Today was a special day for me. One year ago today I had surgery on my right shoulder. The past year has been one of the most difficult times for me...physically, mentally, and spiritually. I'm not going to get into the specifics of what I've been through in the course of the year, but just know that there has been a lot of pain, a lot of heartache, and a lot of tears. But I have worked really, really, really ridiculously hard to get to where I am now...physically, mentally, and spiritually ...and I feel stronger than ever! I am going to do whatever it takes to NEVER go back to that place again.
I can't describe the feeling I had to know how far I've come. If there is anything I learned from this whole experience it is:
Put God first
Be your own best friend...because people disappear when you're down
Work hard for what you want
Diligence pays off
Patience is a virtue
Put God first...yep I said it again.
Today's workout was awesome! Today...there were a lot of smiles!
Mobility work 1st for shoulders, hips, neck, and ankles
Strength: StrongLift 5x5 B
Back squat- 5x5 @ 125lbs
Overhead press- 5x5 @65
Deadlift- 5x5 @155
Conditioning:
Part 1:
3 rounds for time:
6- stone to shoulder @ 73lbs.
12- box jump @24"
time= 3:56
Part 2:
3 rounds for time:
5- log viper press @ 70lbs
400m run
time= 7:53
This weeks skill focus for me is going to be the Hollow Rock position. I have been working in the fitness industry for almost 9 years now, and I am finding that I have SO much more to learn! That being said, I'm going back to basics. The hollow rock is one of the most basic movements out there, and it is actually the most neutral position anyone can get into. It teaches dynamic stability (controlled movement) and mid-line stability...so many of us CrossFitters and fitness enthusiasts strive for. The hollow rock is one of the most elementary movements taught. It's actually one of the 1st progressions for young gymnasts to teach body awareness. (I secretly wish I would have taken gymnastics in grade school.)
I've been watching a lot of gymnastic wod videos by Carl Paoli, www.gymnasticswod.com and the guy is a wealth of knowledge! If he had to pick one move, one skill, one exercise for anyone starting out with physical activity...he recommends learning the hollow body and hollow rock.
Now, I might not be a beginner...but I have A LOT of room to grow!
Here's the simple truth whether you want to hear it or not (I didn't for the longest time), if we can't maintain THIS SIMPLE POSITION when we have absolutely NO load or multiple joints are not working...we're not doing a good job with global stabilization!
This move is great! It exposes you to different ways to maintain a neutral position, and you learn how to transfer body tension while maintaining the hollow rock.
Set up:
- lower back touching ground
-legs straight & tight together with toes pointed
-arms straight & glued to ears (This is not easy for me!)
-start rocking back & forth without breaking shape...stay rigid!
**if you break-you're too extended and still need work
The goal is 100x or 3 minutes of continuous rocking...Build up to this by doing 3x20 or 2x50...or whatever you like.
Here's a video of Carl teaching this. He can do a better job of it than I can :)
Enjoy...and use today to try to be a little more BADASS! I am.
Recently, I was talking to a great friend of mine about life and the dreams I have
for myself. I have had an extremely
difficult year, and it has caused me to doubt my capabilities and
potential. Everything that I talked about was followed by..."but I don't know if I could ever do that." He said something to me that
I needed to hear. His words were so brutally
honest and true that it nearly punched me right in the gut! He said:
“Brittney, you
dream big, but you don’t believe big.
You have so much potential...you could be unstoppable, but you’ll never realize it...you may never experience it until you
believe!”
When he said
that, my initial reaction was emotional…my eyes started to water. BUT then I understood what he was trying to tell
me. Perception is reality. Before I will accomplish anything or before
my dreams manifest…I must perceive...I must believe…BIG!
It’s time
for my belief in me to be as big as my dreams!
“Challenge
yourself to think confidently. If you
believe you can win, you can become a very difficult person to beat.” ~Lee
Crust
Ok, so it’s quite clear…I’m a woman.And it’s a little obvious that I’m human.That being said…I am bound to hit a
wall.There will be a time that I fall.As much as it sucks to admit that to myself…it
is a truth that I cannot deny. Sooner or
later, I will be stopped dead in my tracks.It is inevitable that at some point…I will fail.
BUT NOT TODAY!
Today I jump over that wall. Today I will not fall.Today…I can’t stop, I won’t stop.I may get bumped, I may get bruised.But today, I simply cannot…I simply will not Lose!
