Life Is Heavier Than Any Bar…
Monica and Dan…
“I am convinced all of humanity is born with more gifts than we know. Most are born geniuses and just get de-geniused rapidly.”
It never ceases to make me get all giddy inside when someone gets their first pull-up, or finally has that look of understanding wash over their face when they get an Oly lift correct. But at the same time, I know it is still hard to hide my confusion when the most simple task should be exactly that – simple. And not for what the task means when you’re inside the box…but for what it means when you’re in the world outside the box.
Is the excitement for a pull-up or any movement really even valid? I don’t know whether I am so much excited that they pulled their chin over the bar, or if my excitement is because they were awarded the feeling of achieving something they could not do before. When you have a deep-seeded desire to see another succeed and they do, the emotion is much more a contact buzz. They got it. They are happy. We are happy because of it…achievement is addictive.
The tasks trainers ask athletes to perform aren’t really geared for making them better athletes. That happens, of course, but athletic endeavors on a field with a score board come and go. Life’s scoreboard is much bigger, and that’s what we are really developing. And with the shit I have seen life throw, we better be training hard ’cause life’s “heavy”, and it’s always crying for a PR.
I immediately felt horrible as I watched a brand new athlete try to rifle a deadlift off the ground and nothing happened. “Are you injured,”I asked? “No,” the athlete responded. I tried to hide my confused look as I instructed the athlete yet again on a DL point or two only to find the bar remain taunting us both from the floor…unmoved.
I reached down grabbed the middle of the bar with one hand, effortlessly raised it to my waist and said, “Here.” “It’s too heavy.” was the response. I handed 20lbs of life on a 10lb bar over and it was too heavy. Immediately I thought, “If you can’t handle life’s ultra-light days, how can you handle life’s heavy days?”
I understand “heavy” is relative. I understand “light” is also. But that was the last thing I was thinking at that moment. It wasn’t that I was trying to make fun, or show off or anything other than motivate. It’s that three feet behind me a 10-year old was tossing three times this weight over her head, and here stood an injury-free adult unable to budge less than 30lb from the floor. I felt responsible for this human. At least for them being able to move this little bar. Otherwise I somehow pay the price for not trying hard enough to make them believe they could. I didn’t want them to move the bar to earn their membership, or to get them abs, or even to see a smile….
We deadlift so if a toddler falls in street we can pick them up before a car scrapes them off.
We snatch so that when the flood comes we can toss sandbags high enough to build a wall to save our home.
We pull-up so when our loved one is screaming we can go over a wall to get to them rather than search for a door.
We climb ropes for fun, so that when we must climb ropes for freedom we can.
We burpee so that no matter how bad the beating we can always take one more punch.
We row so when the clouds surprise us in the ocean we can out-paddle the rain.
We run for the day we need hurry to a friend in need.
We lunge for that sweet burn that teaches us to handle the flames.
We push-up so we can push back against those hurting the weaker.
We squat for the time we’re hit so hard we buckle…yet we still stand.
This is why I do not feel guilty when I one-hand them a bar, call it “light”, and say “Pick it up.” This is why I cannot hide my confusion. It’s not because I want to harass, or make fun. It’s not because I feel others are somehow less human because they can’t do a pull-up. It’s because I want so badly for everyone to be able to do all of those things we are supposed to do instead of live with the regret of a single missed opportunity. An opportunity to help another, the community, a child. In my experience, regret is so much more painful than discipline.
The more weight we put on the bar the more reward for lifting it. The more weight you take on in life, the stronger we are. You can never be too strong. You can never lift too much of life’s weight. And while life offers “light” days, they will never seem “light” if you never lift anything heavier than an empty bar.
Dynamic
Hang Power Clean
8×2 @ 75% 1RM
For Time:
3-Bear Complex 95/135
7-Chest to bar Pull-ups
4 Rounds
Post weight moved and time to comments.
I love this post, I have had an encounter very similar to this one and on more than one occasion. Usually it just frustrates me that someone has convinced themselves that its too hard. Its ok for something to be hard, but its not ok for the attitude of its too hard.. Try it and fail, then get up and try it again. I guarantee that life will knock you on you rear more then once and if you stay down you lose but if you get up you’re just learning.
What a perfect post after witnessing Ms Duval’s first 2 MUPS.. Congrats Jen
yay Jen-good stuff
Love this post. Reminds me of something my lil brother recently posted. It went something like “Try you best, and if you fail… F that, don’t fail.” Now, I realize we don’t succeed at everything we do the first or even second time around. Hell, maybe we never fully reach our goal. But the attitude that comes with this statement is what is so powerful. People succeed because they believe they will, and they have the motivation/drive it takes to get there. Being able to run 400m in less than 1:20 or being able to deadlift 300 lb doesn’t mean much in themselves… until you’re running for your life or lifting that debris off of a family member who’s helpless.
I hope everyone takes in this fresh breath of perspective, and when outsiders snobbily ask “Why would you ever CHOOSE to do those insane workouts?” you’ll have a good response. Good post, JB.
Jen, Congrats on the MUPs! If only I would’ve stuck around for just a bit longer and I would’ve seen them!
5:22m
Way to go Jen!!
Love this post jb.
4:51m
I totally NEEDED this post…Thanks!!!
6:20(M)
65lbs (bear complex)
5:30m
Love this post, FYI We have reposted on our blog with a shout out to Practice CrossFit.
Thanks Carine, and thanks for all the other kinds…
Ok forgot to write time on white board. I started out with Jen W & pretty sure I ended up doing 5 rds not 4. My time wAs 6:50…gotta work on getting more than 3 hours of sleep if I continue to function by 6am.
You ROCK girl!!!
So yes JB it wasn’t your fault I couldn’t comprehend your instructions;)
Thanks Jen D;)
AWESOME post!! I really like this one!
Way to go Jen on your m-up!!!
dynamic @ 100#
6:59
5:50 (m) – Modified C2B pull ups
did this one at home and dont have many plates for scaling…up or down.
hang pclean@95 (more like 85%)
wod – 9:32…longer than it shoulda been, i know, but RXd (which I didnt count on being able to do more than twice) and w two rounds of reverse grip pullups (skillwork for me). that damn bear was heeea-vy for this chick. cracked myself in the back of the head on the back thruster one outta every three reps 3 outta 4 rounds. deezus.
“You can never be too strong. You can never lift too much of life’s weight.” Blind faith on that one…
4:25. Fun!
6:39 modified 95#
4:16..fun evening
It’s great to be back in the box!!! I didn’t do shit on vacation except eat like a carbavore and drink like a sailor and I realized that I don’t really miss those things because they make me feel like shit. I did however find myself looking around for things to do pullups on and also a lot of daydreaming about pcf and wishing that it was a 10 minute drive from the beach.
7:23(m) being my first Wod in almost 2 weeks I scaled it to 95 lbs and felt like a wuss when I was done. I should have just done the rx. Oh well live and learn and if you aren’t learning you aren’t living!
6:54 (m)
cheesey
95# hpc
5:56 (m)
hpc 100#
wod 6;15