The world is can be an ugly place. It can be filled with negativity. You can have a horrible boss. A frustrating kid at home. Car problems. A tough workout that kicked your butt. Wouldn’t it be great to leave it all behind you?
At CrossFit Moncton, we want to breed positivity. We want you to feel welcome and safe. To do this, I need your help.
When we have new members (and there’s been lots of them recently), that hear you say, “That was the hardest workout ever”, “Man, that sucked” or “I hated those wall balls, they really kicked my ass”, do you think they feel pumped up to do that workout? They’re probably scared shitless.
I’m guilty of this myself. I need to watch what I say. Yes, there are hard workouts (have you ever had an easy one?). But to describe it as terrible, disgusting and vomit-inducing, doesn’t help with breeding positivity.
Friday’s QOD – What new (positive) ways are you going to describe workouts?
I’ll start – “Wednesday’s workout really helped me tackle my weakness on HSPUs”
**Side note – sarcasm is a staple at the gym. That will be sticking around.
5 rounds of:
200m Run
7 Knees to Elbows
Compare to Nov.4/10
On a positive note.. I had water in my ear from a long shower on Tuesday, be upside down for a very long period of time on Wednesday cleared it right up!! :). And the remainder of that WOD wasn’t too bad! (sarcasm stays! Lol)
🙂 🙂
So there won’t be any more pics of dead bodies all over the gym after a tough WOD? I thrive on the tough workouts.. And I’ll have to sell all my xfit tees with the cool ‘today’s a good day to die’ slogans? Bring on the gore!! Lol
I promise I’ll be more positive tomorrow!
Wow tough one. Yes it’s hard not to curse something that just kicked your butt. Next time I’ll try saying “I needed that”
Oh and F@#$% the burpees I have to do for no show this morning… I mean “It’s a good day to practice burpees by doing 50 of them”
🙂
…and more giggles. I’m just getting started on reading everyone’s comments today. I have the feeling that I’m going to get a good ab work out from the chuckles.
Mobility
400m run
WU x 1
Back Squats x 5
95-105-115-125-130
WOD: 5 Rounds
200m run
7 Knees to elbows (rings)
Time: 7:16
The last round of K2E was realllllyy slow.
Mobility
400m run
WU x 1
Shoulder Press x 5
35-45-55-60-65
WOD: 5 Rounds
200m run
7 Knees to elbows
Time: 7:40
Well my hands may be ripped, like I said to Chantal, it could get me out of doing the dishes 😉
It didn’t…LOL!
Mob + Run 400m
WU x1
Foam + Lacrosse Ball rolling
WOD: 5 rounds
-200m run
-knee bent V-snaps
Time: 7:41
Cashout Scorpion stretch 3×30 sec. each side.
I remember seeing people laying on the floor the first few times I came in. I remember thinking “I can’t wait for that to be me.”
I thrive on the burnt feeling after a workout. Makes me feel accomplished. I can see how others may not feel the same.
I will definately make a conscious effort to not complain about wods. Can’t gaurantee that I won’t be passed out on the floor after though. 😉
I am guilty of this sometimes. Although when I say “that was the toughest workout I’ve ever done”, it’s not meant to be so negative but rather to say “Holy crap! I just did THAT!”. There’s a lot of workouts that still make me anxious/nervous.
I like it when workouts are intimidating because I have an extra sense of accomplishment when I complete them. People have been asking about my latest hand injury and I keep replying “You don’t understand…I DID 120 unassisted pull-ups!!”
In the end, if I am cursing Kevin or Jo mid-WOD I know it’s probably a pretty darn good one.
That being said, with so many new faces I see Kevin’s point that for someone new a lot of the things we say can be taken the wrong way and not enhance their on-boarding experience. I’ll try be more positive.
I’ll try: “I am positive that kicked my ass!”. “Well I may have torn up hand but my fist bumps are really improving!” Thank God the sarcasm is safe… 🙂
That’s exactly how I feel! I love the WOD’s that make me like Kevin less….errr, that’s positive, right???
I love embracing the suck. I love how Eva was terrible, but I did it. It is like a sick addiction. Seeing the class before my workout sprawl all over the floor scares me, but it pumps me up. I will be careful with my words around new members though. I like the way Pat said it, “I needed that.”
WOD rx’d ( I think)
7:23
I did not push myself enough on this one. My sprints could/ should have been faster.
“Embrace the suck”…Yep, that sums it up pretty nicely!
I smell a t shirt with that quote 🙂
Absolutely!
Get my vote too.
Mob + Run 400m
WU x1 (up to 8 unbroken weighted pullups @ 25#)
Foam rolling
WOD: Rx 6:13 A nice finish for the week.
Cashout Scorpion stretch 3×30 sec. each side.
Skill of the week HSPU:
5 @ 45# and ab mat
5 @ 25# and ab mat
5 @ 25# and ab mat
QOD: I can think of a couple of times I’ve complained recently but it’s usually regarding a movement that needs improving. So replacing the complaint with: “Its been a while since I’ve done ________, it needs more work”, “Can’t wait to see what kind of PR I can get the next time around” OR just don’t say anything at all 😉
I’m with you on the don’t say anything bit. I usually can’t breath enough to speak after anyway so that’s perfect.
Mob
Run 400 m + WUx1
Foam rolling
5 rounds
200 m
7 knees to elbows
7:36
Rob Brydges
I am absolutely loving the comments today!
And it’s great to be proud of accomplishments. Some wods are much more challenging than others. Tell others how much you improved or how you could actually ‘feel’ the fat melting off you.
Keep the comments rolling in!
I have to say that when I first started CFM 3 months ago and would hear people saying oh that wod sucked, etc that pumped me up to try it myself! I wanted to see if it really did “suck that bad”. I didn’t take it in a negative way, I took it as ok bring it on! I totally understand Kevin’s point as well, it can be intimidating to new members, but have you ever gone to another “gym” and seen people sprawled out on the floor after a great workout but still able to smile and joke and high 5 afterwards?? I don’t think so!
Awesome!
Well Said
OK Kevin. I will never throw another kettlebell at you. I will never tell you to —- —. I will say isn’t this great? Isn’t he a wonderful coach?
5 rounds
200 m run
7 situps
Time 10:01
Best of luck to Lora and Amanda. Have a great time. Doing a cert is lots of work but also so much fun and you will meet some great trainers.
Good luck ladies! 😀
Those wall balls and that backward running this week really help to maintain my crossfit bootie. I sure hope we do more next week.
Are you sure? Cause they were “F***ing stupid” at the time 🙂
I am sitting here LMAO because I can hear it in my head, Denis saying this.
….But Denis, the question is …were you running on your toes to not only maintain the CF Bootie, but the CF Calves???
Hahahaha it is all about the crossfit butt!
Isn’t it though ? 😀
LOL – “f***ing stupid” – Love it 😀
QOD – I am probably still in the “crossfit newbie” category but here’s my 2 cents.
Some WODs scare the shit out of me when I read them online (ex: yesterday’s anniversary wod!) but I like to say they were a doosy! Since most people dont know what I mean by that and this “is that good or bad?” lol.
What I love is from my first WOD to now, people come up and say hi or introduces themself if I havent met them yet. Same thing post-work out, everyone comes over to say you did good! That a good way to keep the “newbies” comfortable in a very tight group/ community. Make them feel welcomed when they seem to stand around with a big “?” on there face. (which I still do sometimes… lol)
Well put Val – the big “?” is such an uncompartable place to stand!!
*comfortable
QOD
I’m going to stick with my regular “This is going to be “fabulous”/ Wasn’t that “fabulous”? (Sarcastic air quotes optional 🙂 )
Hahaha, very simillar to mine, “Looks like a great one right?” or “This is going to be a good one!” 😉
I really appreciate your leadership on this Kevin! I agree with a lot of the feedback so far about not being too intimidated by the comments about how hard the workouts are, as that’s completely relative to each individual and what s/he is capable of or how hard they push themselves. From my perspective, the most challenging part about being new is learning the routine of the gym and the proper form for each of the exercises. From day one I really sensed the positive family atmosphere in the gym. The friendly faces, greetings and encouragement are all high on the list of reasons why I keep going back – a special thanks Blake, Corinna, Jeff, and Lora for helping to make my experience a positive one so far 🙂 CrossFit is REALLY taking me out of my comfort zone, so I extra appreciate when someone helps to make me feel more comfortable and welcome. That’s the positive role I want to play for other new suckers, I mean members 😉
*like*
Great dialogue this morning. I have been pondering the QOD all morning, as I have read and re-read all the informative comments.
QOD ” What new positive ways am I going to use to describe workouts? I think it is critical to use positive dialogue at all times, especially around our newer members.
However, I think that if we want to breed positivity and make all our members feel safe and welcomed then we need, to own that statement and execute it at all times.
How often have all of us have heard that Cross Fit is only for those people who are fit and athletic? A perfect example of this is the simple fact that it took two years for my partner Laura to join CFM. Laura felt completely intimidated about our WOD’s and she did not think that she was fit enough to join. Yesterday, she finally admitted that she has the CF bug. In addition, she appreciates immensely that every WOD can be scaled to her ability level giving her a great work-out. Furthermore, Laura also conveyed to me that CF is much more intense and challenging than any other fitness programs that she has ever done in the past! …smiles…
I am sure if you were to ask a new member such as Laura or many other new members why they keep coming back and have not gone to another gym, many of them will tell you that it has little to do with negative or positive comments about the WOD’s. Equally, many of these same people will most likey tell you that the reason they keep coming back has nothing even to do with the intensity of the WOD’s. Let’s be honest, Cross Fit sells itself simply because it works. As many of you have stated earlier, CF is an addictive drug!
A percentage of us keep coming back because we are addicted to the benefits of the program, but more importantly, a larger percentage of us keep walking through the doors of CFM simply and purely because of how we are welcomed, acknowledged and treated.
As a veteran member of CFM and a future trainor, I must never ever underestimate the power of breeding positivity and making our members feel safe and welcomed. Making people feel welcomed and validated is stronger than any drug on the market; even the Cross Fit drug.
I must say, much like Laura, the scaled wods and positive support from fellow crossfiters really did sling shot me to a fitness level I never thought possible. CF it self is addictive but many of us never would have returned the next day if we didn’t feel welcomed. Thankfully the sprit of the CF community is a welcoming one.
Very well said Corinna!
Love your comments Corinna. …Smiles bacatchya 🙂
800m fast walk
mobility
400m run & wu x 1
no strength – foam rolling & lacrosse ball
WOD : 5 rounds
200m Run
scale – V-snaps
Time = 7:14 (PR 1:14 from nov 4/10 did sit ups last time)
cash out – 3 x 30 sec Scorpion
Practice skill of the week
mobility
400m run & wu x 1
Foam rolling & lacrosse ball
WOD : 5 rounds
200m Run
7 K2E
Time = 8:01 (PR 1:03 from nov4/10)
cash out – Scorpion stretch
WU X 1, 400M run
Foam Painfully GOOD rolling
5 Rounds
200M
7 Elbows to knees on Rings
7:44ish
mobility
400m run
WU x 1
Foam rolling
WOD
5 rounds
200m Run
7 V-snaps (kind of)
Time = 7:02
cash out – Scorpion stretch
I know, I have to start saying more positive comments after my WOD but every time that I complaint about how hard or how much I hated it is because I still can’t believe that I am able to finish or do them, is a proud feeling to say how horrible it was but as everyone is saying I know how new members can feel when we say those things so I am going to watch what I say, but I can still complaint in Spanish, right??? :)!!
Si, pero yo entende un pocito! 😛
Jaja!! Oups!! entonces tengo que ver lo que digo ;)!!
Dont worry… my spanish is so rusty that you will get away with it hehe.
Mobility
400m Run
WUx1
Strength – OHS
35-45-55-60-65 (PR#5)
WOD
5 Rounds of:
200m run
7 sit-ups
Time: 8:40
One of the things that made me fall for Crossfit was the positivity and encouragement that was all over the place every workout and it is the first thing I talk about when I tell people what it is like. As somone who was new a few months ago I never saw these comments as scary but almost as a reassurance that others found it difficult but they got through it so can too!
I know that I am guilty of being a Negative Nelly, sometimes without even realizing it, and especially when I am frustrated with myself (say..yesterday? 🙂 ). Now that I think about how others may perceive this I am going to make a better effort at embracing the suck (love it) and turn it into positive encouragement…
Mobility
500m row
Wu x 2
Back squat 5rm to #110
Wod with 250m row instead of run
9:27
Scorpion stretch… Felt great!
mobility
400m run
WU x 1
Foam rolling
WOD
5 rounds
200m Run
7 toes to barbell
Time = 6:44
cash out – Scorpion stretch
Note to self : try out toes to ring next time.
Mob + 400m Run + WUx1
Foamie Rollie Goodness
WOD Rx = 6:36 (K2E on Bar)
Rain made this WOD very refreshing. Goal was to keep everything unbroken. Worked except for a slight reset in last round of K2E. Very much enjoyed this, keeping a fast pace is usually not my strong point but it went fairly well. Felt like rounds 2 & 3 were the hardest.
Good job 5h30!!
Mob..
1xWU
400m jog
Foam rolling was the choice of the day.. Felt awesome after..
WOD Rx
6:03
Awesome job pacing Eric.. That was fun having you pushing me out of my comfort zone on this..
Great job 5:30 class..
press
5×95,5×105,3×115,1×125,1×135 (tie pr)
wod rx 5:20
good job crew
Mob+400m Run
WUx1
Strength – Good morning x5
95-115-135-155-170(PR for reps, actually PR even as 1, darn it!)
Practiced HSPU on the new mini paralettes(not sure what they are called) and got 1 kipping one.
WOD as Rx’d
5 rounds of:
200m Run
7 Knees to Elbows
Time –> 6:30
PR of 18 sec from Nov 4th 2010 but then I did it on rings
Cashout:3x30sec Scorpion Stretch
Foam Rolling
Great job 6:30 crew!
Have a great weekend fella CrossFitters!
Great time buddy!
QOD: CrossFit is the highlight of my day so I usually don’t have anything bad to say 🙂
Love all the great comments today so far, you guys rock!!!
I agree that crossfit is the highligt of my day. People at work must be sick of metalking about it.
50 no show burpees
400m run
WUx1
WOD as Rx: 5:55
Everybody did great on this one. Nice work guys!
Nice time on this one patty!!
400m run
Wu x 1
Strength: push jerk 95,105,115,125,135
WOD RX’d 7:21 (first time doing k2e)
Practice hspu with mat folded in half
Got 2 strict then fell forward. Did 5 more strict then fell over. Jo then unfolded my mat and said i might as well do it right or something to that effect. Got 1 strict and 2 kipped.
I might try this again before a wod. Might work better.
Nice job on the handstands 🙂
Thanks. I always love the extra commentary. Keeps my head straight and my feet on the ground.
MOB
400m run
WU x 1
Foam rolling
Strength: Push Jerks x5
95-85-105-115×1 -95 (Felt something in shoulder so stopped)
WOD : 5 rounds
200m Run
7 K2E
T: 6:04 – Wanted sub-6:00 So close!!!
Jeff S. makes a great pace bunny!!! 😀 Fun runs tonight man!
Way to go 5:30! Great class! Great week!
mobility
400m run WU x1
Push Press
105-125-135-145-155 (#10 PR)
WOD
5 Rounds
run 200m
7 knees to elbows (toes to bar)
Time 7:17
Great job tonight everyone runs are always a hard one but im only going to get better if i keep doing them.
WOD @ RX
Time: 8:47
Nov, 4th 2010: Time: 6:59
I am pretty sure I subbed K2E’s for 14 backed then.
14 situps was the scale back then is what I am trying to say! lol!
Mobility, 400m Run, WUx1
Foam Rolling
WOD (Subbed Knees to Elbows w/ Toes to Barbell)
Time = 8:05
Cashout: Scorpion Stretch 3×30
Good luck Lora and Amanda. I know you’ll do great!
MOB
400 m run
WU X 1
Foam rolling – slowly
WOD
5 rounds
200m run
7 knees to elbows (scaled – on rings)
Time 8:54
Cashout – scorpion stretch
MOB
400 m run
WU X 1
Push Jerks 5x 65-70-75-80-80
Bit of foam rolling in between lifts
WOD
5 rounds
200m run
7 knees to elbows
Time – 8:53
Good job everyone! 🙂
I forgot to post my score so here goes:
400m run / WU x 1
Press x 5
75-95-105-110(3)-110(3)
Not at full strength today.
WOD: 5 Rounds
200m run
7 Knee to elbows (scaled to “toes to barbell”)
Time: 6:52