Lessons Learned

Ok so it’s the new year and by now the majority of the population has long blown off their resolutions. This is why resolutions suck and I will never make them. Instead, I find it best to look back on the year that passed and reflect on what I have learned. Isn’t this how we evolve into better people? 2015 was a bit of an adventurous year. I spent time on both coasts and up the Alaskan highway, quit two jobs, and took three new ones. I also sold a house, bought a house, travelled, dealt with an injury that kept me from doing what I love for nearly six months, and adopted a new dog; these are only a few highlights. Experience can be a very valuable teaching tool, if you are willing to listen.

1. Those who wait until tomorrow never get shit done. In the fitness industry we hear this all the time: “that sounds intense”, or “this seems hard”, or “I think I’ll get in better shape and then come back and try it”. No, you won’t. The second somebody walks away from that conversation, they are right back into the same existence that they were unhappy with in the first place. This holds true in all aspects of life. If you are going to embrace a challenge of any sorts, you have to take it on immediately while you are still enthusiastic. There is never a right time. Something else will always come up and now your good intentions are merely an afterthought.
2. My next lesson was a continuation of the first. By jumping on opportunities, you create momentum. That momentum creates change, wins, new experiences, and oddly enough, more opportunities. I was the classic over-analyzer and still struggle a bit with it today, but I was ultimately able to create a lot of happiness for myself by taking action.
3. Injuries are your opportunity to improve. I dislike a lot of quotes almost as much as resolutions. Mainly because they are equally full of shit. “Pain is weakness leaving the body”. Negative. That is a sign of an impingement probably caused by loading a joint in a poor position. Unless there was a very distinct event that caused that specific injury, most of the time the results are an accumulation of micro-traumas. Either way, the end result keeps you from training under proper intensity. Provided it’s not life altering, you can look at it as a blessing because you are now forced to slow down and give the desired attention to areas that often get overlooked like mobility and proper movement patterns. Without flexibility, mobility, and the ability to stabilize a joint, you can almost guarantee you will be sidelined again.
4. I cannot stress enough the importance of a morning routine. This is how you start the day on your terms. Find some quiet time, read a book, do some mobility, drink a coffee and watch the sunrise. No phones, TV, or Facebook. We are consistently overstimulated and pulled in a million different directions during the run of a day. Find peace in the fact that the outside world can wait. Collect your thoughts; set you intentions for the day, whatever it takes to make it yours. This has been the single most important thing I have incorporated and by far has had the biggest impact.
5. Hammer on the basics. Greg Glassman talks about virtuosity and it has become one of my favorite things about CrossFit. Virtuosity by definition means to do the common uncommonly well. The basics are what we call the 7 primal movement patterns: Squat, Bend, Lunge, Vertical and Horizontal Push, Vertical and Horizontal Pull, Twist and Gait. This is also known to the Crossfit community as functional movement. They are so effective because they require midline stabilization, posterior chain engagement, full range of motion, and active shoulders. They are essential, safe, compound yet irreducible, and allow us to move large loads, long distances, quickly. These produce results and are the foundation of all the more technical lifts. Lifting is about longevity.
6. Pirate your life. Tait Fletcher is one of my biggest inspirations. Every time I hear him speak, I’m motivated to be better. A better lifter, coach, person, you name it. The man’s words resonate with me as much as anyone in this world. He is one of the creators of Caveman Coffee Co, BJJ Black Belt, Stunt Man, Award Winning Actor and all around Bad Ass really. His message of “Pirate your life back” is to be extraordinary through health, education, and awareness. You need to have a clear vision, belief system, and open mind. The average has now become a slow decline towards sickness and having someone else own the majority of your time. Demand more. Own your shit! You’re going to have to go against the grain and others will be uncomfortable with that. You might be uncomfortable as well, but the payoff is real confidence, real physical and mental health, and the most vibrant life possible.

All the best in 2016.
Coach Rob

Rob Beare is a professional CrossFit Trainer at
Biometrics Strength and Conditioning in Fredericton, NB.