ROD

Saturday , 12May12

Jumping, Slamming,Thrusting & Conditioning

This is a 40 second work / 20 second rest timed exercise for 4 rounds with

40 second rest in-between rounds for all to perform.

• Box jumps
• DB Thrusters
• Suicide runs
• Dynamax slams w/ OH toss (the toss is just a short lob overhead, retrieve it quickly and repeat)
• Jumping split squats
• Reclines

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Give up or push on?

As I sit and write this my body is crying out in pain. My legs are sore, my back hurts and I couldn’t feel happier or prouder of myself. You see yesterday I started a new workout program, which if I’m being totally honest is probably beyond my abilities right now. It started with a fitness test (which is not meant to be a strenuous workout, but rather just a test of your fitness levels so you can compare you progress as you work through the program). 90% of the way through I was on the floor throwing my guts up. If anything could be taken as a sign that this is too tough for me then that surely must be it. It would have been really easy for me to throw in the towel at this point and decide to do an easier workout plan and maybe come back to this one at some point in the future.

When I woke up this morning I could hardly walk, my legs felt like led weights and every step was painful. So you know what I did? I got on with Day 2 of the program. After 20 minutes I was really pleased with myself, that I’d managed to get through it. Sure I’d missed out about a quarter of it because I needed a rest and my muscles just couldn’t keep up, but I had done it! I kept up with the workout. And was ready to stretch, warm down and mark a big tick next to my day 2 check list.

Then the instructor said “Well done – the warm up is over, lets get ready for the workout! - sound familiar-  Time to push yourself cause now it gets hard!” OMG was he serious? Yes – turns out he was, because the workout had 20 minutes left to run and the warm up really was the easy bit!

So at this point it surely is time to give up and quit right? Wrong! Now I’m not going to say that I managed to complete the whole workout and that I did all the exercises, because that wouldn’t be true. But I did everything I could and even more than that. When I needed a break I forced myself to go an extra 20 or 30 seconds before taking it. If I needed a 5 minute break I let myself have 2 minutes. I only took breaks when I felt pain that could be dangerous or if my form was slipping. By the end of it I wanted to cry, and was desperately counting down the seconds in my head til it was over.

And when it was over? I felt great – granted absolutely knackered, and every muscle in my body was aching (and still it LOL), but I stuck with it. No way was I going to quit – and I did better than I thought I was going to do halfway through. And what’s more is that I know in my head that this time next week I’ll do even better at this workout. And even better the week after and the week after that.

The point is that whatever you think you can do – trust me you can do way more. Where you think your limits are – there is just a choice – give up or push on. So what makes the difference between these two choices? How do you ensure that you have the drive and determination to push part the pain barrier or the fear barrier (depending on what’s stopping you)?

Well it’s simple – it comes down to motivation. How much do you want it? Think of something right now that you want to do but don’t think you can do it – maybe you think its too hard, or that you’re just not good enough. Something that you believe is beyond your limitations. If I was to tell you that if you didn’t complete it then all of your family members would be killed, I’m betting come hell or high water you would ensure that you got through it – however painful it may be. Now that might seem like quite an extreme example, but the point is that with the right motivation staying the front of your mind you can achieve anything. Motivation can come from anywhere, and it doesn’t matter what it is, as long as it works for you.

For me, for example, with my workouts, I have lots of motivation. Firstly I’ve let myself get out of shape and fatter than I’ve been before, and I don’t like that. So I have the motivation in my head of constantly comparing what my body is like now to what I will be if I push myself and complete this program.

Secondly, a friend of mine has been doing this program for 3 weeks and she’s getting great results, and God help me I’m not going to be beaten by a girl! LOL As stupid as that may sound – it works for me. So I use it – because it works. And I’ve found out over the last day that she completed the fit test without any problems and didn’t find the day 2 workout that hard and can get through it all. You might think that that disparency would discourage me and lessen my motivation. You’d be wrong. It tripled my motivation and determination to do even better and push myself even hard – Because God Help Me I’m not going to be beaten by a girl!

Thirdly, its summer coming up in a few months, and by the time I finish my program it will be about 2 weeks before I head of the states to be beach side. So I am determined to have a body I’m proud to show off on the beach. I’m keeping that image in my head at all times

And Lastly, but not least by any means, I have written up a list of 100 reasons why I will succeed and will I will achieve my goals whatever happens! I read through that list every day, I keep it where I can see it when I’m doing my workout and when I’m thinking that I can’t go any further I look at it and remind myself why I’m doing it.

So if I can push myself past where I thought my limited where – then why can’t you?! Exactly – you can! So stop reading this and go and do it!!! J

Have Fun and Overcome that Challenge.

Juan Becerra