Smashby's Training Blog

“You are your own worst enemy.”

I started this post on February of 2016. Yep. I didn’t finish it because it didn’t seem powerful enough. Like I said yesterday, I suffer from “paralysis by analysis” in most areas of my life. I sit and think, and overthink, and think some more. Then, I’ll ask one person for their opinion, then another, then another. At that point, I’ll convince myself that what I wanted to do in the first place is good enough. Rinse. Repeat.

But now I’m just going to share more. Half thoughts. Incomplete thoughts. The “gist” of certain thoughts. My hope in doing that is to start dialogue with all of you. I don’t expect my posts to be the *hard stop* of any of my thoughts. I started this blog to create a conversation with all of you! So, here’s to starting that two-way street again.

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As a trainer, my greatest goal is to prove to the athletes that I coach just how powerful they really are capable of becoming! Given that I’ve coached thousands of athletes, I’ve notice some trends. First, a woman who walks into the gym for the first time and considers herself “out of shape” is usually MUCH harder on herself than a man who walks into the gym for the first time. What happens next, though?

Through a supportive community, consistency in their effort, and a bit of decent coaching, in no time at all the confidence of the woman (re)appears. The empowerment they gain from an increased sense of accomplishment and independence, the belief that they’re capable of so much more than they had imagined, the desire to uplift and encourage others around them…. on average, I notice female athletes adopting those traits far more rapidly than men.

Many of us can quickly think of several “top performers” at our gyms. Often times, they might be the men who can lift the most weight, or run the fastest. There’s nothing wrong with that. But, if we stop and think about who creates the heartbeat of each individual box, of our unique CrossFit community, I’ve found most of these core members are women. Like most of us, they’ll be struggling through a workout but they’ll see a friend struggling across the gym and shout a few words to keep them moving. They might be done first, but they’ll rarely clean up and leave without cheering on their colleagues. In this world of ours, I don’t think it should be about thinking, “how good am I”, but rather, “how good can I make this place, this secondary family of mine?” Women do that more often than men.

It may seem like a blanket statement, but I’m just saying what I’ve seen. Women, in so many aspects of “American” culture, are almost trained to view themselves as underdogs or “less-thans”… but I’ve found that through helping these individuals see just how powerful they are, barriers are knocked down in their own heads and this new sense of strength is transferred into every other area of their lives.

To quote Queen B: “Who run the world? Girls!”

The next time you’re in the gym, look around. Look for that “eye of the tiger” stare in your fellow classmates. Remember that “beast mode” isn’t just defined by who lifts the most or moves the fastest. The individuals who inspire others around them the most are typically the ones who push on when things get tough. They’re the ones who never quit.

Ladies, you’re awesome. Please don’t ever forget that! Thank you for constantly inspiring me to push myself just a little bit more every day!

Know that your friends can see your progress, and they’re amazed by what you can do. Don’t ever stop believing in yourself.

…. Post that I started 18 months ago: Published!