2.22.2013

2 Kings 1-8

honestly I've just enjoyed reading the beginning of 2 Kings. It's very story like in nature with Elijah and Elisha performing miracles left and right, getting taken to heaven and a fiery chariot, and in general just being awesome. If anything it's just interesting to read. 

The passage that has stuck out the most was the Shunammite woman and her hospitality towards Elisha. Be gracious to guest of my home has always been important to me, probably because my mom always strove to feed people copious amounts of food when they came over, so I strive to be equally generous in my own handling of guests. My father in law is also very gracious to myself an my wife when we spend time with her family, and I admire his generosity and example. I appreciated how the Shunammite woman was blessed for her actions, but more than anything, her example was more of a conviction for me to continue to try and be generous when people come to my house, whether it is to hangout or stay for a while. 

Strength Bit: Foundation

No this is not a review on Isaac Asimov's awesome sci fi series, although I will say the title reminded me of the series and I shamelessly recommend it right now. If you have any interest in or appreciation of sci fi, taking a look at this series is a must.

Sorry for the side track. Recently I've been exposed to a crossfit gym environment and have had a really good experience thus far. They seek quality and diverse coaching, leading them to bring me in as a new coach because my background differs from your typical homegrown crossfit trainer.

In my experience, a concern I have with the crossfit and general fitness community is that the population they cater to demand quick results and the ability to perform highly skilled movements. Good gyms and coaches scale appropriately  but often times clients can be impatient. They want to be able to snatch when they don't have the mobility to do a proper bw squat or they want to bust out 20 kipping pullups when they don't have the strength to do 2-3 strict pullups. 

unfortunately these people often miss the point they need a foundation in which to be able to perform these movements. for example, if you have not developed the strength to do a couple of ring dips, trying to perform a ring muscle up will not only be a frustrating task, but a possibly injurious one. This concept applies to many movements.

An ideal situation would be to establish a base level of mobility and strength before throwing these individuals into fairly demand workouts. The deal breaker for most is not the difficulty of developing this base, but the time involved. developing the mobility to squat properly can take weeks to months assuming no pre-existing injuries or restrictions exist. likewise, developing a previously sedentary individuals ability to perform 3-5 strict pullups takes an equally length amount of time. 

I feel my job in the near future will be to stress the importance of a solid foundation to new clients and how it will take them much further in the long run and will keep them healthier. also, having a solid foundation makes it much easier to develop challenging skills and learning skills becomes fun and rewarding rather than frustrating and debilitating. 

My point is build a foundation and be patient about. Developing strength and fitness is never ending, enjoy the process and take your time with it, eventually you'll get better and be rewarded accordingly.