“He who is not courageous enough to take risks will accomplish nothing in life.” Muhammad Ali
Resolve To Challenge Yourself In 2019
There is a lot of widely public evidence that most ‘New Year’s” resolutions do not work. Within days, weeks, or months, most people revert back to their same habits established over years. Yet, most of us are still resolved to “resolve” on January 1st.
Recently, 90 Diablo members registered for the 100,000 Meter Challenge, which required participants to accumulate 100k meters on a rower, bike, ski erg, or running or swimming between Thanksgiving and Christmas – a busy time in most people’s lives. An amazing 80% or 72 Diablo members completed the challenge and accumulated 9.5million meters! The group energy was amazing. Several athletes went over 200,000m. Some had to finish large chunks in the last few days. Everyone felt compelled to finish despite the lack of prizes or awards.
So, I’d like to suggest a different approach to your 2019 resolutions: challenge yourself – just once. Find or create a meaningful, yet do-able challenge that has a reasonable “start date” and “end date” and does one or more of the following:
- Pushes you outside your comfort zone
- Expands your knowledge
- Improves your physical skills
- Improves your health and fitness
- Requires active group participation
- Has specific participation requirements
A “reasonable” start date and end date makes the challenge more approachable – and easier to tackle. For example, a typical New Year’s resolution is: “I’m going to start going to the gym 3 times a week.” However, for someone who has a busy travel schedule, family or work obligations, “going to the gym 3x a week” may be untenable over time. A more effective strategy would be to challenge yourself to:
- Complete a 4-week fitness boot camp
- Remove sugar from your diet for 30 days
- Take a weekend class in rock climbing
- Try intermittent fasting for 1 month
- Complete a Spartan Sprint Race in March (and the requisite training plan!)
- Take a cooking class
- Take Diablo Strong class for 1 full 6 week lifting cycle
- Do 25 (or more) push-ups (pull-ups, sit-ups, etc) every day for 30 days
Participating in a challenge is the first step toward building new habits that may be sustainable for life – especially if it’s a group challenge (communities work). And, completing a challenge builds confidence and lays the groundwork for more success down the road.
Once you’ve found or created your challenge, sign up and/or put it on your calendar and commit. That’s it. You’ve taken a very large first step toward a better you in 2019. And, once you’ve completed your challenge, maybe add another. Over time, you’ll have “challenged” yourself into a lifestyle of healthy habits.
Below are 3 challenges from Diablo that could be your starting point. One thing’s for sure, if you take them on you’ll have an amazing community and awesome coaches to support you.
Challenge yourself in 2019.
Cheers,
Craig
Challenge 1: Join the Challenge 55
55 Days To New Healthy Habits for Life – Challenge 55 is back!
Jan 7 – Mar 2nd, 2019, $199
This is our 2nd annual “Challenge 55” – a group nutrition challenge based on the Precision Nutrition system for sustainable healthy habits for life. This challenge includes:
- A Personal Nutrition Coach
- 4 group meetings and, individual meetings as needed
- 2 InBody scans (before and after)
- Facebook group with daily communications: education, recipes, cooking demo’s & group
Challenge 55 begins with an InBody scan at Diablo CrossFit with a Nutrition Coach. We also encourage you to take pictures of yourself (at home) for your own records.
Then, we’ll come together for a group meeting with your Challenge Team and the personal Nutrition Coaches. During this session, you’ll be given instruction and tools to help you with the Challenge. The Coaches will help you set meaningful and effective goals personalized for you based on your lifestyle, nutrition needs and schedule.
You’ll also be added to your Challenge 55 Facebook group where you can share ideas, recipes, and strategies – and talk about the Challenge, while receiving and providing support for your team!
At the end of Challenge 55, we’ll schedule your final InBody test in order to see your progress. Then, we’ll all get together again to share success stories and discuss strategies for continued success for day 56 and beyond.
Challenge 2: No Alcohol Until Valentine's Day
Diablo Dry Caveman Challenge: Jan 1 – Feb 14, 2019
This is our 10th year of the Dry Caveman – no alcohol until Valentine’s Day! This year, we’ve created a sign-up sheet. The penalty is not severe, but it is challenging: 100 Burpees to a target.
Every year, since 2007, Diablo CrossFit members of the Diablo Community challenge ourselves to abstain from alcohol for 6 weeks, Jan 1st – Feb 14. This challenge gives all of us the opportunity to learn about our relationship with alcohol and its impact on our fitness and nutrition.
This year, we’re offering you a chance to measure your physical change with a before & after InBody body composition test. Normally $48 per test, we’re offering 2-for-1 pricing if you register for the 2019 Dry Caveman Challenge.
Challenge 3: An Indoor Rowing Competition
Row’d Royalty Begins January 10th!
Registration: $20
Every week for 4 weeks, we’ll release a workout on Thursday to be completed by Monday at 6PM. All you have to do is complete each workout and submit a picture of your monitor. There are age groups, 4 person teams and divisions for tall & standard athletes. Get signed up and put together a team!
Row’d Royalty was born at Diablo CrossFit in 2012 in California. Several Diablo members claimed to be the “best rower” and were always eager to prove themselves. So, I created “Row’d Royalty,” an annual indoor rowing competition spanning 4 weeks and a variety of workouts with the winners crowned “The King & Queen of the Rower”.
4 Chances To Win A New Concept 2 Rower (or Ski Erg, or Bike Erg) for Only $20!
Every week we’ll raffle off a new Concept 2 Machine! To participate, all you have to do is register and complete the workout for the week.
