Want Optimal Performance……Work on your Weakness!
Here's Rob Killing it at the CrossFit Total Saturday!
In order to be the best “all around” Athlete we need to work on being great at a lot and not phenominal in just one area. This usually entails working on the exercises we dislike or are not the best at the most often.
When I first started CrossFit, I did not have the luxury of working out at a box, so off to the globo gym I went. Everyday, I would go to several CrossFit websites and go through all the WOD’s till I found the one that I liked best; i.e the exercises that I really excelled in. I was getting a great workout, but I wasn’t working to my full potential.
Although I hate to admit this, even when we opened CrossFit in Sioux Falls I would skip the WOD’s that had weightlifting or any exercises that I felt I wasn’t good at or didn’t like. I was so focused on my times on the board and “getting bigger” that I stuck to what I was good at, and was not excelling. I was watching members all around me improving leaps and bounds, while I just sat back and stayed the same!
The moment that really opened my eyes was when I did my first pullup without a band! I was shocked and not only could I do it, but I did ten in a row! I didn’t want to sit back any longer so I started to lift more weight and I would come to every single WOD, whether I liked it or not! To my amazement, not only was I stronger, faster, and improving all around I even dropped weight ( so much for the myth that women who lift get bigger)! I have changed my focus and by doing this my times are better, I feel better about my workouts, and I am able to do things I never thought were possible for me to do!
The greatest accomplishment is to do a WOD with recommended weight, no bands, off your knees etc… and kill it!!! It is something that no one can take away from you!
So I challenge you CrossFitters to focus on improving in all areas, working on your weakness, and not picking and choosing. You will see tremendous results!!!
What weakness do you want to work on?
Written by:
Annie Mello
Today’s WOD:
cfsiouxfalls.com 
October 29, 2009 at 10:30 pm
Awesome post Annie! I “WOD Surf” too! I am definitely going to try to adopt your mentality. Now if I could somehow kick that cardio addiction thing…
October 30, 2009 at 2:36 am
Annie this is an awesome post. I don’t even know how to put it into words but I’m just so relieved that when there are days I’m feeling like this it’s good to know its a normal feeling and there are ways to work through t and use it to motivate you to work harder. Thanks for all you do!
October 30, 2009 at 3:13 am
Although box jumps and double unders can both kiss my rear…I’m giving deadlifts the nod here. I refuse to leave the next CF Total wanting to punt my deadlift form/performance.
October 30, 2009 at 4:10 pm
Great blog annie… I totally agree! I used to dread the WODs with any running in them. I HATED to run with a passion – until I realized that if I just kept walking I wasn’t going to get as much out of my WODs (both physically and mentally). Once I started running and really pushing myself I started realizing that even though I’m not great at it I don’t completly hate it and I can do it.
I do have to say though, I would still rather just do WOD’s with the things I like and that I’m good at: pull-ups, handstand push-ups, squats & ghd sit-ups.
October 30, 2009 at 5:24 pm
I did more WOD surfing so I knew how much food to put into me more than anything without it coming back up during the WOD! There are definitely the “luv” & “hate” WODs but I’ve found the more you concentrate on the “hate” ones for improvement, the easier they become.
My biggest weakness was weight above my head. After doing the program that Chris was talking about (and trust me…it’s not real pretty but I did it at home and hated every minute of it at first!) for 100 pushups in a row, I’ve noticed a HUGE improvement in my arm strength already to where push presses aren’t as bad now! Of course, now I have to stand yet another 2ft back from the serving line in volleyball now but it’s all for the good!
Awesome post, Annie!