I’m sure you’ve heard us all make friendly teasing reference to the “weaknesses” we see in each other here at The Zone. One of the most infamous teasing topics just so happens to be Coach Cam’s ability to summon up the tears at the drop of a hat! While we rib him on letting his emotions all hang out, what we should REALLY be doing is congratulating him. According to a post from CrossFit LA’s “Biz Blog”, there is indeed a place for crying in CrossFit.
Check out this great article by John Burch from CrossFit LA:
Is there crying in CrossFit?
Posted by John Burch
I know you’re thinking I’ve gone soft on ya… that I’ve been in touch with my feminine side so many times that I crossed over for good and now can’t come back. Well, there IS a business point to this post which you’ll see—so keep reading.
Truth be told, the words “elite fitness” and “cry” don’t really seem to mix, but trust me—they do, and here’s how… I believe that the only way to make a significant difference in your client’s life is to have them break through…
… break through their own obstacles, history and bad habits to have lasting change. When this moment occurs for your client, it’s going to be emotional for them.
Have you ever witnessed a client hit a PR that they’ve been working on for months (if not years)? They may smile or laugh or even cry with joy. I can recall a client who made their first rope climb and proceeded to hug everyone in the room (well almost), beaming and a little moist eyed… then go home and post it up on their facebook page for the whole world to rejoice in.
That’s emotion!
Personally I can’t watch the CrossFit Evolution video without getting stirred up. And the second Crossfit video I ever watched was Nicole, Eva and Annie doing Nasty Girls… if you’ve seen it and watched until the very end you’ll see Nicole crying… I’ve asked her about this and she says she has an “emotional experience” almost every time she works out…
Who doesn’t want that for as many clients as possible?
You may be asking yourself about now “what in blue blazes does this have to do with my business”?
If you want to be more successful at business, get in touch with your emotions. Share your joys as well as your sorrow. Yes, I know that last part is threatening because sorrow exposes us as human.
Haven’t we been taught that we must all be Gordon Gekko (from Wall Street) or Donald Trump to be successful in business? Hasn’t it been instilled in us that to really succeed in business we must be cold, calculating and merciless? Maybe if you’re trading stocks—but not if you’re in a people business like CrossFit.
And if you try to cut off your (perceived) negative emotions, you’ll also blunt your positive ones. It’s the way the universe works. Sorry, I didn’t create the rules.
See the progressions is this… the more in touch with your emotions you are, the more human you will be to your clients. This will lead to a stronger connection and greater bond. Since this business is about relating and relationships, that will lead to greater success.
Now, I’m not talking about being a drama queen for the sake of “emotion” nor am I talking about being manipulative, dredging up emotion whenever you see the opportunity. You can’t force this stuff and think it will work the same.
And I can’t teach a seminar without getting choked up at certain points when discussing… business… because I’m passionate and passion is an emotion.
So, let your clients see you smile, laugh, leap with joy and even cry if that’s what comes out. They’ll see more of themselves in you and develop a stronger bond with you.
Well said, John! We want to encourage Cam to continue to cry if he wants to, and we’ll make sure to stock up on Kleenex should any of the other Coaches feel the need! We all love you, Coach Turts. <3 Thanks for giving us all the opportunity to develop that stronger bond with you!
Today’s Workout
Buy-in: 3 rounds of – 10 pushups, 15 situps, 20 single skips, then:
Muscle – up practice: Accumulate 15-20 repetitions, scaled as needed.
*Games Prep guys – EVERY muscle up must start from a fully extended arm – this is the competition standard and we need to get rid of the bent arm bottom position. Lindsay can do it, so you need to do it too!
WOD: Speedburps
This WOD was first done on January 28 2011. Check out Myfrantime.com for scores to beat!
Rx – 5 rounds for individual time of:
- 10 burpees
- 10 pullups
- Each successive round starts on a 2:30 timer (i.e. if you do all the reps in 30s you have 2 min rest).
- Your slowest time for any one round is your score
Zone 2 – scale pullups
Zone 1 – scale as needed
Cash-Out: Goat practice (suggestions – pistol squats, handstands/handstand pushups, snatch progressions, skipping)
- Choose one and work reps for accuracy – 10 minutes at least!
