Leaders and followers

 So between having a baby, trying to get into paramedic school and training I haven't posted in a long time. I am sorry. I know that you all have been missing the rantings of a crazy person, namely myself. Well guess what? Im back bitches!!!!

I wanted to write a post about leaders and followers. We all at some point in our lives have fallen into both of these categories. Nobody walks into a new environment and immediately becomes the new leader of that group. And if you stick around a place long enough you will become one of the leaders of the pack. Now this happens for a couple reasons.

1. People come into an environment and they immediately look to those that have been around longer 

    than other people. (fake leaders thrive on this and I will explain why later)

2. People come into an environment they look around and they recognize the people that know what 

    they are doing. (in a gym environment it's the people that are strong, or move properly, or exhibit 

    knowledge about training techniques) Game recognizes game.

3. Some people are natural born leaders and can get people to walk through fire for them with just a 

    look. Think Abraham Lincoln. 

Numbers 2 and 3 are leaders because they have demonstrated to people qualities that they appreciate and want to emulate. "That guy is strong, I want to be strong too. I'm going to do what he does." Some leaders encapsulate all three qualities or a combination of them. 

Now let's discuss "fake" leaders or those people that think because they've been around for a while that means they are a leader. We all have known these people at some point, they held onto a job for 20 years and they think that means they have the right to look down on the new person. All that is, is insecurity. All they have is that job and they are going to make themselves feel like a big shot by treating you like dirt. Generally it becomes clear within about 4 seconds that they are full of shit.

I spend most of my time at Crossfit Littleton so I mainly want to talk about "fake" leaders in the gym. These people, just like that asshole at work, have been around forever and think that means as a new member you are required to look up to them. Which naturally happens we all look to senior people when entering a new environment and these people thrive on it. Just like McAsshat at work it quickly becomes apparent that these "senior members" are full of shit and couldn't squat their way out of a paper sack. They walk around and chit chat during the warm up, if they are criticized on their technique they look around like they have smelled something bad, and then they bad mouth the coaches.  I have no problem being bad mouthed by member Shitty McSquat but when they start being rude to the people in class that are trying to get better and don't buy into their bullshit that's where I draw the line. Just because you've been around for 5 min. longer than the next guy doesn't give you the right to look down on them or give them advice. If someone asks you for advice, fine. But don't walk around and tell people what they are doing wrong. It makes you look like an asshole, mainly because if you do this you are one.

We strive for an environment that welcomes everyone I will train or hang out with anybody. So long as they aren't an asshole or one of those fake leaders. I don't care if you can squat a truck or can't sit down on the toilet if you own who you are we can have beers together. I can not stand people that feel like they are entitled to something. That's exactly what fake leaders do, they feel entitled to your respect or admiration. Well guess what both of those things are earned not just given. You want people to admire and respect you than admire and respect them. And for God's sake.......

LEARN HOW TO SQUAT!!!!!!!

Motivation to stay in shape

I know I haven't posted in quite a while. I've been pretty busy lately but I thought I would post a video on some reasons to stay in shape. Enjoy!! p.s. Do not watch this mom you will be upset with me.



Knowing your numbers

So last week, at Crossfit Littleton we had a workout that was Back Squat 5x2 at 85% of your 1RM. Most of the people in my classes that morning had no idea what their 1RM was. This initially pissed me off and irritated me because it made me think that those people didn't care enough to document their 1RM. But then I realized, it's because we as coaches have not forced you to do a true one rep max. We push your limits and force you guys to do "One more round!" in every single met-con workout you've ever done. But we haven't pushed you to do "Five more pounds!" in a strength component ever. We tell you to do a 5RM and then we will figure it out based on a mathematical equation we've stolen off the Internet. This equation gives us a "theoretical" 1RM. Guess what? Theories don't lift shit! Equations can tell me all day long that I should be able to pick up X amount of weight but until I take that shit and put it over my head it doesn't mean a damn thing! We  have in the past been hesitant about having you guys test your 1RM because of the inherent dangers involved. While it's true that maxing out on a lift can cause injury, if the athlete has a base level of strength and skill required to move the load then maxing out is just fine. On the programming I'm following it seems like we max out twice a week. Not in the same lift, but we spend alot of time working in the maximal effort zone. Again we spend time in that zone every single met-con workout why not give that same effort during the strength component? It's just as important as the met-con.


It's important to know what your 1RM is because the programming we are doing at the gym these days uses a formula much like the one that was done on Saturday. Take a percentage of your 1RM and use that to complete the prescribed number of sets and reps. This style of training is
a.) more fun than just adding five pounds to your last lift and b.) more effective for developing the strength and power we are looking for. Especially for those athletes that are looking to be competitive. All things being equal stronger wins. Now for those of you reading this thinking "Well I don't give a crap about being strong, I just want to be good at Crossfit..."
Number 1. Shame on you
Number 2. Why the hell are you reading this blog?
Number 3. Think about this. I have two athletes. Athlete X and Athlete Y. Athlete X has a 1 RM push jerk of 235 lbs. Athlete Y has a 1 RM push jerk of 185 lbs. Athletes X and Y come in to the gym and look at the white board the WOD is:

AMRAP 12 min.

3 push jerks (155 lb)

200 m run

15 situps

Athlete X thinks "Sweet I'm gonna crush this one." Athlete Y thinks "Shit this one's gonna crush me" Get the picture? Now please don't misunderstand, I'm not saying to abandon the met-cons and do all strength training. We as a gym have a lot of athletes that have developed the capacity side of their training because they want to get better at the WOD's. We have very few that have developed the strength side of their training. I take the blame in this because as a coach I haven't put my foot down and said "We need more strength training." I slunk away and lifted my weights quietly in the corner by myself. But lately a few other folks have taken up the battle cry and we are seeing more strength components to the training. All I ask of you guys as clients is to not duck these workouts but come in fired up and hit them with the same intensity that you do the met-cons. Now let's get lifting!!

Coach



I've been thinking recently about what it means to be a coach. Webster's first definition of the word coach describes modes of transportation (a coach drawn by horses). Doesn't really describe what I do however the second definition got me thinking.

2 [from the concept that the tutor conveys the student through examinations]

• a) a private tutor
• b) one who instructs or trains, especially: one who instructs players in the fundamentals of a competitive sport and directs team strategy.

Some of the most influential people I've ever known were my coaches. I still use phrases today that my Pee Wee football coach, Coach Shelton, used to say. For instance I told Brinkman yesterday I was going to eat his lunch. If you talk to anybody that went to Heritage High School they will tell you how much Coach Barron meant to them over the years. I didn't go to Heritage but I am very good friends with Coach Barron's son, and have known Coach Barron for nearly a decade and even though he didn't coach me I refer to him as Coach. He's earned that title in my eyes. This may be a biased opinion but I feel that we hold the term coach closer than the term trainer. I had trainers growing up and they didn't mean nearly as much to me as my coaches did. I will work much harder for a coach than I will a trainer.

Now that being said in order to be a coach you have to have athletes. A trainer has clients, a coach has athletes. I view myself as a coach therefore any of you that "work" for me, because that's what you do when you step foot into my class, are athletes. I don't care if you couldn't catch a football to save your life or hit the broadside of a barn with a baseball, if you work for me you're an athlete. The sooner we come to that understanding the sooner we can get back to work. That brings me to my next point if you come to my class and expect to chit chat and fart around you better think again. By coming to my class you have asked me to make you better. And that's what I'm going to do....PERIOD. If you want to discuss your feelings and how so and so at work upset you Bally's is right down the street enjoy your time on the eliptical. You guys are paying too much money to expect less than my best as a coach and that means I expect nothing less than your best as an athlete. When you go to your job, if you half ass it, you will get called on it. The same goes for the gym if you're not there to work stay the hell home. It's insulting to me as a coach and to the other athletes in the class when someone pussy foots around and doesn't give their all. We have a very short window in time in which we will be able to do this stuff and if you don't take full advantage of it than move on and get out of the way. Because someone else needs the time that I'm wasting on you.

Chappy WTH are you doing?!

I have gotten a few questions lately about my own training/programming. So I thought I would give you guys the skinny on what I am doing. It's pretty simple.

 I have been following the crossfit football professional level programming for the last few months. I don't always follow the daily wod but I am religious about hitting my lifts. Today I set a new PR on the Hang Power Clean of 240 lbs. That's 70 lbs. more than I weigh. Last week I hit a 175 lb. power snatch also a PR. This programming is legit. John Welbourn is LEGIT! On this program we lift Mon-Tue/Thur-Fri.

Like I said earlier I don't always do the daily wod as John prescribes but I do hit a metcon wod. My very basic programming template for metcons is this. Mon-Tue/Thu-Fri are short intense heavy metcons. 10 min or less. Saturday is a longer metcon usually in the 15-20 min range.

My rest days are Wed. and Sun. Sometimes on Wednesday I will do some skill work or train jiujitsu with my good friend Ian Starr. Ian is also the man that validated this training for me by telling me how angry he was about how strong I was getting. He, consequently is also now following the CFFB programming and is getting stupid strong as well.  Sundays I am usually so crushed from the week that I can't do anything except eat and rest. In addition to the programming I am also taking a new pre and post workout supplement. I am working on a video to show case these which I will post up later in the week.

SQUATS

The squat is a fundamental human movement. Before modern times we squatted to do everything. When hunting, men would squat on their haunches while waiting for prey. While gathering women would squat to pick up vegetables or whatever they picked up during gathering. If you had to take a dump you didn't do it on a porcelain throne that you can fall down onto, you squatted down, defecated and then got back to hunting or gathering. Somewhere along the line we became creatures of comfort and with these comforts we forgot how to squat. Even with the "health explosion" of the 1980's instead of squatting we invented machines to help us develop our legs. Let's talk about some of these pieces of furniture. I call them furniture because if you're trying to get strong all they are good for is keeping you from rolling around on the floor after you've demolished yourself and set a new 5 rm. Leg extension machines.....joke! Leg curl machines......ridiculous! Leg press machines......in theory an adequate idea but still not even in the same ball park with a true full range of motion (ROM) squat. Oh and let's not forget my personal favorite the Smith Machine. This little piece of gym furniture uses a counter balance system to help you squat!!! WTH!! Little tip for you if you need a counter balance to assist you in standing up after you've squatted THE WEIGHT'S TOO HEAVY FOR YOUR PUDGY BUTT!! When I trained at big box gyms and dudes would get off the Smith Machine and then brag about how much they had squatted it was all I could do to not A.) Puke  and B.) take them over to the Smith Machine and smash them repeatedly in the face with that counter balanced bar. Which in retrospect wouldn't have caused nearly enough damage. But I digress...

Hopefully I made my point. If you aren't squatting regularly you should be. It doesn't matter which style of squatting you choose. Front, back, overhead, air, during olympic lifts you just need to be squatting. When you squat, squat to full depth, crease of the hip below the top of the knee. It does you no good to squat 400 lbs in a partial ROM. Forget what your high school coach told you it's actually better for your knees to squat to full depth. Your knee is designed to pivot like that and like anything else if you don't use it you will lose it. If you are squatting but aren't squatting to depth you need to check your ego, lighten the load and start hitting the full ROM. If you tell me you have a 400 lb. back squat but you only squat to partial depth I'm going to tell you you're full of crap. Anybody can unrack the weight bend their knee and then say I just squatted, the truth of the matter is you didn't homeboy.

Don't get caught up in what everybody else is doing. If you aren't squatting because "I can't do as much as everybody else" Get over yourself, nobody cares how much you can or can't squat. It's like the saying goes "Those that matter don't mind, and those that mind can go F**k themselves" or something like that. If you want to be stronger, faster, and healthier squat. Plain and simple.

The Zombies won't have much trouble with these guys.