“… The rock is you. And, everyday you fight not wanting to get up, and you do anyway – you chip a piece off of the rock. Every day you eat the right foods.. and train harder and harder… you’re chipping another piece off the rock off and before you know it you have this beautiful piece of artwork that you built.” David Goggins
FITNESS GOALS SUCK Research shows that 95% of New Year’s Resolutions are fitness related, but after just 3 months, only 10% of people think their resolution will last. Many people will tell you that the satisfaction of achieving a fitness goal is fleeting and leaves most people thinking: “what now?”. Often, the result of achieving the goal is an end of the process that got you there. And, most often, when the goal is not met, disappointment and discouragement set in.
In my opinion, random fitness and nutrition goals are add-ons to an established lifestyle, quickly forgotten or dismissed when life gets busy, or old habits over power behavior. I’m a fan of James Clear’s Atomic Habits book which essentially describes the process of creating and building upon small, easy habits to achieve life-long changes. (He also advocates joining a supportive community.) In other words, a very gradual and progressive transition over time is essential for comprehensive change of lifestyle habits. Cold turkey rarely works.
So, instead of making dramatic fitness resolutions or setting aggressive fitness goals, simply add one small change to your established routine, ie, get up 10 minutes earlier than normal and walk for 5 minutes, take the stairs at BART, walk 10 minutes before eating lunch, walk 10mins before you go to bed, do 5 push ups & 5 squats every day, black coffee only in the morning until 10A, stop eating at 8PM… after several weeks, add another habit. Each habit is a milestone on the path to a healthy, fit lifestyle.
Choose your path. Take a step. Then, another. And if you need a little inspiration, listen to David Goggins (below).
60 AIN’T BAD – All in all, I’m stoked to be here, still doing all of the physical things I did as a younger man, just a little slower and with a little more caution. Here’s the interesting things I’ve noticed about turning 60:
- My range of motion is shrinking despite being pretty damn flexible. Gonna have to work on it now.
- Man, it takes a while to warm-up for workouts. I have to show up a little earlier to build up to pain-free, full-range(ish) of motion, all muscles engaged lift or metcon.
- Recovery times suck. A big lifting day coupled with a hard metcon usually requires a day or two of rest or moderate work to get back to 100%
- Mornings suck for mobility – holy crap. I bet most trip-and-falls happen in the AM, cause I’m like a walking cardboard box in the morning. fml
- Low quality food & too much alcohol are NOT good for old people. lol.
- I’m more introspective and grateful, while also more candid and filter free. I realize that time is fleeting, so I like to get to the point quickly, don’t worry about offending, and express passion & appreciation often.
- I appreciate the little things way more: special moments with Yvonne, mornings with the dogs in open space, time with my daughter, laughs, adventures & workouts with friends.
- I value my health & fitness way more. I still got fight in me.
WTF CHATGPT? Have you tried this yet? It’s an incredible, essay / answer / information generator that responds to your question immediately as if it were human. It’s kind of mind-blowing. Many people are using it to generate code for programs, reference letters, research requests, etc. I tried it for CrossFit workout programming and was impressed with the result which included a warm-up, stretching suggestions and a cool-down exercise.
My next question for CHATGPT: “Why do CrossFitters always talk about CrossFit?”
“There are a few reasons why people who participate in CrossFit may talk about it frequently:
- Passion: CrossFit can be a very physically and mentally challenging sport, and many people who participate in it become passionate about it. When people are passionate about something, they often enjoy talking about it and sharing their experiences with others.
- Sense of community: CrossFit is known for its strong sense of community. Many people who participate in crossfit enjoy the social aspect of the sport and may talk about it as a way of connecting with others who share their interest.
- Personal growth: CrossFit can be a demanding sport that requires hard work and dedication. People who participate in CrossFit may talk about their experiences as a way of celebrating their personal growth and accomplishments.
It’s important to remember that everyone is different and not everyone may be interested in hearing about crossfit. It’s okay to talk about your interests and experiences, but it’s also important to be respectful of others and not force your interests on them if they’re not interested.”
Maybe ChatGPT should write this email?
FRIDAY: 6:30PM!! DIABLO HOLIDAY PARTY – LAST CHANCE TO SIGN UP! Back Forty BBQ grill – with a great food, an open bar and dancing. Just write “Xmas Party for 1” (or 2) on the tab sheet in the lobby, or get your tickets on the Diablo app or, click here.
SATURDAY: 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS WORKOUT – the 12 Days workout is popular with CrossFit gyms around the world, some harder than others – and some, just down right brutal. Ours will be challenging, and fast moving. Just pay attention to the rep scheme – when you’re tired, it can get messy! Here’s the version we’ll be doing:
Complete the following for time.. as the song is played: “On the first day of Christmas…” (1 / 2,1 / 3,2,1 / 4,3,2,1 / etc.)
- 1 Bar Muscle Up
- 2 Burpees
- 3 Barbell Shoulder-to-Overhead
- 4 Hang Squat Cleans
- 5 Barbell Deadlifts
- 6 Toes-to-Bar
- 7 Hand Release Push-ups
- 8 Lunges, Alt. 4R/4L
- 9 Burp-over-Bar
- 10 Pull-ups
- 11 Thrusters
- 12 Clean & Jerks
Barbell: (RX 55/75#) (M55-59 45/65#) (M60+ 35/55#)
TWEET OF THE WEEK: Choose a path. Set milestones. Take a step. Then, another.
THE WEEK AHEAD: December Calendar & Newsletter
- December Focus: Deadlift (Primary). Overhead Squat (Secondary). HSPU & Rope Climb (Skills)
- Mon: Deadlifts. Metcon: Amrap 7m – 7 SDHP + 14 WB #75/55
- Tue: HSPU Skill. Metcon: 3RFT – 7/10c Airbike, 10 DB HSC, 8DB SPress #35/50
- Wed: TGU. Metcon: In 12min – Buy in: 800m Run, then amrap 12C2B Pull Ups, 200m Run
- Thu: OHS. Metcon: 4RFT – 12 SA DB OH Lunge + 40DUs
- Fri: 3RFT – 1000m Row, 5 Wall Walks, 200m SB Carry, 5 Snatches #95/135
- Sat: 12 Days Of Christmas!
- Sun: CLOSED
CRAIG’S LIST:
- PODCAST Joe Rogan with David Goggins #1906 – David is a former US Navy Seal and Ultra Endurance athlete. He is also an incredible motivator. He discusses his life, his past struggles, his incredible work ethic and his new book, “Never Finished: Unshackle Your Mind and Win the War Within.” Listening to Goggins will make you want to put on your shoes and go for a run or go to the gym – immediately.
- PODCAST: PRsAllDay – “CrossFit Saves Lives” – Coach Jamie Lee and I are getting better at getting to the point and, making it count. Check out our latest. And, catch us on Monday’s at 9AM on the @prsallday YouTube channel. Also available on Apple Podcast
- STUDY: More Exercise Linked To Less-Severe Covid-19 Outcomes – A Kaiser hospital study of nearly 200,000 adults showed an association between physical activity and improved COVID-19 outcomes across major demographic groups regardless of whether patients had chronic medical conditions. File this under: “I fng told you so.”
- ARTICLE: Growing Obesity Crisis Prompts CDC to Expand BMI Charts for Kids -“We need a bigger boat”… this is horrible news. Kids are so fat, the CDC had to make a bigger BMI chart. In 2018 (!!) more than 4.5 million children and teenagers had severe obesity. At what point will our Government take action on this?!
- ARTICLE/STUDY: Intermittent Fasting Completely Reverses Type 2 Diabetes – This is known by many MDs and nutrition experts I’ve spoken with, but it’s great to see it published. And estimated 35 million Americans have T2 Diabetes and another 95 million are pre-diabetic. In my experience, IF is the easiest method for creating a caloric deficit. And, when coupled with macro-nutrient management, IF works incredibly fast.
- LET’S DANCE!! Member Mackenzie Goodmanson & Partner Jake Haning – 2nd Place at the US Open Dance Championships – CrossFitter & Diablo member MacKenzie Goodmanson & her partner Jake Haning killed it at the US Open last month!
Make it an awesome week!
Craig
