The GOAT

CrossFit specializes in not specializing. Think about that for a second. We do workouts with movements from many different athletic endeavors (i.e. sprinting, endurance running, gymnastics, powerlifting, Olympic lifting, kettlebells, etc).

Why?- Simply to be the most well rounded athlete that we can be in all aspects of fitness:

Strength
Flexibility
Endurance
Stamina
Power
Speed
Coordination
Balance
Agility
Accuracy

If you look down that list, depending on your fitness background and current activities, there will be a few things that you know you are lacking. Again, CrossFitters are not trying to the best in one domain, but the most well-rounded in all domains. It is our job to strengthen the weakest link in our “chain.”

There in lies the problem: It goes directly against natural tendencies. No one truly likes to do the things we are not good at. It just doesn’t make us feel good. If you are right-handed, go throw a ball a few times with just your left. How fun was that? I know it sucked. You feel funny, silly and possibly embarrassed. Everyone has the same feelings about doing certain movements.

UNTIL- you get enough practice that you start to improve in that skill. I like to use the phrase “like what you don’t like,” because soon enough you won’t mind doing it and eventually you might even enjoy doing it. The biggest improvements you, me or anyone else will have in CrossFit is not with your strengths but in your weaknesses. Doing things that you like to do is fun, but doing things that you don’t like will pay bigger dividends down the road for you in your pursuit for elite fitness.

There is a side effect to this though. When your weaknesses get stronger, magically, your strengths start getting stronger as well. And with that in mind, it is your job to attack your “goat” (thanks Brian Mackenzie and Kelly Sterrett for the terminology). Attack it hard. Crazy hard. Even though you might look like a fish out of water trying to do kipping pull-ups or have to use a PVC pipe for those Overhead Squats, DO IT ANYWAY. Become a fighter, fight over and over again.  Just keep reminding yourself that when, not if, but when you do improve on your “goat” it will be just that much more rewarding. I can coach people to do certain things and help with special cues to give guidance. But for some movements you don’t need extra coaching, you just need to do it. For most of our goats, there isn’t a trick to a technique, it is just a matter of letting yourself perform what needs to be done, even when your body and brain whisper and possible scream that “you can’t do it.” Yes you can.

The best part is still yet to come though. When you let it sink in your brain that the things that you are not good at, or don’t feel good at are possible to do better, a whole new world opens up. You start seeing things differently. The dark skies look brighter, the dirt looks like grass could grow any minute and you look forward to doing all of those burpees. You now have a mentality that nothing is out of your reach.

-Justin Scarsella