I’m one of those people who believes a huge shift in consciousness is needed in this country. From the pollution we emit everyday, to the garbage we eat on an hourly basis, America is sick and the wider population hasn’t yet woken up to it.
I started Crossfitting to improve my own health and physical fitness but I became a coach to help facilitate change in the lives of others. Everyone’s got a story about how they can’t lose weight, how they always seem to be sick, the list goes on and on and my job is to show people a different way to overcome these obstacles.
I’ve spent countless hours pondering, researching, and writing about the current state of health in this country and the only conclusion I can come up with is that we, in America, spend too much time searching for that magic pill to make everything better, something to give us, without effort, what we’re all desperately looking for, change.
Change is the only thing that will get you to lose 40 pounds along with your pre-diabetic body chemistry. Change is what will prevent you from being diagnosed with cancer later on in life. Change is what will make you stronger then you thought possible mentally and physically. And change will make your twilight years a joy rather then a nightmare.
One of the things I’ve always enjoyed about being a coach is watching someone reach a level that they previously felt wasn’t possible. The guy that walks into the gym and takes the number one spot for the 500m row, or the back-squat, needs my help to improve his game with little technical flaws but he’s already doing well, for the day to day stuff he really doesn’t need my help at all. The person who walks in and after 5 months of sweat, soreness, and frustration, goes from 33 pounds to 100 pounds in their over head press is what I feel the most accomplished about because that bit of progress has changed the way that person lives their life, in ways that far out weight whether or not someone can deadlift 700 pounds or 705 pounds.
At CPC we coaches have the pleasure of witnessing people create change the old fashioned way, with blood, sweat, and occasionally tears. I enjoy being part of a support network that encourages people to go beyond their limits and learn new things about themselves they previously never thought possible. People keep coming back to us because we manage to consistently provide a community and an environment where they can test their limits and know that not only do they have a chance to learn from failure but also the support of the wider community to help them get back in the saddle.
I’ve always felt that, in many ways, the American perspective has become too focused on the individual and not enough on the health of our society. Our wider array of problems in America aside, the one thing we all have control over is our health. When you’re sick you’re not much use to anyone, especially yourself. When you’re strong and healthy you have the confidence and fortitude to make beneficial contributions to the society in which you live, therefore helping to improve it.
We all have an unspoken duty (one that I believe should be spoken of more often) to give back, in some way, to the community that allows us to do what we do each day, some volunteer, others give to charity, I coach.
- Baker
Today’s Workout:
Narrow Grip Bench Press
8-8-8-8-8
Teams of 2:
5 Rounds For Reps
1 Min Row for Calories
1 Min Air Squats
(Alt Row/Squats for 10 Minutes Total)
