"Practice Makes Perfect"

Everybody has a few skills that they just absolutely detest. They’re hard, you’re not good at them, and they exploit your weaknesses. When you see them in a WOD you tend to just go through the motions praying they will not appear again for another week.

It is unrealistic to think you are going to love every WOD and every skill to go with it. It is even more unrealistic to think you are going to be a rockstar at everything; we all have our strengths and our weaknesses. Instead of thinking of our unfavorable movements as a no good weakness, turn them into opportunities to become strengths. I know this sounds cliché or perhaps “high and mighty,” but it’s true, and your doing yourself a disservice by brushing them off, never trying to work on them.

So make an action plan. Gear up and decide right now that you are going to change your feelings and suck it up. The reason you don’t like them is because they are more difficult for you and mostly likely a literal “pain in the butt.” They hurt because your still working on your strength, your coordination is off, or you cant get the proper form down to get them done efficiently. If you work on improving them, you may find you don’t hate them so much…maybe even like them.

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Try just doing 10-15 reps of an unfavorable movement at the end of each WOD for a week. Pick something you don’t like and work on your form and ability to repeat unbroken reps. Here is an example; some people HATE wall balls. They tire your whole body and a large number of reps are mentally exhausting. You could feel that you are putting all your might into throwing it up to hit the right spot on the wall, and that ball will be airborne and barreling down to smack you straight in the noggin…. Ouch! So now you still have to repeat your reps, find your bearings, find your ball, and make sure you still remember your first and last name. It’s SO frustrating! The only way to get better is practice. If you try doing 10-15 wall balls for a week after each WOD, you can take time to practice form, control, and stringing them together. Doing them outside a WOD eliminates pressure from the clock and the anxiousness to finish. The more you do perfectly, the more your body remembers how to efficiently and properly complete the task. Slow down, concentrate, and take the time to figure it out. Those 10 reps with good form and concentration will make a big difference the next time you go into a timed WOD, but the low number will make it easier to add on to an already tough workout.

So whether it is wall balls, pull-ups, handstand push-ups, box jumps, kettle bell swings, or those oh so intimidating double unders, take them head on and conquer. Every rep you complete with good form, control, and mental toughness, is on more rep closer to a beautiful friendship. Don’t just stop with week one, pick a different skill every week and do the same thing. Change it up so you don’t mentally burn out on one skill, but make a plan to circle back around and see your improvements. Share with your trainers and fellow athletes what you would like to improve on so they can encourage you and help you along the way. It is important to enlist your trainers to help you with your form, give you tips on improvement, and keep you accountable. Good luck! And remember “Practice makes perfect.”

Here is a link to a great article written by Colin Stuckert, “50 ways to get Better at CrossFit.” Just some ideas to keep in mind as you continue your CrossFit journey.