Mar 27, 2019 | Blog
There’s a difference between between being a change maker and being a plan maker. One of the primary challenges I help people overcome is spending more time & energy on the problem than on the solution. I remind them that the time you spend on the problem is stolen from the solution.
If you’re ready to move to the next level, leave the drama & frustration behind and create change in your life, you absolutely need to carve out the time to watch this free training!
Change Maker 4-Part Series
Part 1: Awareness
Part 2: Alignment
Part 3: Adjustment
Learn more about the 12 Weeks to Transformation!
Mar 26, 2019 | Blog
If you want to create change that lasts, you’re going to need a mindset for success.
Instead of continuing to focus on behavior change, make life easier (and make change more sustainable) by focusing on changing your mindset because here’s the reality: your thoughts drive your choices.
For as long as you think the same way as you have before, you’ll manufacture the same excuses, exceptions, doubts and delays. If you feel frustrated, stuck or filled with doubt, you absolutely MUST watch the video below! It will be a game changer – I promise!
Creating a Mindset for Success
Without fail, one of the primary challenges I see with my clients is that they lack alignment – their intentions and their attention are not aligned. For example, if you want to lose weight (intention) but you constantly think and talk about how inconsistent you are and how much you want the donuts, your attention is completely at odds with what you want.
In the above video, we talk through the tools for creating alignment. You do not want to miss it!
Have you seen the video about the first and most important pillar of lasting change? You absolutely must begin with awareness!
The 3rd pillar is advancement – becoming someone who consistently takes action that effectively advances their position. You can watch it here.
The 4th pillar is adjustment – becoming someone who has clarity on what you want and ensuring that the daily actions you take are moving you in the right direction. You can watch it here.
Learn about the 12 Weeks to Transformation
Mar 25, 2019 | Blog
If you want to accelerate your progress, increase your awareness. The cornerstone of creating change isn’t doing more stuff, it’s paying more attention.
Last night we kicked off a free 4-night workshop on becoming a change maker in your life. Each night, we’re focusing on one of the four pillars to lasting change.
Too many people create for themselves a vicious cycle of frustration, planning, restriction, drifting, repeat. The approach to change cannot continue to just be: “Do more! Add more! Follow someone else’s rules.”
It’s relatively mindless, which makes it straight forward, but it’s not effective.
Instead of focusing on the next thing you should do or the set of rules you’re trying to follow, create this criticial foundation of awareness. It is the non-negotiable cornerstone of all my work with my clients.
If you want to work smarter instead of harder, if you want to make sure you don’t keep doing and undoing the same work on the same struggle for the next year, watch this session on creating awareness.
If you found this helpful, part 2 on alignment will absolutely blow your mind. Watch it here.
To watch part 3 on advancement, becoming someone who consistently takes action, click here.
To watch part 4 on adjusting, becoming someone who has clarity on what you want and making sure what you’re doing it working, click here.
To learn more about the 12 Weeks to Transformation, click here.
Mar 17, 2019 | Blog
The other day, one of my 12 Weeks to Transformation clients shared the story of her personal transformation in the form a powerful inspiration: a poem. There is so much about this that encourages and inspires me so I was thrilled when she told me I could share it!
Learn More about the 12 Weeks to Transformation
84 Days
84 days to make myself proud
84 days to say it out loud
That I am not limited, oh no, not me
I get to choose who I want to be
84 days to re-write my story
84 days to shine in my glory
My brain believes what I tell it to
I tell it be happy and powerful too
84 days for me to let go
84 ways to say, “Drama?” Just..NO
Emotional waste just isn’t my style
I’m staying in reality, not getting riled
84 days of daily fresh starts
84 days of doing my part
Daily I’ll journal and set my small goals
And soon I realise that I’m on a roll!
84 days of choosing to be grateful
84 days of being optimistic and hopeful
Focusing my mind on beauty and grace
Beginning to see possibilities all over the place
84 days of “What do I WANT”?
84 days of questions and thoughts
I answered the questions and my heart is reeling
I just discovered “The Goal Is The Feeling”.
84 days and yes, I did drift
84 thoughts and emotions to sift
I got sucked in to my own futile nonsense
I needed EB, her words and good sense
Now it’s 24 days and I’ll finish well
24 days with a mindset that’s swell
I’ve set new goals and they’re big and they’re good
They’ll take some effort as worthwhile goals should
24 days and I am undaunted
24 days to get where I wanted
I don’t need a formula or scalpel precision
I just keep on making One Good Decision
84 days of creative solutions
84 days of generating motivations
I’m making goals with energy and passion
I’m even manufacturing enthusiasm!
84 days of affirmations
84 days of identity creation
Now I am prepared to go from strength to strength
I’m standing tall now, I AM as I THINK…
~ Shannon L
If this doesn’t encourage you to create your own personal transformation, I’m not sure what will! I could read this over and over!
Here are a few of my favorite lines:
“That I am not limited, oh no, not me
I get to choose who I want to be”
“My brain believes what I tell it to
I tell it be happy and powerful too”
“I answered the questions and my heart is reeling
I just discovered “The Goal Is The Feeling”.”
“I don’t need a formula or scalpel precision
I just keep on making One Good Decision”
What about you? What are your favorites! Leave a comment!
I’d love to work with you in the next 12 Weeks to Transformation so please click here to learn more!
Mar 15, 2019 | Blog
Calling all change makers! I’m sure we can all agree that the days fly by and life would be so much better if we could just end the struggle, reach our goals and maintain them with ease and joy.
Whether you want to lose weight, have an improved relationship with food, pay down your debt, start a business or anything in between, you can’t continue to go about it the way you always have before.
To speak plainly: I help people become joyful, relentless change makers in their own lives.
We aren’t focused on behavior change, we’re focused on mindset change, because for you and for everyone else, it’s your thoughts that drive your choices.
One of the primary reasons people continue to struggle and change continues to feel elusive or, at best, inconsistent, is because they are focused on changing their behaviors while failing to change the way they think.
I’m ready to help you take an easier, more effective path to creating the change you crave.
Join me for YOUR 12 Weeks to Transformation!
Today, I thought I’d let you hear from a few of my 12 Weeks to Transformation clients because they are really the best people to talk about the process and what it helped them do in their lives.
Let’s start here. This client came to me because she wanted to lose weight. Her marriage was falling apart and no matter how badly she wanted to lose weight, she wasn’t keeping the promises she made to herself.
Each day, she’d say, “I won’t drink wine tonight!”. Then, she’d drink wine, get frustrated with herself and pledge to do better tomorrow. Not only did she completely take control of her wine habit, she became a change maker in every aspect of her life.
Listen to her describe the changes she made in this short clip.
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Become a Change Maker
After you listened to her story, I want to share this next experience. It pretty much speaks for itself!
I know I posted this in the 12WT FB group, but I just have to reiterate, the only reason I joined the group was to lose weight but what I’ve gained is so much more. Your coaching is helping me change my life. I didn’t know I had it in me. I was so close (SO CLOSE) to throwing in the towel and just accepting that I am the depressed fat woman who prefers staying home – it’s just who I am. I am so grateful my doctor recommended your podcast.
And this one, too!
Hi EB,
I hope your week has started out well. I wanted to do a little check in, and reach out regarding my progress and how the
12WT is going.
The last 3 weeks have been weeks of incredible growth and momentum building for me. There are some amazing things that have happened recently, some of which have brought different levels of stress, activity, emotions. I’ve gotten engaged, celebrated a birthday, and got promoted at work. Overall it’s been just incredible and leaving me feeling really blessed and all around so fortunate.
From the time that you sent me the voice note a few weeks ago regarding switching my mindset about stress, it’s been an incredible uphill trajectory as I made the shift in mindset. I continually ask “how can I invest in myself with the next choice that I make?” “what will future me thank current me for?“.
Not only are my clothes fitting better, but there is so much less mental energy going towards food and food decisions. I’m learning how to indulge and still feel really great the choice, and indulge in a way that keeps me working on my goals. With all of the wonderful things happening that’s been a lot of celebrating, and I thoroughly believe in celebrating. But one of the biggest things for me was that I practiced making choices that made me proud. I had a glass of red wine (but not 2 because then I don’t feel good the next day), I drank some champagne, but only had 1/2 a slice of cake. I focused on being with family and soaking up the moments of feeling loved, supported, and celebrated. Focusing on the feeling meant that I didn’t feel like I needed the second helping of food to make it more “special”. The love and support from those close to me is what mattered. I didn’t fret and worry and go over and over the decisions, I just made the decision that I knew would make me feel great (because not indulging a little for these things isn’t fun, but finding that sweet spot of indulging is so great).
It doesn’t mean every decision is perfect, there are definitely some where I didn’t feel quite right about the decision, but I learned and then moved on. I’ve started “practicing” in my mind what I want to feel like and what I desire. I’m going on vacation Saturday – Wednesday, and instead of worrying or fretting or going through every single possibility for what could happen with food choices, I’m rehearsing the best version of me for that story in my head. While writing through my story this week, I also took some time to write out what my best self looks like on vacation. I’m relistening to the
Rookies challenge about weekends and how I need to practice my best story while on vacation. I’m rehearsing it on occasion in my mind.
Overall, I know that motivation and momentum is something that I can create every day. One of the big things that keeps me moving is writing down my wins and reaching out to you to let you know that
your program is amazing and it’s really helping me to continue to reach towards my highest potential. So thank you for not only reading this email, but for the continuous encouragement and all that you do for your clients.
Where are my change makers at?! Are you ready to step beyond your comfort zone and create change in your life?
I can’t wait to get to know you better and help you crush your goals while learning to deeply enjoy the journey!
Mar 14, 2019 | Blog
I understand if you’re skeptical. A few years ago, if you had told me that overcoming my limiting beliefs was the key to lasting fat loss, I’d have dismissed you. I’d have rolled my eyes at your “woo woo” bullshit.
But, it was true.
Yes, I had a food issue. I had an over-eating issue. I had an all-or-nothing issue. I had an emotional eating issue. However, those issues were symptoms of an underlying problem tied to my own limiting beliefs.
I am certain that one of the primary reasons people are inconsistent and fail to create change (even when they want it desperately) is their pattern of focusing on changing their choices instead of focusing on changing their beliefs.
You can’t escape this true:
Your choices stem from what you believe. Your actions, decisions, reactions and thoughts stem from what you believe.
“Your body is a barometer of your belief system.”
Your finances are a reflection of what you believe about money.
Your relationships are a reflection about what you believe about yourself, the relationship and the other person.
Your career is a reflection of your belief system.
Work with Elizabeth to tackle your limiting beliefs!
If you choose to believe and focus on the problem and the limitation, you’re going to move in that direction. You’re going to act in accordance with those thoughts.
For most of my life, my limiting beliefs about food and my body were pervasive and constant:
- I’m an emotional eater
- I’m totally an all-or-nothing person
- I can lose weight, I just can’t keep it off
- My metabolism is jacked up
- I turn to food for comfort
- I’ve always been “the big girl”
Wouldn’t ya know: my body reflected those beliefs! My choices reflected those beliefs!
In my late twenties, I decided to get out of debt. I had student loans, car loans and some miscellaneous credit cards. It took a little over a year, but through discipline and determination, I made it happen. My beliefs about the process were a huge part of it. I thought:
- I’m making this happen
- There will be ups and downs, but I’m not quitting
- It’s worth the short term sacrifice for the long-term reward
- I’m not stopping until the debt is gone
What would have happened without those beliefs? What if I thought about getting out of debt the way I was thinking about food and my weight?
- What’s the point?
- It’ll take too long
- Something always comes up!
- I messed up my budget this month – I’ve totally blown in
If I had those limiting beliefs about money, it would have never happened! Ever!
Fortunately, you are the thinker. You are not your thoughts. You can absolutely overcome any and all over your limiting beliefs if you’re willing to do the work.
Begin by identifying what you want.
What is the change you want to create?
Who do you want to be?
What does the ideal version of you look/act/feel like?
Identify the beliefs that are limiting your ability to create that change.
What thoughts or feelings run counter to those goals and desires?
In what ways are you blocking your belief or limiting your potential?
Establish new thoughts that drive new possibilities and expand your potential.
If you were that version of yourself, what would you believe?
What is possible?
How can you support and encourage the change you want to make?
Admittedly, this is just a starting point. Sometimes, your limiting beliefs feel like fact. Often, the new beliefs don’t feel real, true or possible for you. That’s normal and it’s part of the process. In fact, it just goes to show the influence of those limiting beliefs and reinforces your need to break free from them!
If you want to take the next step in overcoming your limiting thought patterns, listen to episode 571 of the Primal Potential podcast. Not only will we go deeper into the patterns of these beliefs, you’ll hear me coach current clients through their own limiting beliefs and learn more about working with me to do the same in your own life!
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Continue the conversation in the Primal Potential Facebook group!
Mar 11, 2019 | Blog
Do you need to get motivated? Are you struggling with motivation and feel like change would be so much easier if you could just get & stay motivated? I’ve totally got you covered!
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This past Wednesday, I wasn’t feeling motivated at all. It was one of those days when I just wanted to sit around and do nothing, but I needed to get a lot of stuff done. I quickly shifted my thoughts from, “Ugh, I’m not motivated today” to “How can I fire up my motivation?“
I pulled up a webinar from a couple years ago that was all about how to get motivated and I sat there like a student, watching it and putting myself through the paces.
At the start of the training, I shared this idea from Brendon Burchard’s book The Motivation Manifesto.
He explains that motivation is a lot like fire. Though you have fire when you strike a match, the fire only last a few seconds unless you do something with it. That spark of motivation won’t last either…unless you DO something with it.
Burchard describes 3 essential phases of motivation.
Spark
Sustain
Amplify
When we think about motivation, most of us only consider the spark – those moments when we feel really inspired and amped up. Then, when the spark fizzles, we feel less powerful and bemoan the fact that we aren’t motivated.
As we take a closer look at each of those phases, it’s super easy to see where we need to put our effort to create that motivational fire and keep it burning strong.
Spark: Ambition + Expectancy
Sustain: Attention + Effort
Amplify: Attitude + Environment
Last Wednesday, when I wasn’t motivated to get my work done, I could see that my effort and my attitude were the areas I needed to improve, so I got to work.
First: I changed my attitude from, “Ugh, I’m not motivated!” to “I am going to feel SO accomplished when I get this one thing done! I’m just a few minutes away from progress.“
Then, I applied some effort and it made all the difference. I set the timer on my phone for 35 minutes and banged it out.
Those two shifts broke me out of my funk.
Where Does Motivation Fall Through the Cracks?
When we look at those elements: ambition, expectancy, attention, effort, attitude and environment, there are a few common areas where motivation falls flat.
The ambition part is easy – we want to improve. We know the goal. But do we expect to achieve it? Do you expect to achieve it? Do you expect to be successful?
Or are you expecting to struggle or fail?
Expectancy might be your area for improvement.
Most of us are fairly solid on the attention piece. We know what we want and we think about it often. We plan, strategize and keep it top of mind.
But how about effort? Are you applying yourself? Doing the work?
Effort might be the very piece of the puzzle that needs your time and energy.
Attitude and environment almost always have room for improvement.
Does your attitude suck? Are you being negative? Complaining? Focusing on your limitations?
Are you surrounding yourself with other complainers? Is your physical space chaotic?
How You Can Get Motivated Today
Look at those elements of motivation and be honest about where you need to create an improvement. Go through each one and identify where you’re dropping the ball or where you need to apply some energy. Assess where you stand on each of them.
Ambition
Expectancy
Attention
Effort
Attitude
Environment
Where can you create a change right now?
Because these elements are such universal game changers, we work on every single one of these inside the 12 Weeks to Transformation. Every single one, every single week.
These have the power to change every single aspect of your life: your health, happiness, career, finances & relationships.
Registration opens up for the next 12 Weeks to Transformation in just a couple weeks so make sure you’re on the wait list if you want to learn more and get some insider sneak peaks!
Learn more about the 12 Weeks to Transformation!
Mar 5, 2019 | Blog
Though I consider myself a change maker in my own life and the lives of my clients, it definitely was not always that way. In fact, if you had told me just a few years ago that I’d have created these massive changes in my health, finances and life in general, I’d have rolled my eyes in annoyance. If you had told me I could lose over 100 pounds and keep it off, I’d have seriously doubted you. If you had told me I could both get out of debt and create wealth in a few short years, I’d have told you it was impossible. If you had told me I could leave my secure job and double my income in less than two years, I’d have told you there was simply no way. I’d have been wrong.
I think you’re wrong, too. Your potential is so much greater than you think and you’ve been drastically underestimating your ability to be a change maker in your life. I’d like to help you change that.
If you’d rather listen to this than read it, please hit the play button below. Otherwise, keep on reading!
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Most of my life was a sad mess. On the outside, it probably didn’t look too bad. I had a job, a career. I was in debt but I was living the middle-income life. I certainly had food to eat, a car to drive and a roof over my head.
What wasn’t so obvious to the outside observer was that I was completely miserable. I felt trapped in a prison I had created.
I was obese and felt trapped by my weight, my desperate desire to lose weight and the grip of my own excuses, doubts and delays. I was making a decent income but was under a ton of financial pressure, living paycheck to paycheck and hoping that there wasn’t a need for a new tire or other unexpected expense that I just couldn’t afford.
My past failures to lose weight discouraged the heck out of me and the idea of my future being any different was completely overwhelming.
I wanted a life so different from the one I was living but at the same time, I wasn’t really doing what it would take to create it.
Sure, I read every diet book and initiated 1,000+ attempts to lose weight. I created budgets that I’d fail to stick to…all the things you think you’re supposed to do when you want to change your life. Except every week was just like the week before: some good days, some awful days and very little progress.
I would tell myself, “I’ve tried everything!” Sure, that might have soothed my fragile ego, but it wasn’t the complete version of the truth.
I hadn’t tried everything. I hadn’t tried consistency. I hadn’t tried changing my mindset. I hadn’t tried working with my body instead of against it.
I hadn’t tried being stronger than my excuses.
“I’ve tried everything” was just one of my many ways I talked myself out of progress. I was talking myself out of a different approach. I was talking myself out of my potential.
Sometimes I’d wake up full of fire and motivation to create change in my life. I’d create an elaborate plan and take a few action steps but it never lasted long.
Every “slip” would become a “slide” and that cycle eroded my trust in myself and further convinced me that change wasn’t possible for me.
It didn’t last long because I was focused on transactions more than transformation.
Maybe you’ve taken this less-than-effective (but super common) approach, too. When you focus on transactions, you focus on changing what you do.
- Eat less
- Exercise more
- Count calories
- Cut carbs
- Weigh daily
- Stop snacking
- Drink less alcohol
- Drink more water
- Spend less
- Make a budget
- Save more
- Earn more
- Simplify
The transactional approach was never sustainable for me because I wasn’t fundamentally changing how I made decisions, how I thought about excuses or how I showed up in my life.
When you focus on transformation, you’re focused on optimizing who you are. How you think. How you feel.
- I’m a creative, energetic problem solver.
- I’m a victor, not a victim
- I want to take amazing care of myself today
- Food is my solution only when hunger is my problem
- I want to feel full of energy
- I make choices that make me feel more confident
- What I want most drives my choices more than what I want now
While that’s just the tip of the iceberg, that shift is how I became a change maker in my life.
Becoming a change maker requires that you focus on the transformation of your mind and not the transactions of your body.
This is the very essence of the work I do with my clients.
We focus on happiness as the path to health instead of health as the path to happiness.
We focus on working with ourselves instead of against ourselves. Shame is not a change maker strategy.
Willpower and discipline aren’t the tools for permanent change.
There is joy in the journey when you’re on the right path!
When you take the transformational approach, you build trust in yourself. You create a sense of freedom – you’re no longer owned by the process and the struggle. You create a growing confidence in your choices and your ability to find answers from your own body (instead of relying on someone else’s opinion).
Whatever change you want to create, I’m telling you right now that with a transformational approach, you have the ability to create it. You have the ability to maintain it. You have the ability to enjoy the journey and I’d love to be part of it with you!
If you want to learn more about this transformational approach and break out of ineffective and unfulfilling strategies, click here to learn more about the 12 Weeks to Transformation and jump on the wait list!
Learn more about the 12 WT
Mar 3, 2019 | Blog
The #1 reason I workout is to develop truly functional fitness.Yes, I workout at a CrossFit box and I really love CrossFit. However, I’m not doing it because I think being able to do a pull-up is cool or because I want to brag about my deadlift max. I don’t belong to a CrossFit gym because it’s trendy or because the cool kids wear booty shorts to workout. Nope. Those aren’t the reasons I’m there.
I believe in CrossFit because it builds my functional fitness.
If you’d rather listen to this blog than read it, please hit play. Otherwise, keep reading below.
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What if we were to suspend this idea that we have to look a certain way, be a certain size or hit a certain weight and instead pursue a level of health and fitness that makes us feel amazing and equips us to go through life as confident, strong & capable humans.
What Functional Fitness Means to Me
Real life stuff. Functional fitness is about training in a way that makes me better at life. Better at moving things. Lifting things. Pulling & pushing things. Functional fitness makes me ready for any adventure or challenge, any time. Functional fitness means working in a way that improves my balance, coordination and stamina for real-life-stuff. It allows me to do more, enjoy more and trust myself more.
Functional fitness is about confidence in the little things and the big things. It allows me to walk on snowy steps and trust my balance. Functional fitness allows me to go for a hike with my sister and trust my stamina and endurance. Functional fitness allows me to lift a box off the floor and trust that I won’t get hurt.
I got an opportunity to put my own functional fitness to the test yesterday – to see exactly what CrossFit has made possible for me (that I wouldn’t have gotten from leg extensions or spin class).
I spent 4 hours in the snow, dragging thousands and thousands of pounds of tree limbs anywhere from 15 to 75 yards.
I had to grip these limbs tight, tugging with all my strength to break them free from the tangled mess on the ground.
I had to walk to and from that pile hundreds of times, through the snow.
I had to lift these heavy limbs 3 feet off the ground to feed them into the wood chipper.
In every single moment, I felt strong, confident, capable and grateful.
The hundreds of rowing workouts came into play.
Deadlifts and powercleans were immediately functional.
Sled drags purposeful.
Step-ups critical.
Grip strength. Core strength. Leg strength. Arm strength. Balance. Coordination. Stamina. Endurance. Power.
Functional fitness.
I knew I was safe. I knew I had learned and practiced great form in moving heavy objects quickly. I trusted my balance and coordination. I was grateful for my stamina and endurance, built via challenging workouts that had a higher purpose.
Today: I’m not sore because I’ve prioritized functional fitness and it pays off.
Even if you don’t have a need or desire to do yard work, functional fitness pays off in every aspect of life.
- Can you shovel your driveway without feeling like you got hit by a truck?
- Can you take 14 flights of stairs when the hotel elevator is running slow and feel capable and strong?
- Do you feel comfortable pulling your suitcase off the ground, pressing it overhead and into the overhead bin of an airplane? Do you feel confident removing it from the overhead bin and transferring it to the floor without hurting yourself or someone else?
- Can you confidently go for a hike with your family without worrying that you’ll get too tired to continue?
- Can you get into and maintain exciting sexual positions without getting tired or hurt? #functionalfitness
Yesterday certainly wasn’t the first time I noticed the benefits of functional fitness.
Last year, I moved my 7 foot long couch into storage. Because of the depth of it, we couldn’t use the service elevators. My boyfriend and I carried the couch up two flights of stairs. No problem.
Just yesterday while shopping at Home Depot, I was able to pull large boxes from a shelf over my head and safely transfer them to the ground.
It’s not just that I’m strong. I move well. I can do these things safely and without injury. I know how to move heavy objects overhead with good form. I know how to pull heavy objects from the ground or pull them across the ground in a way that is safe.
It’s a pretty powerful feeling, functional fitness.
It’s important and it’s worth it and it’s never too late to develop it.
How CrossFit Creates Functional Fitness
To the outsider, some CrossFit workouts might look stupid or unecessary. I think that perspective only reflects a lack of information or understanding. CrossFit workouts are designed to build 10 general physical skills:
- Endurance
- Stamina
- Strength
- Flexibility
- Power
- Speed
- Coordination
- Agility
- Balance
- Accuracy
Every single one of these skills is a part of functional fitness – fitness that is applied to the normal things you do every day.
If you were to walk into a CrossFit box and see people throwing 14 or 20 pound balls at a 10 foot high target on a wall, you might think they’re crazy.
But wall balls are a way to build functional fitness. Wall balls facilitate hand eye coordination and the ability to press and also receive an object from overhead. They strengthen your glutes, core and back. They stabilize and strengthen your shoulders while improving your balance and building stamina.
You might walk into a CrossFit gym and see people doing pull-ups and ring rows and ask yourself, “Why would I ever need to do a pull-up?” Because pulling is a critical component of functional fitness. Because pulling is something we do every day. Because you can’t have a strong body without a strong back.
You might have heard me talk about doing the CrossFit hero wod “Chad” – 1,000 step-ups for time onto a 20 inch box (24 inches for the gentlemen) and wondered why on earth I’d do that? Well, I can tell you that it made trudging through my property in the snow a lot easier. Step-ups make every uphill climb and every flight of stairs easier.
Are You Intimidated by the Path to Functional Fitness?
When I started CrossFit, barbells indimidated me. Fit people intimidated me. Working out, nevermind working out with any intensity, intimidated me. And none of that matters.
Every single CrossFit workout can be scaled for every single person. Every single CrossFit workout can be scaled to exactly what YOU are capable of doing.
My mom is in her 60s. She started CrossFit and instead of a barbell, she used a 3 pound PVC pipe. After a few weeks, she was using a barbell. If there was running in a workout, she’d alternate jogging and walking. Now, she runs.
I still modify more workouts than not. If a workout calls for double unders, sometimes I’ll do a mix of doubles and singles.
I’m working on building strength overhead so I might go lighter on the overhead squats than other people do.
It doesn’t matter what anyone is doing. It matters only what I’m doing.
It matters only what you’re doing.
If you want to create functional fitness, here are a few starting points to consider:
- Listen to episodes 074 and 513 of the Primal Potential podcast
- Talk to an expert – I am not a fitness expert but you can call a local trainer or a local CrossFit box. Share with them what general physical skills you want to improve or how you want functional fitness to show up in your life. Ask for their help.
- Move more – don’t overcomplicate it. Spend less time sitting. Spend less time sitting at the computer or in front of the television. Get up and go for a walk. Stand while you work. Simply move more.
If you have questions, leave a comment and I’ll happily respond or point you in the direction of an expert who can help!
