10, I’m able to shut my brain off and just do them.
Admittedly, when I launched this challenge I was hoping for instantly better burpees and L-Sits – kinda like my push-ups after a few days of the push-up challenge. Instead, what has happened is that OTHER movements have improved. And, I feel like I’m learning more about myself – physically and mentally. In our weekly Masters Rx+ class this week, I was able to do 6 rounds of 6 unbroken handstand push-ups in an EMOM – something not attainable for me in past months. Then, in the metcon that followed, I was able to maintain a consistent pace on V-UPs (60!) – a movement that has challenged me greatly in the past. I have NOT been doing V-UPs, but…I’ve been doing my L-Sits consistently. And as for handstand push-ups, I’ve not done them in weeks – but I have been doing my burpees every day!
The realization that my “hard” work paid off is very satisfying. And, it’s an important reminder to me that to get better at one thing in CrossFit, I may have to do the grindy work that I don’t really like to do. I’d rather do lifts I’m good at and fun metcons. It’s also a metaphor for life. There’s not many things we do in our lives that challenge us physically, but I think for our mental and physical health – we need to do hard things from time to time.
So, when you’re not making progress on a lift or a skill at CrossFit, try a different approach: do the accessory (dirty) work consistently. If you’re unsure what the accessory work is, ask us for help! A good coach can give you all of the drills you’ll need. Then, be patient.
Results from hard work can take time and often surprise you at unexpected moments. The feeling, however, is very satisfying. We need that.
SEPTEMBER CHALLENGE HOME STRETCH!: 100 a Day.. - Week 1: 25 Burpees & 30s of LSits / Day
- Week 2: 50 Burpees & 1min LSits / Day
- Week 3: 75 Burpees & 90secs LSits / Day
- Week 4: 100 Burpees & 2min LSits / Day
Scoring: Complete your Daily Burpees = 1pt. Complete your Daily LSits = 1pt. (Total 2pts). No Sugar in the last 24 hours = Check the box.
>> OCTOBER HAPPENINGS <<- SOBER WALK-TOBER – Our October Challenge comes to us from Coach Herald: No alcohol and plenty of steps. Here’s how we’ll score this daily on SugarWod.
> No Alcohol: 1pt
> Walk 2500 Steps: 1pt
> Walk 5000 Steps: 2pts
> Walk 10,000 Steps: 3pts
- 19th – “AMAZING GRACE” CHARITY EVENT – This is Diablo’s Annual Charity Event – We all do the workout Grace (30 C&J) for a donation to a local charity. We make this a community event with food & drink & fun afterward!
- 26th – DIABLO FALL CLASSIC – Diablo’s annual USAW Certified Weightlifting Competition is back! All levels strongly encouraged. This is a great introductory meet and is also a USAW National Qualifying meet.
A BIT ABOUT DIABLO: Diablo CrossFit was originally founded by Jeremey Jones in 2005 – in his backyard. Soon afterward, Jeremy connected with Rob Barnum, via the CrossFit message boards, and later that year, I joined the crew. In 2006, we become affiliated with CrossFit. And then, Rob wanted out.
Rob went to school at St. Marys and majored in film production. When our little CrossFit gym started getting busy, he didn’t have the time or desire to continue: he wanted to make movies. So, Jeremy & I bought him out. We were bummed, but it turned out to be a brilliant decision for Rob.
Since 2009, Rob Barnum and his production company have produced more than 63 big-screen movies and he currently has 4 more in the works. He has two homes – Pleasant Hill and in Los Angeles. He works with many of the biggest names in the industry and travels the world for productions and promotions. Several of his past films can be found on Netflix, Amazon & Hulu. Tulsa is streaming on Netflix. Some of my favorites include: Lawless (Tom Hardy), All is Lost (Redford), & Margin Call.
And gratefully, Rob and I are still very good friends to this day. PROGRAMMING
September Focus: 1. Hang Snatch & C&J Complex 2. Back Squats 3. Ring Muscle Ups - Mon: HSSnatch. Amrap 7m: 3 Power Snatch, 6 OHS, 9BFB (#95/135)
- Tue: 18mins – 3m Airbike, rest 1m, then 3,3,6,6,9,9. SA DB Strict Press, Box Jumps
- Wed: RMU Skill. Metcon: 3Rnds – 3m Row for Calories, Rest 1m.
- Thu: Back Squat. Metcon: Death by 10m
- Fri: “Grace meets Cindy” – E4MOMx5: 6 C&J, then Amrap 5 Pullups, 10 Pushups, 15 Squats. (#95/135)
- Sat: Amrap 20m – 2 Rope Climbs, 12 No Squat Wall Balls, 200m Medball Carry, 12 Sit ups
- Sun: 5RFT – 400m Run, 10 DL, 5 Wall Walks.
PRs PODCAST CRAIG’S FRIENDS’ LIST: Here are two books strongly recommended by my good friends Tim Dymmel (CrossFit Palo Alto) and Zia Rohrbaugh, CrossFit Counter Culture:
Tim’s Book: Mind Gym – Gary Mack – In Mind Gym, noted sports psychology consultant Gary Mack explains how your mind influences your performance on the field or on the court as much as your physical skill does, if not more so. Zia’s Book: Good Energy – I actually have this one but haven’t started yet!! This has been recommended multiple times to me. The author, Casey Means MD, links mental energy to metabolic health. Make it an awesome week! Craig |
