I think Bill’s face sums up yesterday’s workout.
“What we usually consider as impossible are simply engineering problems… there’s no law of physics preventing them.” – Michio Kaku, physicist and co-founder of string field theory.
Whole Life Challenge Day 12: 5 Tools to Inspire and Engage Your Community. This is a good article. The first point is particularly interesting.
1. Points Are About Participation, Not Perfection (Think about your “score” on a workout. No one should short range of motion on an exercise to get a faster time. The same concept applies to a nutrition challenge.)
There are points to be earned during the Challenge. It’s what makes it fun, helps with accountability and gives people something to compare their results to. Just like you measure your miles run each week, the pounds on your barbell, or the time of your CrossFit workout.
However, points have their dark side. Focusing on “points” alone can make people do anything to earn them. In the context of the Challenge, this shows up as people skipping meals when they have nothing WLC compliant in the house, exercising at 11:45pm just to earn their points, chugging water right before bed, or stretching while driving to work (yes, that is a safety issue – don’t even think about it!).
Points for points sake isn’t the point (how’s that for a good point!). What I mean by that is trying to win just for winning’s sake, whether it’s in the Challenge, at work, or with your family. As a leader, a more successful strategy would be to participate all-out, do your best, and make choices that allow you to live your life fully. Show by example that you’re okay losing points when it allows you to fully participate in the meaningful events in your life. Show your team that winning isn’t the most important thing, and that you’re not going to do ten minutes of push ups at 11:50pm just to get a perfect score.
It’s fine if you’re willing to go the extra mile once in awhile to make that habit a part of your life, but if your behavior is too out of the ordinary, then it won’t be sustainable. And let’s face it, push ups at midnight is not sustainable!
2. Be Human
Perfection is the enemy of progress. No one is perfect. Not me either. And it does a disservice to the members of your team when you only show your best side. Not only do you want to show your teammates it’s okay to lose points, literal or otherwise, but you want to be real in your communications about it. Find out the rest of the tools.
Warmup
Jump Rope 3 minutes
10 Minutes: Movement Flow
Downdog Walk, Frog Hop, Lateral Ape Walk
Reverse Downdog Walk, Reverse Frog Hop, Lateral Monkey Walk
Try doing a few reps of one movement and then switching immediately into a different pattern seamlessly. Start slowly and as you practice increase the speed. Be mindful to use correct form as you play with flowing from one animal to the next. Try to keep moving for the entire 10 minutes.
Skill
10 Minutes Handstand Practice
L4 – Practice Cartwheel to Face the Wall Handstand AND try FTW Handstand to Somersault: just like the crow/roll drill last week, tuck your head and roll out of the handstand at the wall; then continue practicing sub-maximal sets of handstand push-ups (not facing the wall, NO KIPPING) AND practice freestanding HS on the turf
L3 – 60 second hold, then HSPU partials or negatives AND practice freestanding HS on the turf
L2 – accumulate 60 seconds total time in handstand hold, pike push-ups with feet on tire or box
L0/1 – practice kicking up to the wall, pike push-ups
***ALL LEVELS: Between sets of HSPU/pikes, practice the HOLLOW/ARCH drill 2-3x
Lift
5 x 4
Press @ 80%
Levels 0/1
5 x 5
Single Arm Kettlebell Press
Conditioning
“Anamnesis”
10 Minute Limit ALL Levels
Levels 3/4
3 Rounds AFAP
60 Double Unders (L3 – 30)
10 KB Clean and Push Press R (L4 – 24/18, L3 – 22/16)
10 KB Clean and Push Press L
Level 2
3 Rounds AFAP
180 Single Unders OR 30 Double Unders
10 KB Clean and Push Press R (20/14)
10 KB Clean and Push Press L
Levels 0/1
5 Rounds AFAP
Jump Rope 60 Seconds
5 KB Clean and Push Press R
5 KB Clean and Push Press L