Positive Self Talk

"I give thanks for the opportunity to heal an old injury, to close an old wound, to alter an old pattern, to shift an old reality, to release an old story, to change an old idea, and to create a new experience of Self and Life."  Neale Donald Walsh

 When I decided to take better care of myself (on my 40th bday), I jumped right back in, full throttle and I recall  vividly that my body said "f.. you".

(see before and after)

That's been more than several years ago and since then, I've improved my quality of life drastically.  I had taken the time improving myself by working on my career but in that process, had let myself become overweight, and unhealthy.  It really wasn't that much of an issue until I turned 34 years old and the +10 lbs happened.  Didn't take long before I was tipping the scale at well over 230 lbs.  MY LIFE WAS UNBALANCED. Work, work and more work...........I had fallen into a common trap.  I vividly recall having labored breathing trying to accomplish the simplest tasks, like tying my shoes.  It was at this point that I realized it was time to bring some balance into the equation.  It took a few months after getting back into it when I finally started seeing the results.  Feeling the results came almost immediately but the inches took some time.  People around me noticed too.  My energy level went through the roof.  Tons of positive changes! I was charged up and vocal about it.  I had many conversations about self improvement.  My business partner and co-workers noticed, and it took some time to for me to realize that they resented me for it.  Subsequently, I evaluated myself and was extremely critical.  I don't spend much time in that space, especially after I have broken down the  situation. 

I

There is no point, especially if you have constructively evaluated yourself.  I decided to move on.  I was lucky that I hadn't wasted much time or energy 'there'.  What I do with my time is completely up to me.  Subsequently, I made the decision not to bring it up in conversation.  I also took that philosophy in regards to social media.  People post to social media about diet and exercise almost every hour of the day.  For some people it's motivating, for others it's NOT.  I don't post every meal, or every workout.  I am selective.  Don't get me wrong, I enjoy watching what others post on social media.  I have enjoyed  many interesting articles this way, and been led to many different type of workouts.  I really enjoy watching people improve, whether it be academically, professionally, or physically and even more so if I can help them in anyway.  I still talk about working out, just not as much and only if someone brings it up first. Everyone is different and on their OWN timeline. Biggest thing I realized was to release the guilt and bad feelings and to focus on positive self talk.
 

Getting Double Unders Wired.

GETTING YOUR MIND RIGHT FOR DU’s

Double unders are critical in moving your game to the next level in cf wods.  If you haven’t wired DU’s yet, it’s OK.  Don’t stress out about it, it’s like anything else in cf, you will get it down then you will be on to the next thing.  There are several factors that could be affecting you.  I will start with the equipment, then move on to the mechanics, then wrap up with the mental portion of it, which brings it all together. Oh yes, I must mention, that you need to be able to perform du's under every condition, meaning under complete fatigue and after every type of cf movement that impairs your coordination, stamina and overall fitness.  If you are struggling with du's, practice after regular wod, practice, practice, practice!!!! Yes, that means after heavy DL, box jumps, air squats, lunges, heavy squats, cleans, runs, wallballs, thrusters, pullups ETC. Basically any movement that would cause fatigue in your rope swing and/or your legs. You need to be able to think about it as a 'rest' movement bc it's straight bw. Come to think of it, it really is a rest movement.  Performing du's keeps your heart rate up but good conditioning will help you recover quickly. It takes longer to recover from heavy lifts, so in that regard, I think most would agree that it's a 'rest' movement.

Equipment

• Buy your own rope!!  They're inexpensive and you can take with you everywhere you go.

•  Make sure your rope is technically sound.

• Swivels or bearings move efficiently and freely.

• Length is properly measured to your physical features.

•  General measurement of the rope can be accomplished by placing both feet on the rope and lengthen/shorten the rope to the armpits and adjust accordingly.

•  As you get du's wired, you may have to adjust your rope again.  This can be accomplished by standing the rope with 1 foot instead of 2 (it will shorten it a little bit).  This part is different for everyone, i.e. you may need to lengthen the rope instead of shorten it, either way you will know, trust me and more importantly, trust yourself (have some confidence).

Mechanics

• Place your rope handles comfortably in your hands, this differs for everyone, I typically place the end of the handle squarely in the palm of my hand.  This placement will affect the required length of your rope, so when you figure out how you want to hold the rope, check the length and adjust accordingly.

• Hold your hands freely at your waste.

•  Rotate the rope using your wrists, this will come naturally.

• Maintain hollow body position.  The point is to be efficient and use the least amount of energy while performing the movement. JUMP UP AND DOWN ONLY, NOT SIDE TO SIDE OR FORWARD OR BACKWARD. 

• Jump up and down as the rope comes to a complete rotation, start with singles.

• Link singles together and get comfortable.  You should practice linking singles with your eyes closed.  Watch a boxer train on YouTube, they run in place and use many variations to improve their coordination (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sSDb5udcP6o)
• Begin alternating single and doubles.
• Keep your mind CALM, even if your body is aching with fatigue.

GET YOUR MIND RIGHT

• One reason I love CF so much, it helps me focus.  This focus allows the existential mind relief from daily stress.
• The focus can be accomplished in many ways; I focus on the movement of the rope, then the timing of my jump.
• Really get into this mental “viewing”.  Use your mind’s eye to focus on the movement of the rope first, then the timing of your jump.
• Practice linking singles together as efficiently as possible. Close your eyes and link singles together.
• Alternate singles and doubles with your eyes closed.  VISUALIZE it.  The double under will take more physical effort than a single. 
• The DU is essentially faster rope speed with a slower jump.  As your coordination improves, so will your timing.
• As you progress, you must really focus on body efficiency of moving up and down only, that means concentrating on UP AND DOWN ONLY, NOT SIDE TO SIDE OR FORWARD OR BACKWARD.
• Do not allow frustration into this movement.  Keep in mind; this is intended for stress RELIEF, not as a stress inducer. 
• STAY CALM, relaxed, breathe deeply and have fun. 
• When you falter, which you will, pause, take a deep breath, shake yourself out and begin again.
• Visualize SUCCESS.

  GOOD LUCK.