I don't know about anyone else reading this post but last week Thursday, during the 6:30 a.m. workout, I'm pretty sure I had a near death experience. In terms of an overall, in your face, kick your ass workout, it was the hardest day of work I've yet to face at NLXF and trust me, when it comes to Ryan and NLXF, I've faced some pretty nasty stuff. I thought I was going to die...literally. My heart was pounding, my body was producing enough sweat to sustain a school of fish; every muscle ached because every muscle was being used. To full capacity. For the entire 60 minutes. I know I had an out of body experience at least once during that workout; I distinctly remember being able to "look down" at myself from somewhere high above, and you know what, it didn't look any better from up there than it was feeling down here.
When I got home I threw up. Not so unusual for me. But then, I cried. Hard. For at least 15 minutes. And that IS unusual for me. And because Ryan's workout made me cry, I did what any woman stretched to her physical and emotional limits would do. I hosted my very own pity party complete with Chardonnay and Chocolate. (Don't be alarmed, I did wait until AFTER the work day ended).
But the thing about parties is that they do eventually end. So when this one was over I took time to reflect on just what had happened during Thursday's session that left me so emotionally unglued.
And I came to this conclusion. I didn't cry because I vomited; I didn't cry because my body ached. I cried because I had allowed the workout to wear me down MENTALLY. I let Ryan get into my head!
I typically get to the gym a good 10 minutes before my class starts. I use the time to get out of the multiple layers of winter clothing one needs to wear before sunrise in Iowa in January, change from boots to shoes, and grab my gear. And once all of that is done, I watch the last segments of the 5:30 a.m. class.
As I watched the final 5 minutes of the 5:30 class last Thursday I became frozen to the floor in horrific awe at what was unfolding before me. By the time the 5:30 a.m. class got to its 3rd set of burpees my throat had gone dry; by the 5th set my hands were sweating; by the 8th set I had broken into a cold sweat; by their 10th (and praise God final set of burpees) I was having a full fledged panic attack.
Before I had even set foot into the gym I had allowed that day's workout to intimidate me. Even before I took my first stretch, pulsed my first squat, walked my first push up or burned my first ab I had marked myself as a doomed woman. And because in my mind I saw myself as unable to do the workout my body could only respond in the same way.
Thursdays, more than any other day of the week, have taught me that I'm not only exercising my body, but that I'm also exercising my mind. And anyone who tells you otherwise is lying. Yes, the workouts require that I physically respond to the directives and challenges Ryan and company design. But more importantly, the workouts demand that I also respond to them mentally. In much the same way that I am working to improve my physical strength, stamina and flexibility, the workouts are nurturing this same development within me mentally. They demand that I expand my range of mental strength; the duration of my ability to remain concentrated and focused; they push my mental alertness. In short, they require that I believe in myself.
Last Thursday provided the reminder I needed that the workouts I'm doing at NLXF don't start when Ryan barks "Spread out and face the front." They start before I even get to the gym. And like everything else we do at NLXF, that takes practice as well.
And that has been my goal ever since. I am working hard to get my head into the workout along with my body. I still get to the gym 10 minutes early, but you may have noticed I don't watch through the windows so much any more. I try to turn my back and focus on mentally getting myself ready to work rather than watching the work of others. I've decided I'd rather by shocked and awed than scared and intimidated.
And so far, I think it's working!
And Ryan is exactly where he should be...in the gym, pushing me hard, and cheering me on!
80's Day at NLXF
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
What Would Chuck Norris Do?
A couple of weeks ago, as I was preparing to participate in a kickboxing "gauntlet" class for returning students, I asked Ryan if I should go for speed or slow down a bit and focus on my form. "Speed," he barked, "you don't have any form."
Ouch! While I bent down to pick up the tattered pieces of my ego that now lay scattered on the floor I could only think, "What would Chuck Norris do?"
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we kickbox. I LOVE kickboxing. There is something so primal, so liberating, so satisfying about punching, hitting and kicking an inanimate object. But like most everything in life, it is harder than it looks. There are elbows to tuck in or level out; knees to bend, hips to turn, toes to point, weight to shift and fists to position.
But while it is true that on the outside I'm a kickboxer who is very much in training, who is working hard to get the elbows, hands, feet, hips and power working correctly, on the inside, I am the star of my own action adventure, fearlessly defending good, efficiently conquering evil, and heroically saving the day. I AM CHUCK NORRIS!
I don't know a single person who doesn't love Chuck Norris. We love his moves and we love his movies. But let's be honest...Chuck Norris can't act. And you know what...not only do WE know Chuck Norris can't act, CHUCK NORRIS knows he can't act! But does that stop Chuck Norris? Does it stop us from appreciating what he does or what he's trying to do? Absolutely not. In fact, it just makes him more endearing. We love Chuck Norris as much as we love say...William Shatner!( another actor who can't act and KNOWS he can't act)! How is it possible that Chuck Norris, who has not a shred of acting talent, can be one of the most globally recognized cultural icons of the 21st century? And what can any of this possibly have to do with kickboxing and NLXF. Well frankly, everything.
I believe we love Chuck because he gives himself permission to not be perfect. Through his willingness to share what he does so well (martial arts) within a venue that he doesn't do well (acting on screen), he unwittingly gives each and every single one of us permission to do the same...to not only do something we aren't very good at and want to get better at, but to embrace that very process. And in doing so we expand ourselves not only in terms of what we CAN do, but by what we BELIEVE we can do!
I am a teacher. I teach drama and theatre to young people throughout the Cedar Valley and at UNI. My students are often as young as four; they are very often college age or older. I work very hard to instill within them this same philosophy....they have my permission to "play" with a process; to learn by doing. They are encouraged and supported as they attempt, reflect on the attempt, adjust their approach to the attempt, and attempt again. I believe this to be at the heart of my teaching. And I believe it is also very much at the heart and soul of the NLXF experience.
What I think we love; what I believe has captured the energy and passion and imagination of the 500+ people that work out at NLXF five days a week is the fact that Ryan and his team have GIVEN us permission to not be perfect. They allow us the chance to do the jab or the hook or the roundhouse or the burpee or the whatever BADLY. (and trust me, I've done them ALL badly). We are allowed to do them "imperfectly" as part of the process of developing the skill to do them better, to do them right., to get them perfect. And allowing us to do them wrong in the spirit of learning to do them right is different from failing at doing them. Ryan and company never allow us to fail; they set us up to improve. They correct our mistakes at the same time they continue to challenge us. And we love this because underneath it all their support has helped us understand and believe that we CAN do it right or faster or better or more frequently than we could when we first started...eventually...especially if we are willing to put in the time, the work, and the practice. The staff's collective faith in us generates faith in ourselves. And because we aren't being "graded;" because they never compare what we can do to what they can do or to what someone else in the class can do, they motivate us to expand ourselves because they only demand that we compete with ourselves. At NLXF my triumph at being able to do 10 pushups from my toes is celebrated, not because 10 pushups is perfect, but because those 10 pushups are perfect for me...they are 10 more than I could do four weeks ago. And it is the very celebration of that triumph that inspires me to immediately work towards doing 20.
So the next time you find yourself facing what at that moment may seem like an impossible task consider asking yourself, "What would Chuck Norris do?' And then jump right in.
Ouch! While I bent down to pick up the tattered pieces of my ego that now lay scattered on the floor I could only think, "What would Chuck Norris do?"
Every Monday, Wednesday and Friday we kickbox. I LOVE kickboxing. There is something so primal, so liberating, so satisfying about punching, hitting and kicking an inanimate object. But like most everything in life, it is harder than it looks. There are elbows to tuck in or level out; knees to bend, hips to turn, toes to point, weight to shift and fists to position.
But while it is true that on the outside I'm a kickboxer who is very much in training, who is working hard to get the elbows, hands, feet, hips and power working correctly, on the inside, I am the star of my own action adventure, fearlessly defending good, efficiently conquering evil, and heroically saving the day. I AM CHUCK NORRIS!
I don't know a single person who doesn't love Chuck Norris. We love his moves and we love his movies. But let's be honest...Chuck Norris can't act. And you know what...not only do WE know Chuck Norris can't act, CHUCK NORRIS knows he can't act! But does that stop Chuck Norris? Does it stop us from appreciating what he does or what he's trying to do? Absolutely not. In fact, it just makes him more endearing. We love Chuck Norris as much as we love say...William Shatner!( another actor who can't act and KNOWS he can't act)! How is it possible that Chuck Norris, who has not a shred of acting talent, can be one of the most globally recognized cultural icons of the 21st century? And what can any of this possibly have to do with kickboxing and NLXF. Well frankly, everything.
I believe we love Chuck because he gives himself permission to not be perfect. Through his willingness to share what he does so well (martial arts) within a venue that he doesn't do well (acting on screen), he unwittingly gives each and every single one of us permission to do the same...to not only do something we aren't very good at and want to get better at, but to embrace that very process. And in doing so we expand ourselves not only in terms of what we CAN do, but by what we BELIEVE we can do!
I am a teacher. I teach drama and theatre to young people throughout the Cedar Valley and at UNI. My students are often as young as four; they are very often college age or older. I work very hard to instill within them this same philosophy....they have my permission to "play" with a process; to learn by doing. They are encouraged and supported as they attempt, reflect on the attempt, adjust their approach to the attempt, and attempt again. I believe this to be at the heart of my teaching. And I believe it is also very much at the heart and soul of the NLXF experience.
What I think we love; what I believe has captured the energy and passion and imagination of the 500+ people that work out at NLXF five days a week is the fact that Ryan and his team have GIVEN us permission to not be perfect. They allow us the chance to do the jab or the hook or the roundhouse or the burpee or the whatever BADLY. (and trust me, I've done them ALL badly). We are allowed to do them "imperfectly" as part of the process of developing the skill to do them better, to do them right., to get them perfect. And allowing us to do them wrong in the spirit of learning to do them right is different from failing at doing them. Ryan and company never allow us to fail; they set us up to improve. They correct our mistakes at the same time they continue to challenge us. And we love this because underneath it all their support has helped us understand and believe that we CAN do it right or faster or better or more frequently than we could when we first started...eventually...especially if we are willing to put in the time, the work, and the practice. The staff's collective faith in us generates faith in ourselves. And because we aren't being "graded;" because they never compare what we can do to what they can do or to what someone else in the class can do, they motivate us to expand ourselves because they only demand that we compete with ourselves. At NLXF my triumph at being able to do 10 pushups from my toes is celebrated, not because 10 pushups is perfect, but because those 10 pushups are perfect for me...they are 10 more than I could do four weeks ago. And it is the very celebration of that triumph that inspires me to immediately work towards doing 20.
So the next time you find yourself facing what at that moment may seem like an impossible task consider asking yourself, "What would Chuck Norris do?' And then jump right in.
Sunday, January 8, 2012
It's Easy to Take Your Fitness to the "Next Level" When You Start in the Basement
I want to begin with a confession.
I am NOT an athletic person...nor have I ever played one on television. When the Great Spirit was handing out athletic prowess and the natural ability to move with grace, ease, dignity, and a general tendency to remain upright, I was probably in the "free dessert" line.
Truth be told, and it's painful for me to write this, I was always the chubby girl (or the fat girl or the really fat girl) that hovered in the corner of the gym or playground. It's not so much that I hated being active; I ran and biked and swam and skated and played...I just wasn't GOOD at any of it...I couldn't run fast, I couldn't jump high. I usually dropped the ball, missed the ball, or was totally unaware a ball was actually being used. I couldn't shoot a basket, do a wheelie, dive off the board, or cartwheel. I participated, but bottom line, I pretty much sucked.
Now don't despair...I had friends and they DID include me; they DID let me play. True, I was never the first or second round draft pick for teams but then neither was Aaron Rogers. I usually got selected in a respectable tenth or eleventh round. Let's face it...if you're picking teams for Red Rover the 4th grade girl with the 15 inch forearms does have market value.
Being "funny" also helped. Family legend states that I began developing my sense of humor from the moment I started talking. For most of us, our first words are Dada or Momma...mine was "really?"
From the start, humor was my defense mechanism. It was what I did to offset the embarrassment, the humility and the frustration of not being good at any of the physical or sports "stuff" everyone else seemed to be so good at. By poking fun at myself, I helped everyone else laugh about it as well, and that made them feel more at ease with my lack of athleticism and ability. It added an element of fun. And as long as I kept poking fun at myself, I didn't really have to improve. In the world of sports or fitness, failure became my expectation.
All that changed last September when I joined Next Level Extreme Fitness.
True...I have tried to maintain a sense of humor throughout the process, but this time it's different. Humor is no longer a defense mechanism that I use to justify my inabilities. My willingness to laugh at myself is NOT functioning as an "excuse" for quitting or for not trying. Finding the humor in the impossible (and trust me...most days it is impossible), is helping me better appreciate what we are all being asked to do. And this in turn is challenging me to want to improve. It's helping me stick with it. And I guess I'm hopeful that my insights, comic and otherwise, are encouraging others in the program to stick with it, too.
And that's why I've started this blog.
You see, I can't believe that I'm DOING NLXF. To my astonishment I am willing to get up VERY EARLY every morning in order to get to a 6:30 a.m. class that kicks my butt so bad that I need an anesthesiologist to get through the rest of the day. And not only did I complete the first 10 week session, going EVERY DAY, FIVE days a week, BUT I signed up for a SECOND TEN WEEK SESSION.
NLXF's impact on me is completely different from any other fitness thing I've tried. And I want to know why...what is it about the program and the people in that program that not only motivates me to participate, but inspires me to push myself to that "next level."
So welcome to my blog. If you are reading this, chances are you are also a member of the NLXF family. Or maybe you are thinking of joining NLXF. Either way, I invite you to join the conversation. Feel free to post your own responses, reactions, insights and experiences.
As for me, this blog is a chance to reflect on a very unique and special adventure. I'm excited about the discoveries it may help me uncover.
I am NOT an athletic person...nor have I ever played one on television. When the Great Spirit was handing out athletic prowess and the natural ability to move with grace, ease, dignity, and a general tendency to remain upright, I was probably in the "free dessert" line.
Truth be told, and it's painful for me to write this, I was always the chubby girl (or the fat girl or the really fat girl) that hovered in the corner of the gym or playground. It's not so much that I hated being active; I ran and biked and swam and skated and played...I just wasn't GOOD at any of it...I couldn't run fast, I couldn't jump high. I usually dropped the ball, missed the ball, or was totally unaware a ball was actually being used. I couldn't shoot a basket, do a wheelie, dive off the board, or cartwheel. I participated, but bottom line, I pretty much sucked.
Now don't despair...I had friends and they DID include me; they DID let me play. True, I was never the first or second round draft pick for teams but then neither was Aaron Rogers. I usually got selected in a respectable tenth or eleventh round. Let's face it...if you're picking teams for Red Rover the 4th grade girl with the 15 inch forearms does have market value.
Being "funny" also helped. Family legend states that I began developing my sense of humor from the moment I started talking. For most of us, our first words are Dada or Momma...mine was "really?"
From the start, humor was my defense mechanism. It was what I did to offset the embarrassment, the humility and the frustration of not being good at any of the physical or sports "stuff" everyone else seemed to be so good at. By poking fun at myself, I helped everyone else laugh about it as well, and that made them feel more at ease with my lack of athleticism and ability. It added an element of fun. And as long as I kept poking fun at myself, I didn't really have to improve. In the world of sports or fitness, failure became my expectation.
All that changed last September when I joined Next Level Extreme Fitness.
True...I have tried to maintain a sense of humor throughout the process, but this time it's different. Humor is no longer a defense mechanism that I use to justify my inabilities. My willingness to laugh at myself is NOT functioning as an "excuse" for quitting or for not trying. Finding the humor in the impossible (and trust me...most days it is impossible), is helping me better appreciate what we are all being asked to do. And this in turn is challenging me to want to improve. It's helping me stick with it. And I guess I'm hopeful that my insights, comic and otherwise, are encouraging others in the program to stick with it, too.
And that's why I've started this blog.
You see, I can't believe that I'm DOING NLXF. To my astonishment I am willing to get up VERY EARLY every morning in order to get to a 6:30 a.m. class that kicks my butt so bad that I need an anesthesiologist to get through the rest of the day. And not only did I complete the first 10 week session, going EVERY DAY, FIVE days a week, BUT I signed up for a SECOND TEN WEEK SESSION.
NLXF's impact on me is completely different from any other fitness thing I've tried. And I want to know why...what is it about the program and the people in that program that not only motivates me to participate, but inspires me to push myself to that "next level."
So welcome to my blog. If you are reading this, chances are you are also a member of the NLXF family. Or maybe you are thinking of joining NLXF. Either way, I invite you to join the conversation. Feel free to post your own responses, reactions, insights and experiences.
As for me, this blog is a chance to reflect on a very unique and special adventure. I'm excited about the discoveries it may help me uncover.
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