Event 4 – Torture and Kryptonite

StretchTorture-796243 10:00 as many as you can of:
60 burpees jumping over a barbell
30 overhead squats at 90# / 120# (for guys)
10 muscle ups

CrossFit workouts are intended to be constantly varied. After doing heavy squats and weight overhead last week I didn’t think it would show up again so soon. But “constantly varied” is not evenly distributed – by definition. The goal is not to make things even and fair but to find your weaknesses. And your goal is not to have any. Everyone has certain things they would rather see in a workout. Some they struggle with. Strengths and weaknesses. But then there is the kryptonite. The thing specifically designed to take you down. You can be the fastest, best, most powerful athlete in the world and still be taken down because you can’t do double-unders.

My kryptonite is overhead squats. For well over a year I avoided them to protect my volleyball shoulder. What I didn’t realize is that I was just avoiding a problem instead of solving it. Ever since I started to do overhead squats last year my shoulder pain is gone. If only I had known sooner! Regardless, I had very positive thoughts last night before the workout about having a major breakthrough. But no luck. Positive thinking is great but it has to be accompanied by practice, a lot of hard work and dedication.

There is a lot I can do. Yoga for the flexibility and for straightening my ever-crooked elbows. Dips, jerks, and handstand pushups. Front squats. The trainers were even trying to think of torture devices like hanging me upside-down while i hold weights or strapping me to a medieval rack and cranking away. All those things would help but what will help most is repetitions, repetitions, repetitions. To face my kryptonite as much as I can until I am immune to it. I may not fix this by Saturday but I will fix it.

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