Thoughts

Gambling vs. Investing: Wise up Snapperneck

Part I

You may have heard the phrase, “Playing lotto is not a financial plan.”  It makes sense, right?  So why do people still gamble?  Maybe it’s the thrill.  Maybe it’s laziness and simply a poorly planned shortcut.  It can be both.  What does this have to do with weightlifting?

Look at it this way.  Gambling is working out without a plan, or possibly making the plan yourself.  Investing is finding the right person to program for you.  There are some who can write a program for themselves that are quite successful at it.  I believe these are outliers.  I’ve been coaching for many years and have written programs for myself that did help me to improve.  But, was my training optimal?  Despite being a DIY guy, I’ve come to terms with the knowledge that I shouldn’t do everything for myself.  Look at it this way.  If you’re in a relationship, your emotions and ego cloud your thinking and there’s a good chance you’re going to misread something and approach a problem the wrong way.  However, you can objectively look at your friend’s relationship and see exactly what they may be doing wrong.  That objective perspective is priceless.  You may have heard the saying, “A man who represents himself in court has a fool for a lawyer.”  The same goes for coaching.

Here’s where the investment comes in.  I don’t mean the cost involved in working with a good coach. Although, you should recognize the value a good coach will bring to your life.  I’m talking about “buy in.”  This is about investing your time, your effort, and most importantly your trust in your coach.  Trust that your coach has your best interest at heart and sees what you need to keep you on a successful path.  Once you’ve established that trust, now you need to put in the time and effort to make this partnership work.  The Coach/Athlete relationship is a partnership with the goal of making the athlete better.  A perfect program (if that unicorn exists), is useless if the athlete doesn’t believe in it.  If you don’t believe in what you’re doing, how much effort do you really put into it?

Ok, you’ve listened. You’ve found a great coach. Now what?  Communicate!  Your coach needs to know what’s going on in your head, not just what they see.  They should be doing their best to explain what they want you to do.  You should be doing your best to let them know what you feel is working, not working, painful, mentally taxing, scary… Lifting can be more mental than physical.  Knowing where you are mentally, will help your coach properly prepare you to progress.

You want to be better, right?  Don’t gamble.  Invest!

News, Thoughts

Onward We Tread

This pandemic has thrown everyone into a bizarro world.  There are real concerns on every side with understandable  anxiety and fear for our welfare – physically, mentally, financially and for our friends and families.  One thing weightlifting has taught me is that through stress, we can come out of a situation stronger.  We may take a beating for a time, but we usually  come out of it in a better place mentally and physically.

For a time, we were scared of losing the gym – our sanctuary.  Thankfully, we’re still there. In fact, after some tough losses, we’re starting to grow again.  There is real excitement and a great communal vibe in the air. With reduced capacity, masks, etc., we are not only managing, we are starting to thrive again and it feels great.  I am very excited about our new members and our vets that continue to put in the work and improve regularly.

Many pundits were writing off gyms after they were closed for so long and people set up home gyms to keep lifting.  The fact is a home gym is great, but it doesn’t give you the communal vibe that training together does.  We are communal by nature and do better when we’re around others who support us, push us to be better than we sometimes allow ourselves to be.  There is an undeniable energy that’s shared in a good gym.  It’s a great feeling to be training and coaching in a great gym.  We’re not only blessed with our team’s synergy, we also vibe off our extended family – Locomotive Fitness Co.  Come on down and join us. Be part of our renaissance.

News

Hudson Valley Open – Canceled

It pains us to announce that we have to cancel the Hudson Valley Open that was scheduled for 8/8/20.  We hope things get better soon.  As weightlifters, we are accustomed to the physical and mental challenges of our sport.  As we strengthen our minds and bodies in this environment, we also become stronger in handling many of life’s other curve balls.  Use that strength and a positive mindset to overcome this latest obstacle.

Thank you to all who have supported us.  We will be back hosting competitions! We hope that it can happen sooner than later.

News

Hudson Valley Open Postponed

We are postponing the Hudson Valley Open to August 8. With everything going the way it is, it’s important to think of the safety of everyone involved. Although we are hopeful that businesses can open soon, we also wanted to make sure that athletes have enough time to get back to training & be able to peak for this competition.
USAW is in the process of updating the competition calendar. The eventbrite registration page will also be updated with the new date. Current registrations will still be active.

Thank you all for your patience and understanding. We’ll get through this together and come back stronger than ever.

News

2020 Try Weightlifting Day

This event has been postponed until further notice.

Register for FREE  through Eventbrite!

Try Weightlifting for Free! Saturday, 4/11 – from Noon to 3pm. We have a passion for this sport that we want to share with you! Come on down and give it a try.

 

News

Hudson Valley Winter Classic – Update

Hudson Valley Winter Classic Results!

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Here is the Final Roster!  We are looking forward to a great meet!

Hudson Valley WC 011520b- Final Roster

Thank you all for taking part in our passion.  Good luck!

 

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On January 18, 2020, we will be hosting the Hudson Valley Winter Classic at Locomotive Crossfit.

It turns out that this will be your last chance to qualify for the American Open 1 at the Arnold’s in Ohio, March 5-8, 2020.

It may be a little confusing using the new system, but the registrations are live!  Login to the new BARS system to register.  Search for the Hudson Valley Winter Classic and you can register through the link.  The new system is still a work in progress.  We can see your registrations, but it seems that individuals cannot see a list of current entries.  We will be posting a tentative start list a week before the meet. Register now and get in on the fun!

Thoughts

Lift With Intent

Lift with intent!

You may have heard this before. Approach your current lift with a commitment and an express decision to successfully complete the lift. This little nugget of wise advice goes far beyond your current rep. As an athlete, that intent needs to go beyond that immediate rep for long term success. You need that same level of commitment for the training session, training block, and so on. But it goes further than that. Are you intentionally preparing yourself for success as an athlete when you’re not in the gym? Are you prioritizing getting enough sleep, proper nutrition, doing what’s necessary for optimal recovery? Persistence is the necessary ingredient here. This is how we build great habits that pave the way to success. 

COACH WITH INTENT! 

Coaches program using immediate, short term & long term goals. I’ve found that coaching to the individual athlete yields far better results than a “cookie cutter” approach. So, from a coach’s perspective, I do my best to focus on what the individual athlete needs to successfully reach their goals. To truly optimize my approach and do the best I can for my athletes, it’s important to also continually educate myself to be a better coach. You can say that I coach with intent. I need to focus on what my athletes need right now with an eye on what seeds I need to plant for future growth. 

LIVE WITH INTENT!

These same principles apply to life in general. Think about what matters and don’t let yourself be distracted by negativity. Intentionally seek out positive, supportive people and focus your efforts on what’s important. Avoid distractions that take you off track and bring the focus back on what matters to you. Educate yourself – never stop learning. Always seek to improve. Re-evaluate where you’re at periodically & redirect yourself as necessary. 

Weightlifting is a process. Life is a journey. Live it with purpose. Live it with intent.

News

Technique Sunday

Come down to Technique Sunday/Try Weightlifting

 Sunday
11/10/19
12:30pm

Locomotive CrossFit
115 Old Route 9
Fishkill, NY 12524

Come on down and hone your technique on the classic lifts or give weightlifting a try.  Novices are welcome!
This will be a short clinic (1 ½ hours)

We’ll be going over some Theory,
Accessory work, Practical application, and Stretching.

FREE for Locomotive/Cuppa Joe Members!
Only $20 for non members!

Come on down and join us.  Up your game!

Flyer: TechniqueSunday111019