Walnut Crossfit

Magaly on the deadlift.

The difference between a successful person and others is not a lack of strength, not a lack of knowledge, but rather a lack of will. –Vince Lombardi

Aren's first time doing Rope climbs. He made it look so easy.

Imagine this is how your early life began…”[She] was born prematurely at 4.5 lbs., with 21 brothers and sisters, and caught infantile paralysis (caused by the polio virus) as a very young child. She recovered, but wore a brace on her left leg and foot which had become twisted as a result. By the time she was twelve years old, she had also survived scarlet fever, whooping cough, chickenpox and measles. Her family drove her regularly from Clarksville, Tennessee to Nashville, Tennessee for treatments to straighten her twisted leg.”

Now imagine you were Wilma Rudolph, winner of three Olympic gold medals in track, and THAT was your childhood. Imagine what it took to overcome those odds. Imagine the strength it took to believe you could make something of yourself, in spite of everything that was thrown in your path. Imagine if YOU took that determination into your workouts, into your job, and into your life.

“I ran and ran and ran every day, and I acquired this sense of determination, this sense of spirit that I would never, never give up, no matter what else happened.” -Wilma Rudolph

Sara on the Push Press!

If I were going to ask you what your LEAST favorite CrossFit movement was, what would it be? Oh and as a follow up to that, what does “least favorite” mean to you… most despised, hardest, inflicts the most pain, boring, just can’t do it, etc.?? For me… its a toss up between thrusters (inflicts the most pain), and Handstand Push ups or Muscle Ups (it takes me forever to do a rep). Post to comments.

PS>Today is Day 2 of weigh-ins for those participating in the Paleo Challenge. If you didn’t weigh in yesterday, make sure you get in today.

Tina doing her 2nd WOD of the day.

Woohoo! Its that time……time for our first weigh-in for all the individuals participating in our 2nd Paleo Challenge. Get ready to step on the scale some time today or tomorrow.

Raul getting pretty good.....at pretty much everything.

Many of us have had a variety of different experiences of what it means to be a “group fitness” class. Over the years I have tried yoga, kickboxing, spin, circuit training, and more. Other than my time training in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, I have never experienced group training that even came anywhere close to the experience at Walnut CrossFit. I never had anybody cheer for me in spin class. I never faced a seemingly overwhelming obstacle in yoga that caused me to bond with my classmates. I never accomplished anything in circuit training that caused me to have a new outlook on my life and capabilities. In none of those classes was I ever overcome with emotion watching a fellow classmate lay it all out there in pursuit of bettering themselves. All those things happen at Walnut CrossFit — all the time.

It seems as though there is more and more information pouring out about the modern Westernized diet and how much it is killing people. I wonder how much of an impact it actually makes. I know that the people in our world know this stuff, but to so many others, it feels as though they want to assume they are being tricked into giving up a lifestyle that they are comfortable with. My hope is that slowly a critical mass will be reached and massive changes will begin to take place. Until then, you can only keep doing what you are doing and being an example to others.

I purchased this DVD and thought it was amazing. I recommend you pick up a copy.

LaQueta loves Bar facing Burpees!.....I'm joking of course.

The problem with putting it all on the line is that it might not work out.

The problem with NOT putting it all on the line is that it will never (ever) change things for the better.

Not much of a choice, I think. No risk, no art. No art, no reward.

This last weekend I had the pleasure of judging some of the fittest athletes on the planet at the South Central CrossFit Regionals. Here is a quick video of the female competitors doing two of the hardest movements we use in CrossFit(Squat Snatches & Muscle Ups), and making it look easy. Enjoy!

Is Garrett laughing or crying? hmmmmmm...

The weekend is at our feet and this is usually when most individuals have difficulty staying on diet. For those of you on the Paleo Challenge(and those who are not too), stay strong this weekend as you attend those birthday parties, weddings, baptisms, etc…Be prepared to say no to the pasta, bread, soda, etc…Bring your prepared meals. Remember, we will be weighing-in in one more week for your first weigh in!!!

Brian knocking out some Thrusters

CrossFit has a unique ability to raise a person’s anxiety level, even before starting a workout. I remember when I first started CrossFit ,  I would start getting nervous hours before class time. Sometimes I would feel nauseous, other times I would just constantly feel like I had to use the bathroom. My heart rate would go up and I would feel energized, but anxious. I joke about it, referring to it as a “fight or flight” response, but that really is what is happening. Our bodies know under times of stress to focus more on the important things – like dilating our eyes to take in our surroundings, opening our throat and nostrils wider to bring in more oxygen, and putting our digestive system on hold. Our critical thinking and judgment system are also put aside and our primal instincts left in control. With all that in place, we can assess and act quickly and effectively.

…unless of course critical thinking is actually required. What if you play a sport and even if you are tired and getting pushed around you still have to make judgments about the plays? What if you are in law enforcement or a fire fighter and you have to be able to make decisions under physical and mental stress? Or what if there is an earthquake and you have to make critical life saving decisions for your family, while your fight or flight response is in full effect? Or maybe you just want to be able to correctly add up the weights on your bar after a workout!

One way to practice critical thinking under stress is to throw it into the middle of your workouts. Law enforcement personnel do this to practice fine motor skills and the ability to effectively fire a gun while under less than optimal physical conditions, for us it can show up less dramatically — like a good game of CrossFit Concentration.