"Guts over Fear."
-Eminem
I know I haven't written in a while, and I know I started this post with a quote from a polarizing rapper, but trust me, it will be explained. And yes, this is the time of the year where a million fitness experts are more than happy to bombard you with "Survive Holiday eating with these 5 easy tips! or How to not get Fat over the holidays! or Survive Holiday stress with our sure fire, can't miss, 6 de-stressing exercises!" most of which is either bullshit, or not practical. But more on that later. First, I've been itching to write about the INENT shakedown the minute we announced it was a go.
Last Friday, on December 19, at 7 pm, when most people were on their way to holiday parties, or stuck in long lines at malls, 16 athletes descended on INTENT to compete in its first ever fitness competition. What made this event truly special, aside from the participants, judges and spectators, was the fact that a facility that promotes strength along side endurance training, actually had the courage to host an event that is not often seen in that type of setting. However, the owners, Rick and Mary Ann knew it was the right thing to do, because strength, more to the point - functional fitness - plays a major role in how everyone who walks through the door is trained. Be they elite triathletes, or people simply looking to get healthy, becoming fit across broad time and modal domains is the backbone of INTENT's methodology. And it was on full display Friday night.
4 teams of 4 people, chosen at random were faced with 5 events, all outside their comfort zone. There was a nervous buzz as athletes filtered in about an hour before the event, warming up, going over team strategy, wondering either aloud or quietly how hard the competition would be. Although all the movements were doable, adding intensity and competition is a major game changer. But as the head judge counted down to start the first event, the one thing that was palpable in the gym was the feeling of excitement, the electricity of staring down the unknown and attacking at every turn.
As the event went on, and fatigue became more apparent, something else was noticeable, the look of amazement and elation on people's faces as they conquered movements in ways or times they never have before. Watching the strict lift events - one rep max deadlift and back squat was like watching gladiators fight in the Coliseum, gutteral sounds, from deep within the athlete's soul, their gut, crowd noise rising, music being drown out as if people were speaking in tongues. The joy on the athlete's faces was pure, unmistakeable, and real. The realization that they are capable of more than they ever imagined. That they were no longer defined as simply "endurance athletes" hemmed in by the old notion that "if you do endurance, you can't be strong, you can't lift weights! You'll gain mass! You'll become too bulky!" They realized, along with everyone else in the gym, that to be truly fit, to become bomb proof, to avoid injury and excel at the sports they loved, they didn't just need strength and fitness, they wanted it. Fear dissolved, determination rose, it was truly Guts over Fear. The question why are we doing this" was replaced with "how do I get better at all these things?". And at the end of the night, the biggest question was, "so, when are you doing another competition?"
In less than 2.5 hours, a group of mainly endurance athletes woke up to the realization that it would not take more miles or time in the endurance domain to succeed, rather, functional fitness and strength were the answer. Weaknesses, even in the team setting couldn't be hidden, and the same went for strengths. They realized, in watching the winning team, why this kind of training, training the INTENT way, was what got the winning team to the top. Teamwork matched with hard work and determination was the answer. As endurance athletes we are all too comfortable competing solo, not understanding what it means to rely on the person next to you, and vice versa. That there really is strength in numbers. And maybe that was initially the scariest thing of all - what would happen when a group of solo athletes had to work together? The answer was simple - either bond or die. From a coach's eye, that was one of the most beautiful things to see - people throwing ego to the side to work for the greater good.
I want to thank Rick and Mary Ann for having the faith in me to put this event together and host it at INTENT. Not to mention, their hard work in winning it! Thanks also to everyone who competed, and to the judges- without you guys, we would have been flying blind. And a big thank you to those who still think that doing strength and functional fitness isn't the answer - we are happy to have our athletes continue to excel. Be on the lookout for the next Shakedown, it will be coming soon.
As for how to survive the holidays, I'm no expert, but here's my take - you know damn well if you are overeating, you can feel yourself do it. You also know if you are eating extremely rich foods and not doing any type of exercise that you will likely gain weight over the holidays. Using the holidays as an excuse to overeat, to be overserved, to eat bad food, that's bullshit. That's not what the holidays are about. I don't give a damn how many bowl games are on. If you're looking for a reason to treat your body poorly, be adult enough to simply acknowledge that you want to do these things, not that you "had no choice". That's a cop out. Am I saying don't have fun and be merry? Absolutely not. Have a blast. Just don't use the "holidays" as your excuse.
To all of you reading this - happy holidays, happy new year, and here's to a much, much better 2015.
Stay strong,
Guy
