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CROSSFIT MONCTON October 2016

The Power of Intention How many of you are the best lifter you can be? How many of you take a level of concentration i n t o you r t r a i n i ng t ha t i s unshakable? How many of you walk onto the training floor with such laser-like focus that you are completely tuned into every aspect of your movement? We all would love to say that was us. But in reality, all of us could step our game up. IT ALL STARTS WITH INTENTION.

What Are You Thinking?

Distraction is a much bigger player during our workouts than most of us would like to admit. Loud music, smart phones, the guy screaming on the bench over there; all are conspiring to steal your attention from your training. I t ’s quite profound when you sit down and

take inventory of it. In our pursuit of both physical and spiritual advancement, finding “quiet” is one of the toughest things to achieve.

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I ask my athletes all the time, “What are you thinking about when you are pulling that bar, squatting that weight, or pressing that bell?” Almost 100% of the time they can’t give me an answer. More disheartening is when I ask them what they are thinking about before they begin a set. Most of the time I get a blank look that tells me they aren’t consciously engaged in their set. For some lifters a zombie-like state might serve them; no emotional attachment to the lift might allow them to rip away. But for most of us, if you don’t have a plan on every rep, you plan to fail. Intention vs. Attention

Technique is king in every lift. As a coach, I am aware of the muscles involved in every movement; which ones are the drivers, which ones are the primary stabilizers and which ones are more or less along for the ride. I attempt to impart that level of understanding to my athletes because I want them to know exactly what they are doing, how to do it, and more importantly, why they are doing it. That knowledge is meant to help them develop intention. Much of what I am getting into might sound more like attention versus intention. There is a distinct difference. Attention places the lifter in a position of the viewer. It gives them a front row seat to what is happening in real time with little impact on what will be taking place. Something happens, you take note of it and you move on. Intention puts the lifter in the seat of the architect. Intention gives the lifter choice, and allows them to plan ahead (even if it’s less than a second before moving). Planning is what attention fails to do. This is where having no plan becomes planning to fail.

During maximal attempts and super heavy sets, most of us walk onto the platform with a degree of planning. But this is a product of fear. That weight is so damn heavy that the survival instinct kicks in. This primal need to survive makes us think about our breath before taking it or perhaps our back position before the big pull. The best lifters have that mindset before every single lift. They are able to articulate in cohesive detail how they address the bar or the bell. They can almost tell a story about how they enter the rep. They can tell you exactly where their big toe is, how much pressure they are applying and with what degree their center of mass is over that toe. The detail is quite impressive. Their level of intention allows them to go into the rep in a very specific way—so specific that they can speak to things like the big toe example. They go into each set, heavy or light, with a plan.

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via Breaking Muscle

The Cosmos and the Barbell

Many of us like to carry emotion into a set. We get fired up and hoot and holler, crank the aggressive music, and then thrash away. But in many instances, this style of recklessness can lead to a lack of concentration. That can result in a breakdown in technique resulting in a missed lift or worse, a lapse that leads to an injury. Emotion and rage can only carry you so far, but intention and focus will complete the entire job. This is what separates the greats from everyone else. Practitioners of spirituality and psychology both agree that your consciousness and intention create the world you live in. Many of them will tell you that we are all linked; not only to one another, but to every living thing in the world. Our thoughts impact everything from ourselves to physical matter that is around us. Intention in lifting is deeply rooted in planning. It’s the idea that before I go and grab that barbell, I’ve already seen success because I’ve created an approach that nearly guarantees it. I’ve scripted this set in my head beforehand and I simply carry out the plan. That is intention. Your brain thrives on this. It can become obedient to it. Intention is the grand instruction and then technique, experience, and

focus will accomplish the task. The Wake Theory of Intention

Think of the wake a boat makes as it travels through the water. The energy produced off of the back of the boat creates that symmetrical set of waves that move away from each other until the energy the boat produced runs out. Now, take that same boat and move the wake in front of the boat, as if it has already passed through that space. That energy that the boat “is going to create” is already working and creating the wake before the boat gets there. The boat, then, quietly travels through a pre-established path through the water. This is intention.

In significant lifting attempts, or even the most casual warm up attempts, your plan, your intention, creates the script for that set. Know and plan where your head is going to be in your set up, have a full understanding and commit to the effort the set is going to require, and dial up the appropriate intensity before you take your breath. This establishes the wake in front of your boat. If you see the set before it happens, if you set all of the variables at the appropriate amplitude and can clearly see the technique you will use, you push that energy in front of you. And then, the wake moving in front of the boat, that intention carries the attempt. It sounds magical because it is. And it works. Develop Intention to Perfect Your Practice

Focus on what you are doing. Know all the variables involved in each of your sets. Plan on your success from lift to lift. Intention is something that requires a degree of refinement, so don’t assume it comes naturally for everyone. Like any skill, it requires practice and fine-tuning. But, I promise you, if you spend a little time on developing your intention, your training will be taken to levels you have only dreamed of.

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Ingredients:

Makes 12 muffins

3/4 cup coconut flour

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (canned or homemade)

3/4 cup maple syrup

6 eggs

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

3/4 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar (or lemon juice)

via Detoxinista

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350F and line a standard muffin tin with 12 parchment or silicone baking cups. (I use these silicone cups.) In a large mixing bowl, combine all of the ingredients and stir well with a whisk to break up any clumps.

Divide the batter into the 12 baking cups, then bake at 350F for 25 to 30 minutes, until the edges are golden and the centres are firm.

Allow to cool in the pan for 10 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

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ATHLETE PROFILE

When did you join CFM? Had you been involved in other gyms or fitness programs before?

I have been at CrossFit Moncton since the beginning. (Well except for that first outdoor WOD at Queen E.) I was there ready to go, pumped and then Kevin went over the workout and I said hell no! I stayed and cheered, and watched how much fun everyone had and decided to give it a try. I’m still here, still enjoying it, still fun, still sore, still learning, never bored, and still love the amazing people!

Do you have an athletic background?

I played sports in school and recreational sports occasionally and went to a few different gyms.

What made you decide to join CFM?

I joined CrossFit Moncton with Heather (Kevin's Mom).

What are your fitness or skill g o a l s ? H a v e y o u

accomplished any of them?

My fitness goals were and are to consistently show up and do my best at what ever the WOD is that day.

Do you remember your first workout?

I don't remember what my first workout was but we did a lot of wall balls and pull-ups with a band.

LISA WOOD

Stats

-CrossFitting since 2007-Deadlift: 185#-Press: 95#-C & J: 85#-1 mile: 13:02-5K: 22:24

“Just like eating an

elephant: one bite at a time.”

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Which of the 10 components of fitness (endurance, strength, speed, flexibility, accuracy, balance, agility, coordination, power, stamina) have you found to be the most challenging? In which ones have you seen the most improvement?

Improvements in all 10 components, the most challenging would be endurance, to be able to find the right strategy, not to go too hard too fast and burn out before the end. I watched Kevin at a competition a lot of years ago and couldn't figure out why he looked like he was going so slow, yelled at him go, come on and eventually realized he's got a plan.

Flexibility and balance have greatly improved and are major in getting better form.

Describe the atmosphere at CFM.

The atmosphere at CrossFit Moncton is great! People are encouraging, supportive, motivating and friendly!

Give us a few words of advice for someone in their first month of CrossFit.

My advice to anyone new would be to take advantage of the knowledge of the coaches and not to hesitate to ask them questions. It's a family atmosphere and we’re supportive and encouraging. When you look at the WOD and start to panic, think of how to eat an elephant....one bite at a time.

What is your best (and worst) WOD memory?

My best WOD memory was my Rx. My worst was a partner WOD with Kevin, trying to push to keep up with him even a tiny bit and having him do like 75 push-ups to my 25..ugh!

What is your favourite lift? Favourite WOD (or type of WOD)?

My favourite lift is clean that can still use work on technique. My favourite WODs are AMRAPs and body weight.

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WHAT’S HAPPENING IN THE CFM COMMUNITY?

PREP COURSE Starting October 4th!

Level 1 Certificate Course October 15-16 Gym will be closed for the weekend.

YOU TELL US! CrossFit Moncton was one of Atlantic Canada’s first CrossFit gyms, and our members have logged the hours to prove it!

Who do you think will be next in the race to 1000?

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Days are getting shorter…

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Interested in joining? Come for a FREE No-Sweat Intro. Leave your money at home. We don’t want to sell you anything; we just want to talk about your goals and see if we can help.

Book your FREE consultation at:

http://meetme.so/kevinwood

or email: info@crossfitmoncton.com

CROSSFIT MONCTON

359 Baig Blvd. Moncton, NB