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Overcoming Feelings Of Failure

When it comes to fitness, feelings of failure can be one of the biggest barriers to progress. Confidence and fitness go hand in hand. When you work out, you feel more confident. When you feel confident, your workouts are better. But if you lose your confidence, for whatever reason, it can be hard to get it back. Overcoming feelings of failure about your fitness is challenging, but can be done.

Why are you feeling failure?

An important step to overcoming feelings of failure is to identify where these thoughts come from. For many people, they might feel like a failure because of insecurity around their level of fitness. Or maybe, you feel bad that you struggle to find time to get to the gym when it seems like everyone else is always working out. Negative feelings can be triggered by almost anything.

Even total fitness junkies sometimes feel like failures too, though. If you’re a gym rat and you’re there 6 days a week, you might find yourself getting frustrated when you hit a plateau. You could be feeling down and wondering why it just doesn’t seem like you’re progressing when everyone else is smashing new records every week.

No matter whether you’re a total beginner or a fitness nerd, there’s a common driving force behind feelings of failure: comparisons. In the hyper-connected world we live in, full of social media and fitness influencers, we’re constantly comparing ourselves to others

If you’re struggling with an aspect of your fitness journey, the last thing you want to see is videos and pictures of others showing off their ripped abs or boasting about their latest fitness achievements.

Overcoming feelings of failure 

First of all, stop comparing yourself to others. This might mean unfollowing fitness influencers, or putting a little distance between yourself and your most competitive friends. It can be hard, but remember that your fitness has little or nothing to do with anyone else’s.

Focus on your own why. Take some time to think about why you’re doing this. Hopefully, you have some internal fitness goals as well as external. Physical goals are great, but mental and emotional goals will keep you driven for longer.

Then, try to put your feelings of failure into perspective. Your insecurity is likely triggered by what’s only a minor setback on a long journey. Comparing yourself to others and feeling like a failure won’t make any difference to achieving the goal in the end. Your journey towards your goals is an individual venture, and the pace doesn’t matter – just enjoy the journey.

Using negative feelings to drive success 

Okay, so you feel better. You know it’s just a little setback, and you can keep moving forward. But before you totally forget about these feelings of failure, think about if they can be of value. Failure, and feelings of failure, can hold important lessons.

Experience is the best teacher. So, if you’re feeling like a failure because your deadlift isn’t improving, think about why. Maybe it’s because you aren’t eating enough, so you aren’t building enough muscle. 

Use these feelings of failure to motivate you to work more calories and protein into your diet. Any time your motivation drops in the future, remember the feelings of failure you feel now. Use the memory to drive you towards success.

Remember that on any venture, whether related to business, fitness, or anything else, failure is an inherent part of it. You’ll always experience setbacks of some description. The setbacks don’t matter. What matters is how you deal with them.

Don’t forget that fitness is meant to make you feel good

At the end of the day, a fit and healthy lifestyle is meant to make you feel good. If you’re experiencing chronic feelings of failure, you should re-evaluate your routine. Maybe you need to be less hard on yourself. Maybe you need to turn to your family and friends for support, or take a break from the gym. 

The longer you let your negative thoughts run wild, the harder overcoming feelings of failure becomes. Be kind to others, and yourself.

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CrossFit Community: 5 Benefits For Your Fitness

Throughout all of recorded history, humans have thrived the most when they are a valued part of a community that is important to them. We are naturally social creatures and enjoy feeling a sense of belonging a community gives. Many people love spending time with people from their church, their parents’ group or colleagues. In modern times, sports teams and other fitness groups are some of the most popular communities. The CrossFit community is one of the most well-known and celebrated social fitness groups. 

A recent study in the academic journal Leisure Sciences found that CrossFit members had a far greater sense of community than members of other sports groups. Further, the higher the sense of community people felt, the more they motivated they were to go work out. 

The group setting and social vibe of the box is one of the best features of CrossFit, and has amazing benefits both socially and for physical fitness. 

Here are our top five favorite things about the CrossFit community

1. A healthy sense of competition

At a CrossFit gym, there’s always going to be someone fitter, faster, stronger, and generally better than you. Many people find this very motivating. You can see your potential, and you want to be as fit as them. Plus, you can befriend this person. You can always ask CrossFit veterans for tips and advice on how they got to  their level. They’re not just there to motivate you, but to help you out on your fitness journey when you need it. 

2. A high energy environment

If you’ve ever gone for a solo run in a secluded, quiet area, you probably know how hard it can be to motivate yourself to get into the workout. However, when you show up to a CrossFit gym, you’ll find a group of people buzzing with excitement for the day’s workout. This energy is perfect for helping you get your head in the game. Chatting with others with similar goals is energizing and helps you stay in the best mindset to smash your workout.

3. You’ve always got someone cheering you on

The CrossFit community is famous for being super supportive. Everyone was in the newbie’s position at some point. They know how it feels and they want to make you feel comfortable and supported. You’ll be amazed at how much easier it is to push yourself past what you thought were your limits when you’ve got others cheering you on. 

4. Accountability 

Once you become a familiar face at CrossFit, people will notice if you don’t show up. When you just go to the gym, you won’t really face any consequences if you miss a day. If you miss a day of CrossFit then the next time you go, people will be asking where you were at, and maybe hassling you a little for missing a workout. Although it can sometimes feel a little annoying, this accountability is very valuable for staying on track on your fitness journey.

5. You can make lifelong friends

Many people find that making friends as an adult can be pretty hard. Outside of school or work, it can be hard to get to know people. However, the CrossFit community can help you to meet people with similar goals and values to yourself. You’ll find that many people at CrossFit are siblings, spouses or friends. There’s often birthdays or other events that the members celebrate together. It’s quite easy to form meaningful relationships through CrossFit, which is always a nice experience.

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How To Keep A Positive Mindset

I’m sure you’ve been told before how important it is to keep a positive mindset in all areas of life. And it is true: there are many benefits to positivity. These include stronger relationships, better mental resilience, more energy, higher self esteem, and many more. Positive thinking can be one of the cheapest and most effective supplements to help you both in the gym and outside of it.

An optimistic mindset is an important part of a fitness journey. At Buffalo Nickel CrossFit, we strongly believe that fitness isn’t all about the physical. Fitness and health is a holistic concept. A truly healthy lifestyle includes having a healthy body and mind. Because the body and mind’s levels of wellness are closely connected, keeping a positive mindset will lead to great results in the gym.

How Does Optimism Impact Our Fitness?

Research suggests that there is a strong link between a positive mindset and its effect on wellness. Many of these benefits relate to exercise. Positive messaging and self confidence helps you push yourself to go harder in the gym. Plus, it helps you maintain a more accurate awareness of your progress.

So, that all sounds great. Even so, we all have rough days where we don’t feel motivated. It can be hard to magically conjure up a positive outlook. Sometimes we hit a frustrating plateau, or our weight seems to stagnate, or it’s really rainy and we just can’t be bothered getting into the gym. Keeping a positive mindset can be really hard. So how can we do it?

Try Motivating Affirmations And Constructive Self-Talk

Your self talk is your internal dialogue. Your inner self might be critical and negative, or it might be positive and kind. If it’s in the latter category, you’re likely to experience far greater results in the gym and in every area of your life. 

Although consistent positive self-talk is really important, affirmations before or during a workout are a great way to bring up your levels of positivity. Here are some great workout affirmations for you to try.

  • “I am strong, I am powerful, and I will finish this workout.”
  • “I feel strong, alive and alert.”
  • “My body can handle anything, I just have to convince my mind.”
  • “I am my best athletic self today.”
  • “I am a better athlete for working out today.”
  • “A little bit of pain is good, it is a reminder that I’m doing a good job and it’s making me stronger.”

There are so many inspiring workout affirmations and quotes. Find the ones that work for you and set it as your phone lock screen, as an alarm on your phone reminding you to go work out, or just hold it in your mind.

Other Tips To Keep A Positive Mindset

  • Workout in a way you enjoy. If your workout involves running on a treadmill for an hour, five days a week, you’ll probably get bored very quickly. One of the best things about CrossFit is the variation. We combine group fitness, weightlifting, gymnastics, and many more. This is a great way to keep engaged with your fitness.
  • Check in with your stream of self talk. Try setting an alarm on your phone for every couple of hours. When it goes off, think about your inner monologue and what you’re saying to yourself. Are you being kind and encouraging to yourself? If not, challenge these thoughts. As you get used to this style of mindfulness, it will get easier to evaluate your self talk and make sure it’s constructive. This practice is much like cognitive behavioral therapy, and can be a valuable way to keep a positive mindset.
  • Track your progress. Take before and after photos of yourself, and keep a workout log – whether an app or on paper. When you leave it up to your brain, it can be hard to see your body change. Seeing hard evidence of yourself making progress is a great way to keep a positive mindset.
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Finding Your CrossFit Tribe

It has been said that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time around. During the pandemic, Buffalo Nickel CrossFit has honestly been incredibly blessed compared to other fitness centers locally, and especially nationally. Gyms were forced to shut down all over the country. Peloton stock was skyrocketing. Rogue, Vulcan, Repfitness were sold out of all and any fitness equipment. People were selling their first-borns in exchange for bikes and kayaks. And while we aren’t through the woods just yet, we know that people miss their CrossFit tribe.

Seth Godin says: One of the most powerful of our survival mechanisms is to be part of a tribe, to contribute to (and take from) a group of like-minded people. We are drawn to leaders and to their ideas, and we can’t resist the rush of belonging and the thrill of the new.

With the pandemic continuing on, people are looking for “their” people. The book clubs, the religious gatherings, the gym family. People miss seeing their friends smile without a mask. They miss being able to high five, shake hands and embrace their tribe, CrossFit tribe or otherwise. In essence, they miss the personal experience Zoom can’t replicate.

There is a difference when you are there in person. The buzz of energy, the sounds of controlled chaos, your tribe pushing you when you didn’t think you could run faster. It feels different: more unique and appreciated when in person. This is something a computer screen will never be able to replicate.

We all know this isn’t over yet, and the world outside is seemingly falling apart. But here you can find your people, and the camaraderie of that tribe pulling for you to succeed. Workouts at 5 AM don’t seem nearly as early when surrounded by your tribe.

There’s something indescribable and special about a group of people that suffer and sweat together. 

Why a CrossFit tribe, or any tribe, is important

  • Life will have its difficult times. You will fail. You will make mistakes. A tribe can help support you in these tough times.
  • There will be things that you don’t want to do (but you need to do). You’re going to need people to believe in and push you, more than you are capable of at those moments.
  • The tribe are people that care about what you have to say. Surround yourself with people you love. It makes life a little less daunting.

You need a tribe, go find yours.

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Why To (Maybe) Stop Using A Scale

The picture on the left was me somewhere in the winter of 2015/2016 and I weighed 225 pounds. The picture on the right is me in August of 2020 and I have no idea what I weigh. Here is a little about my personal weight gain and weight loss story, and my decision to stop using a scale.

I started CrossFit when I was 23 and weighed right at 170 lbs. At the start, I would weigh myself religiously. I had a little muscle mass, mostly from high-school sports, and working physical labor jobs. I could crush body weight movements, as well as anything cardio. But when any substantial weight was added to a workout I struggled. This was difficult for me to handle, I had always been physically capable and never really struggled with exercise. But, CrossFit has a special way of humbling anyone who participates.

I was obsessed with the scale

My eating habits didn’t help things. I have discussed this previously which you can find here. Intermittent fasting, along with a strict paleo diet, left me wiped out after my workouts and unable to gain any real strength. During this time, I had only gained about 5 lbs of muscle. So after about 6 months of CrossFit, my goal became to gain weight and lift heavy. So I started eating, A LOT!  

I have never measured my caloric intake but here is an idea of how many calories I would take in. At the time I was working on Sundays. Before I went to work I would usually eat a lunch or two. I would also pack some food to snack on at work. Typically, it was grilled chicken, rice, eggs, a couple apples, 2 green smoothies, and a 2 lb bag of clementines. While at work I would also get a burrito from Chipotle, and then go to Smashburger where I would have a burger, fries/haystack onions, and a milkshake. When I got home I would have a couple of bowls of cereal, and usually some ice cream or donuts before going to bed.

Well I did gain weight and the weights I was moving went up. I quickly hit 190 lbs. Then 200 lbs. I got to 215 pretty easily, but my goal was to weigh 225 lbs. It was a struggle to make it to 225. I ate until I felt like throwing up, then I would sit down and let my stomach settle for about 30 minutes. Every day, usually multiple times a day, I would weight myself. I was obsessed with my weight. And I simply could not stop using a scale.

As you can tell, the 225 pounds was not a healthy life for me. While my weightlifting had increased, my cardio was abysmal. My life in general was a struggle. Walking up stairs or a hill at work had me winded. Bending over to tie my shoes had me holding my breath and trying to move my gut out of the way. My clothes started to get very tight. But I still weighed myself. Hitting 225 was nice. I reached my goal! But my body and certain aspects of my life were different. It left me looking for change.  

I decided 225 was the turnaround point for me, and that I needed to lose weight. I wanted to get back to looking good and being able to perform all movements well. In a few months, I dropped from 225 to 185. And still I checked the scale every day. 185 left me feeling weak in my lifts, and with little muscle endurance.  

Why I decided to stop using a scale

Over the years I have fluctuated between 185 and 200, but where I feel best at is 190 to 195. I can move enough weight for an athlete of my caliber, but my cardio and body weight movements still feel strong and fluid. About a year ago I decided to stop using a scale. I have an idea of what I weigh only because I have weighed myself so many times in the past. 

Now I am not concentrating on the number the scale gives me. I am concentrating on being happy and enjoying all aspects of my life. Obviously, health and fitness is a major part of my life. Feeling good and operating well in my workouts makes me happy and at peace. Another big part of my life though is food, and enjoying it with my family and friends. Being able to do so without worrying if the scale will change by even a pound makes me happy.

Can a scale be helpful in our health and fitness journeys? Of course it can, but it shouldn’t be the end all be all. The scale is like a photograph. It captures a split second of your life. Sometimes that second is good, other times it’s not so good. But that second doesn’t determine anything else. 

You might find it helpful to stop using a scale and stop worrying about the numbers. Worry instead about how many people you make a positive impact on in a day. Your life will be much happier that way.   

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Growth: How To Embrace Discomfort

Starting anything new is exciting. Stepping out of our comfort zone, the sense of adventure, not knowing what lies ahead. However it is also difficult to do. Yes, our routine is a safe and familiar place to be. It provides such solace that oftentimes people won’t give it up, even if deep down they hate it. As they say, better the devil you know than the devil you don’t. But, maybe there’s something to be said about learning to embrace discomfort.

Making the decision to be healthier is fun and it’s exciting. It can be a little intimidating, and there is a good chance you will feel very uncomfortable at first. We all know excessive poor eating habits and too little physical exercise isn’t good for us. Everyone knows drinking 5 pops a day and eating foods loaded with salt, bad fats, or sugars is unhealthy. But that’s our comfort area, we have conditioned ourselves. If you can attach to something, you can detach. Growth requires some sacrifice, and this may mean we need to embrace the discomfort that comes along with this.

Making sacrifices for the sake of change

For generations our comfort zone served humans well. It protected us, it still does. Our comfort zone is our safe zone. But growth is more than safety. To change and grow you have to sacrifice. Sacrifice: that’s the cost of admission. And everyone who starts down the path of growth has to pay admission. 

The most challenging sacrifice is giving up who we are for who we can become. What will friends/family think of me? What if I fail, or look stupid? How will I survive without my (insert your own security blanket here)? How much of an inconvenience will this be to my daily life? 

These and more are all questions that probably run through our minds when debating that initial step into discomfort. From personal experience I can tell you when I started Buffalo Nickel CrossFit I asked myself these questions. When I left my full time job I asked myself these questions again. And probably a million times in between the two experiences. I’m sure I will ask myself these questions a million times more before I leave this life.

Learn to celebrate and embrace discomfort

My advice: stop stepping into discomfort and start leaping into it. Embrace discomfort with open arms. Yes, it’s scary. You might get hurt, embarrassed, you might fail, you might lose “friends”. A lot can happen. But more than likely you will survive and prosper. Also, I promise you two things:

  1. You will have to pay the sacrifice admission.
  2. You will learn that comfort zone you loved so much was actually holding you back from being happy with your life.

So whether or not you have taken that leap or you are still trying to jump over that imaginary comfort zone line just know you can make it. 

You will be uncomfortable for awhile, everyone is. We have all been that new person stepping into the box for the first time. We have all felt like idiots trying to learn the snatch. We have all fallen during a box jump. But everyone in that box has also stayed with it. They have made the choice to grind it out, they have made the choice to grow.  

Like Albert Einstein said, I must be willing to give up what I am in order to become what I will be.

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What Makes A Good Athlete?

There are several features that make a good athlete. And they’re certainly not all about physical fitness. Since we are a CrossFit box, we will mostly be talking about those who are members of a box/follow the CrossFit methodology. But personally I believe this applies to all fitness avenues.

First, being a member of a box automatically classifies you as an athlete in my book. Doesn’t matter if you have never been to a competition, and you may not ever want to. That’s fine. You are an athlete because you compete against others daily. When you come to the box and see the WOD, you are already deciding how you are going to attack it to give you the best results. Then you complete that WOD with others trying to beat you and you trying to beat them. That is competition – plain and simple.

However, you can be more than just an athlete. You can be a good athlete.

Coaches like good athletes

I don’t mean those with the fastest times, or heaviest weights. I mean those athletes who put effort in. 

They show up, they pay attention. They put effort in both in and out of the gym, they respect their limits, and they work towards their goals. 

Long before CrossFit was my job, it was my hobby. But before that, health and fitness was a hobby of mine. I enjoy spending time, effort, and money on CrossFit. 

Over the years of this being my hobby, I have learned that athletes like coaches have a responsibility. Athletes must take ownership of their training, not because they owe it to the coach or the box but they owe it to themselves. So what responsibilities do athletes have?

Making time in their schedule to workout

I get it, life sometimes happens and makes it hard to workout. 

But if you want to improve your health, or maintain your fitness you might have to make certain sacrifices. 

Waking up early, or telling your friend dinner will just need to be at 7 instead of 6 so that you can workout is not the end of the world. It’s important to prioritize working out.

Deciding what food to eat or not eat makes a good athlete

If I told you there was a magic pill that could make you healthier, fitter, feel better during and after your workouts, improve your sleep, help make you happier, get rid of a large amount of medications, and give you the body you have always dreamed of, you would without a doubt pop that pill. 

Guess what, that pill exists. It is food.

Making the proper choices, along with sleep and exercise, will give you that dream body.

Knowing which weights to use and when to scale back the intensity

Everyone wants to Rx a metcon, lift heavy weights, or get the most reps. But learning and knowing when that is good and when it is bad is important. 

Now, of course as a new athlete, you won’t know or have an idea. This is when it is your coaches responsibility. But after a while it becomes your responsibility.

If you know your 3 rep max thruster weight is 115 lbs, attempting Kalsu Rx isn’t smart and in fact it can be dangerous. I think I speak for all coaches when I say they would much rather you scale back and not get hurt than go Rx and hurt yourself or lose the stimulus of the WOD.

Providing proper and accurate feedback to the coach makes a good athlete

I try to make sure and ask all of my athletes how they feel before or during the warm-up. I also try to ask them how their lifts are feeling and then I even check after the metcon to see how it was for them.

I am sure they hate it, but it allows me to determine if something should be modified that day or in the future. My responsibility as a coach is to coach, the only way I can do that effectively is to have feedback.

Good athletes listen to their bodies

Some days are tough. You’re sore, you ate a whole large pizza by yourself the night before. You didn’t sleep well. Work is stressing you out. You have an injury that is not healed yet.

No one knows your body as well as you.

Pain is how your body communicates with you. There is strength in being able to push past the uncomfortable WODs but there is a different strength in being able to know when your body has had enough. Listen to your body.

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The Ugly Side of CrossFit

Last night, a member left what is written below near my stuff as I coached. The member who left this piece, The Ugly Side Of CrossFit, is one of Buffalo Nickel CrossFit’s founding members.

Becki and I met years ago, and when I opened Buffalo Nickel CrossFit she was there to support us. She has always been a friend and a great member. She always keeps the gym laughing with her good mood and hilarious sense of humor.  

Everyone has an image in their heads of a person that does CrossFit. Most times this image is highly exaggerated. Most people that enjoy CrossFit are just normal people. CrossFit is not a sport to them, it is how they get and or stay in shape. 

Becki does a much more artful telling than me, and she has given me permission to share what she wrote, so I will just let you read it for yourself.

The Ugly Side of CrossFit

Every time you think or look up CrossFit, you see beautiful bodies, that’s the beautiful side of CrossFit.

Now let’s look at the other side. To me, CrossFit means strength, courage, friendship, sweat & confidence. Not all CrossFit athletes are in their 20s with beautiful bodies. A lot of us are older, overweight, depressed, lost in who/what we are. Desperate to find something to save us from our broken-ness. That’s where CrossFit found me. 

We walk in terrified, feeling stupid, ugly, fat, incompetent, out of place. Then you do your first warm up. Almost die, but you keep going.

You’re seeing these “amazing athletes” with all their beauty and strength doing these lifts and movements.  All the time you’re standing with a piece of PVC.  Lost as ever. Not realizing these people started just like us!

Now the hard work starts.

You’re learning, trying.

Pulling, pushing yourself further than you ever imagined you could.

The whole time pulling your shirt down trying to cover your fat.

Shame, sweat, read faced, and out of breath.

But then it’s over. You did it! It sucked and hurt. You know you won’t be able to move tomorrow. But you don’t care, because you did it! 

You faced your fear and embarrassment, and did it.

So when I hear CrossFit, that’s what I think about. Not the beautiful looking finished product. I think about the beautifully broken men and women desperately looking for a place to fit in.  

No shame.

No judgement. Just a group of broken people. Trying to better themselves together.

So yes, CrossFit can be confusing and overwhelming. But trust the process and know, we won’t all turn out to be these amazing beautiful athletes.  

And I am perfectly okay with that. 

-Becki

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Find Your Motivation

CrossFit is hard work. It’s important to find your motivation – your why. You need to have a reason to get up and go to class every day. If you have a reason to cling to that’s personal to you, you’ll thrive so much more than you would otherwise.

I still remember my very first CrossFit class. I had just turned 24. For a long time, I had no interest in CrossFit. But one day, I realized the routine I had been doing was not working. So, I decided to give it a try.

I walked in and was surprised by who I saw. A pot bellied man in his 40s or 50s, a skinny kid who looked about 12, and a mom that looked like she had never worked out a day in her life. I’ll be honest, I looked at them and thought “If they are doing CrossFit, how hard can it be”?  I was quickly and aggressively humbled…

I don’t remember the WOD, probably due to lack of oxygen to my brain. But, I do remember feeling like my heart was going to explode. My muscles were about to give out and my lungs were burning so bad that I couldn’t stop coughing. I looked around and the three people I had previously thought were easy competition were lapping me. They were beating me so bad it made it look like I was standing still.

I assumed these people must have been doing CrossFit for a few months, so I asked. No one there had been doing CrossFit for more than 2 weeks! Humility slapped me again. A 24 year old who had played sports and worked out for his whole life couldn’t hang with middle aged adults and a pre-teen! It was a wake up call. I instantly became committed to this new lifestyle.

Starting vs. finishing

As many have before me and as many have since that day, I started. But here is the thing, starting is easy. Anyone, literally ANYONE can start something. And yes, starting new things takes courage and it is impressive to see people start down the road of self improvement. But, I have learned that becoming strong enough to go through trials and tribulations is much more impressive than starting.

A lot of people want to lose weight, get stronger, work out a little bit, or whatever their goal might be. And many of those people start down that road. They try it out for a few days, weeks, maybe even months. But then an obstacle pops up. Maybe they tweak their back, their work schedule changes, they take a couple weeks off which turns into a couple months. Eventually, they end up quitting all together.

Guess what. Given enough time, adversity comes for everyone. Life steps in front of everyone’s goal. Your goal might be to get in shape, or have a family, earn a million dollars, or restore a car. It does not matter what it is, but you will have to stay committed if you want to finish

And the further down the road to your dream you go, the further that finish line gets. You will reach checkpoints, but the finish line you originally pictured is a false peak. You have to keep pushing.

Many times in my CrossFit career both as a member and as an owner that finish line has moved on me.

Fail, cry, rest, or break down

If you want to succeed, you need to take quit out of your vocabulary. Seriously, do not even let it enter your mind. 

There can be no quitting if you want to reach your goal. You might fail, you might break down and cry. You might need to rest, you might need to seek out help. All of these are fine and, if you have worked towards your goal long enough, all of these will happen.  

The only thing not allowed is quitting. If you need to slow down from a sprint to a walk that’s okay. If you need to stop and catch your breath, okay. But you will continue forward, there is no turning back. 

You just have to realize pushing towards your goal is the only way. It won’t be easy. There will be tough challenges and situations that make you rethink your goal. But you must find your motivation, your why, and hold onto it.

My why helps me when I have had surgery, an injury or wasn’t sure if the business would make it. I remember my why and it drives me to not give up.

Find your motivation

To find your motivation, think to yourself: WHY am I doing this? Let it come to you.

Everyone’s why is different. Some people want to be the best, and win gold. Others want to be the top earner in a company. Maybe they just want to lose a certain amount of weight. Maybe they want to provide a great life for their kids. Some people have people relying on them to accomplish this goal, and their why drives them to it. 

Your why is that internal motivation. It is what makes it possible to keep going when you are tired or broken. Your why is what tells you to keep going even when you physically and mentally feel like you have given all. Your why isn’t mental, or physical, or logical…it is pure emotion. You can’t always rely on the physical, mental, or logical avenues. Why?

On the road to achievement you can’t let logic tell you what to do. Because logic will rationalize quitting. Logic will allow you to give up, and tell you it’s okay that you didn’t accomplish what you set out to do. Emotion will push your limits beyond what you logically or physically or mentally knew was possible. Your why is an ace up your sleeve. No one and nothing can take it from you. Doesn’t matter how big, or intimidating the challenge is – your ace can beat it.

If you don’t know your why, start trying to find your motivation. And once you do, hold onto it. Sometimes you may not need it, but when you do let it carry you towards that finish line.

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Learning to be Human Part II

So in part 1 (click here to read) we talked human fitness throughout evolution. We discussed the idea that maybe, in our modern, artificial, and domesticated lives, there is something missing. 

Some of these missing pieces are things that, throughout evolution, we have given up in the name of progress. Some things haven’t been taught, due to them being seen as old, outdated, savage, or improper. 

We also reviewed some ways to be more human and reconnect with that deep part of our brain. These things were:

  • Change your routine
  • Start back at step one
  • Remember what playing is
  • Immerse yourself in nature
  • Reconnect with your tribe
  • Leave the shoes at the door
  • Learn about your food
  • Observe without distractions
  • Gain old skills

Revert back

The quickest way to go back to our roots as humans and allowing your daily life to be what keeps you fit, healthy and strong is to give up everything

I’m talking about your house, job, transportation, plumbing, shoes, clothing, medicines, any processed foods. You are no longer allowed to go to the store…you get the idea. Now, as freeing and unchained as this may sound, not many people want to do this extreme of a change. This includes myself. 

Like we discussed a few weeks ago, humans and other animals have an old, deep part of the brain that is responsible for basic tasks mainly built around survival. This is a very deeply rooted system. Its sole purpose is to make the best decision possible for you to continue living. It is truly a fascinating system.  

What this means is basically your mind knows that by giving up all of our comforts, our chance for survival would dramatically decrease. This fires up the lizard inside of us and says “no way, don’t do that”.

But, we can implement a few minor things that will help us be healthier and hopefully be more fulfilled as a human, while still allowing our lizard self to not fear for our safety.

How to reconnect with human fitness throughout evolution

Change your routine

Switch up your routine in the gym, your morning routine, the way you get home or get to the store. Change forces you to think. It forces us to learn new ways to do things. Are you right hand dominant? Brush your teeth with your left hand for a few days.  

We build habits and our ancient ancestors had habits too, like using a favorite hunting spot, or a stream that always had water. But on the way to the stream, they may have had to deal with a giant tree that fell across their usual path. Or maybe they had to take a different way because an animal was in the spot they usually went to. The point is, human fitness throughout evolution has been affected by humans having little control over their routine. They had to be able to adjust and adapt to their environment much more so than we do now. 

Start back at step one

If you have been a member with us at Buffalo Nickel CrossFit you have undoubtedly done crawls/walks. Bear crawls, crab walks, farmers carries, etc. These are some of my favorite pieces of torture movement. They always look so simple and easy because they are so basic. I mean, a child can crawl! 

But it never takes long for the muscles to start burning and these simple movements to become excruciating and difficult. Snatches, DU, muscle ups, lifting heavy weight, and handstands are all cool and fun. Today we want to do things that look cool on Instagram, but I promise you our that old world humans did not have to do snatches or muscle ups to live.

I can also promise you, with the same confidence, that they did have to crawl, walk and carry to survive. Human fitness throughout evolution has been shaped by these simple, basic movements. We shouldn’t forget just how beneficial and tough these movements can be.  

Remember what playing is

One of the certifications I have attended was called Movnat. I absolutely loved it and learned a ton. Movnat does things very different than most other athletic programs. One of these things is instead of using the words ‘train’ or ‘practice’ they use the word ‘play’. This is to serve as a reminder that humans have only recently begun to ‘train’ athletic movements.  

As a child you don’t realize that by falling to the ground and getting back up that you are doing a burpee. To you, you are just playing. You aren’t doing pull ups – you are climbing trees, or doing monkey bars. Playing invokes creativity, and fun. Sure, a CrossFit WOD can mimic this and is fun for a lot of people including myself, but play is different. 

For example, a few weeks ago we went to float the Illinois River. The river bed and banks are rock/gravel. We pulled over on a gravel bar to relax and in no time there was a competition to see who could throw a rock to the other side, or who could hit the tree branch in the water with a rock. No one was “working out”, we were all just playing.

Being in nature is a key part of human fitness through evolution

I think most of us agree that after spending time outdoors in nature we feel happier, more optimistic and simply better. Nature has the magical ability to, for lack of a better term, heal us. Listening to the sounds, seeing wide open spaces or tall mountains, crossing a cool stream, feeling the shade of a tree, or counting stars…nature is magical.

There are tons of studies which show nature benefits humans. People who live in or near nature and outdoors are generally healthier, the risk for diabetes, cardiovascular disease, premature death, blood pressure, and stress levels are all reduced. They are also generally more active which only helps with the above conditions, as well as many other benefits.

You may not have a national park or ocean in your backyard but you don’t need to. Just being able to walk in the grass, see trees, hear birds, or smell flowers can be enough to feel mental and physical health benefits.

Reconnect with your tribe 

Humans formed tribes for survival. Tribes meant protection, safety, sharing of resources, and a bigger gene pool. In the ancient times, you didn’t get to choose your tribe. Today we are lucky enough to not only choose who our tribe is but we have many tribes!

We have our home tribe, our work tribe, our gym tribe, we have lots of tribes. But how often do we truly connect with them? Do we just ask basic questions and move on or do we put down our phones, talk, listen, and engage each other?

A great way to connect with your tribe is over a meal. Humans have shared food with each other for eons. Share a meal and conversation with your loved ones. Learn about your tribe, get to know them. Put your phone down, turn off the TV and just talk. Enjoy your tribe and reconnect with them.