Lesson from the barbell, edition #257

Both yesterday and the day before, I had nearly the same conversation with a trainer at our CrossFit gym. Different trainer each day, but the same basic conversation. Monday's strength component of the workout was jerks; yesterday's was snatches.

Trainer: "That last [failed] rep looked like it hurt your [surgery] elbow."

Me: "That's because I am a fucking idiot. I *know* that all I have to do to catch this lift is man up, dive far enough under it, and it won't hurt. So what did I just do? Fail to dive far enough under it, and it hurt."

Trainer: "Hmmm, that seems like it has an obvious solution."

Me: "Yes."

I nailed all my remaining lifts.

And it really is that simple. I need to give 100% on each Olympic lift, do what I need to do (split low enough to catch it with the closest I can to full lockout on both arms) and, unless I am pushing my one-rep max -- which I also know I shouldn't be doing that often -- bask in the glory of pain-free success.

Or I can be a fucking idiot, and then it hurts.

And I got to thinking.... It's kind of like *everything* is that simple. Or most things, anyway.

You know what you need to do. So do it.

Maybe you are diabetic, overweight and looking at a shortened life of misery. So you can keep eating crap, sleeping like crap and living like crap. Or you can start going to bed an hour or two earlier, get more sleep, eliminate everything processed (hint: grains are processed) from your food, eat only real food, lift some heavy shit a few times a week and maybe take a walk most days. And feel awesome, and proud of yourself.

Or maybe you are in a hopeless relationship that you should have ended years ago.

Or maybe your _____ needs ______. Whatever it is, there is a pretty simple choice most times. You can clutter that choice with a lot of "buts," but in
the end, the lesson of the barbell translates over pretty seamlessly. There is very little that doesn't filter down pretty quickly to a simple drama-free choice of do it, or don't.

So get moving. Or don't. Your choice. But, depending on that choice, you may determine your happiness or your longevity, or, more likely, both.






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