There is a blessing in every curse! What I mean by this is that there is an upside to having a blog that virtually noone reads. It means that I actually get away with writing some really outrageous stuff! So I thought I'd just walk the thin line and share some thoughts I have on the CrossFit community!
Before moving on, I just have to come clean and admit that I love the CrossFit community and feel blessed to be a part of it. This however does not mean that I am not capable of taking a step back and looking at who we are and what we do with my eyes wide open. here we go!
You are perfect!
Like most all of us I regularly find myself on all kinds of social media looking at pictures, and film of some of the most amazing athletes in our community. I watch people do things we all thought were impossible a few years back, and I am beginning to realize that there really are no limits to what we can do! We are getting better at everything from gymnastics to weightlifting, and everything in between.
I love watching this and celebrate the fact that these feats open the doors of what we thought possible to others, and helps redefine what you should ask of your trainers, coaches but also your box or gym! A lot of the things we were getting kicked out of gym for doing a few years are now commonplace in the very same places! I think this is n no small part due to the impact of our community, and the fact that we so freely share our endeavors on easily accessible media platforms - and for that I am grateful!
So if we are doing all that then what seems to be the problem? Well I am not sure that there is a problem, but I am wondering if we are also promoting a picture of fitness that leads people to think that it is perfectly normal to be absolutely shredded, and anyone who is not is by default not fit!?
I have lately encountered a number of people (I may have encountered them before, but not thought about it?) who honestly state that they feel insecure about themselves because they are not shredded of all bodily fat, and look like the people they are see online every day. These are people who work out 3 -5 times a week, eat fairly healthy and are fit by all standards I can think of!
So what could possibly have gotten them to think that they are not fit, and planted an idea of what they should look like in order to be considered fit? The answer is right there in the entries on Facebook, Instagram, bloggs, websites etc.
I am not saying that we should hide these fantastic athletes, or the fact that they have been able to stick to a diet that most of us could not abide by from 0800h - 1200h - but what I am saying is that we should probably try to have a healthier discussion about whether this is really normal, or if we are looking at some end state athletes and the physical attributes that come from the commitment they have made?
I think that a dialogue like that would help clear the fog from the eyes of these people who are bashing themselves and feeling uncomfortable in their own skin, because they have gotten the wrong picture to start with? Looking like an end state athlete is desirable, but is it normal?
I would be easy to sit back and say that this is their own fault, and that there is nothing we can do. But just as we engage in charity to help those who are not as fortunate as we are are and have found themselves in a situation where they need a hand to make it! I think it is only fair that we get involved in planting the seed to some healthier definitions of what a fit person looks like?
This may all sound very confusing, but I think you all know where I am going with this!
What do you think?
Wishing you all a great day
måndag 16 september 2013
onsdag 11 september 2013
I dont need a PB!
Hi guys!
It is funny how long it takes for me to actually follow the advice I give to others! I have heard myself say to others for the longest time that they have to strive towards improving their mechanics before they begin striving towards adding weight to their PB's! The thought being that we are trying to increase the ability to move weight and ourselves in an efficient manner - before we begin trying to push the boundaries of how much weight we can put on the bar!
This is also why I am not particularly interested in what 1 rep max the athletes I coach have. I am however interested in their 3-5 rep max! The capacity to actually work with a weight will help you more as a crossfitter than an insane 1 rep max capacity and no ability to string good reps together!
The funny thing is that I have not listened to this fantastic insight when it comes to my own training! I have chased ever increasing weights in every workout that had a strength component, and felt an ever increasing frustration that I have not been adding substantial amounts of weight to my lifts!
Now that I have realized that I have neglected to pay attention to my own advice, I have decide to stop paying attention to the weight on the bar, and instead focus on improving my technique! First and foremost result of this is that I am happier and much more focused in my workouts! I have a clear goal in my workouts, and the stress of putting up bigger numbers is gone! When I can manage a weight with solid mechanics I will allow myself to move on to a heavier weight, but until then I am content to improve my technique!
I honestly think that this is the way forward for me - do you think it would work for you?
much love
It is funny how long it takes for me to actually follow the advice I give to others! I have heard myself say to others for the longest time that they have to strive towards improving their mechanics before they begin striving towards adding weight to their PB's! The thought being that we are trying to increase the ability to move weight and ourselves in an efficient manner - before we begin trying to push the boundaries of how much weight we can put on the bar!
This is also why I am not particularly interested in what 1 rep max the athletes I coach have. I am however interested in their 3-5 rep max! The capacity to actually work with a weight will help you more as a crossfitter than an insane 1 rep max capacity and no ability to string good reps together!
The funny thing is that I have not listened to this fantastic insight when it comes to my own training! I have chased ever increasing weights in every workout that had a strength component, and felt an ever increasing frustration that I have not been adding substantial amounts of weight to my lifts!
Now that I have realized that I have neglected to pay attention to my own advice, I have decide to stop paying attention to the weight on the bar, and instead focus on improving my technique! First and foremost result of this is that I am happier and much more focused in my workouts! I have a clear goal in my workouts, and the stress of putting up bigger numbers is gone! When I can manage a weight with solid mechanics I will allow myself to move on to a heavier weight, but until then I am content to improve my technique!
I honestly think that this is the way forward for me - do you think it would work for you?
much love
fredag 6 september 2013
Rest day!
Yesterday was a rest day, so I did just that! I rested!
I often get the question about rest days and whether this means complete rest or if you should try to get some movement in? Should this be interpreted as active recovery or not?
My answer is quite simple really! Rest days means that this is where you have the chance to recuperate both mentally and physically. Depending on your physical status, you can either choose to rest completely and spend a day on the couch, watching the grass grow, and if you are smart about your time management - maybe spend some time preparing your meals for the next few days!
Another alternative is to spend your day on active-recovery! This means that you get on the bike and grind out some miles in a speed that will allow you to have a somewhat intelligent conversation with someone else at the same time. You may also choose to go to the beach or pool and get some laps! The point being that you do whatever activity you choose at an intensity that will allow you to actually recover from the workouts that have proceeded this day!
Rest days are meant to get you ready to be at a point where you can pour your heart into the work you have ahead of you. The quality of your workouts depends on how recovered you are! If you are not recovered you do not just risk getting injured (a fact that rarely deters anyone from working out anymore) you are also making sure that you get less out of your workouts if you are not well rested! So the advice from an old fart is to actually rest - whatever that means to you!
Who Should to what?
This is what really sucks! You have to figure this out yourself! You have to find out what is right for you, you have to try both and find out what works best for you? Is it the couch approach or is it the airdyne approach?
Here is where is gets really tricky! You have to decide every time you get to a rest day. You have to know your body well enough to know if you are at a point where active recovery makes sense, or at a point where you rest completely, maybe even make an appointment and go get a massage?
So the question is what do you do on your rest days and how do you know what is right for you?
Much love
I often get the question about rest days and whether this means complete rest or if you should try to get some movement in? Should this be interpreted as active recovery or not?
My answer is quite simple really! Rest days means that this is where you have the chance to recuperate both mentally and physically. Depending on your physical status, you can either choose to rest completely and spend a day on the couch, watching the grass grow, and if you are smart about your time management - maybe spend some time preparing your meals for the next few days!
This is my restday
Rest days are meant to get you ready to be at a point where you can pour your heart into the work you have ahead of you. The quality of your workouts depends on how recovered you are! If you are not recovered you do not just risk getting injured (a fact that rarely deters anyone from working out anymore) you are also making sure that you get less out of your workouts if you are not well rested! So the advice from an old fart is to actually rest - whatever that means to you!
Who Should to what?
This is what really sucks! You have to figure this out yourself! You have to find out what is right for you, you have to try both and find out what works best for you? Is it the couch approach or is it the airdyne approach?
Here is where is gets really tricky! You have to decide every time you get to a rest day. You have to know your body well enough to know if you are at a point where active recovery makes sense, or at a point where you rest completely, maybe even make an appointment and go get a massage?
So the question is what do you do on your rest days and how do you know what is right for you?
Much love
onsdag 4 september 2013
Back from the track!
Before I go on and get into to detail about the horrible experience I had at the track today, I have to address the question of why I don't blog everyday!
To me a blog is like a tattoo You get it because you want it, and because you want to express something. It is yours and an expression of who you are! It is not a place that you have to fill with content in order to make others happy - it is a place you fill with content because it makes you happy. This leads us to an interesting place where you will find that I will blog on a fairly regular bass because Ill have something to share:-) What a mind job huh!
Todays WoD was an interesting little piece of work. It consisted of 5 rounds of:
400m sprint
15 KBS @ 24
15 goblet squats @ 24
15 burpees
- 3 min rest between rounds
I honestly thought I would be able to keep each round at approx 4 min - but I soon realized that there was no way to keep that kind of tempo today! The result is below:
1: 4:41
2: 4:06
3: 4:20
4: 5:21
5: 5:02
This was interesting because I actually felt really good on the first 3 rounds. I was playing with different techniques on the run, and how it affected my ability to perform once I got back to the KB. Obviously round 2 was the best, rounds 1 and 3 not so much! But then something happened! It
could be the fact that it was mid day and 22 degrees centigrade outside, and I had made my way to the track without any water! Or it is just the fact that this is all I have got?? This remains to be seen.
The fact is that I died right there and then between round 3-4! It felt like I was running through mud on the 4th round! The rest was all good, but the run was an absolute killer! The sensation was the same in the last round but I decided to try to power through it anyhow!
A really cool WoD, and I definitely need this kind of work:-)
Obama in town!
President Obama is in town and as a consequence more or less all of Stockholm is closed down. Virtually every social media platform is flooded by people who feel sorry for themselves because their commute to and from work takes longer than they are used to, or whatever inconvenience they happen to experience!
I am honestly baffled by the lack of perspective from all of us! Sure it is inconvenient that we have to spend more time in traffic, or maybe even miss a workout! But what really stands out to me is that we are spending somewhere in the neighborhood of 165 million SEK on this visit. Money that I am sure could have been spent better on taking care of our elders, teachers, Schools, hospitals etc. you see where I am going with this!
Obama is more than welcome here, and there is always a cost associated with these visits - but this has lost all proportions!
I wish you a fantastic day in the sun, and hope that you take the opportunity to appreciate and tell someone that you care for, just how special they are!
Much love
To me a blog is like a tattoo You get it because you want it, and because you want to express something. It is yours and an expression of who you are! It is not a place that you have to fill with content in order to make others happy - it is a place you fill with content because it makes you happy. This leads us to an interesting place where you will find that I will blog on a fairly regular bass because Ill have something to share:-) What a mind job huh!
Todays WoD was an interesting little piece of work. It consisted of 5 rounds of:
400m sprint
15 KBS @ 24
15 goblet squats @ 24
15 burpees
- 3 min rest between rounds
I honestly thought I would be able to keep each round at approx 4 min - but I soon realized that there was no way to keep that kind of tempo today! The result is below:
1: 4:41
2: 4:06
3: 4:20
4: 5:21
5: 5:02
This was interesting because I actually felt really good on the first 3 rounds. I was playing with different techniques on the run, and how it affected my ability to perform once I got back to the KB. Obviously round 2 was the best, rounds 1 and 3 not so much! But then something happened! It
The fact is that I died right there and then between round 3-4! It felt like I was running through mud on the 4th round! The rest was all good, but the run was an absolute killer! The sensation was the same in the last round but I decided to try to power through it anyhow!
A really cool WoD, and I definitely need this kind of work:-)
Obama in town!
President Obama is in town and as a consequence more or less all of Stockholm is closed down. Virtually every social media platform is flooded by people who feel sorry for themselves because their commute to and from work takes longer than they are used to, or whatever inconvenience they happen to experience!
I am honestly baffled by the lack of perspective from all of us! Sure it is inconvenient that we have to spend more time in traffic, or maybe even miss a workout! But what really stands out to me is that we are spending somewhere in the neighborhood of 165 million SEK on this visit. Money that I am sure could have been spent better on taking care of our elders, teachers, Schools, hospitals etc. you see where I am going with this!
Obama is more than welcome here, and there is always a cost associated with these visits - but this has lost all proportions!
I wish you a fantastic day in the sun, and hope that you take the opportunity to appreciate and tell someone that you care for, just how special they are!
Much love
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