There's one thing that we all know to be true: that life is short. Working on growing ourselves is how we can give our life purpose. Personal growth is a process of both understanding yourself and pushing yourself to reach your highest potential. It means always asking yourself who you are becoming, who you want to be, and how you plan to get there. It can involve working on new habits and hobbies, fostering new skills, and practicing new strategies to achieve your goals. Personal growth has a profound effect on every single aspect of our life. As we grow on a personal level, we begin to feel more passionate about life in general. We are naturally more motivated because learning and growing add motivation and a sense of excitement. Join us this month as we dive deeper into our personal growth both at home and in the gym!
Workout of the Month:
Nancy
This month we are putting you to the test with Benchmark WOD Nancy! Running and overhead squats are the name of the game on this one.
Auxiliary Focus:
Squat Strength
The squat is one of the most common movements that we do every single day, yet many people struggle with building their squat strength. We are here to help this month!
Mobility Focus:
Ankle
The reality today is that we are sitting too often. Because of this, many people suffer from poor ankle mobility, which is extremely important for many reasons!
Here's what you're getting this month!
Get an exclusive, 2POOD Nation November t-shirt for only $24.99.
“To love ourselves and support each other in the process of becoming real is perhaps the greatest single act of daring greatly.” - Brené Brown
Every day we experience the uncertainty, risks, and emotional exposure that define what it means to be vulnerable or to dare greatly. Based on twelve years of pioneering research, Brené Brown PhD, MSW, dispels the cultural myth that vulnerability is weakness and argues that it is, in truth, our most accurate measure of courage. Brown explains how vulnerability is both the core of difficult emotions like fear, grief, and disappointment, and the birthplace of love, belonging, joy, empathy, innovation, and creativity.
The reality today is that we are sitting too often. Whether it's our commute to work, sitting at work, sitting during meals, or watching TV, the average person spends most of their time sitting. We aren't moving enough, and the people who are moving often, aren’t moving in a varied-enough way. Because of this, many people suffer from poor ankle mobility, which is extremely important for many reasons!
There are two main types of ankle mobility: Dorsiflexion and Plantar flexion.
Dorsiflexion is the ability to lift your toes toward your shins, like you do when taking your foot off the gas pedal. Plantar flexion is the opposite. It's the ability to point your toes away from your leg, like when pressing the brake pedal.
Poor ankle mobility has been linked to plantar fasciitis, overpronation, shin splints, knee pain, ITB syndrome, hip pain, and low back pain. Hip and knee injuries are especially common in people with limited ankle mobility. Without adequate mobility, the ankle stops acting like an ankle, which forces the knee or hip to act like an ankle.
The shoes and sneakers that most people wear all day are also not helping. Most of these shoes have a a small heel lift which causes your foot to be in a slightly plantar-flexed position all day long.
Beyond injury prevention, good ankle mobility is important for performance. It’s essential for safely executing movements like the squat.
Perform these movements to work on your ankle mobility this month!
NANCY
5 Rounds For Time
400 meter Run
15 Overhead Squats (95/65 lb)
With a running clock, as fast as possible perform 5 rounds of the work in the order written: 400 meter Run and 15 Overhead Squats.
Read more below on how to grow in your daily life!
10 Reasons Personal Growth Is Important No Matter Your Age
[Source: Lifehack] Self-improvement products in the U.S. bring in an estimated 9.9 billion dollars annually which seems like a massive industry. That's until you compare it to the music and film industries, which come in at a whopping 61 billion dollars combined or the beauty industry at an enormous 265 billion. However, personal growth is extremely important. Read more to find out the benefits!
What Is Growth Mindset and How to Achieve It
[Source: Intelligent Change] A growth mindset is an approach to life in which an individual believes that their talents, intelligence, and abilities can be developed further. People with a growth mindset seek opportunities to learn, gain new skills, and enhance their existing skills. When presented with a challenge, an individual with a growth mindset doesn’t see it as a chance to fail, but rather, as an opportunity to grow.
Important Mindset Tips from 6 Extraordinary CrossFit Coaches
[Source: BOXROX] A strong mindset extends over our ability to push harder than we thought was possible during a workout. It is important not only before, during, and after workouts, but also during day-to-day life. Read on for tips from CrossFit Coaches on how to grow in your mindset and in your gym life!
7 Tips for Personal Growth
[Source: indeed] Personal growth is a lifelong journey. People who intentionally set out to enrich their lives through self-growth and development report that they are happier, more successful and have better relationships. Read more for some tips to help you get started on a path of personal development.
The squat is one of the most functional and compound movements that we do on a daily basis. Whether we are sitting down in a chair, getting low to pick something heavy up, or squatting in the gym, we squat very often.
Squatting can improve your posture, mobility, core strength, confidence, and so much more. It's undeniable that we all do some form of squatting on a daily basis, even if that's just sitting down on a toilet, but many struggle with building their squat strength. Here are just some tips for you to help improve your squat strength:
1. Check Your Form - Practice better technique. Improper form on the squat will not only ruin your progress but it can also lead to injury.
2. Squat Heavy - Push your limits! If you aren't squatting heavy then strength progress will not be made.
3. Get Proper Depth - Even if it means going down in weight, it's more important to get the full range of motion! Going below parallel is the goal. The deeper you squat, the more force you'll be able to generate with your legs.
4. Improve Your Lower Body Mobility - See Ankle Mobility Above.
5. Try Different Bar Positions - Experiment with bar position to find what works best for you. It’s also smart to alternate between bar positions now and then, as improving your squat in one will tend to help your performance in the other.
6. Improve Your Core Strength - Squatting is a core-to-extremity movement. You need a strong core to stay tight and keep your torso as straight as possible when you squat.
Perform these exercises below this month to help improve your squat strength!
3 rounds for max reps:
Minute 1: Echo Bike Calories
Minute 2: Bar Facing Burpees
Minute 3: Thrusters (95/65)
Minute 4: Toes to bar
Minute 5: Row Calories
Minute 6: Rest
Jennifer got into CrossFit just before she turned 40 because she wanted to strength train and try something new. After doing CrossFit for a while, she decided to focus more on Olympic Weightlifting.
What Jennifer has to say about growth...
Jennifer has had brain surgery, 3 rounds of radiation, 3 different immunotherapy drugs and 50 infusions. In January, it was discovered that her lung had collapsed and she had to take a break from training with a pigtail catheter. She now has been off of treatment for 8 months and is considered to be in a "state of observation." In discussing her recovery, Jennifer says: "Recovery is difficult because it is not instantaneous and there is never an easy answer for a setback, but there is always an easy fear for a comeback of the cancer itself. I do everything possible to eliminate that fear with breathing and accessory work, my diet and supplement management and every day of training...I look at it as a privilege."
"Growth happens when individuals have the courage to commit to change, even when that change means embracing challenges that can be difficult, unpleasant, and inconvenient. Physical growth can happen in conjunction with this mental growth because wherever your focus lives, that's where your energy will reside as well. It's essential for me to maintain these ethics because without them, I would fail. I would fail to fulfill my maximum potential, and therefore fail to improve the community around me as well. That is a domino effect I need to avoid - everything is symbiotic, so every lift matters."
Jim's fitness journey began when he joined the military and he would meet with his recruiter a couple times a week to work out prior to shipping off to basic training. Once in, he had the opportunity to be on several competitive and tactical teams. The only way to succeed was to be fit and the chasing of fitness became a habit and lifestyle.
Fast forward to 2013, Jim was introduced to CrossFit and started working out in his garage. Word started to get around and soon, people began going over to train. After a few months he got his CrossFit L-1 and opened an affiliate, which he owned and operated for seven years. He fell in love with coaching and continues to do so at Grand Mesa CrossFit in Leander, Texas!
What Jim has to say about growth...
"I believe the point of life is to continue to grow and learn. No one knows everything, especially not me. There are so many aspects of my world where I can and need to be better- as a husband, a father, a coach. To serve my family and my community to the best of my ability, I have no choice but to continue to grow."
"To me, growth means stepping outside of my comfort zone to learn and expand my knowledge of the world around me. It means reading books, listening to podcasts, and attending seminars. It also means pushing myself physically- training in Jiu Jutsu (meaning- getting my butt kicked incessantly and going back for more), practicing with the barbell, having the discipline to get in the cold water every morning, and working to be better on my mountain bike. Ultimately, growth means always working to be a better me, for my wife, my kids and my community."
CJ Cummings is just 21 years old but he's been making headlines and breaking Weightlifting records for the last decade. Cummings started lifting when he was 10 and he entered his first competition just six weeks after he first stepped foot in the gym. At 11, he became the youngest lifter ever to complete a clean & jerk of twice his body weight (200 lbs). CJ epitomizes our monthly theme of growth.
At last count, CJ had set 32 American weightlifting records in total. During his Olympic debut in Tokyo, CJ was the youngest competitor in his weight class (73kg) and the youngest member of the U.S. team in 20 years. “I think this is just the beginning for USA Weightlifting,” CJ said after Tokyo. “We’re going to show our true strengths and show how strong we are as a nation. . . . You’re going to have some ups and downs, but it’s how you grow and move forward that determines who we are.”
Monthly Goals
Daily Growth
Consistent Accountability
Constant Community
