“I hate burpees.” 

“I wish I were still in bed right now.”

“I’m never going to get my muscle-up.”

“Seriously, kettlebell swings again?”

“I’m just going to do my push-ups on my knees today.”

Admit it.  We’re all guilty of it.  Even the most positive people let negative thoughts creep in.  Maybe you don’t say them out loud, maybe you do.  But how is your attitude affecting your workout – or someone else’s?

We all know that CrossFit is not easy.  There are movements and lifts that you will struggle with.  But walking into the gym with a pessimistic attitude is going to make those movements and lifts that much harder to face, and that much harder to overcome.  If you look around, you’ll notice that the people with positive attitudes and determination tend to get the skills and hit PRs more often than those who don’t.  The ones that challenge themselves and say, “just one more rep” are the ones that improve faster.

We all have bad days.  Maybe you didn’t get a good night’s sleep last night, maybe your boss was driving you crazy at work, or you had a fight with your significant other.  When you show up to the gym, that’s your opportunity to forget about life, and concentrate on the task at hand.  It’s important to give 100% when you’re at the gym, even if part of you doesn’t really feel like it.  Giving 100% to the workout is going to make that bad day just a little bit better, if not turn the entire day around.  Enjoy and celebrate the little victories and the small PRs.  You made it to the 5:00am WOD instead of sleeping in?  AWESOME!  You rowed the entire 2000 meters without stopping?  AMAZING!  You finally conquered your fear of the 24” box jump?  NEXT STOP, 30″ BOX!

Coach Brad programs workouts that are designed to challenge even the experienced CrossFit athlete.  Don’t be discouraged when you look at the board and see a combination of movements that look impossible.  Workouts are completed one rep at a time.  Even if you’re aware that doing a chest-to-bar pull-up is not possible for you (today), maybe today is the day you do pull-ups without a band.  No, you might not be able to do a 200 pound clean (today).  But today could be the day that you do unbroken reps at 155 pounds.

We all joined The Foundry looking for a great workout.  Many of us found out that an added bonus of joining The Foundry was discovering a community of like-minded people with similar fitness goals.  The people you work out with everyday are not just members of the same gym – they are friends.  And friends don’t let friends be negative.  Approach workouts with a sense of optimism, always give 100%, and remember that the person working out next to you might need that little extra smile or cheer to finish their workout too.

“Ability is what you’re capable of doing. Motivation determines what you do. Attitude determines how well you do it.” – Lou Holtz

Looking forward to seeing your smiling faces at the box!

Jenni