Johnny's 2016 Holiday Rant

Just a few words that I feel compelled to get out there.  The following hasn't a rhyme or reason other than I'm a living breathing God fearing husband, father, son, brother, nephew, friend, athlete and career man, mentor, coach ANNNND THAT I'm pissed off and fed up and sick and tired of all the whiny horseshit in the world today.  For those losing faith in CrossFit, congratulations!  You've just started a faster course to meeting your maker and you're dying now.  Sound harsh? I dare you to argue with me.  CrossFit is still KING.  Animal walks are sustenance and that's a fact.  I have an idea, go buy a fucking FIt-Bit......Orrrr don't.  You feelin' me?  Yeah, those are stupid.  If I hear one more person talk about how many fucking steps they took over the course of a day, I swear this old man is gonna wreck the day.   Here's something for the Fuck-Bit wearing hipster to consider; you've  been taking those same steps every day since you learned to walk dipshit.  What.....because there exists a wrist watch that does the math for you, that equates to fitness?!......stop lying to yourself.  If you're not getting better you're getting worse.  Fit bits don't matter unless you just like buying into bullshit that basically tells you more than you need to know.  I have an idea, just cut out the sugar in your diet altogether.  Nothing to track there.  You're either eating shitty or you're eating clean.  Anything in between is just going to lead to shitty again.  Who you kidding? Another thought, stop fucking around and challenge yourself.  Go into the gym and try a hard start once in awhile.  What do I mean by that?  This is what I mean; walk into the gym and do something that stings.  Maybe a Max Effort reverse tabata for 8 intervals.....pick any movement.  It'll hurt, but you'll be better for it.  Don't need a fit bit to know that.  Sriracha isn't fun anymore.  Eat the whole egg and stop trying to tell me that the egg white is better for you.....Fuck off.  Tell me what is healthy?  If your argument is weak I'll let  you know....that you're weak and your words are foul brush strokes of baseless bullshit.  I won't gold coat it either.  If you don't have your nutrition mostly wired then you'll never know.  As much of a freak as I am about balancing macronutrients for my own purposes......well, let's just say that I am still working on that one.  Eating is the foundation of fitness.  It needs to evolve based on what YOU and YOU ALONE are requiring.  Your requirements are based on activity levels, stress, sleep, overall recovery, age, etc....Western Michigan is going to the Cotton Bowl....HOLY SHIT!  I just saw a big fat guy on the sideline with a Fit-Bit on.  Probably doesn't need a fit bit to stop eating stupid shit. Stop whining.....Trump won and now we must embrace him.  He is our President.  For the record, I did NOT vote for him and that's all I have to say about that - Forrest Gump.    I wish I knew how to drink alcohol better.  I just don't practice enough.  Johnny Depp is a dipshit and I probably am too.  So?  Stop moving like shit and work on the root cause of why your squat is shitty.  Why do your shoulders roll forward in the bottom of a bushman pose?  Talk to me and I will tell you how to fix it. Or, just keep doing stupid shit and work with an immature squat for the rest of your life and then get injured and scratch your head.  Here's an idea; define the purpose for your workout....its part of the planning phase.  Plan your work and work your plan.  If you're missing that you're going to end up in a useless hole without anything to show for it.  Set some goals.  Define your purpose.  Please keep in mind, you only have so much time on earth.  Limited time to exist as an athlete.  Limited reps.  The best method I've found?  Find the most minimal effective dose regarding exercise.  Perform with the very best movement patterns you can muster and make the movement better.  BETTER-FUCKING-PERIOD!
Something else; Be a New Species Ambassador.  Say hello to every single motherfucker that walks into your gym.  Don't act like some introverted nut job....it's not how we continually build our culture.   Being quiet and hiding in the fucking corner is not what brought you through the doors in the first place.  You started CrossFit to breakout.  Nowhere else on earth, other than maybe church or an AA meeting or even a crack house will you find so many like minded individuals.  Pull your car over when you have a moment and run 400 meters really fucking fast.  Rest 2 minutes and repeat the cycle until you've had four total attempts.   I bet it stings.  You won't need a 'Fit-Bit' to tell you that.  Go take a shit on your neighbors porch.  It'll be a true test of how much they like you ......or not.  Eating sugar is kinda' like shitting on your own porch.  It's not a good thing.  I know, I've done both.  Deadpool is the best Marvel movie period.  Be nice to people.  Give to the homeless and needy.  Hand warmers are cheap and they make a great holiday gift.  Tell your neighbor to stop parking in front of your house or their porch will be littered with some really healthy scat.  Why do southern people sound stupid.  Do they think the same about mid-westerners?  I know that the French sound like fucking snobs and that's why Americans and the French don't like each other....It's what I like to believe anyway.  Did you know that an Egg McMuffin is almost a perfect 3 block Zone meal?  No shit.
Western Michigan just went 13-0 on the season.  That's cool.  Should I feel dirty when I watch Sport Center? What ever happened to sideline reporters that don't look slutty  on the post game college football show?  My right ankle hurts but not as much as the week before.  I think I've figured out why.  Need to warm up feet and ankles better prior to training.  Not rotating properly is another culprit.  Spine surgery is NOT an alternative to getting better.  Take care of thyself for your sake, your family's sake, FOR GOD'S SAKE....or just because.  If someone farts in the elevator your riding on, do you ever say anything?  I think you should tell said farter to keep their shit to their self....OR take a really deep demonstrative breath of air and thank them for sharing......be sure to look them square in the fucking eyes....for effect of course.  Hey, there's always a way to spin a circumstance.  I love New Species CrossFit.  Josh is a fucking super hero with a good ghetto twist.  He treats me like a real fucking human being.  Let's all do that this holiday season and all year long for each other and everyone we meet.  We are New Species Ambassadors.  Be humble in your own way.  Eat well.  Stay strong.  Move better.  2016 was good.  LET'S MAKE 2017 even better.
PEACE - Johnny

It's that time of year again....

What time of year is the title of this post referring to? GIRL SCOUT COOKIE SEASON!!!!!!   Sorry....nope.......it is OPEN SEASON so you can kiss those Thin Mints in your freezer goodbye!  The CrossFit Games Season is officially underway.  As you know, Open WOD 16.1 was announced on Thursday, February 25th at 8:00pm by a most socially awkward Dave Castro.  Is it me or does that guy just get creepier every year?  Nonetheless, he has the power to command 300,000+ athletes to go forward and complete all the Chest to Bar Pull Ups, Overhead Barbell Lunges and Bar Facing Burpees that their body is capable of in a 20 minute suffer-fest.

If you are signed up for this year's CrossFit Open then I have two pieces of  advice; 1.) Don't take yourself too seriously.  2.) If you can't find a way to make it fun then go do something else.  Seriously.

I have had mixed attitudes in the past regarding this 5 week physical/emotional challenge.  I watched many athletes, myself included, and entire CrossFit Gyms take the Open too seriously.  I've always felt that the Open brings out the best and the worst in all those participating.  For what it's worth, and probably not a whole heck of a lot (I still can't swear...it's Lent), I believe that CrossFit is finally back full circle with why it started in the first place.....for the human race to continually evolve from sickness to wellness to FITNESS, and never in reverse along that continuum.  CrossFit is Fitness.... period.  The hundreds of thousands of athletes competing in the 2016 Open represent a growth segment in Fitness never before seen.  Reason? There exists no other fitness methodology that works in the same way that CrossFit does.  Sure there are little thieves running around that get their piece of the functional fitness pie, and some with good success.  But none hold a candle to what CrossFit has built and none will come close to the infinite "proof of concept" that CrossFit continues to record.

As far as fittest Man or Woman on earth? CrossFit Founder, Greg Glassman leaves that open ended challenge out there.  He challenges any professional athlete in any sport or any walk of life for that matter, to throw their hat in the ring each year.  To date, not one single so-called elite athlete has come forward from outside the CrossFit arena to challenge or claim the prize as Fittest on Earth. FACT.

We have arrived at an age in the CrossFit world where those that choose  to wear the big pants and play on the main stage are truly professionals at the sport of CrossFit.  These athletes are the minority.  Then there is everyone else.  Athletes in the CrossFit pool that exist for the sole purpose of finding  their own evolution....to chase their own fitness and what that optimally can become. These athletes are the majority.  The majority are the athletes who keep the world going around.  It's you and me.  We keep the globe spinning. We, meaning CrossFit Athletes.  We are the ambassadors to the community.

Wow!  That's a lot of CrossFit talk from me.  But it makes me happy to be lucky enough to be part of such a great community.  I hope you have the same spirit.

Remember, you started CrossFit to get fit. Find a way to keep it fun and you'll always have forward progress.

ENJOY THE OPEN!    
and the Girl Scout Cookies....

Be Strong!
-Peace, Johnny 

You Are Not Him

You are not him. What does that statement mean to you?  Does it mean that you're an imposter?  Or does it denote the fact that you are attempting to act or look like someone that you are in no way, shape or form even close to resembling.  Maybe it means you're not who you think you are.  Here's the real answer.....all of the above are correct.  This is not really a trick question, but more of an inside joke that I'm about to let you in on.  My best friend says this to me as a reminder that I have a long way to go in my progression as an athlete.  Strange cat, my best friend. Puts me down when I'm up (because it's funny and I deserve it)....picks me up when I'm down.  Hopefully you have a friend or confidant that does this for you.  For there is a clear benefit to be had here;  it helps keep you even.  It's important for our well being to establish some form of even.  Sure, we all hit highs and lows.  Within those highs and lows are thought patterns .  Within that same fold of highs and lows exists the formation of habits.  Also found here are preparation rituals that are critical to  athletic mindset.  All of these characteristics are a method whereby one manages, at a minimum, a level that falls near "even".  When one experiences a drop below even the end result is, in most cases, dissatisfaction .  When that same individual finds a way to rise above even, the end result is satisfaction, but only for a moment. The satisfaction of a PR or long term achievement can be put on a plaque and hung on your office wall, but it will never feel as good as the actual moment it was achieved.  That said, even though rising above is positive, it remains a state of dissatisfaction because now there is a driving need to figure out how to get back there and experience that same emotion or euphoria again.  Full circle, staying even with highs and lows mixed in ends up being a great thing.  It is the very foundation that drives each of us to challenge ourselves daily thereby producing the"you against you"  personal competition found within the athletic mind.

I recently spoke with an elite Olympic Weightlifter who said that the real success in weightlifting, and in any endeavor really, is finding a rhythm.  What a great concept! Rhythm.  The kid has a point.  Think about it.  When you are "in the groove" so to speak, that's a rhythm.  When you have been recognized for your hard work and sacrifice, you most likely achieved that by establishing some method or routine that includes  patterns that contributed to your success....this is rhythm.

So....If you are "not him", which really means acting like Donny Shankle or Rich Froning or Brooke Wells or Julie Foucher, then who are you?  The answer is this; You are someone who thrives on being inspired by the best in the game, whatever that game may be.  It's a good thing to watch how the best of the best operate.  Just don't be clouded by the false need to be that individual.  Be comfortable in the fact that you will always be in development, and that's a good thing.  We all have talent and character and rhythm that makes us who we are. Therefore, BE YOU.....After all, you are you.  You are unique in so many ways. Watch, read, listen.....steal with your eyes and ears.  Get a rhythm....just like the Johnny Cash song says....but it's not advisable to be him....he was a womanizing drug abuser who is currently dead.  I do love me some Johnny Cash music though.

As always, stay strong!
Peace - Johnny

IF

"Do you know that "IF" is the middle word in life?  IF, you can keep your head when all about you are losing theirs and blaming it on you, IF you can trust yourself when all men doubt you". That is the famous quote said by the Photojournalist played by the late Dennis Hopper in the 1979 movie Apocalypse Now.  Great fucking movie.  Yeah, I know what you're saying.  Johnny loves war movies.  True.  But this one goes beyond anything in the war movie genre.  My father took me to see this movie when I was 12 years old. I'm sure I just dated myself....who cares.   Take this for perspective; The Vietnam War officially ended April 30, 1975.  Apocalypse Now was released August 15, 1979.  Only four (4) years after the war officially ended.  In my opinion, that's when Hollywood had balls.  Here was a writer/producer, Francis Ford Coppola, who decides to release a movie about a war both fueled and filled with leaders run amok. The dust that was a war that changed America more than ever before had not even settled yet and Coppola kicks out a story line that goes like this.....It is the height of the war in Vietnam, and U.S. Army Captain Willard, played by Martin Sheen,  is sent by Colonel Lucas and a General to carry out a mission that, officially, 'does not exist - nor will it ever exist'. The mission: To seek out a mysterious Green Beret Colonel, Walter Kurtz, played by Marlin Brando, whose army has crossed the border into Cambodia and is conducting hit-and-run missions against the Viet Cong and North Vietnamese Army. The army believes Kurtz has gone completely insane and Willard's job is to eliminate him!  -some excerpts from IMDb.  

So here we go.  This sets the stage for the opening title of this Blog Post "IF".  Really?  YES.....really.  Remember during the closing of my last blog post when I said my next post would be about nutrition?  Yeah, well I didn't lie.... nutrition will be addressed.  Most likely not in the way you suspect nutrition to be covered.  

I am certain, that after reading some of the background of how Apocalypse Now came to be, Coppola had to deal with so much adversity.  As athletes, we are faced with adversity everyday, but take a look at the odds against this film for a moment.  Sheen had a heart attack on the set and Brando never once read the script prior to arriving on the set.  Furthermore, Kurtz is supposed to have just recently deserted his Green Beret command.....so instead of a ripped special forces warrior, Coppola gets a Brando who tips the scales at 300+ lbs.  To make it even more difficult, the film was made without any cooperation from the U.S. Government.  Then Secretary of Defense, Donald Rumsfeld, refused to allow the film to use any U.S. military equipment or personnel.   Remember, the war had only officially ended 4 years prior.  The shit storm that surrounded the war, what it meant, what it accomplished, and mostly how the soldiers were basically treated like shit upon their arrival home....  all of this was all still fresh in the minds of the American public.   This is how the masterpiece came to be.  The theme here again is IF; IF Coppola listened to the naysayers who said he shouldn't, couldn't and wouldn't complete this movie, then it would have never came to be.  IF Coppola gave into Marlon Brando and fired him the movie would not have been such a success.  IF Sheen would have died of a heart attack....IF Dennis Hopper hadn't received the load of Cocaine required to keep his drug habit alive....IF - IF - IF - IFFFFFFFFFFF......Whoa!  In the end the movie is made up of just as many misfits and missteps as were evident by the political powers that ran the Vietnam War.  Fortunately, this was JUST a movie and no lives were lost during it's filming.  The only real casualty was that Coppola lost over 100 lbs. due to stress along with a constant stream of suicidal thoughts.  His reality, which became his rabbit hole was that his life and career teetered upon total failure "IF", and I emphasize IF he doesn't complete the over budgeted film.  But he does.  Against all odds, he does.  

The lesson here is this.  Your CrossFit training. Your O-Lifting training.  Your flexibility.  Your mental state.  Your stress levels.  Your sleep.  Your recovery.  ALL OF IT is only possible IF you have your nutrition in some form of order.  This means measuring Macro-Nutrients in some way shape or form.  Whether it's ZONE Principles or KETO or whatever you decide to sink your teeth into.  Bottom line is that you need to establish a method and stick with it.  Learn by process of elimination for what works and what does not.  The human body is in a constant state of change, so tweaking is necessary.  There are times when it's perfect.  Other times not so much.  Want to test the theory of trying to out train a shitty diet?  Go ahead.  Pretend you're directing your own film and that your success or failure depends on your ability to lock in an optimal nutrition plan.  Eat the donuts.  Eat the cake.  Eat, drink and shit yourself like a glutton.  Fuck it up completely and watch what happens. I will put money on that horse to fail.  Your training, flexibility, mental state, stress, sleep and recovery will not be worth two shits IF your nutrition is not in proper order.  The movie set IS your body and your mind.  Here's a few more similarities; Your skills as an athlete are no different than Brando saying fuck reading the script. Flexibility? Mental state?  That's Coppola losing his shit over the fact that all of his hard work could have been lost at any moment.....same goes for your training....stay the course, or damn close to it, or you will FUCK IT UP.  How about one more....Your stress levels are just like Sheen, the star of the film having a heart attack.  All of these clever little bullshit correlates are what drives the success or failure of the project.  Sure, once in awhile you'll get lucky and figure out a way to make it work like Coppola did.  But 99.99% of the time you'll fall short and the project ends up on the cutting room floor.  

You are great at what you do, but you can be better. Make sure you tell yourself this daily.  If you are not confident in your ability, then make damn sure that you are in an environment that will give you the mental lift to stay positive.  Be sure to establish a dynamic with your significant other, your mentor, your boss, your teammate, your coach.... anyone that can help you get better so that you achieve a method or technique you can trust to get you better than you were yesterday.  You are the director of the film and you MUST operate with the notion that the project will fail if not financed, directed and launched properly.  Your success in this scenario is no different than your macro-nutrients being administered in proper portions.  Your budget will be right on target IF you run it the way a good director should.  In the end you'll find success.  A box office smash.  Learn to know success.  Learn to know victory in the gym.  It's still just you against you and that should never change.  

The final take away here is what everyone is after, and that is achievement.  Do yourself a favor on this last day of January 2016, watch what happens IF you utilize and apply the best resources for a segment of your life. I suggest you start with nutrition.  For IF you do, everything else becomes manageable.  

Do you know that IF is the middle word in LIFE?

Stay strong!

Peace - Johnny 

Foundations and Fundamentals

To begin something, anything, requires that you have some basic understanding of what it is that you're about to do.  Whether it involves the mental, the physical, or both.  Whether it's embarking on a new job, activity, sport OR just watching TV and eating "Shitily"(pronounced; SHIT-IL-EE ;Meaning; Poorly.....and no I didn't make this word up....I just heard it before, not sure where, but I like it, as words go, and therefore added some depth to it).  That said, if you're  planning to do anything in this life, albeit somewhat properly, it will require some form of thought before you begin.  That first thought essentially becomes your initial foundation. In other words you establish a position, right or wrong, and build from there.  The foundation is the basis by which your knowledge is rooted and thus, the learning process of whatever you are trying to do begins.   

I am writing this on a Sunday.  This is typically a day of rest for many people around the world.  My  definition of "rest" is spending time with my family.  When they get sick of me, I feel it necessary to try to help those that want to be better.  Today I have two athletes at New Species CrossFit that have approached me about getting better at certain movements.   Plainly put, they are proficient at some movements but feel uncomfortable with other movements during group training.  These objectives are not uncommon for athletes that get beyond what I like to call the "honeymoon stage".  It usually occurs somewhere in the range of 1 to 2 years after starting CrossFit training.  It occurs at other times with other disciplines.  Nonetheless, it occurs.  When that stage is over, it is usually followed by frustration and choices must be made.  Stay the course or fade away.  And here in lies the uncommon.  The fighter type, which is what I've tagged the two athletes I'm referring to, would like to zero in on how they can get better.  This is uncommon because I see so many in various walks of life, whether in CrossFit, the business arena, or simply observing today's youth who seem to settle for mediocrity. Going above and beyond is something that I feel more and more individuals lack in this day in age.  So, when I see someone go that extra mile.....well, because of it's infrequency.....it's uncommon.  Now I don't mind mediocrity as long as the process of learning is always in play.  In other words, I believe one can be mediocre in performance but knowledgeable within the same discipline at the same time.  The real key of what I'm attempting to state  is the driving  need to learn more, apply it to your cause and arrive at a better position than that which previously existed, physically or mentally....either way....it's progress.  For example (beating a dead horse here) and at the risk of being a flaming narcissist, I am a mediocre athlete. I excel at certain movement disciplines and then there are others that I flat out eat shit at, which is not very good.  As a coach, I'm good and always getting better....I'm still learning and will consider myself to always be in learning mode. I once heard a coach of mine say "never stop learning, for the day you think you know it all.....you'll be dead".   I love that statement, and the coach who said it has had a profound effect on my life.  Truth is, I never have forgotten statements like that.  They are fundamental.  FUNDAMENTAL.....GOT IT?  Don't forget the fundamentals...they have helped you arrive to where you are today in every aspect of your life.  These same fundamentals, if and when forgotten, are also the primary reason that you fall short of yor goals or flat out fail at something.   I have always prided myself on being a resource to those who want help in the fitness/nutrition arena. It has always been my strength to practice and preach the fundamentals both to myself and all those around me. Which, now full circle, brings me to what we are talking about; the two athletes that I get to help today.

My method  to help an athlete is as follows; learn the strengths and weaknesses of the athlete simply by talking through the issues. In their own words, what are the strengths, weaknesses and overall objectives for their fitness.  What is their life like; Family, Job, Sleep, Stress and most of all Nutrition!  Once I have established that I then take them back to the grass roots, the beginning of  proper foundations in athletic movement.  It is at this point that I  make assessments of how the athlete moves.  How they squat, push, pull, flex, extend, breath, balance, transition from point A to B, etc...

CrossFit, in my opinion, has always done a great job of simplifying athletic movement.  They have done so by locking in on the nine (9) foundational movements.  If you have 9 minutes, I urge you to take a look at the following video link.  Whether you're a Veteran or a Newbie, I assure you the fundamentals found here are exactly the rules that you must never forget.  For they should, in my opinion, be applied everywhere in this life, should one want to remain functional long-term..(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f_lNO64zlSU)  Apply these 9 movements within your assessment routine as a coach or an athlete.  We all need a fundamental checklist. This will serve you as an excellent tool.  It is this very tool that any athlete that I work with will be under the scope of.  The best part is that there is always a positive result for the athlete.  I won't lie, I enjoy the shit out of positive results.  Who doesn't?  If you don't, well then you're a fucking communist.  Just kidding......not really.

That's all I have on this for now.  Time for some Fish Oil, Flax Seed Oil and Coconut Oil before bed.  I call it the triple threat and it's been paramount to my training and recovery.  Take in a good balance of Omega 3 in order to offset the over abundance of Omega 6 in foods today.  Omega 6 = Inflammatory & Omega 3 = Anti-Inflammatory.  The more Omega 3 the better....within reason.   I will be talking nutrition next time.....It'll be a good rant.....PROMISE.

In the meantime, take this quote forward.  Commit it to memory and let it serve you in your travels.

"Our progress as a nation can be no swifter than our progress in education.  The human mind is our fundamental resource."  

- John F. Kennedy

Stay strong!

Peace - Johnny

A Dirty Shame, Zumba, Mee-Maw and Life's Reward

Let the record state that I have now started and not finished three, yes three, blog entries since my last post in January of this year.  It's a dirty shame really.  A shame because it's not exactly how I run my life.  A shame because some of these "incompletes" had, in my opinion, useful information to share with you.  A shame because sometimes certain patterns tend to develop in the day to day, which in turn ends up sucking the marrow out of life.

So what has happened since the last Johnny's WOD blog entry.  From a fitness perspective, I have been locked in on Zone Performance Nutrition and I've never felt/performed better in my life. My family each progressed in life by one year.  Meaning, my beautiful wife became even more beautiful.   My Son turned 15.  My daughter turned 12 (God help the poor sonofabitch that first asks her on a date.......he's gonna get hurt.)  My Dad turned 81 (even better).  I unknowingly suffered a calcaneus fracture in my right foot....long story (we're all broken somehow). The CrossFit Open happened and I didn't compete.  Marcella Morrill made it to the Central Regional and finished 17th (pretty cool).  I stopped wearing Oly Shoes and nailed down my overhead flexibility. I'm back in O-Shoes again.   New Species moved into a great space....the shitters were backed up there for a bit which kept life interesting.  I'm still not on Facebook and as a consequence succeed in failing at knowing certain "goings-on" at New Species CrossFit......but I don't give a fuck.  The gym is a critical part of my life but not one that I want to control me.....takes the fun out of it.  That said, I know what I "need" to know. Who's diddling who has never been something I cared about.  I say diddle who you want.  Just don't commit adultery or covet thy gym mate's mate....that'd ruin the place.    On another note, I turned 48.  I drank alcohol on an estimated 9 occasions.  There are a few good humans at New Species that have recently started referring to me as "Mee-Maw".  This name has been made famous by the hit TV show "The Big Bang Theory" and happens to be the nickname of Sheldon's maternal grandmother.  Call me old.....doesn't matter...I find it funny.  Turns out that I can move with the best of them......and they're all great and continue to get better. Truth is I tolerate all of it because the trade-off is totally worth it.  For me there in lies one of the true rewards of life.  The reward is to be a part of a community that is comprised of so many like-minded creatures.  I have given much to CrossFit and CrossFit continues to give back to me.  For every little bit that I put forth in the gym, whether it's coaching, training, sharing advice or simply providing an opinion, the feedback and the results are by far some of the most rewarding experiences one could find anywhere on earth.  The only other place I find that in life is in my faith.  The two tend to run parallels for me.

The list of happenings goes on and on.  Some athletes come and some go.  Some stand the test of time and others fade with effort that mimics that of a road flare. In other words, bright to dim in a short amount of time.  That last statement is not a judgement by the way.  It's simply an observation.  Remember, I'm not on Facebook or Twatter or Instagram.  My observations are collected simply by seeing with my own eyes....live and in person.  I once loved Facebook but found it sucking the time out of my life and the life out of my time.  I've summed up leaving the site by stating to many that I am simply "not strong enough for Facebook anymore".   Some make changes in life OR they let life change them.  Either way, choices are made.  My hope for anyone reading this is that you choose to continue moving.  I don't quite care if it's CrossFit, Zumba, Curves or Jazzercize.....as long as you move your ass more than not.  Given that effort, you'll have a better chance at some level of life.

Whatever happens between now and my next post will be awesome.  There is not another blogger who is anything like me.  That is what is great about this life.  We all have our own DNA.  Our own recipe of what keeps us down, what keeps us up, what drives us and what we want to leave as our mark in life.

With nearly 10 years of CrossFit under my belt, I intend to remain focused on human movement and performing it more properly than I have ever been capable of.  I am proud to be an ambassador for the CrossFit training methodology.  It has made me a better Husband, Father, Son, Brother, Uncle, Friend.....Human.   If you practice CrossFit or any sport that helps make up it's foundation, please do it better than yesterday..... everyday.  If you need some help, let me know.  You know where to find me.

Parting Words

World-Class Fitness in 100 Words:

Eat meat and vegetables, nuts and seeds, some fruit, little starch and no sugar. Keep intake to levels that will support exercise but not body fat. Practice and train major lifts: Deadlift, clean, squat, presses, C&J, and snatch. Similarly, master the basics of gymnastics: pull-ups, dips, rope climb, push-ups, sit-ups, presses to handstand, pirouettes, flips, splits, and holds. Bike, run, swim, row, etc, hard and fast. Five or six days per week mix these elements in as many combinations and patterns as creativity will allow. Routine is the enemy. Keep workouts short and intense. Regularly learn and play new sports. ~Coach Greg Glassman, CrossFit Founder and CEO

Stay Strong!

Peace - Johnny

NEVER. LOSE. FAITH.

So how have you been? It’s been awhile since I’ve written anything. My writing as of late involves the daily monotony of multiple sales invoices for the spine surgeries that I assist in for my job. It’s how I get paid so like it or not, it must be done. My family likes a roof over their head and food to eat. I love them…..and I like sardines…. so I do the job.

My career, like most others out there, has its good days and its not so good days.  The same can be said for the gym. I like to keep a watchful eye on the good and the not so good. It’s important that the good days win out. It’s also important to stay mindful of the fact that good doesn’t just happen on its own. In my opinion, we all must strive for good. I see good as a grade of how life is going. Good is an improvement. I don’t see good as less than great. Great is on the same par as good. It’s a positive term used to out rank the word good. In my opinion, however, it’s really just an embellishment of good. I once had a sales manager that thought it was a mental boost to his team if he said ““Good, better, best. Never let it rest. Until your good is better and your better is best.” Sure sounds nifty....Hell, I may have even said it a few times……but I always come away empty with that statement. Empty because it’s just another way to say you must work at being good. I just say work your ass off and good will come from it.

Then there’s the school of thought that anyone in the “good enough” camp has somehow missed the boat on high achievement. Once again…..bullshit. Good enough is just a conclusive adjunct to good. It means complete in a roundabout way. In other words, any time we achieve the objective, whatever it may be, well then that’s good enough………..we could even say it’s fantastic or really fucking cool. Just don’t look down on good enough. It’s an achievement. Some will achieve more and some less. Who gives a shit as long as it’s an improvement. It is all of this that sets up this particular blog title. Please point your attention to what I mentioned earlier. You know the part where I stated that we must strive for good. Yeah. That good is faith. One definition of Faith is “strong belief or trust in someone or something”. That someone or something must absolutely be you and what you love. That means have faith in yourself, your family, and your friends. Have faith in what you do for those important to you. Give them and yourself your best effort. Your best work. If you are looking to get the most out of this life then you must have faith, period. If you are looking to just exist and not improve the life you’ve been granted, well you’ll often times find yourself falling short of the objectives you set….IF you are without faith.

How do you get good in anything? …..the answer is faith….and a shitload of practice of course….but you don’t get one without the other. Faith is confidence, self-esteem, loyalty, love, strength, belief, duty. It is everything you make of it. Always strive for good. Look for good in others, even if they are annoying as fuck. Shoot for good in all that you do. Good Life. That’s the goal. Evolve. Training is one piece that will make and help maintain good enough. Your strength numbers and your times will go up and go down. No matter. Just keep doing this shit and strive for good. Read. Learn more. Be a knowledge sponge and never stop. Never ever, no matter what, under any circumstance……

Never. Lose. Faith.    

Good luck in 2015. 
Be strong.
Peace - Johnny