Fixing the Weak Link

It's pretty easy to neglect certain elements of overall fitness when you get into the zone. Day after day of heavy lifting, short metcons and endurance workouts has left me seemingly blind to seeing any weakness that may exist, so I continued on with my training, thinking I was nearly bulletproof. I had just finished 3 rounds of 15 Burpees, 20 Unbroken Pullups and 25 GHD situps. I then decided that I was going to attend the six o'clock yoga class.

Bad idea.

Not 2 minutes into it, my hips cramped, my back spasmed, I almost passed out and nearly shit myself. I felt like an absolute fool. There I was, a larger male that looks physically fit, but I can't balance, bend or twist to safe my life. I felt like an idiot. I was constantly swearing under my breath, gritting my teeth and thinking, "I swear to God, I am leaving on the next down facing dog." But I didn't leave, I couldn't. That's just my mentality now. After I calmed down, controlled my breathing I really started to come to the realization that flexibility is a huge issue for me.

It bit my ass at the SoCal sectionals. I couldn't get comfortable in the overhead squat position and my hips didn't have the elasticity to allow me to get into an L-sit with ease, the two events I finished the worst in. I don't know what was worse, my miserable experience with yoga or the fact that I had a huge hole punched in my fitness last night.

Discovering weaknesses is crucial to the success of any athlete, but more important than that is the ability for the athlete to swallow his or her pride and fix those weaknesses.

Needless to say, I have started an extensive stretching and mobility regimen.

Training:
10 Minutes of Muscle-Up work, focused on the transition and linking multiples.

3 Rounds:
15 Burpees Unbroken
20 Pullups Unbroken
25 GHD
1)2:33
2)3:00
3)3:13

1 Painful hour of yoga

Namaste.