Comfortable Vs. Uncomfortable
We train in the realm of uncomfortable so in life we can be more comfortable doing daily tasks. We do hard workouts because we want results and know we will get them by training hard. If you are an expert at double unders for example, you would not train every workout everyday with double unders because you are not leaving room to get better at something you suck at like maybe push ups or power cleans. So if a workout calls for a certain weight to be Rx and you cannot do that weight, yet, and no matter the amount of rep count you opt for the ‘lighter’ weight and it happens to be the same weight you use no matter the workout (reps or rounds) than you are becoming too comfortable. Example if the movement is power cleans and the weight is 100lbs and you use 85lbs, ok. But the next time or maybe a couple times the same movement comes up maybe even the same weight you should be striving to go heavier to reach the prescribed weight. It only takes once of being uncomfortable that makes the next time more comfortable.
My first time doing Grace as prescribed (30 reps of 135lb Clean and jerk for time) was only my second time ever doing clean and jerks at that weight and my first time ever doing it in a workout for time. The entire workout took me 10:35. I was slow and methodical, but got it done and left with more confidence and the ice was finally broken. The next WOD that came up that had 135lb C&J in it I was much more confident going into it, and there was no doubts that I could complete the WOD. My next time doing Grace, which was only a few months later, I knocked 5 minutes off of my time.
Being uncomfortable is good, it makes you stronger. Yes push ups are hard, but if you do them right all the time you will find that you will get better at them. Yes the weight is heavy, use technique and slow down a little bit and stop worrying about the ‘competition’. Beat them next time!
