Monthly Coach Column: Don’t Be Afraid To Fail
By: Brian Parana
One of the best parts of CrossFit is that we accept failure. For me,
there is no better feeling then watching somebody struggle with muscle
ups, or double-unders, or a pullup. Why? Because I know how happy
they’re going to be when they finally get one. I respect the person
who comes into the gym and fails repeatedly, but also has the humility
to keep trying. They have accepted the fact they can not doing
something, and have taken action to change that.
This is one of many things that CrossFit teaches new members. They are
generally afraid of failing, and insecure about the things they can’t
do. The CrossFit community accepts failure, and we respect a new
member who is working their butt off learning a new skill, not the
arrogant *** dismissing a movement because they can’t do it, or are
not good at it yet. For some people this concept of accepting failure
takes time to learn, I understand it’s not easy failing at something
over and over again in front of your peers. We all like to ‘cherry
pick’ movements and workouts and stick to the things we like and are
good at. But once you learn to accept failure, and face it head-on,
the possibilities are endless, not only in CrossFit, but also in your
everyday life.
What if you dedicated 15min a day to the things you weren’t good at?
I’m not talking about fitness anymore, I’m talking about life. Maybe
you are not a social person, take 15min to ‘practice’ being more
social. What if you hate, cooking? Take 15min to read a cook book.
Most people dismiss the idea of doing something they aren’t good by
saying ‘I don’t like cooking.’ Well, you don’t like cooking because
you aren’t good at it. If you practice it, and become better at it,
you will like it. You usually hate the things you suck at, and like
the things you’re good at. Nobody likes double-unders until they can
do them. Then magically, they can’t wait for the next double under
workout.
So whether it’s CrossFit, or life in general, don’t be afraid to fail.
(Source: crossfitakron.com)
We couldn’t help ourselves. Vote for the Best WOD Face. Click on the photo to enlarge.
From top left to right:
Jamie, Jessica, Katie, John, Brian
(Source: crossfitakron.com)
Not a member of CrossFit Akron but want to compete in the CrossFit Open workouts? Well head on over! Call us today to find out how to sign up!
ARE YOU READY FOR THE CROSSFIT OPEN?!!!
Compete with the best! Compete with CrossFit Akron! Members, this is a BONUS WOD so be sure to sign up to see if you’ve got what it takes to be the fittest on earth! Sign up through Zen Planner for the five WODs at CrossFit Akron.
How Much Weight Have You Gained?
How Much Weight Have You Gained?
At CrossFit Akron, athletes have gained hundreds, if not thousands of pounds over the course of each WOD . It’s the reason why journals are kept, scores are recorded, and how goals are achieved. One of the most important aspects of our fitness philosophy is “weight gain”. Our goal is to make our athletes become stronger individuals beyond just physical strength. We strive to empower our athletes to push themselves beyond what they ever thought was possible. By increasing your weight gradually each WOD, you’re not only strengthening your body physically, but also enabling yourself to accomplish something you’ve never done before. This kind of determination can cross over to all aspects of your personal life.
Recently, we asked CrossFit Akron athletes to think back to their earliest WODs and share their personal “weight gain” accomplishments with us. The results were both impressive and inspiring:
Phil has gained over 350 pounds!
“My dead lift went from 425# to 525#; press went from 115# to 165#; over head squat from 115# to 205#; and back squat from 200# to 315#.” -Phil Montgomery.
Nicole Shovlin breezed through her Dead Lifts, and in less than two weeks she gained 105 pounds (65 to 170lbs). Since joining the I AM CrossFit Akron Challenge, she’s gained a total of 140 pounds… and counting! We’ll check back again following the challenge!
Katie Medlock gained 70 pounds (45-115lbs), while Tiffany Lavoy-Jamison gained 30 in Dead Lifts.
Between PRs in Deadlifts, Power Cleans, and Back Squats, Shannon Shaffer gained a whopping 230lbs in six months.
Ashley Myers has more than doubled her weight in Back Squats (65 to 135lbs) and Dead Lifts (155 to 215lbs)
Don’t think of the times your mind tells you that you can’t RX a workout, or your body feels like it’s failing you as a bad time. Instead, record your feelings and thoughts in your journal and refer back to them as you progress.
Physical fitness is achieved - and guess what? You’ve just achieved it.
How to Claim your Profile in Socialwod
At the end of the WOD at CrossFit Akron, the coaches take a picture of the whiteboard and upload it to a handy website called Socialwod. This site then tracks all of the WODs uploaded and populates any necessary information regarding the workout like athlete, PRs, RX, etc. Now you can claim your own profile and track all of your WODs, personal records, and more. This is how you claim your profile on Socialwod.
1. First go to crossfitakron.socialwod.com/wods to see all of the WODs.
2. You will see a message in a yellow box that looks like this
Click on the box and it will take you to the next page where you can find your name from a drop box.
If you have two names listed (your real name and a nickname) you can only claim one name per account. We are making an effort to stay consistent with the whiteboard posting so all of your WODs are posted under the same name. For now, claim the name with the most WODs or the most the most recent WODs.
You can create an account by linking your Facebook account to Socialwod or by creating a new account with an e-mail address. After you’ve claimed your name, your coaches will be notified to verify that you’re really the one claiming your name and not some stalker on the World Wide Web. If you decide to go with the Facebook linking option, make sure you approve the App Approval box that pops up.
Once your profile is approved by your coaches, you can start tracking your WODs. This is the fun part!
How to track your WODs and scores
log in
Find a WOD you participated in
Locate your name. Click on it
Check if it was a PR, RX, keep notes etc.
We had a wonderful time at our CFA -XMAS party at The Rail this year! Great food and great company! Thanks to all of the athletes who joined us!
Unleash The Spirit- Donate to The Battered Women’s Shelter in Akron, Ohio
The generosity and integrity CrossFit Akron athletes displayed during our Thanksgiving campaign was truly remarkable. This holiday season, CrossFit Akron is participating in a holiday giving program with The Battered Women’s Shelter in Akron, Ohio. In an effort to provide a joyous and peaceful holiday for individuals and families entering the shelter at the last minute, we invite CrossFit Akron members to join us in our campaign to provide gifts for the families at the shelter. To participate, we kindly ask:
Serving Summit and Medina Counties, The Battered Women’s Shelter provides emergency protective services to families seeking to escape violence. According to the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence, 1.3 million women are victims of physical abuse each year. Many women and children will be spending the holidays away from home this year, so let’s give a stranger something something to smile about, and a child something to open on Christmas Day.
For more information on the Battered Women’s Shelter, please visit their website.
Thank you for your generosity!
Happy Holidays!
