[VIDEO] Four Years of Frustration

One of my biggest fears with this blog is to have my impact become diluted. The day I dread is the day that I say, “Listen up!” and you all are numb to it. This is one of those times that I need your attention.

I mean it when I say, “Listen up!”

Whether you’re a man or a woman, and regardless as to whether you have trouble with the following particular movements or not, I want you all to watch this video. It illustrates a journey that we all can relate to so well. Most videos on YouTube are highlight reels that convieniently exclude the work behind the scenes. This one does not. This video is four years of a regular girl’s God honest effort, dedication, and downright failure.

—

All of your frustration, the F-bombs, and tears.. All of that is part of the journey. No, I’m not letting you off the hook and telling you not to care and to welcome failure with open arms. I’m telling you it’s normal. This is hard. And, if you want it,  it will test your patience.

Logan Gelbrich

A gym of characters..

———————-

Wednesday’s Workout:

3 rounds for time of:
30 Squats
15 Hang Power Cleans (95/65)
5 Burpee Broad Jumps

Failure [Dan Estes – Guest Blog]

For me, last Saturday was a scary day. Seeing Danny in his “outfit” for the party Saturday night would shoot chills up and down anyone’s spine, but what I’m talking about is the feeling I got after finishing my goals. Like many of you, I went to the amazing goal setting workshop on Saturday at Zinque. I’ll be honest I was little skeptical because I have set goals for myself and relatively know what I want for my life. But this was different. This event forced me to actually write down specifically what I wanted for my life both in the near future and the distant future as well. This was hard. This was scary. I still feel a little scared and overwhelmed.

Make Sh*t Happen 2012

Why am I scared?

Well, I’m scared because I have to do the hard work to achieve those goals, but I’m also scared because what happens if I fail? What happens if I don’t attain my goals? You might laugh at me. You might judge me. Or worse yet I might judge myself. I might then see myself as failure. I would argue that every human being battles with the fear of failure. But I ask you, “Is failure really a bad thing?”

You see it’s all about perspective. For years and years I refused to step out on the court, ask a girl out, or even go to the gym because I was afraid to fail. However, it wasn’t until I was taught that failure is my greatest success, that I was able to put myself out there. Without failure I would never know what success was. Don’t get me wrong it sucks to fail, but when I consciously take my failures and turn them into motivators I have then defeated the demon inside me. I have to do this every time I try something, every time I “fail.”

I believe life is about the journey. These goals we set for ourselves are not destinations, but merely launching points on this journey we call life. From these points we launch ourselves to new heights, to new dimensions. Failure is not an option because if we strive hard, put one foot in front of the other, and do everything in our power to achieve what we set out to achieve the results do not matter.

—

With action come results. So, make the decision to be the best you can be each and everyday. “When someone makes a decision, he is really diving into a strong current that will carry him to places he had never dreamed of when he first made the decision.” (Paulo Coelho – The Alchemist) So, no matter what your goals are, no matter where you want your life to, dive into the current and let the journey be your guide.

Rotisserie Dan (Dan Estes)

————————————-

Thursday’s Workout:

5 Rounds for time of:
20 Front Rack Step Back Lunge (95/65)
20 Hollow Rocks
50m Sprint

Just a Blip on the Fitness Radar Screen

Macro and micro points of view are critical in their own right. Being able to toggle from macro and micro points of view is, by nature, known as scope. Scope then gives us perspective. I’d like to argue that our passion and lifestyle influence, though powerful, can give us blinders.  

Big Ben – Macro beauty!

An engineer who’s fully engaged on repairing the nuts and bolts of a gear mechanism in the bowls of London’s Palace of Westminster clock tower, known as Big Ben, has the perfect micro perspective. His point of view has respect, admiration, and understanding of the details of the most intricate of mechanisms of the structure. This view, however, is nearly interchangeable with that of any other piece of machinery. He could be looking under the hood of a car for all intents and purposes. His view of a loose bolt and rusty lever lack a great deal of scope considering his location.

Any of the countless tourists on the street down below, however, have the ideal macro perspective. They even take out their cameras to take photos of the magnificent entity that is Big Ben. The building is iconic and remarkable. To them it seems larger than life. For them, this perspective is important, especially to do such a historic landmark justice. Ask these observers about the loose bolt and rusty lever deep inside the clock face and they will respond with, “What bolt? What lever?”

You see a true understanding of Big Ben would share both a macro and a micro appreciation. I’d argue that as folks come and go in our fitness school, that a similar scope is critical.

Big Ben – Micro Perspective

For example, we ought to continue to celebrate someone’s incredible three months of transformation and improvement. There’s no doubt about that. Keep in mind, however, that life is much more than a three month trend. Three months for a 50 year old man or woman is 2% of his/her life. While we bury our noses in the work and commitment to life changing habits, I’d encourage enough macro perspective to see that this is a marathon.

Three months of fitness is just a blip on the radar screen over 5, 10, 20, or 40 years. Can you focus and devote yourself powerfully in the moment and have enough scope to see that it could all mean nothing just as quick?

A macro view is important. Furthermore, your ability to show up at a sustainable rate is critical. Look at your habits over decades. Evaluate your macro nutritional habits over a lifespan. You may just take more days off and eat a little more dark chocolate that way, especially if it means being in for the long haul.

See you at the top!

Lindsey takes on Crush Cancer (Culver CIty, CA)

 

Logan Gelbrich

———————

Complete the following for time:
100 Squats
50 KB Snatches (53/35)
100 Walking Lunges
** Every minute on the minute perform 5 burpees

 

 

Visualization: Bridging the Gap to Your Goals

It has been said that we will fail at the margins of our experience. With such a statement we can draw a couple conclusions:

1. Preparation opposes failure.
2. Experience is extremely valuable.
3. If you find yourself in a situation you haven’t been before, the chances for failure are higher.

This holds true for most folks, whether you’re in the work place or fighting for our freedom overseas. The same is true for those of us that have sport as a career, too. Never given a keynote speech before? The odds are against you on that first one, my friend. How about a marathon runner from Los Angeles who has signed up for an event at altitude in Colorado? She is already set up for more failure than those with altitude training under their belt. 

But, what if our goals include things that are beyond the realm of our experience? How can we bridge the gap?

Enter: Visualization.

Utilizing visualization is a tool of unmeasurable value. It’s how high performance individuals accomplish incredible feats at margins of their experience. For example, if one hasn’t really “been there before,” but they’ve visualized themselves as such then, in many ways, they have had experience in the situation, albeit a simulation. And through visualization, the gap between experience and one’s ideal reality shrinks.

Kobe Bryant has seen himself winning the 2013 NBA Championship many times over. He’s taken the final shot, too. He’s seen it and it hasn’t happened yet. When he gets the ball with 3 seconds on the clock months from now, however, it won’t be the first time.

You’ve got to see it to believe it. Can you see your future?

Logan Gelbrich

———————-

Wednesday’s Workout:

AMRAP 20
1 Deadlift (60% 1 RM)
5 Push Ups
10 KB Swings
15 Squats

REQUIRED: Everything

Consider relating a gregarious feat like accomplishing a life goal to a drag race. As the driver, the goal is obviously to win the race. Many components contribute to achieving this feat, however, including speed, resistance, timing, investment in the car, practice, etc.

Like most lofty life goals, the drag race is anyone’s game. What makes winning drag races and earning corner offices difficult is the competition. You aren’t alone in the world. And, as long as others also want the things you want, you’re going to have to fight for it.

How, then, does one separate from the pack?

Big success takes the whole pie.

The trouble is there’s always someone who’ll give everything they’ve got to win, whether it’s a weekend drag race or the VP position with the corner office. If, for example, you send your dragster careening down the line with your thoughts on another race, or you’re light on the gas pedal due to fear, chances are at least one other driver is more focused and is willing to go full throttle.

As the end goal’s stakes are raised, so does the need for commitment. For example, if your goal is for your  garage band to play a live show, then practicing when you “have time” may well suffice because the local talent show accepts volunteer acts. If your goal is to play a sold out show at Madison Square Garden, however, you’ll need to devote your life to practice to have just the slightest chance of accomplishing the goal.

I see countless people every single day that want big things in their life. Most of them, however, are distracted and afraid to step on the gas. If you’re dreaming big, you’ve got to devote 100% of your being to your ideal outcome to even have a shot. As long as you’re giving something other than your best, you’re giving your dreams to those that are willing to give it all.

“All you can do is all that you can do. And, that’s always enough.”

Logan Gelbrich

——————–

In 12 minutes:
Run 1200m
20 Back Squats (95/65)
10 Front Squats
AMRAP Overhead Squats

Smiling at Failure

I am 30 years old and I’m not claiming to know a lot, but I do know a few things.  I know that I fail all the time, even with the best of intentions and maximal effort.  It is just one of those things that is inevitable.  I am ok with that.  I have had really bad days, and had amazingly good days.  I have had really bad months and really good ones.  I have watched friends and family go through the highest points in their lives and also the lowest points in their lives.  Some of these things were caused by failures, and some by unfortunate circumstances out of our control.

Sunshine on his shoulders.

I want to speak about very simple failures in our day to day lives, because I believe that the small ones magnify and lead to the larger ones.  Let’s take one workout, for example.  There will be a few reps that you or I will miss, or maybe you come in with a slower time than you anticipated.  I will be the first to say that I get pissed when this happens.  My self talk will sound something like, “You Idiot, I can’t believe you missed that rep.”  Many times some four letter expletive will follow with a stomp,  kick, or grunt.

I specifically remember this happening the other day on a pistol (one-legged squat) attempt, which is movement that I am awful at performing.  I decided it would be a good idea to kick a barbell with plates loaded on it.  Well… that hurt.  Then, I continued on in the workout.

I thought about this event later and made a decision.  Did it really matter that I missed that pistol?  Was this Game 7 of the World Series, bottom of the ninth, 2 outs?  Absolutely not.  What good did it do to be hard on myself?  That is an easy answer… None.  From that day on, when I miss a rep (have a small failure), I am going to smile.  The one thing that is more powerful than any negative feeling is a genuine smile.  And to be honest even if it doesn’t feel completely genuine at that moment of small failure, I am better for making the attempt, and that is plenty reason to smile.

So, I encourage you to spend some time smiling. Bring them with you to class. You might just need one or two.  One of the best quotes I have ever read is below.  I wish that I could meet the person that wrote this and give them credit, and a big cheeser smile, of course.

“Every day you spend without a smile, is a lost day.” -Anonymous

Cheers to no lost days!

Danny Lesslie

——————–

Saturday’s Workout:

Hang Power Clean
5-5-3-3-1-1

What I Know About Baseball & Life

I was asked by the wonderful people at BreakingMuscle.com to write this piece. They asked if there was anything I could right about that I took away from my experience as someone who caught baseball for a living. Boy, is there more where this came from!

—————–

Baseball, like life, is an every day job. There is less of the feeling of “Friday Night Lights” in baseball than in nearly any sport, but life doesn’t feel like that either. That’s why I think Americans have such a heartfelt connection with baseball. Football and basketball are exciting sports, but most folks can’t relate. When it’s considered normal for best player in baseball to go 0-4 with two strike outs, people recognize the egalitarian nature of who can play and the unavoidable truths of good days and bad days. It’s the American dream. In baseball, anyone can make it as long as they work hard and have a little luck.

 I was always an exceptional student, but any lesson I’ve ever learned with some serious, life altering substance came from the game of baseball. As long as I can remember, I set out to be a professional baseball player and boy did I sign up for a wild ride.

Catcher: Leader/Idiot

 As a hitter, to master the game of baseball means to have success just 30% of the time. Immediately, there is an unavoidable battle with failure built right into the foundation of the game. On top of that, baseball is a very experiential sport. To master it is to be very specialized. Sure, athleticism helps but even I will admit one need not be a great athlete to be a great baseball player. Running track or playing soccer, for example, is worth less for one’s ability to have success in baseball than nearly any sport. As they say about athletes trying to learn baseball, “You can’t steal first base.”

 So far, we’ve outlined that playing baseball, by nature guarantees, at the very least, a ton of failure. Also, getting good at the sport requires a lot of skill development that cannot be acquired outside playing the game. Therefore, to be good one must endure thousands and thousands of seemingly negative experiences to make progress in the sport. Soon, players begin a selection process that looks like a giant funnel from lots of players playing little league and tee ball, to fractions of a percent of those playing professionally. Most of this weeding process, however, has much more to do that the intangibles of the sport than the physical skills like who can hit, field, run, throw, and catch.

 Could you devote hours a day, nearly every day of the year, for a decade or more to experience stretches of failure like an 0 for 20 streak? Going 0 for 20 in the commercial real estate business would mean losing your job. Try shooting 0 for 20 from the field in the NBA. You might as well turn your jersey in before the buzzer even sounds.

Alex Rodriguez gets paid $25 million dollars a year and will have streaks of failure like this multiple times in a single season. His thoughts? “I don’t worry about it,” Rodriguez said. “I always look at baseball like the stock market. You don’t look at it every day. When it’s a good stock, after a long season, it’s going to be there.”

 What does A-Rod perceive his “stock” to be? “Google,” he says. 

Couch...err...palmtree stretch?

 That is the biggest lesson of all. Masters of the game of baseball have a characteristic that masters of the game of life often share. They are process oriented and ferocious in their preparation, but they waste no time with that which they cannot control. The Petri dish of baseball tests this skill as good as anything I’ve ever seen. These skills, of course, have incredible relevance in the real world.

We all want results, regardless of your task, career, desire, etc. We all want performance. The funny thing is that success is scalable. One million hours of work may result in fame and fortune for me, but one million hours of work may result in failure for you and visa versa. There are too many uncontrollable to say, “If you do A,B, and C you will get X” in any given arena. Life throws us slumps and challenges we could never expect, just like baseball.

 So, what do we do? The hard part is that the best way to get results is to focus on the process, not the result. It’s like playing Black Jack. You can play the game by the book and mathematically create the biggest advantage possible, but when you’re down $2000 in 10-minutes, your emotions creep in. This is where “hitting” when you’ve got 18 happens out of frustration or desperation. Major Leaguers always play the book. It’s how they got there. They are masters of the plan, even when they are 0 for 20.

 A common stereotype of baseball players is that they are arrogant. I won’t disagree. I’d like to defend this stereotype in that it takes something like arrogance to have enough dignity to expect success when recent history, public opinion, and even the odds say otherwise.

 Whether you ever played little league or not, I think we all can relate to the good days and bad days life has to offer. Anyone and everyone could benefit from the skills taught in the classroom that is the baseball field. Results are largely out of our control. The process is. Working the process increases one’s chances of success; nothing more, nothing less. Control what you can and always step up to the plate like you’re 20 for your last 20. 

 

Logan Gelbrich

——————–

Friday’s Workout:

“Bear Complex”

Five 7 rounds efforts of:

1 Power Clean

1 Front Squat

1 Push Press

1 Back Squat

1 Press

*Athletes may take as much time between efforts as necessary.