You Can't Coast Uphill
One of the best things about a great CrossFit gym is the expert guidance and care that is offered by the friendly and knowledgable coaching staff. On top of that, whomever designs your program has most likely spent years learning, practicing, and refining their craft, so that you can feel confident in knowing that you are on the right path for serious results.*However, despite all of the education, support, and encouragement you receive from your coaches and classmates, the only person that can actually achieve those result for you is, well....you.Since (and I am assuming here that you have joined a CrossFit gym, if you are reading this) you have already dedicated your time, effort, and a considerable amount of money toward getting fit, I will speak to you plainly, as an adult: No one is going to achieve your goals for you. Things are going to get challenging, and uncomfortable. If you fail to meet these challenges, or protect yourself from discomfort, it is only you that will be responsible, and only YOUR progress that will be affected.This is another thing that makes CrossFit (or any hard training/sport) so great, and such a good analogy for living in general: YOU put in the work, and YOU reap the benefit. Don't feel like working hard? That's fine. But when you see your fellow classmates, after months of hard work, achieve those goals that they wanted so badly-- a PR, a first, a milestone-- understand that it was they themselves that got to that place, and their success (or failure) falls squarely on them. Will you be the type of person who is sincerely happy for them and their progress, or, inside, will you be eating your heart out, or belittling their accomplishment because of how it really makes you feel?Take ownership of your actions, both in and out of the gym. The worst thing you can do, when something goes wrong, is to look for an external source to blame. This is the hallmark of someone who does not take personal responsibility.In practical terms: Can you shave reps off of a workout, and pretend to do 30 Kettlebell Swings, while really only doing 24?** Yes, I'm sure you could get away with that, as long as no one is watching you closely. When we prescribe 4 sets of 6-8 reps on the Deadlift, can you set up your bar in the farthest corner, and even though 95 pounds is pretty easy, you keep the weight the same for all 4 sets, and squeak by without the coach recommending that you add weight to make them more challenging? I'm sure it's happened. If we ask for 100% effort in a 2 minute interval on the Assault Bike (yuck), can you give up halfway through, and only really give about 70%, but make a face so that it LOOKS like you're giving 100%? Definitely, and no one would know it but you!The common theme here is this: You can't coast uphill. Improvement isn't something that happens "to" you. You cause it to happen. It is up to you to make the most out of your time in the gym, and get the best workout possible. Whenever you think that what is holding you back in life is something "out there," just stop. It's exactly that thinking that is holding you back.This post is in no way intended to make anyone feel bad about themselves, or the effort that they've given to this point. If I am describing what sounds like you in any of these examples, please take this as an opportunity to look closely at why you come to the gym, and what you want for the future of your health and fitness. I'll leave you with a great quote that was highlighted in The 7 Habits of Highly Successful People:"What lies behind us and what lies before usare tiny matterscompared to what lies within us."-Oliver Wendell Holmes
*Note: this claim only applies to certain gyms. We are one of these gyms.**Please do not confuse this with scaling reps in a workout to make the workload more appropriate; that is something that is done in collaboration with a coach, and, ideally, decided on BEFORE you start your workout.