This is not about you. Maybe it is.
These thoughts did not stem from a certain incident. Sometimes there are incidents and we (CFO)have to manage them, but don’t need to call people out on the WWW. So we wait a few days, maybe even a week or two, before we have a thoughtful, mindful post. This is not that.
That being said, maybe you glean something from this gem that you find is about you. But I (Alison) am not pointing the finger.
My car ride in to work today had me thinking about the workout on the board. Burpees. Lots of them. Different styles – plain Jane and complicated to boot. My thoughts were – will people come to this? Is this a workout they can decide to do at home? Is this a workout they can decide to skip? It’s just burpees, do I need to sign up for a class and show up?
Yes- our classes are exercise. Our classes are checking the box of working out, hitting the rings on your Apple Watch and getting your sweat on. You can do that anywhere. I wish more people did.
We are not just that. Our coaches aren’t here to manage you, you are not a herd. They do make sure you are safe and thatno one is going to kick another person in the head when doing the burpee to 1′ touch on the wall. They are your guides. This is an experience. You are being coached, led, educated, supported. Will you take advantage of that? Or is this just another workout for you.
Our thoughtful Coach Denny shared his tips for coaching this morning on our coaches thread. He posted the Open standards on the board. He “addressed the heart rate” in his warmup so those Athletes (and yes, I call them “A”thletes) don’t hit rock bottom after the first 10 burpees shot right out of the gate. As coaches, we learn from each other.
Classes that use more equipment, load you up with weights and barbells require more coaching. Safety is key and leads to better movement, increased technical ability and hitting standards. Plus we just don’t want anyone to get hurt. Coaches are there to teach the movements and adjust according to the individual Athlete.
Coaches learn from coaching athletes – injuries to work around, figuring out movement patterns based on physical form. My deadlift position is different from Brian’s – we have different bodies. Not just the fun parts, but different lengths of arms and legs. So we adjust based on that. But his ability to say – hey, if you could really get your chest through… butt down a little… you are going to make some strides in the deadlift, and then your olympic lifts.
I could go on about being open to being coached, especially by a spouse, but I won’t. I am lucky enough to have an amazing coach as a husband. What I will say is, whether it is Brian, Denny or any other coach, I have to be open to listening. Open to being coached. The question I ask myself – Am I coachable? Do I respond to this coaching with the feeling of wanting to get better at this movement or do I think what I am doing is just fine and glare at them?
These are two paths we walk inside and outside the gym. Am I a good enough wife or can I adjust? Am I a good enough Mom or can I adjust? A friend? Business owner? Athlete? Coach? The list could go on and on.
As I said, this isn’t about you. It wasn’t about me either, but I can learn from this. Maybe you can too.
Your options:
You can come in and workout. Or you can come in and grow.
**Disclaimer: All of the Athletes depicted are fictitious. Any resemblance to a person living or dead is purely coincidental. But it makes you think, doesn’t it?