We have all been there... well maybe not EVERYONE but I will say that every CrossFitter has been there. You check the workout for the next day and well... the workout sucks. Maybe it's a heavy weight that you aren't comfortable with, or maybe a gymnastics movement that you don't have down, and when the next day rolls around you are suddenly too busy to make it to the gym... weird how that works out.
Or maybe you program your own workouts and you are at the gym and everything is feeling difficult, so you trash that day's programming and go do something in your wheelhouse that you are comfortable with. Did you get in a good workout? Sure! But did you grow as an athlete... probably not.
How many mantras out there exist about how, "If it doesn't challenge you, it doesn't change you." Like probably a million? And there's a reason for that- it's literally because we need the constant reminder that getting out of our comfort zone is the only way we will ever see growth and progress. .
In the beginning of 2017 I started going to CrossFit Dana Point and working with my coach, Zak Kepner. The first couple of sessions we basically maxed out a bunch of different lifts because he wanted to see where I was at and to see how I moved (as any good coach would). We did a few of the more basic lifts first (back squat, front squat, deadlift, strict press, push press), and then we tore apart my clean and jerk, and then it was time to address the overhead lifts... I had been dreading this because while my other lifts are nothing to write home about, they are medium-ish and nothing I was embarrassed about.
Snatching and Overhead squatting I could not say the same.
Due to drastic shoulder mobility issues I couldn't get my arms locked out in the correct position, thus could not stabilize my core properly to complete any kind of overhead squat. Even doing the PVC pipe was difficult and ugly. Zak immediately saw this and started me on squat therapy (THIS). This SUCKED and was super humbling (nothing quite like falling on your ass multiple times in a row in front of your new coach with zero weight) but under my coaches orders I consistently did my "homework" of doing squat therapy 3-4 times a week and some shoulder mobility exercises.
In a few weeks I was able to overhead squat 65 pounds. A couple months after that I hit 95 pounds. And then just last week, I hit a PR of 130 pounds (almost bodyweight). So yeah, that's cool, but also, because we addressed the issue of my shoulder mobility, so many of my other lifts and movement patterns improved as well.
Now let me be clear, this is not to brag about what I have accomplished or to tell you that I have the best coach ever (but seriously, I have the best coach ever). My point in this story is that it was HARD and I HATED working on it. Even though it was just 10-15 minutes of my day, sometimes it felt like the worst part of my day. But enduring paid off. Getting out of my comfort zone and pushing my limits is what caused a permanent change in my body and mind.
Especially in CrossFit, we hear a lot about "training your weaknesses," but I think we really need to be honest with ourselves and analyze if we are in fact doing that. Change isn't comfortable. It takes time, effort, and sometimes blood, sweat and tears. It's all about taking the road less traveled and all those other mantras that you can stack on top of that.
So next time you notice a weakness, or you are really dreading a specific workout, take a deep breath, and embrace it. It's gonna suck. It's gonna be hard. But it's gonna be worth it.
Get on the bus.