Put your Protein Shake down, stop instagramming your favorite cross fitter and listen up... Some day you are going to die. Thats right, I said it; some day the breath will leave your lungs, your heart will stop beating, your consciousness (as we know it, respective to your education and spirituality) will cease and your body will begin its process of reverting into the same materials from which it was created. This description MAY have startled you, you may have a sinking feeling in your stomach, you may have FEAR. But as humans focused on the transcendence of body and spirit (otherwise known as Athletes) we must not settle with a feeling but rather deduce the cause of the FEAR, and really pinpoint why we view our eventual demise with such trepidation?
Dying is something that 21st century Americans really have grown accustomed to neglecting. Sickness, Trauma, and aging are things that we fight, avoid and psychologically block from our consciousness because it seems to distract us from the hustle we are on and the sense of enjoyment that we are taught to continuously seek. And yet the single greatest reason for fearing Death is REGRET. In this article I found in THE GUARDIAN it seems that the greatest risk our death poses to us is NOT the pain of death or the effects it may have on our loved ones, it is our REGRET for not living up to our potential.
So what is your potential... it is the subjective perspective we may have on our own lives and experiences. Your potential to be a great pilot, or an amazing dad, can be seen in the same light as your potential to lift 500# off the floor. Is it possible? Did we try? Was it really a priority? Your view of potential is intrinsically linked to how you view the way you live and not the impending doom of your death!
We as athletes need to be keenly aware that the process of physical development takes courage, pain, and time. The life you hope to leave behind is linked directly to how well you train, live, eat and love. Death is a massive end point to our modern theories on the cycle of human existence. So why does the fear of this end haunt us and at the same time we recoil when LIFE is present in front of us at all times, ready for the taking?
My theory is that Life takes training, just as we know from our time in the gym. If we are not Fearlessly harnessing the moment, crossing over barriers and overcoming challenges AT ALL TIMES, then we truly will "Fall to the Level of our Training". Ahhhh.... remember this quote? It is plastered on practically every Coaches office door and probably somewhere in your training journal. Training For Life takes time, pain and courage. There is training that can occur each day if you would simply just be conscious of it. Think of it like any training goal that you have ever had, back squat, handstand, whatever.. Each day you do that little bit of work to get you inches closer to your goal. But those inches dont come for free. You have to put in the work.
Living your fullest LIFE is training for a good Death. A death without regret. Without Fear. This is truly the hardest test you will be presented with and one with the greatest outcome if you put in the work. Think about it; if you were ALIVE every moment of your day, in full recognition of the lessons presented to you with each circumstance... WOW!
I have listened to enough stories of loss and seen how fragile and short our time is here to know the TOMORROW IS NOT GUARANTEED. Fear is primitive feeling, an emotion that has worked to guarantee the survival of our species. Fear has manipulated our conscious mind into believing that we need to absolutely function inside its parameters. Thus we Fear the truest Test of Existence, Living Life to it Fullest. So use these words to analyze your own interpretation of the afore mentioned question; Are you afraid of DYING, or Afraid you haven't LIVED enough? Let this question be your training tool in all aspects of your life. I will stand behind you no matter the outcome.
With Love and Life,
Eric
Programming Notes 9/10-9/14 ** This is week 3 of the Unilateral And Adductor work. Balancing the heavy out put each week can be a grind. If you are not recovering well on the weekends you go into Monday beat up. If you intend on doing 4-5 days this week make sure that you are performing not only the foam rolling and lacrosse ball work, but also good nutrition and sleep. Tuesday and Friday are your adductor work days.
9/10
Baseline:
5 Mins of Easy Rowing
Then, W/ PVC Pipe,
20 Good Mornings
20 Pass Thru
20 Front Squats (tempo)
20 Lateral Front Rack Lunges
20 Trunk Rotations
Clean Warm Up:
7 @ Each W/ Barbell
-Romanian Deadlift
-muscle Clean + Strict Press
-Hang Clean above knee + Front Squat
-Hang Clean Below Knee + Push Jerk
-Thruster
-Clean + Push Jerk
EMOM 8
3 Power Clean
3 Front Squat
3 Push Jerk
*spend 5 Mins building to a heavy load
*all 8 minutes with the same weight
WOD;
“DT”
5 Rounds For Time
12 Deadlift 155/115
9 Hang Power Clean
6 Shoulder TO Overhead
Cool Down:
Banded Hip Distraction
Lat Band Mobility
Elbow TO Instep Lunge
9/11
Baseline:
Roll Out IT band and Inner Thigh for 5 mins
3X
20 Cals On Bike
15 180 Degree Lunge walk
10 Divebomber Push Up
Unilateral Work Week 3:
Dumbbell Bulgarian Split Squat
2x5 @ Suitcase Carry
2x5 @ Front Rack Hold
*go Heavy On These .
*Ensure that the knee is not tracking too far over the toe when squatting and the heel always remains in direct contact with the ground
Conditioning:
4 Rounds of
:60 of Work X 3 Exercises (no Breaks)
:90 Rest Between Rounds
A- bike For Cals
B- Single Arm Dumbbell Squat Snatch 50/35
C- box Jump Overs 24/20
*alternate Arms as needed on the snatches
Cool Down:
Practice the Splits for 5 mins .
9/12
Baseline;
1K Row Row
3X
12 Squat Therapy
12 Deadbug Contralateral Reach
12 Diamond Push Ups
Core Work:
3X
:30 Superman Hold
:30 Ring Support Hold (Bottom)
WOD:
22 Min AMRAP
18 Thrusters 95/65
9 Ring Dips
18 Cal Row
9 Med Ball To Bar 14/10#
*med ball to bar, similar to a a toes to bar but you are going to grip a med ball between your feet . This will help you maintain a proper hollow body position in the kip and it HELPS STRENGTHEN YOUR ADDUCTORS>
9/13
Baseline:
Agility Warm Up @ 10m Each
High Knee Pull
Quad Pull
Squat 180 **stepping the leg high over hip, swing opposite leg to 180, squat
High Knees
Butt kickers
Marching High Kicks
Groiners
Straight leg shuffles
Fig 4 Drill
Lateral Shuffle
Carioca
Lateral Bounding
Sprint W/ Change of Direction
Shoulder Primer:
W/ Light Dumbbells 5-15#
20 Reverse Flys
20 Bent Scare Crows
20 See-Saw Press
20 Front Raises
20 Lateral Raises
Shoulder Stability:
Turkish Get Up X 20 (10 Each)
-Floor Press
-Arm Bar
-Sit Up
-swing leg Through
-Lunge Step Up
-Reverse in same order on the way down, DONT RUSH
WOD;
For Time
50 Push Ups
400m Run
35 Push Ups
400m Run
20 Push Ups
400m Run
Cool Down:
Lat Band Mobility
Bully Stretch
Scapula Distraction
9/14
Baseline:
4X :30 Each
-Double Under Cadence Drills (3/1, 2/2, 1/1)
-Side Lunges
-Mountain Climbers
- Barbell Back Rack Lunges
Lunge Flow:
-Ankle Rotations
-Hamstring Pulses
-Elbow to Instep + Reach
-Samson Lunge + Lateral Reach
-Pigeon Stretch
Pull Up Prep:
-Kip Swings
-chin Over Bar Hold
-Negative Pull Ups
-Jumping Pull Ups
-Kipping Chest TO bar
*Spend 5 Minutes Building Up Your back Squat From the Floor
WOD:
3 Rounds For Time
10 Back Squats 225/135 (preferably from he Floor)
20 Chest TO Bar Pull Ups
50 Double Unders
