The 11:45 firebreathers head out the door dragging some heavy sleds.
It's Mental Toughness Thursday and today we return to The Invictus Mindset to look at the 4th Pillar of Mental Toughness: arousal control. This really means controlling your nerves. We all have had the feeling of sweaty palms, butterflies in the stomach, sand in the veins, or generally just plan anxious and nervous. Well, there are methods to controlling those feelings. The Invictus Mindset states that, "Controlling your anxiety before major events is a delicate balance; top performers can neither be too excited nor too sedate before entering the competitive arena." Just like with every other mental toughness technique described in The Invictus Mindset, the 4th Pillar depends upon breath control and meditation. Controlling your breath by taking long slow exhales initiates the relaxation response. When you're super nervous or anxious, you need to relax just enough to control your stress, and you do this by taking 10 slow breaths. Another method of arousal control is taking a positive proud posture. Really! How you stand, your posture when you run, row, walk, etc. all affects how you feel. If you take a proud posture, chest-up, shoulders back, and eyes forward, your performance will follow. This is one reason why I insist that you stand tall and open up on your box jumps. It's why Coach Heidi cues you to sit tall at the catch when you row. It's why Coach James cues you to lean forward and keep your eyes up when you run. When you have a proud posture, your mind will follow suit. The 4th Pillar of Mental Toughness has one other new method, your focus. I don't mean focus with your eyes, but rather focus with your brain. So many times we fixate on the negative. Mentally tough people don't fixate, they focus on the positive. Fixating on the negative is the surest and fastest path to self-destruction. Change your focus to one positive aspect of your task, then another one, then the next one. Stay focused on the positive, stand with a proud posture and control your breathing. These three methods alone go a long way to developing mental toughness. However, if you combine them with all of The Invictus Mindest techniques I've been reviewing since April, you will be unstoppable. Good luck! Today's Workout Gymnastics pulling progression, then
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The 6 AM class grinds through dumbbell push presses.
It's Whole Life Wednesday and this week's healthy lifestyle challenge should be easy now that the weather is sunny and beautiful. Our challenge from today until next Wednesday is to play around with walking meditation. The instructions from the folks at the Whole Life Challenge are simple:
"Most of us underestimate the power of this basic form of human locomotion. It is good for our body in many ways — it strengthens everything from our feet to our hearts.
Today's Workout
Gymnastics pressing progressions, then  Thank you, everyone, who attend our third annual Memorial Day Murph. This was our biggest group of motivated badass men, women and kids who took on Murph. We appreciate your spirit!
Today we are recovering from Murph and/or our Memorial Day Weekend travels with a nice heavy barbell. If you need to burn off that Memorial Day BBQ then go as heavy as feels good. If you are recovering from Murph, go lighter than you think you should. Don't worry, we're going to hit it hard again later this week. Today's Workout Deadlift 10-5-3-1-1-1-3-5-10 Reps for load If you are new to CrossFit keep those middle sets triples instead of singles. If you are totally blown out from Murph, keep those middle sets triples in stead of singles. Enjoy! Today we honor Navy Lieutenant Michael Murphy, 29, of Patchogue, N.Y., who was killed in Afghanistan June 28th, 2005. Please remember, we have only one class today at 10:30 am.
LT. Michael P. Murphy (SEAL) was the officer-in-charge of a four-man SEAL element in support of Operation Red Wings, tasked with finding a key anti-coalition militia commander near Asadabad, Afghanistan. Shortly after inserting into the objective area, the SEALs were spotted by three goat herders who were initially detained and then released. It is believed the goat herders immediately reported the SEALs’ presence to Taliban fighters. A fierce gun battle ensued on the steep face of the mountain between the SEALs and a much larger enemy force. Despite the intensity of the firefight and suffering grave gunshot wounds himself, Murphy is credited with risking his own life to save the lives of his teammates. Murphy, intent on making contact with headquarters, but realizing this would be impossible in the extreme terrain where they were fighting, unhesitatingly and with complete disregard for his own life moved into the open, where he could gain a better position to transmit a call to get help for his men. Moving away from the protective mountain rocks, he knowingly exposed himself to increased enemy gunfire. This deliberate and heroic act deprived him of cover and made him a target for the enemy. While continuing to be fired upon, Murphy made contact with the SOF Quick Reaction Force at Bagram Air Base and requested assistance. He calmly provided his unit’s location and the size of the enemy force while requesting immediate support for his team. At one point, he was shot in the back causing him to drop the transmitter. Murphy picked it back up, completed the call and continued firing at the enemy who was closing in. Severely wounded, LT. Murphy returned to his cover position with his men and continued the battle. LT. Murphy fought on, allowing one member of his team (Marcus Luttrell) to escape, before he was killed. For his selfless actions, LT. Michael Murphy was posthumously awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor on October 27, 2007. This workout was one of Mike's favorites and he'd named it "Body Armor". On August 18, 2005, CrossFit HQ created the Murph Hero WOD in honor of the focused warrior and great American who wanted nothing more in life than to serve this great country and the beautiful people who make it what it is. Murph is the third Hero WOD CrossFit HQ created. Fair winds and following seas, Sir. Today's Workout Murph 1 mile run 100 pull-ups 200 push-ups 300 squats 1 mile run Partition the pull-ups, push-ups, and squats as needed. We recommend 20 rounds of 5 pull-ups, 10 push-ups, 15 squats. Lt. Murphy did this workout with a 20b flak jacket, if you have one, wear it. Scaling options are to do 1/4 or 1/2 of all distances and reps. We program Murph on Memorial Day to remind us that heroes exist. This workout is long, difficult, and intimidating. As you compete your version of Murph, remember the men and women who gave everything to serve our great country. All gave some and some gave all. Memorial Day is our day to remember those who gave all. |
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