Try, Try Again!

"If at first you don't succeed, try, try again."

One of my favorite things about Crossfit is that it teaches people how to handle their failures appropriately. Too many of us are afraid of failure, and because of this we don't risk, and therefore miss out on opportunities for joy. It is fun to set a PR, but if I am so afraid of missing that I don't even attempt it, I will never grow as an athlete. So many times I will have an athlete (most of the times it's a female) who misses a weight and then is afraid to try again. After a little encouragement, I can usually coax them into giving it one more shot, and many times the second time is a success.

We have to be okay with failing sometimes. I also think we have to reconsider what we qualify as failing. To fail is to not try again, or to dwell on the past. A good friend and mentor of mine once wrote me a letter, in which he stated "there is no failure in the eyes of our Maker if you have not forsaken Him in the midst of it." This statement, when taken as truth, evokes a sense of freedom in me. We have to be able to put things behind us when we are not perfect. The apostle Paul hints at this in Philippians 3 when he says "not that I already have obtained it, or have already become perfect, but I press on so that I may lay hold of that for which also I was laid hold of by Christ Jesus. Brothers, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Whether it is missing a weight, letting your boss/family/friends down, or feeling like you are failing in your journey to know Christ more, we have to put our shortcomings behind us and move forward. I have noticed that when brothers of mine fall into sin, I am quick to remind them of the grace afforded to them in the cross, but when I fall into sin I have a much harder time believing that the same grace is available to me. The way I see it, if God is willing to look past my failures, I'd better be willing to also. If I don't, I am holding on to something that Christ has already paid for and saying that my sin was more powerful than the atoning work of Christ on the cross.. To me, the bigger failure would not getting back on the horse, staying down when I fall.

Get back under the bar. Keep striving to grow into oneness with Christ.

Blessings

Trust

This past month I have been thinking a lot about trust, particularly in regards to programming. A program is simply an organized scheme of exercises, sets, reps, and intensities that have been systematically put together by a coach in hopes to maximize an athlete's potential. Coaches have goals in mind when they write a program, and any coach worth his salt programs certain things for a reason.

For the longest time, I programmed for myself, but recently I have switched to following The Outlaw Way for several reasons. First of all, it is just one less thing I have to worry about, and makes it easier to differentiate between me as an athlete and me as a coach. More importantly though, I tend to not program as hard for myself as I would for another, but going off of another coaches program pushes me to work harder and do things I would not normally do.

For a program to work, it must be adhered to strictly. Days skipped are days wasted, and conversely tacking on extra work leads to diminishing returns. I have observed this far to often in our gym: an athlete things he or she is doing something positive by going the extra mile (literally- I have seen people go run a mile after an Outlaw workout. Idiots) but instead they are taking away from what the program has to offer. By doing extra, they are not only reducing the overall intensity, but are creating a cumulative stress that cannot be compensated for by the body. Rest days are programmed for a reason! REST! Ok, I am stepping off my soap box.

The point I am getting at is that there is a level of trust that is required between a coach and an athlete. For the athlete to succeed, they must trust that not only does the coach have their best interest in mind, but that they are capable of programming an appropriate workload to induce overload but not overtraining. When you think about it, our spiritual lives are not much different.

As followers of Christ, we are called to trust. We see this multiple times throughout the gospel accounts. Take Simon Peter for example. In Matthew 4, as he is sitting by the sea of Galilee, Jesus walks by and simply says "come, follow me." Peter put his trust in Jesus, and was left with a life forever changed. Some time later, in Matthew 14, the disciples are out at sea when they are approached by what appears to be a ghost. The figure claims to be Jesus, so Peter replies "Lord if it is you, tell me to come out on the water" (v.28). Jesus invites Peter out, and Peter again puts his trust in the Lord and steps out on to the water, a substance that has no business holding up a human being.


Trust is something required not just of biblical characters, but of us. What we who are in Christ struggle with most foundationally is that we are who God says we are: perfect, holy, and blameless not because of what we have done, but because of Christ atoning for our sins. I came across something that I found beautiful. If I do nothing else in this life, I hope I believe this fully-


My Son,

You may not know me,
but I know everything about you.
(Psalm 139:1)

I know when you sit down and when you rise up.
(Psalm 139:2)

I am familiar with all your ways.
(Psalm 139:3)

Even the very hairs on your head are numbered.
(Matthew 10:29-31)

For you were made in my image.
(Genesis 1:27)

In me you live and move and have your being.
(Acts 17:28)

For you are my offspring.
(Acts 17:28)

I knew you even before you were conceived.
(Jeremiah 1:4-5)

I chose you when I planned creation.
(Ephesians 1:11-12)

You were not a mistake,
for all your days are written in my book.
(Psalm 139:15-16)

I determined the exact time of your birth
and where you would live.
(Acts 17:26)

You are fearfully and wonderfully made.
(Psalm 139:14)

I knit you together in your mother's womb.
(Psalm 139:13)

And brought you forth on the day you were born.
(Psalm 71:6)

I have been misrepresented
by those who don't know me.
(John 8:41-44)

I am not distant and angry,
but am the complete expression of love.
(1 John 4:16)

And it is my desire to lavish my love on you.
(1 John 3:1)

Simply because you are my child
and I am your Father.
(1 John 3:1)

I offer you more than your earthly father ever could.
(Matthew 7:11)

For I am the perfect father.
(Matthew 5:48)

Every good gift that you receive comes from my hand.
(James 1:17)

For I am your provider and I meet all your needs.
(Matthew 6:31-33)

My plan for your future has always been filled with hope.
(Jeremiah 29:11)

Because I love you with an everlasting love.
(Jeremiah 31:3)

My thoughts toward you are countless
as the sand on the seashore.
(Psalms 139:17-18)

And I rejoice over you with singing.
(Zephaniah 3:17)

I will never stop doing good to you.
(Jeremiah 32:40)

For you are my treasured possession.
(Exodus 19:5)

I desire to establish you
with all my heart and all my soul.
(Jeremiah 32:41)

And I want to show you great and marvelous things.
(Jeremiah 33:3)

If you seek me with all your heart,
you will find me.
(Deuteronomy 4:29)

Delight in me and I will give you
the desires of your heart.
(Psalm 37:4)

For it is I who gave you those desires.
(Philippians 2:13)

I am able to do more for you
than you could possibly imagine.
(Ephesians 3:20)

For I am your greatest encourager.
(2 Thessalonians 2:16-17)

I am also the Father who comforts you
in all your troubles.
(2 Corinthians 1:3-4)

When you are brokenhearted,
I am close to you.
(Psalm 34:18)

As a shepherd carries a lamb,
I have carried you close to my heart.
(Isaiah 40:11)

One day I will wipe away
every tear from your eyes.
(Revelation 21:3-4)

And I'll take away all the pain
you have suffered on this earth.
(Revelation 21:3-4)

I am your Father, and I love you
even as I love my son, Jesus.
(John 17:23)

For in Jesus, my love for you is revealed.
(John 17:26)

He is the exact representation of my being.
(Hebrews 1:3)

He came to demonstrate that I am for you,
not against you.
(Romans 8:31)

And to tell you that I am not counting your sins.
(2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

Jesus died so that you and I could be reconciled.
(2 Corinthians 5:18-19)

His death was the ultimate expression
of my love for you.
(1 John 4:10)

I gave up everything I loved
that I might gain your love.
(Romans 8:31-32)

If you receive the gift of my son Jesus,
you receive me.
(1 John 2:23)

And nothing will ever separate you
from my love again.
(Romans 8:38-39)

Come home and I'll throw the biggest party
heaven has ever seen.
(Luke 15:7)

I have always been Father,
and will always be Father.
(Ephesians 3:14-15)

-God

I have a hard time believing this on a daily basis, but I pray that with the help of the Spirit I will put my trust in these promises and in the goodness of the Lord.

Trust your coaches, trust the Lord, step out of the boat.

Blessings

Courage

I heard something yesterday that struck me. I was watching a youtube video where a coach was trying to get his athlete to drop under the bar on a snatch aggressively. The athlete was having trouble committing, as many newer athletes do. "You just have to be fearless!" says the coach. As I thought about this, I decided that I couldn't disagree more.

Nate the great, scared of nothin'!

There are only two fears that humans are born with- falling, and loud noises. Take a look at babies; they aren't scared of monsters, guns, the dark, or any of the other things that make many of us shudder. That means that all of our fears, aside from falling and loud noises, are learned fears. Somewhere along the road of life, we were either taught by someone or some experience that there are things worth being afraid of.

What this means is that we have to rethink what we do with fear. There is no such thing as being fearless- it is not as simple as just automatically being unafraid of the thing that terrifies you. Instead, we must take that fear and decide that we will not be controlled by it. This is the heart of courage. According to Websters, courage is the mental or moral strength to venture, persevere and withstand danger, fear, or difficulty. Courage is looking fear in the face and not allowing it do dictate what you do, but rather heading straight into the things that makes you most afraid. What makes you a man is not your lack of fear, but rather your courage in the face of fear. We see this in Christ our Lord on the night of his betrayal.

"And he withdrew from them about a stone's throw, and knelt down and prayed, saying 'Father, if you are willing, remove this cup from me. Nevertheless, not my will, but yours, be done.' .... And being in agony he prayed more earnestly; and his sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground."(Luke 22: 41-44). What Jesus was experiencing was fear and anxiety so great that it literally caused his blood vessels to rupture. In the medical world, this phenomenon is called hematidrosis, and is a rare condition that may occur when a person is suffering extreme levels of stress. Was Jesus fearless? Absolutely not! He was experiencing great levels of fear, but he did not let this fear rule him. He knew what his mission was, and chose to look that fear in the eye and move forward and "endure the cross, despising the shame for the joy set before him" (Hebrews 12:2). At any point he could have opted out. He was not forced to die; he said himself that "no one takes my life, but I lay it down voluntarily" (John 10:18). Courage is what allowed Jesus to press on.

We see this also in Paul. This is how he can continue to profess Christ even while being beaten. "I eagerly expect and hope that I will in no way be ashamed, but will have sufficient courage so that now as always Christ will be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death." (Philippians 1:20).

There are many areas of our life that we need courage. Maybe it's courage to drop under a bar. Maybe it's courage to do the right thing, even if the right thing is hard or socially awkward. Maybe it's courage to keep fighting for a dying marriage. Maybe it's courage to stand up for someone who can't stand up for themselves. Whatever it is, take courage in knowing that "we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness (and fear), but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." (Hebrews 4: 15-16)

One of my favorite lifters, a courageous fellow indeed.

Be strong and courageous.
Blessings.

Progress

It's funny how growth happens. You rarely see it, and almost never feel it, but it happens. There has never been a day of my life that I have woken up and felt taller, but that doesn't mean I haven't grown. Strength is the same way. It is a slow, meticulous process that takes months and years to cultivate. I remember one day last fall trying to clean and jerk 100 kilos. I tried 8 times before finally hitting it on my 9th attempt. Today, this weight is a warm up set. This could be said for almost all of my lifts. I didn't just wake up one day and magically lift 40 more pounds- it took lots of grinding, sweat, and frustration, but over time my body adapted and I can now lift heavier weights.

Here is a look at my PRs over the last year. Watch how the steadily grew.

Snatch

173# 9/27/12

177# 10/18/12

188# 11/29/12

208# 1/20/13

220# 3/17/13

Clean Jerk

221# 10/3/12

226# 11/5/12

231# 1/14/13

241# 1/22/13

265# 3/17/13

Hi hang snatch

198# 4/1/13

205# 5/3/13

210# 5/7/13

215# 6/3/13

Block Clean

245# 5/2/13

255# 5/6/13

257# 5/9/13

275# 6/13/13

Back squat

309# 1/17/13

385# 3/15/13

Power Clean

251# 10/2/12

261# 12/12/12
275# 4/15/13

                      

Front squat

241#x2 10/3/12

245# 10/26/12

225#x5 12/01/12

265# 1/16/13

305# 6/10/13

Jerk

226# 11/5/12

251# 12/4/12

265# 3/17/13

270# 5/2/13

We live in a culture in that promotes instant gratification, and we rarely have to wait for anything. Want a warm meal? Two minutes in a drive through line will get you one. Want to know whats going on in the world? One press of a button and you are watching CNN. Heck, we even get frustrated when it takes our iPhones 5 seconds to upload a page. So it is no surprise that most people don't have the patience or determination to stick with a program and get stronger. It takes to long! "You mean I can't get as strong as that guy in a month? Well then I quit!" This seems to be many peoples attitude. It should be noted that spiritual growth is the same way.

I often find myself comparing myself to spiritual oaks such as the apostle Paul or John, or guys like Matt Chandler. I beat myself down because I am not as "holy" as them (whatever that means). What I fail to realize though is that their level of spiritual maturity is something that was not achieved overnight. It took years of waking up and hitting their knees in prayer, of spending time with the Lord, of going through valleys and mountain tops. This thought hit me as I was looking through my study bible. The apostle Peter started following Christ in around A.D. 30- he wrote 1 Peter in about A.D 63 and 2 Peter in A.D. 67. Thats 37 years! I haven't even been alive that long! The apostle John became a follower of Christ in around A.D. 30, and did not write his Revelation until A.D. 96! 66 years of service to the Lord. A lifetime pursuing him, yearning to know him better and more fully. It's no wonder I look like a total scrub when standing next to them! Yet Christ loves me just as fully as he loved them.

Growth, whether in the gym, in life, or with the Lord, is something that requires perseverance and dedication. Don't get frustrated when it doesn't all happen at once. Commit to growing a little bit every day, and years from now you will have accumulated years worth of growth.

Rome wasn't built in a day. Neither will you be.

Blessings

Blind Spots

Then

Now

What you will notice from watching these two videos is that my setup now is drastically different than it used to be. This came about by my training partner Kyle giving me some great advice. After watching me do a few sets, he told me that I needed to get my shoulders further in front of the bar and my knees pushed back more to engage the hamstrings and simulate the second pull more accurately. I was hesitant, but dropped weight and began to work back up. What I was left with was a 20# PR. Not too shabby. Additionally, I have really struggled pulling from the floor lately, most likely because I wasn't in the same position at the knee as I had been during my block cleans. I anticipate to PR my clean sometime soon, now that I am in stronger positions.

I have been lifting for a while now, and thought that I was doing it right. What I failed to realize though is that you can always learn something new. Having Kyle watch me and give me healthy feedback was a crucial step in my journey to lift as much weight as possible. Sometimes, you just need someone to watch your blind spots- to give you a different perspective on you.

Proverbs 27:17 says that "as iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another." This is true not only in weightlifting or crossfit, but in life. I have been lucky enough to have brothers in my life who watch my blind spots, who call me out when they see living in a way that runs contrary to the gospel I profess. Sometimes being sharpened hurts- in fact it almost always does. But I always end up better for it. If you don't have someone watching your blind spots, you will always think that you are in the right, that you are the best. Growing hurts, but it hurts so good.

Have someone you can sharpen, and that will sharpen you, both in the gym and in life.

Blessings

Priorities

People I love deeply

"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God. Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love. In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him. In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; if we love one another, God abides in us and his love is perfected in us."
- 1 John 4:7-12

I was asked a great question yesterday after teaching day 1 of our Elements class. The Elements class is designed as a 2 week on-ramp class for first time crossfitters to introduce them to the movements performed in a typical crossfit class. Many of the participants are folks who have been sedentary for years (or decades) and have very little, if any, body awareness. Because of this, simple things like getting into the start position for a deadlift, or performing a simple strict press can be very difficult. I get quite a few deer in the headlights looks throughout the duration of the 2 weeks. They always end up doing fine though, and after a few weeks of elements and then regular crossfit classes, they are not only moving more efficiently, but more confidently.

The question I was asked by one of our interns was a profound one- "what is your overarching goal of the elements class?" I loved it. My mind started racing- proper mechanics, learning to push oneself, appropriate scaling... these are all good things, and goals for sure. But as I sifted through the question more, another more important goal rose above all others- to Love.

Coming into a crossfit class for the first few times can be intimidating. There are a bunch of athletic, in shape people with their shirts off going crazy slamming bars and throwing weight around, doing these crazy looking pull ups, willingly torturing themselves. For many first timers, the thought racing through their mind is "there is no way I will ever be able to do that." This thought is a lie, and couldn't be further from the truth. My highest priority of the elements class (and any class for that matter), even above good form, is the security of knowing that any time they walk through those doors, they will be loved deeply. They need to know that they are cared about as a person before they are cared about as an athlete, and that their souls are valued above their bodies. They may not squat perfectly- that is okay. They will learn, they will grow, they will develop. I am more concerned about their confidence level- something that can be bolstered by knowing that they have a coach that loves them deeply. If they know they are loved, they will continue to show up, and therefore continue to develop as an athlete.

As followers of Christ, we are called to love the world around us. Whether you are an auditor, a car salesman, a CEO, or a janitor, the call is the same- "take up your cross and follow me" (Matt 16:24). What we see in Jesus as he took up is his cross is an outpouring of Love for man. As we follow him, we are to do the same. Love your spouse, your children, your co-workers, your boss, your customers, your waiter, your neighbor, your athletes. Love. It's such a simple calling, but one we overlook.

Blessings

Pride and Joy

I have been blessed enough to experience much joy as an athlete, both in training and in competition. The feeling you get after hitting a PR is one of the best feelings you can get. Recently, I have discovered a new joy though.

Coaching provides me another opportunity to experience deep joy. On a daily basis, I watch my athletes push their bodies harder than they knew was possible, try things they never imagined they could do, and fight through their goats. It is truly humbling and inspiring to constantly be surrounded by people who courageously (though not always fearlessly- there is a big difference, but that's another blog post for another day) head straight into weaknesses and physiological pain. Sometimes, after struggling with something for a while, an athlete finally gets it. There is something about watching the light bulb go off in an individual that brings my heart a lot of joy. What I have discovered is that I get even more excited for one of my athletes when they hit a PR than when I do. 

The apostle Paul speaks of this several times throughout his epistles. Often, you hear him speak to the recipients with a great sense of pride and joy. "For what is our hope, our joy, or the crown in which we will glory in the presence of our Lord Jesus when he comes? Is it not you?" (1 Thessalonians 2:19). You can almost hear the affection in Paul's writing. He has poured his life out into these people, and as a result is deeply affiliated with their successes and failures. He goes so far as to state that THEY are the crown in which He will glory in the presence of Christ! They are his pride, and his joy.

When you pour your life into a group of people, be it through athletics or through ministry, there is a deep sense of connection with them. The more you pour, the more you connect. As I move forward in life, I pray that I continue to be blessed with people to connect with, both on an athletic level and on a spiritual level.

Blessings