Do expectations define our reality?

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It has been documented that other people's expectations of someone have a profound effect on performance.  Maybe you have experienced this...I know I have. 

Go to boot camp and find yourself in front of a drill instructor who expects high standards, within a few days, your performance increases to the expected level.  Sign up for SealFit Kokoro and find yourself working out at high intensity for 50 hours without sleep and performing better at the end than at the beginning despite never having done anything like that previously.  How is it possible?  It is possible because the instructors expect you to do it and dont tolerate anything else.  Walk into a wrestling room where everyone is better than you and expects you to perform at a high level.  You get into the mix and find yourself wrestling better than you ever have.  Walk into a CrossFit gym where everyone is stronger and faster than you.  Workout there for a few days and you experience a PR in almost every area.

Hang out with a bunch of world class guitarists, you become better.

Go to any place where mediocrity is not tolerated or accepted and you will not be mediocre...or at least for long.  Go where the standards are high and your performance will rise to meet the standards, if you want it bad enough, despite physical ability or skill.

A sign I saw at St Edwards wrestling room.  Mediocrity is not tolerated there. 

A sign I saw at St Edwards wrestling room.  Mediocrity is not tolerated there. 

Is this real?  Yes it is real.  It is a part of life that is evident in every activity.

If we all can agree that being around other people who are better or smarter than you can make you increase your performance because of their expectations of you, how far can we take that?  Can you learn a new language in record time by immersing yourself in a foreign culture where everyone expects you to speak the native language...yes.  Take it further...can you become an olympic athlete, a Navy Seal, a world class violinist, a better businessman, a better father, by training or being around people who expect more from you than you even expect from yourself?  There are many examples of all of these things happening.  So what is the question, really?  Is it what can we do or what can't we do?

Do you think it is possible that a blind person could see because of expectations of those around them?  Or can the expectations of those around that blind person make them think or become convinced of all of the things that they can't do?

I recently listened to a fascinating podcast about this exact subject.  I encourage you to give it a listen and when you do...think about a couple of things.

On the simplest level, this podcast might make you wonder whether you need to reevaluate who you spend your time with.  Are these people expecting big things from you or are they helping you to be mediocre?   It has been said that you are the average of the 5 people you spend the most time with.  Are you being pushed to excellence or coddled toward mediocrity?

On a deeper level, maybe it makes you think about how you are raising your kids.  Are you smoothing the road for them and therefore lowering their expectations of themselves? 

On an even deeper level you may contemplate whether or not there are any limits on the human being.  Are there actually limits or do we create limits by our own and/or society's expectations?

On a personal level, after you listen to this podcast, maybe you contemplate your own expectations for yourself or your children.

Tony Robbins has always said that we are limited only by our own beliefs.  He also said that the key to success is to expect more from yourself than anyone else could possibly expect from you. 

Dan Gable said:

“I’m a big believer in starting with high standards and raising them.

We make progress only when we push ourselves to the highest level.  If we don’t progress, we backslide into bad habits, laziness and poor attitude."

I have tried to live by these principles and can credit much of the success that I have created to them. 

The story of "Batman" as told by NPR's This American Life is amazing to everyone but the subject of the documentary, a blind man who has learned to operate as well as a person with sight. He taught himself echolocation at a very young age and is completely comfortable riding a bicycle through traffic.  He doesn't see his ability as anything special.  He says that a blind person riding a bike through traffic is something that any blind person can do, but few do.  His mother began his life with high standards by raising him as if he had sight and he raises them daily.  The result is him defying and shattering our societal expectations of blind people.  His new objective is to show the world that we have to change the expectations that the world has of blind people.

In my own life, I have seen something like this one time.  I have a friend named Kyle Maynard.  He is a congenital quadriplegic amputee who wrote a book called No Excuses.  Kyle went to a regular school, played football and found his place on the wrestling mat.  His parents and those around him raised their expectations of him and helped him to understand that he was not limited.  Recently, Kyle just climbed Mt Kilimanjaro.  He has visited the RRL and I took him fishing once and had an opportunity to talk to him extensively.  One thing that stuck with me that he said was, "I don't have a disability.  People who have confidence issues, or issues with negative self talk have a disability.  I just don't have arms or legs.  I can do anything.  Those people are the ones with a disability".

I urge you to listen to this podcast.  You can listen here or you can get it through the iTunes store by searching This American Life and downloading episode #544 Batman or simply listen below.


I would like to know what you think about this podcast.  Leave a comment or lets find some time to discuss.



3 minute intervals

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TBT...one of my favorite moments at the RRL.  Alan wrestling with Kyle Maynard.  Kyle put him in the Jawbreaker and almost broke his jaw.  Good times

TBT...one of my favorite moments at the RRL.  Alan wrestling with Kyle Maynard.  Kyle put him in the Jawbreaker and almost broke his jaw.  Good times

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RRL Warmup

 

1.

50 double Unders

10 Overhead Walking Lunge

10 Ring Pushups

30 second Handstand hold

Not for time

 

2.

Run 400 m

10 Push Press @ 95 pounds

5 pullups or Muscle Ups

Complete this every 3 minutes x 5 rounds

Start at 0,3,6,9,12

Do the round as fast as you can, if you finish early, rest for the remainder of the 3 minutes

 

Row/Burpee team workout

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2 Man Team workout today

Row 100 calories as a 2 man team

For every 10 calories, teams have to do 10 burpees.

Switch any way you like

I had to do this without a partner.  What I did was:

30 calories/30 burpees

20 calories/20 burpees

I found that this was a fantastic short workout.  I think this workout may work better as a single person rather than a team.  I plan to incorporate this into so many other things like barbell work and other movements.

 

 

Single Digit Club

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IMG_5958.JPG

The single digit club is reserved for those hearty individuals that come to the workout when the temperature is in the single digits. 
This is significant because we never workout indoors at the RRL.  When it is 102 in the summer, we are outside...or, like today, when it is 4 degrees (My truck said 4 but our outdoor thermometer registered 7 or 8), we are outside.

I had saved some old shutters for burning and it was a good thing.  Today was not a good day to discover that we were out of Kerosene.  The sideline heater remained unlit but the fire barrel burned hot.

We did a 25 minute Circle Jerk which is where we get in a circle around the fire barrel and each call out an exercise and reps for 25 minutes.

I remember the following:

CBLs

Pushups

Vups

Situps

Wall Balls

Wall Ball run

200 m run

Jumping jacks

plank

boat

Mtn Climbers

Flutter kicks

And some med ball bowling that Jody came up with.

All in all a pretty easy day at the RRL but I figured that if these guys were good enough to get out of their warm beds, I might as well take it easy on them for once.

We also had a puppy who entered the Single Digit club...Rufus. 

Congrats to everyone and good on ya!

Trevor and Jody's Birthday workout

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Trevor passed through town for 1 day before heading to Japan for 3 weeks.  Jody made his anticipated return today.

Both guys were greeted by 20 dudes ready to go this morning.  It was a little chilly, but the camaraderie made it tolerable.  I understand that we will see single digits this week.  I hope we continue to have 20 + every morning.

Trevor and Jody Birthday Workout

Run, 400 m

10 Overhead Squats, 115 lbs

Run, 800 m

20 Barbell Lunges, 115 lbs

Run, 800 m

10 Curtis Ps, 115 lbs

Run, 400 m

20 Ground To Overheads, 115 lbs

For time

When returning from a layoff or coming to the garage for the first time, I give this advice:  Go easy...do 1/2 of what everyone else is doing. 

To see any results and TO ENJOY THE PROCESS, it is crucial that you do something every day.  Coming to the gym and killing yourself only to be too sore to return the next day is not only painful, it is ineffective.  Go light, come often.

I think it can be summarized with the following:

1. Consistency- come every day

2. Accuracy- after you have achieved consistency and you are on a schedule to come every day or 3 days a week, focus on accuracy next.  This means doing all the movements with the full range of motion.  Go all the way down on the squats and pushups, get the chin all the way over the bar on the pullups...etc.  Don't worry so much about the weight or number of reps.  Range of motion is the most important at this stage.

3. Intensity- After you are consistently coming and have made a commitment to continue, you then focused on accuracy of movement.  Once these two are achieved, it is then time to focus on intensity.  Put more weight on the bar as long as your form is perfect. When it breaks down, peel the weight off the bar.  Poor reps with more weight is not good or impressive.  Focus on solid reps.  Increase weight when you are ready.  Focus on speed of quality movement and working to Rx.  Go at your own pace, but when intensity is increased and #1 and #2 are still being achieved, you will see big results.

Consistency, Accuracy, Intensity...The recipe for success.

OG

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The RRL has been going strong for over 8 years now.  During that time, many have come and gone...and returned...and gone again.  We have developed a strong group, bound by camaraderie forged through sweat and humor.  

There is, however, a group of guys who have been here the whole time.  This is the OG. 

Today, the Old Guard was represented well with the most senior member of the RRL, Matt Greenwell followed closely by Kim Ray, Alan Lebovitz and Will Hunt.  Patrick St. Charles rounds out the OG.

My Beyond the Whiteboard account lists 1,650 workouts.  These guys have been with me for most of them...never complaining, always pushing hard.

Thank you to the OG for always showing up.  Thank you also to the NG who were apparently sleeping in today.

Here's to another 8 years!

RRL Warmup

2 Man Teams

Leapfrog

10 Calorie Row

15 KB Swings @ 53 pounds

15 Wall Balls

AMRAP 20 minutes

This is a great format.  Partner 1 starts on row while Partner 2 rests.  When 10 calories are completed, partner 2 starts on the KB swings.  Partner 1 moves to the wall balls.  Only one person works at a time and you leapfrog through 20 minutes like this.

This is a good one, but you could do this with any 3 exercises and 2 man teams.

If you find a magic recipe like this one, let me know




Frogman's Christmas/Frogman's New Year

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We have done this workout as both Frogman's Christmas and Frogman's New Year.  I think you can probably find it titled both across the internet, however the workout stays the same.

Frogman's Christmas/Frogman's New Year

100 Dead Hang Pull ups

250 Pushups

500 Situps

Run 3 miles

For time

On Dec 26 2012, we did this same workout and my time was 66 minutes and change.  Today, I completed this in 57:10 which is a great improvement for me.  I credit it to all of the pushups and situps we did to get ready for Goruck Selection.  Despite doing much better, I was still smoked by Rusty Gray (on his anniversary) who ran about 400 m farther than he was supposed to and still beat me by about 45 seconds.

We had a great turnout today with Kim Ray, Matt Greenwell, Kyle Haren, Kevin Distasio, Rusty Gray and even Will Hunt dropped by to drink a beverage while cheering us on.  It is great to have such camaraderie at the garage. 

I am continually impressed that I can write something like this on the board and get zero complaints from any of the guys. They just step up and do it.  This, in turn, makes me step up and do it better than before.

Thank you to everyone who is a part of the RRL. 

Christmas Eve

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Wet Fellowship and fitness were had this morning during a steady downpour.  We did the 12 days of Christmas again this year with some debate as to whether it goes from the bottom to the top or the reverse.  Keith came in at 5:30 and did it alone (beast).  We started from the top and went through but he did it the opposite way.  I think our way was easier.  Oh well...

 

12 days of Christmas

1 Push-up

2 V Situps

3 Box Jump - 20 in.s

4 Pull-ups

5 Air Squats

6 Kettlebell Swings @ 52 pounds

7 Mtn. Climbers

8 Dumbbell Snatches @ 50 pounds

9 Double Unders

10 Thrusters @ 95 pounds

11 Burpees

12 Power Cleans @ 155 pounds

Merry Christmas to everyone.  Day off tomorrow then a 4 pm workout on Friday.

Russell x 8

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This is a house on Russell Street.  You get an idea of the steepness of the hill from this picture. 

This is a house on Russell Street.  You get an idea of the steepness of the hill from this picture. 

Russell x 8 is one of our favorites and one of the simplest workouts anyone could do.

Simply run to the top and back down 8 times for time. 

Will Kelley once set a gym record by doing this in 11:05.  No one has ever done it faster.  I invite anyone to give it a try.  Just start at the Stop sign on Barton, run to the top where the pavement was once cut and repaired.  It looks like a cannon to me, or a little gun.  Anyway, that is the turnaround point.

Today, Mike Drew finished in 11:22 which is blazing fast and Rusty Gray was 12:25.  I came in at 13:05.

Anything under 13 is outstanding, under 12 is beast status and if you can get it under 11, I will give you the World Championship Belt to wear around the office for a week.

Christmas workout tomorrow.  Looking forward to it!

Festivus-Feats of Strength and the airing of grievances

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In the spirit of Seinfeld, we had out Festivus workout today.

Warm up

Roxanne

Burpee for every "Roxanne", squat for every "light"

Feats of Strength

Pick any 3 and try to pass the benchmark.  Do as many as you can this morning

Front Squat 1.5 x bodyweight (BW)

Clean and Jerk 1 x BW

30 Thrusters @ 95 lbs in 1 minute

20 pullups without dropping off bar

17 burpees in 1 minute

55 situps in 2 minutes

35 double unders in 2 minutes

Run Minnekahda Mile > 7:30

Row 500 m > 1:50

100 pushups in 2 minutes

Some of these came off the SealFit assessment.  Others were just thrown in today.

After the workout, we aired our grievances around the Festivus pole.

They mostly included alot of various grievances about farting.  For everyone's information, there is a suggestion box located at the top of the Oak tree above the driveway.  Feel free to put your suggestion in it.  While up there, check to see if there are any others in the box.

Cameron

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U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Junior Grade Thomas Cameron, 24, of Portland, Oregon, in training at the Aviation Training Center in Mobile, Alabama, died on February 28, 2012, when his unit's helicopter crashed into Mobile Bay in the Gulf of Mexico during a training mission. He is survived by his parents Bette and John, and brother Alex.

RRL Warm Up

Cameron

"Cameron"

For time:
50 Walking lunge steps
25 Chest to bar pull-ups
50 Box jumps, 24 inch box
25 Triple-unders
50 Back extensions
25 Ring dips
50 Knees to elbows
25 Wallball "2-fer-1s", 20 pound ball
50 Sit-ups
15 foot Rope climb, 5 ascents

Still Water

8 minutes



Normal Park Stairs

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Check out Matt Beach doing the Normal Park Stairs workout.  Congratulations to MIKE DREW for being the first to ever finish this workout in under 25 minutes!  24:53 to be exact!

RRL Warmup

Normal Park Stairs

Run 1 mile to stairs

10 burpees at top

10 clap pushups at bottom

x 3 rounds

Run 1 mile back to RRL

This is a very simple workout.  Our gym record for this was shattered today as Mike Drew killed everyone and turned in a 24:53 being the first to ever break 25 minutes on this run.  There is really no strategy or technique to this one...just run a mile as fast as you can, run up the stairs and do the burpees, get back down as fast as possible and hit the clap pushups.  Do it again 2 more times then run home.

Workouts like these are my absolute favorite.  There is nothing better than using a natural feature or man made obstacle and turning it into a benchmark workout.  It is easy to do, you have one right next to your house or gym...guaranteed. 

We do an obstacle course at Renaissance Park, the stairs at Normal Park, Russel x 8 (which is a steep hill that we simply run up and down 8 times for time), Young x5 with 5 burpees on each end.  We may have others, but these are the simplest, require no equipment and are some of the most fun workouts that we do at the RRL.

If you do find something challenging, make sure to write down exactly how you do it and keep time.  It will become a benchmark that you can return to over and over.

On another note...my son got his braces off today!


Rankel

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U.S. Marine Corps Sergeant John Rankel, 23, of Speedway, Indiana, assigned to 3rd Battalion, 1st Marine Regiment, 1st Marine Division, 1 Marine Expeditionary Force, based out of Camp Pendleton, California, was killed on June 7, 2010, while supporting combat operations in Helmand Province, Afghanistan. He is survived by mother and stepfather Don and Trisha Stockhoff; father and stepmother, Kevin and Kim Rankel; and brothers Nathan Stockhoff and Tyler Rankel.

 

RRL Warmup

"Rankel"

Complete as many rounds as possible in 20 minutes of:
225 pound Deadlift, 6 reps
7 Burpee pull-ups
10 Kettlebell swings, 2 pood
Run 200 meters