Working Through The Pain ...

“The greater danger for most of us lies not in setting our aim too high and falling short; but in setting our aim too low, and achieving our mark.” - Michelangelo

The above quote hits home with me as it relates to my Crossfit Training. As I continute to work on the correct standards of each exercise I also need to focus on the goal - taking my fitness to the next level. It is as much - if not more - mental than it is physical. I found the following blog post from Oakland County Crossfit that talks about that very topic.

"In general if you want to improve your life, then you are going to have to practice personal growth by facing and overcoming challenges. The thrill of Victory is one of the sweetest sensations you can experience, but you'll never feel it if you life your life inside a compact little bubble where nothing ever changes.  This too is true both in Crossfit and in life. It's a classic irony of the human condition that our instincts to drive us to expand and grow, yet at the same time we enjoy comfort, security, and recognizable boundaries.  However, those same comfortable boundaries quickly become a self-imposed prison unless we continue to improve ourselves in some way.  Hence, why we are always pushing our people to become better, reach further, and try harder. Unless you want to life the rest of your days in your safe little box (keeping your life the same, your body the same, your health the same), you are going to have to learn how to push your own limits, thus opening yourself up to experience the growing pains that herald the victories of your future. The first step is to visualize the end results and ONLY the end results.  What do you want your end result to be?  Are you focusing on it?   During each workout, each temptation with food, focus all of your will power on your end result.  What you don't do is think about how hard an exercise is, or about how much you don't want to workout, or about how satisfying that cookie would be right now. Focus on your end result. Anyone who has told you that the "No Pain....No Gain" statement is completely wrong is WRONG themselves.  As athletes we teach yare taught to stop when there is a pain that signals something is not right.  This is ok.  What you are challenged to do is push through the pain of muscle discomfort that accompanies us on most of the workouts.  The "no pain" route involves lots of resting during workouts, which hinders the great neuroendocrine response that CrossFit gives us.  Working through the pain involves you visualizing the end result, telling yourself that you CAN do one more rep, and finding comfort in the muscle burn. The "no pain" route is easy in the moment, and gives a fleeting, instant reward - the opportunity to rest.  The "pain" route involves significant discomfort, and no immediate noticeable results, but the long-term rewards make the pain very much worth working through. What pain are you willing to endure for your end result"?