Posts Tagged ‘Goal Setting’

Drive Time with Smashby: Personal Training in 2020

Posted: January 6, 2020 in CrossFit, Training
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

For those of you who might not follow me on Instagram (@Smashby1), I posted a video yesterday as a part of my “Drive Time with Smashby” series.

In this video, I shared how I am planning my Personal Training workload in 2020. Given that I coach a variety of athletes in a multitude of disciplines, explaining my thought process of client selection, communication method, and training location, allowed me give some insight as to how this crazy mind of mine works. It was also a helpful exercise for me to really think through what I’m hoping to do, and why!

I hope you like this video, and if you want to chat about anything I discussed, please don’t hesitate to reach out.

Let’s gooooo!

Smashby Speaks: My 2020 Roadmap!

Posted: January 2, 2020 in CrossFit, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , ,
0

As we enter a new year (and decade!), I have been thinking to identify a few key guiding principals that can help me set clear and effective goals for myself; as a person, a coach and trainer, and an athlete.

Here are the four that I came up with:

1- Judge Less

2- Collaborate More

3- Prioritize Recovery

4- Have Fun!

In the video below, I go into a bit more detail for each.

It’s important to note that these are not THE four pillars I think one should follow, they’re just four OF the pillars I think one CAN follow! They’re the ones I’m using to start guiding my goals for the next year.

Like with most things, I’m sure they’ll grow and change with time.

What are your thoughts?

How are you going about setting yourself up for a successful year? I’d love to hear!

And if there’s anything I can do to help, please don’t hesitate to ask.

Happy New Year!

Sunday Status Update 4/1/18

Posted: April 1, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Here’s last week’s recap and my goals for the upcoming week.

Last week:

  • Fitness
    • The 2018 CrossFit Games Open is over!!! We did ittttt!!!
    • For workout 18.5, I retested and got ten more reps. This was a big deal for me because I was a little bummed that “in six years I only improved three reps” (from my first attempt.) I paced the second go-round better, was a little bit more fearless, and trusted that I’d have enough juice in the tank to hang on. I’m happy with how this Open season ended, and I’m really proud of so many of the athletes I got to watch compete. Great job, friends!
  • Health
    • Another good week of meal prep in the books. I don’t think I went out to eat for lunch (due to lack of planning) a single day, and always had food relatively closeby.
    • Since I wasn’t staying up super late to record the Open workout strategy videos, I got quite a bit more sleep, too! I won’t tell you how much “quite a bit more” is, but hey… celebrate the small victories. I promise I’m working on sleeping more!

This week:

  • Need to fine-tune things on completing taxes, so when that’s done, I can breathe a little bit easier. Can’t wait!
  • Some of you might remember the speech I gave at the Annual Conference of Urologists in Florida last year. I was asked to speak at another event of theirs here in town, and the big day is this Saturday. I’m really excited, and flattered to have been invited back. It’s going to be a big weekend of work-related things, but at least I enjoy the work I do, right?

Alright, your turn. What’s going on with all of you?

Pic of the week is of the newest addition to our home gym… our very own Concept2 Rower! I still haven’t even touched it yet, but it’s here! Excited to hopefully get in a bit more cardio when life slows down a little bit.

Monthly Recap: February 2018

Posted: March 1, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , , ,
0

For a month of January that dragged on for so many people, February was gone in the blink of an eye! Wow, where did the time go? For those of you new to the blog, my Monthly Recap post is more for my own records than anything else. Don’t get me wrong, I love sharing what’s going on in my life with all of you. What I like more than that, though, is the ability to look back throughout the year and have documented evidence of things I’ve done! Sometimes we get so caught in the weeds of our day to day lives that we forget how much we’ve accomplished. You should try it!

February 2018

Fitness- Unless work got in the way, I took the noon classes on Mondays! That means there were other humans around when I trained, I actually had a coach to watch me, and I started the week off with a workout! Those are all good things!

In terms of actual numbers, I had the most success with Snatches this month. Hitting 185lb Powers is becoming much more consistent, I’m getting more confident hitting full snatches up to 200lbs, and when pulling from the “blocks” at the knee for the first time in years, I hit 230lbs (5lbs under my goal). A complex of Power Clean, Hang Squat Clean, and Front Squat at 260lbs got me pretty fired up, too. After a 2-second pause Front Squat at 275lbs I thought I’d feel stronger, but heaviest Clean and Jerk for the month was only 280lbs, also 5lbs under my goal. It’s alright, though, I’m working on it.

I was bummed the other day when I realized I didn’t hit A SINGLE goal I set for myself in the gym in February, so when I got the gym today (the 28th) and had a 30 minutes before class, I decided to take a shot at the mile run. After a 15 minute warm-up, and running for the first time in a month, I ran a 5:54! I’m pretty sure that’s my fastest mile in a few years, too. So… yay for hitting ONE goal I set! AND I also started a 1000 Calorie per Week Challenge, aiming to hit 4,000 total on a rower or an air bike over the course of the month. Got that one, too!

My “First Ever” class this month was another Yoga class with Em. Don’t tell me that another Yoga class doesn’t count, because it sure does…. it was Partner Yoga this time. There were a few Acro poses thrown in, AND I didn’t drop her once!

House- With a short month, me working nearly every weekend day, the weather being bad, AND going out of town one weekend, not a ton of house progress was made. We did drywall another third of the garage, but for March, I’d like to finish putting up drywall in the garage, AND installing our Pegboard.

Other- A weekend in Breckenridge was a nice little getaway, and we checked out the Ice Castles in Dillon. The weather got really cold and snowy for a good chunk of the month, so not a ton of activities went down. We did go see one of our favorite Dj’s (Defunk) in Boulder, so that was great. Also, the Pod Save America Podcast came to town, and we went to see them record a live show with some friends

For March, since I’m realizing how unrealistic it has been for me to go to the gym JUST to “test” certain things, my Fitness goals for March will basically remain the same. IF the chance arises to max my Olympic lifts, I’d like to Clean and Jerk 285lbs and Snatch 235lbs.

Setting the goal of reading a book per month has been a giant failure thus far, and it’s just because I’m out of the house and running around for so many hours per day. So I won’t set a goal there, other than TO READ in the month of March. The thing is, I’d LOVE to read the two books I have on my nightstand, it’s just so hard to prioritize that. I promise to keep trying.

What’s going on with all of you? I’d love to hear some of your accomplishments in February, or goals for March!

Sunday Status Update 2/25/18

Posted: February 25, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
0

Here’s last week’s recap and my goals for the upcoming week. Not a particularly successful week by “bullet point” standards, but it happens.

Last week:

  • Fitness
    • It wasn’t a particularly great week of training for me as I was “forced” to take an extra rest day because of an insane work schedule, but it’s alright. I moved when I could, and sometimes that needs to be good enough!
    • If I had to pick one thing, it’d be not missing a snatch up to 200lbs on Wednesday, but that’s really it.
    • The first workout of the 2018 CrossFit Games Open is in the books! I don’t think I could have done much better, and the energy around the internets will be crazy for the next four weeks. Good luck to everyone competing!
  • Sleep was alright, but certainly not great. I need to be more consistent.
  • My busy weekend of training clients didn’t allow me to get to the drywall in the garage. But due to a really successful Saturday of coaching, I added a class to train junior athletes to my weekly schedule, so that’s really positive!

This week:

  • I plan to record my strategy video for the second workout of the 2018 CrossFit Games Open. I got some really positive feedback from people on the one last week, and that always makes me happy!
  • I reflected on the goals that I set for February earlier today, and believe I hit NONE of them! It’s so crazy to realize how quickly time flies. Since this is the last week of the month, I plan to spend some time thinking about how to set more realistic short term goals for myself. Long term goals are important, but in the few days and weeks in front of my face, I think it’s possible to set mini milestones to help keep encouraging progress.

Alright, your turn. What’s going on with all of you?

The pic of the week comes from a concert we saw at the Fox Theater in Boulder, CO. The DJ’s name is Defunk, and if you’ve never heard him before, you should check out his Defunk Presents “The Funk Trunk Mixes” on Soundcloud. They’re great!

Why Are You Here?

Posted: February 19, 2018 in Coach's Corner, Training
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

Fitness is awesome! Seriously. There are literally thousands of ways that we can improve our health and wellness, increase our ability to survive and thrive, and enhance our skills in order to perform particular tasks. It truly is all around us, and so many things impact our level of fitness at any given moment. It’s not just about lifting weights or going for a run. Nutrition, rest and recovery, and our mental, emotional, and spiritual well-being are also critical pieces of the pie that can make us not only happier, but more effective and powerful beings.

Fitness1.png

While at any given moment, each one of us might be on a separate fitness path, I have found that asking my athletes one question can make a profound difference in their training: “Why are you here?” A lot of people don’t immediately know what to say, but spending some time reflecting on the answer can help in a lot of ways.

Some athletes want to get stronger, others are looking to gain flexibility, and some just want to be able to eat and drink whatever they want. To some, spending time in the gym allows them to improve their health markers, potentially reduce the amount of prescription medicines they need to take. If an athlete is just in the gym to have fun, that’s completely fine. Usually, however, I’ve found there’s more to it than that. Even if they don’t aspire to compete in a local CrossFit event, people usually at least have the goal to get that first pull-up or muscle-up, or they strive to hit that 100- or 200-pound clean and jerk! By identifying a few specific goals, a training plan can be adjusted to accomplish them much faster!

For me, personally, NOT having a specific goal is a cop-out. It relieves me from needing to commit additional time to get better at any one thing. If my goal was just to “look better naked” that would be fine. But honestly, it’s been too long since I’ve TRAINED with a purpose in mind. The more I’m asked if I’ll compete in CrossFit again, the more I struggle with deciding what I want do for my next challenge. Individual or team comp? Power lifting or Olympic Weightlifting meet? Masters swim meet? A running race like a 5k or 10k? Who knows?! The point is nothing has me fired up enough to throw down. I’m hoping I find something soon, though.

It’s completely normal and very common for motivation to change from year to year, month to month, or even minute to minute. I just want to challenge you to be more deliberate in your training, and not just go through the motions. Moving with purpose, as I said in a post last week, is critical, but moving with A PURPOSE can be a game changer. That said, what is your action item? It’s time to pick something to focus on for the next few days, weeks, months.

Figure out what fitness means to you, and why you’re choosing to spend time in the gym each week. Are you registered for the Open? Is that your focus? If yes, what is your plan to attack each week as effectively as possible? Are you training for an event this spring? What can you do today, this week, and next, to better prepare yourself to succeed? Want to get that six-pack for summer? How much additional core work will you do each week? Feel free to share your goal(s) with me in the comments. As many of you know, once you write something down, it typically helps us remain more accountable!

Fitness2.png

Monthly Recap: January 2018

Posted: January 31, 2018 in CrossFit, Training
Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,
1

A lot of people have said the first month of 2018 has dragged on forever. Others have already called for the arrival of 2019 so they can start over fresh. C’mon, friends! I know that things aren’t always sunshine and rainbows, but you’ve got to snap out of this negativity. Most of us go through life in waves of emotion…. today things are great, tomorrow they’re horrible, this week they’re amazing, next week the worst… that’s what being a human is all about! It’s our ability to bounce back from the bad with a smile on our faces, and be appreciative for the good moments, while realizing that they may not stick around forever.

Jan18Recap2

By providing a monthly recap, I’m striving to focus on a few of the things that happened over every four weeks or so throughout the year. In keeping a list of (mostly positive) things that I’ve experienced, on the days when I feel sorry for myself, I can always reflect back and say, “But look at what you’ve done so far this year! Check out where you’ve gone! Life is pretty good!” Helping other people find the good in things is really easy for me to do. That means this year I can work on practicing what I preach in this very specific way! YOU can also use this blog to serve as a place where you can share your own goals and successes, as well. I want this space to be INTERACTIVE, so if you put yourself out there, acknowledge the good, and share with your friends, we can all be accountabilibuddies together.

Jan18Recap3

Ok, here we go!

January 2018

Fitness- First and foremost, I didn’t get hurt! That’s huge. As we get older, the body doesn’t always bounce back like used to, and mine certainly does not! While I’m still training by myself 90+% of the time, I have made an effort to hop into a few classes here and there. So yay for working out with other humans on occasion!
In terms of actual numbers, I’d say my favorite lifts of the month were my deadlifts. With a lifetime 1RM of 450lbs, I hit sets of three reps on both Conventional and Sumo Deadlift over 400lbs. I hang-snatched 230lbs which was fun, and the heaviest I clean and jerked was 275lbs. Hitting a Front Squat at 300lbs and a 315lb Back Squat was nice. I also took my first ever Yoga class with Em, and it was just as stressful as I thought. By the end, I couldn’t even use my mat because it was too sweaty!

For February, I’d love to Clean and Jerk 285lbs and Snatch 235, bringing me a little closer to my lifetime bests. Hitting 315 for a single Front Squat and repping 315 for Back Squats without completely crashing at the bottom are on that list, too. Next, I’d love to hit 10 consecutive Ring Muscle-Ups. Finally, running a mile under 6:00 and rowing 500m in under 1:35. I’m starting with goals I hope to hit, then building from there as the year goes on. Finally, I’ll aim to take another fitness class I’ve never done before. Not sure where or when, but that’s my goal!

House- This was a big month for me as a “Home Owner” doing home owner things. First, Em bought a ton of new toys; a snow blower, leaf blower, AND a power washer! I installed an outlet in the garage all by myself, everyone! Finally, as of today, insulation has been installed in the garage, and we’re 1/3 of the way through dry-walling it.

For February, I’d like to finish putting up drywall in the garage, AND installing our Pegboard. That’s a lofty goal since it’s a short month and we’re out of town one weekend, but let’s see what we can do!

Other- I successfully made it through posting once per day for the entire month! That’s big for me, and I’m really proud of myself. We adopted another dog! Her name is Dakota, and she is an 11 year old pug mix. Homegirl made herself right at home, and she and Bacon get along great. I got to see one of my brothers and his entire band, the Big Mean Sound Machine, when they toured through Colorado for the first time. Also, we hosted ALL of them at our house. It was awesome! We got out of town once, too, when we spent New Years in Manhattan, Kansas.

For February, I’d like to prevent Em from adopting another dog! It would be really nice to say I’ve read two books in 2018 by the end of the month, too. It’s been a rough start, but I’ll keep working on it. There will also be a new Meal Prep video on the blog. Instead of copping out and featuring a meal I’ve made dozens of times, I’ll make something for the first time and document it for you!

Jan18Recap1

What our house would look like if Em had her choice, only they’d all have short legs!

Thought of the Day: 1/2/14

Posted: January 2, 2014 in CrossFit, Training
Tags: , , , , , , ,
0

Happy-New-Year-Wishes-2014-Wallpapers
(picture from techbeasts.com)

HAPPY FREAKING NEW YEAR, EVERYONE!!!

I can’t believe we’re already into 2014, but I will tell you what, I’m stoked for what I’m confident will be one of the best years. Ever.

As many people come out swinging with their New Year’s Resolutions, I’m sure that will mean a new wave of athletes walking into CrossFit gyms all over the country for the first time. Now unlike some, I try not to “hate” on people who are making a positive change in their lives. So if your goal is to lose weight, get in shape, or Clean and Jerk 300lbs, more power to you. If CrossFit is something you’re giving a shot for the first time, welcome to the family! For those of use who are already in the CrossFit world, let’s gear up for another awesome year in the gym!

Now one of the things I love sharing on my blog are articles out there related to CrossFit in general. “Why it’s so dangerous”, “How to deal with your changing body”, “How to eat like a champion”, etc, it’s all fun for me to read and share. And knowing how many people read this blog who are all at different stages in the CrossFit “career”, I figure at least one person out there will be able to relate to at least one of the posts that I share. And if it helps even ONE person, it’s worth it for me to put it on my blog. Even if it’s not the most relevant topic for you, you probably know at least a few people who are starting CrossFit, and can benefit from the “10 Things to Know Before Starting CrossFit” type articles.

So, without further ado, the first “Link Drop” of CrossFit-related articles of 2014. Like em? Share em! Which ones do you like the most and why? Excited for the feedback from you guys and gals.

Article 1-
Is CrossFit ‘Destroying the World?’ 10 Tips to Make Sure It Doesn’t

Good reference for the new CrossFitter, with some things to look for when trying to pick your gym.

Article 2-
Finding Success in 2014

Great post, for athletes of all ability levels, with 5 key pieces of advice on how to reach your goals this year: Direction, Motivation, Dedication, Believe, and Enjoy. The last two alone make this post worth reading.

Article 3-
Crossfitters: You may be in Danger!

A more satirical post from yet another person who was frustrated at all the articles being released telling us how DANGEROUS CrossFit is for people. The findings are accurate, but it’s a light read. Check it out.

What do you think, friends?

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

Thought of the Day: 6/4/12

Posted: June 4, 2012 in CrossFit, Media, Training
Tags: , , , , , , ,
2

I received this email from a co-worker of mine a few weeks ago, and have probably read it about a dozen times. It is an segment from a Commencement speech given to a business school by Brad Feld (a venture capitalist, and very influential figure in the Boulder/Start-up community). I know Commencement addresses are usually geared towards the “young 20-somethings” of the world, but if you stop and listen to or read most of them, the underlying themes can apply to almost anyone.

Most of us LOVE articles/posts/videos/books like this, and the more we read them, the more jazzed up we get to “Crush it!” (thanks, Gary V.)

But how many of us REALLY HAVE? That question is only semi-rhetorical. Make changes and take steps towards getting to the life we all DREAM of having. Instead of being so overwhelmed by allll of the requirements, make a list, and attack them one at a time. We all CAN do it. But as Gary Vaynerchuck has said in the past, those who have made it don’t mind if others keep putting it off… that leaves more for them.

C’mon, people! Let’s help each other out in becoming more accountable for reaching these goals of ours.
Thanks for sharing the speech with me, Matt! Email paste begins now….

Below is an excerpt from a speech Brad Feld gave to graduating MBAs. Worth reading. Twice.

Imagine that you are 45 and are looking back on your last 15-20 years. Is your work, and life, full of meaning?
Don’t worry about money right now. You can always get a job that pays you plenty of money. Don’t worry about your resume. Don’t worry about “am I positioning myself the right way for something five years from now.” I know way too many 45 year olds who have plenty of money, have done all the right career things, yet are unhappy with where they are in life, where they live, and what they do. Don’t be that guy or gal.

Start by choosing the place you want to make a life. If it’s Boulder, figure out how to stay here. If it’s New York, there’s an easy United flight that gets you there in under four hours – take it the day after you graduate. San Francisco? That flight is only two hours long. Just go and figure it out when you get there. Don’t talk about “I’m going to live there some day” – go get in the middle of wherever it is that you want to build a life. Oh, and Boise is a pretty cool place, as is Austin, Seattle, Miami, DC, and at least 95 other cities in the United States.

Next, choose a domain that you want to dedicate your life to. If you’ve dreamed of being an investment banker or consultant to Fortune 1000 companies since you were 10, then Goldman Sachs or McKinsey is looking for you. If you want to be an entrepreneur, working at an investment bank or consulting firm for a while is pointless. Be an entrepreneur starting now. Pick that domain that turns you on the most – start at a high level (e.g. software, Internet, clean tech) but then pick a thing that you really care about and a set of problems you want to solve. If you aren’t technical, go find a technical co-founder right now – there are hundreds of them on this campus. Get your ass out of your chair and just get started.

Finally, make sure you are living your life. You are young and hopefully have plenty of time on this planet. But don’t wait because you never know when the lights are going to go out.

Ask Smashby: 9/23/11

Posted: September 23, 2011 in CrossFit, Media, Training
Tags: , , , , , ,
0

And we’re baaaaack! This episode’s question comes from my homeboy and yours, Alon Avdi.

He asks:
“I want to learn more about training the mind. I believe mental toughness/discipline/mastery or just an ability to direct one’s perception is key to achieving all manner of things in life, fitness included.

So, what ways can and should we consider this issue and direct our training?”

What do you think? Does anyone else approach goals and mental toughness the same way I do?

Older Entries