FOCUS

First Blog. Numero Uno. #1.

Why am I writing shit down on the internet?

Because why not? I read a lot of stuff on the internet (and in books and course material obviously), after all the memes and funny dog stuff, there’s a little bit of potentially useful information about strength training, flexibility and general physical preparation for life that ill ponder over for far too long. Most of the time those ponderings go nowhere, maybe ill speak to one of my many scholar friends (lies) interested in fitness (lies), but most of the time the musings go nowhere.

So whether you like it or not, this is where the thoughts will live. They may extend outside of the brief, but for now ill be writing about gymnastics do’s and don’ts, training methods and ideas for improving positional awareness and positional strength.

How often will I write shit down on the internet?

Hopefully regularly, but being a full time Engineer, part time Gymnastics Coach, part time (average at best) Olympic Weightlifter, these will be whenever I have a thought or whenever I get a moment. I will shout about it on my insta page (@reidperformancegymnastics) when it happens so it won’t be a mystery.

So, what’s the first topic then? Focus

First musing for the Blog is about training Focus. Most of the people I coach come from a Crossfit background, and while I love the idea of Crossfit and what it brings to the table it often skews people’s idea of what’s necessary to learn a new skill. Let’s take learning a Muscle Up for example, answer this in your head (or out loud if you don’t mind people next to you switching seats on the train) ‘Can you learn a muscle up just by going to Crossfit classes a couple of times per week?’

The answer for most is a no, the answer for a few is absolutely. What is the difference between these 2 types of people? The people in the first category are your normal people who aren’t elite sportspeople, who learn things mentally and physically at a normal rate and if you’re in this category, there is absolutely nothing wrong with that. People in the latter category are outliers, people who pick up things crazy quick, are way stronger than they need to be or already just naturally move in the correct way without instruction.

If you’re in the gym and you keep trying this skill (applies to all skills actually) and you keep failing. You are in the first category, the normal people category. You are exceptional in many ways, but in this case, you are going to have to work at it like everybody else with specific training. Now answer this in your head (or out loud again if the weird dude chewing super loud and spilling crumbs on you didn’t move) ‘Do you compare yourself to the outliers?’.

I don’t have enough fingers and toes to count how many times I’ve seen/heard people go ‘he/she got their (insert difficult skill here) the other day and I still can’t do it’. Its fine that you can’t do it, you just need to dial back on the ‘Full-Crossfit’ in workouts and start working towards the skill as much as possible. Not just fitting it around your training. Put it at the top of the list. That’s the Focus you need.

If you know what you need to do. Just do it. If not, find yourself someone who can help and ask them what you need to do. Half repping pulls because the WOD only says you have to get your chin over the bar won’t help you get a muscle up. Not using false grip because it hurts won’t get you a muscle up. Trying to do ring dips when you can only do 1 scrappy rep at a time won’t get you a muscle up. There are known methods for learning pretty much anything you want to learn, once you have the method all that’s left is Focus and hard work.

I will almost certainly post about hard work some time, but for now, find your Focus.

· Write down what you want to do.

· Put it at the top of the list

· Tell someone you are going to do it (keeps you accountable)

· Find out how to get there (get a program, a set of exercises, find out what you’re missing)

· DO THE WORK

· Reap the rewards

It’s out there for anyone who wants it enough. And even though I’m trying to live like this isn’t true (see reasons why I might not blog regularly at the start of this post) YOU CAN’T HAVE EVERYTHING ALL AT ONCE. There is a finite amount of time in the day and there is a finite amount of energy each person has. Use your time and your energy wisely, PUT IT AT THE TOP OF THE LIST.

If you have any questions, hit me up on Instagram (@reidperformancegymnastics). Until next time, see ya suckas

Reid