For the members walking through the doors at CrossFit Farmland, they have chosen to trust our knowledge, experience, and ability to raise them safely into the ranks of "Firebreather"(or at least nearly to their genetic potential).
The problem with choice is that there are so many choices we take for granted things that once were an all consuming decision...
The story goes as follows,
First workout is FREE! "I guess I'll go what can I lose?"
First day of Build-Up class "Am I the most out of shape person here? I'll stick it out for the month but I can always quit after that."
First Day of Group class "Holy smokes this is tough, I'm fine not doing all of it as RX'd"
First day after completing RX of anything "It's about time!"
and so on..
until the day comes where the value of the effort is outweighed by the numbers on the whiteboard. Which, unfortunately, is happening a lot.
We measure in CrossFit. Standards for movements ensure that when we put a couplet to the clock of kettlebell swings and burpees the time we get when finished is a measurement of our work capacity on that given day. It does not measure your character, your rationale, your reason. It doesn't make you smarter, or appear sexier, or make your manhood hang any lower. It is a tool that when used correctly, under proper perception, can illuminate exactly what CrossFit is so good at doing... making you better across broad time, modal, and age domains.
A single pound added to your deadlift, or a single second off of your FRAN time indicates to the athlete that they are getting better. That is the reward. The ability to do more with less. The transfer of that ability to life is universal in the sense that we are all going to die, we are only here for a limited time-span, and in this time we want the most out of it as we can possibly squeeze. The effort, however, is not the person. And forgetting that we chose this path will sooner or later become a toxin in the athletes mind.
Whether you write RX next to your name or not, almost as important as our ability to choose to pursue this lifestyle of ever-increasing capacities, it is important to remember why we chose to take the first step at all. To be more, to be better, faster, stronger - in the gym and life. But is it the end-all? Nah.
You can leave the path at any time and never again have to be disappointed with an effort.
until the day comes where the value of the effort is outweighed by the numbers on the whiteboard. Which, unfortunately, is happening a lot.
We measure in CrossFit. Standards for movements ensure that when we put a couplet to the clock of kettlebell swings and burpees the time we get when finished is a measurement of our work capacity on that given day. It does not measure your character, your rationale, your reason. It doesn't make you smarter, or appear sexier, or make your manhood hang any lower. It is a tool that when used correctly, under proper perception, can illuminate exactly what CrossFit is so good at doing... making you better across broad time, modal, and age domains.
A single pound added to your deadlift, or a single second off of your FRAN time indicates to the athlete that they are getting better. That is the reward. The ability to do more with less. The transfer of that ability to life is universal in the sense that we are all going to die, we are only here for a limited time-span, and in this time we want the most out of it as we can possibly squeeze. The effort, however, is not the person. And forgetting that we chose this path will sooner or later become a toxin in the athletes mind.
Whether you write RX next to your name or not, almost as important as our ability to choose to pursue this lifestyle of ever-increasing capacities, it is important to remember why we chose to take the first step at all. To be more, to be better, faster, stronger - in the gym and life. But is it the end-all? Nah.
You can leave the path at any time and never again have to be disappointed with an effort.
If you are not happy here and now, you never will be. ~Taisen Deshimaru
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