Congrads to Laura who tied the knot this past weekend!

Progress is the name of the game, right?  If not, it should be.  It’s why we drag our tired, sore behinds into the gym day-in and day-out.  Our goal to maximize our potential and have some fun along the way.  Many of you are at different points along that journey, but no matter where you may be we all encounter plateaus in our progress from time to time.  Whether real or perceived, I don’t know about you but nothing get me frustrated more than not seeing progress in my training.  Progress can be measured in a ton of different ways, but beyond simply trying to train through a plateau, here are some tips that can help you avoid the dreaded “Progression Depression”:

• Be Patient.  I can’t stress this first point enough.  Progress takes time and cannot be forced no matter how much you want it.  Strength gains are the result of the continuous breaking down and rebuilding of muscle tissue coupled with the improved efficiency of your nervous system.  That statement implies that you first have to show up to workout (which for some of us is the toughest part), you have to push yourself to lift a weight that causes micro-trauma in your muscles (which isn’t as heavy as you might think), allow yourself to recover (actual rest or active rest like stretching , hot/cold therapy, and soft tissue work like foam rolling), and repeat so that the cycle continues onward and upward.  Although you can optimize this cycle by choosing weights wisely and following through with recovery practices, the body can only repair itself so quickly and the improvement is only so much.  So my first piece of advice is to be patient with yourself and your training, have attainable expectations of yourself, and try to enjoy your journey.
• Be Objective.  One of the most difficult things for many of us is to be objective with ourselves.  The Intrepid coaching staff will be objective with you whether you like it or not, and although we don’t catch everything, you should be open-minded enough to accept the feedback we provide and integrate it into your training (otherwise what are you paying for?).  Try to step out of your own skin every once and a while whether it’s to picture yourself performing a lift or to simply put things into perspective and see the big picture.  I hate to say it, but being objective with ourselves requires us to put our egos aside and eat a slice of humble pie all in the name of getting better.
• Be Studious.  We all hated homework in school because most of us simply didn’t have a choice in the matter, we had to do it.  Unfortunately that mindset has cemented itself into our psyche as we’ve grown older and now anything that can possibly be construed as homework leaves a sour taste in our mouths.  The more you attend workouts the more you learn about yourself and your strengths and weaknesses.  In order to continue progressing you have to give a damn enough to actually work on your weaknesses.  For many of us that requires us to put in extra time both in and out of the gym.  It can be mobility work to improve range of motion in our shoulders or hips or skillwork on Thursdays or in the warm-up/cool-down.  Besides asking one of the coaches for some tips, what else have you done to take ownership of your progress?  Have you asked any other coaches, other athletes, even looked online to see what information might be out there pertaining to your issue?  Be studious, do your homework, and devote some extra time to getting better or else you may find yourself in the Doldrums trying to break your training funk.

As we get settled in our new facility, we are pleased to announce that prospective Intrepid clients now have another option to get started besides the Foundations package.  Our On-Ramp package is $75 and consists of 6 1-hour sessions on Mon, Weds, & Fri at 6pm. On-Ramp sessions will be limited to 5-6 athletes and be led by 1 coach. Check our Rates page for more information and to sign up!

WOD 11.30.11

Row 2k

Then:
4rds
12 Sledgehammer Strikes
8 Hang Power Cleans
4 HSPU