Good Enough Never Is
“I’m good enough. I’m smart enough. And doggonit, people like me.”
— Stuart Smalley
Tim’s Deep Squats (Thoughts)
At first glance, there may appear to be a discrepancy between the subject line of this email and Stuart Smalley’s anthem. I think we’re all smart enough to see the difference. So let’s dissect this a bit.
Stuart may very well be good and smart. But, what is good? What is smart? And what is enough? Do people know what enough is? Do they like it?
Sidebar: This is not about your value as a person or whether or not YOU as a person are enough. I don’t want to get into it with the psychologists I know that read this. LOL.
There are minimums we have to meet to sustain life. Protein, Carbs, Fat, Sleep, Exercise, Relationships, Income. I would argue these are required elements. With some work we could determine the minimum amount needed wherein going below those amounts we would suffer and, potentially, cause harm or a decrease in life. There may also be a maximum amount whereby surpassing it leads to harm or a decrease in life. So maybe we need context of what’s needed to help determine if it’s good or not.
At CFPA, I make a conscious effort to NOT be a “Good” coach. I encourage all our coaches to be the same in this. When you do a lift, perform a squat, etc. I intend to give feedback that is more than just “good”. I might say “good depth”, “good lockout” or “good balance”. I prefer to be descriptive rather than ethereal. You will know what I mean by “good” and that I am not just cheerleading your effort. We’re glad you’re here and putting in effort. Effort isn’t always enough.
“It takes what it takes.” – Nick Saban
This brings us to “The Standard”. The photo above could be the visual description of someone’s idea of “good enough” or “close enough”. One problem is that the guy shorting the line isn’t playing fair. He’s shortcutting and may say he did the same work as someone else and take the same credit. But, shorting his distance is like not standing all the way up from a squat or not locking out elbows in a press with the arms in line with the rest of your torso. Or running 3 miles of a 5k and saying it’s good enough when the race is 3.1 miles. Ultimately “The Standard” is about fairness.
Something unique to CrossFit is that there is a published standard for every movement and workout that we do. We all have the same playing field with the same rules. This applies to regular class, The Open, Qualifiers, The Games and even a local/backyard competition. The Standard provides a means to rank every participant in the world in CrossFit or in the 100m Dash. It’s why evening class folks can compare themselves to the early classes’ times on the board. They trust that we are keeping a standard of movements and weights when the “Rx” is written next to the name.
For some, The Standard is a goal of getting the hip crease below the top of the knee in every squat. Others need to work on their mobility to lock out an overhead lift. Maybe some need another inch to get the bar under the chin on a pullup. The Standard is generally very simple. But that doesn’t mean it’s easy. And when something is a challenge that has to be worked for and overcome it is that much sweeter of an accomplishment. The Standard is thus something that is earned and thereby something that can, and MUST, be maintained.
Each year, I am required to take/pass the Judges Course in order to validate scores as an affiliate and judge anyone that moves on past The Open. Let’s try something new this year. I am asking you to help us maintain The Standard at CFPA during The Open and beyond. I am confident you will learn something about CrossFit, movement and what goes into judging. I also believe it will help you be more confident in your pursuit of enough and whether or not it is good.
What’s Going On?
REBOOT: We’re going to run another 8 week CrossFit Teens class.
CONFIRMED Dates: February 6 – March 28, 2024
Days/Time: Tuesdays/Thursdays at 4pm
Interested? email: [email protected]
Overheard in Class:
“Star in the role you have. Work for the role you want.”
Influencing
Forever Strong: A New, Science-Based Strategy for Aging Well: “After years of watching patients cycle through her practice, Dr. Gabrielle Lyon noticed a pattern. While her patients struggled with a wide range of conditions, they all suffered from the same core problem: they had too little muscle rather than too much fat.
When we think about muscle, we tend to think about strength or aesthetics, but in reality, muscle accounts for so much more than that. As the body’s largest endocrine organ, muscle actually determines everything about the trajectory of health and aging. Many of the conditions Dr. Lyon’s patients were experiencing were actually symptoms of underdeveloped or unhealthy muscle.”
I have seen Dr. Lyon making the rounds of some of my favorite podcasts and I wanted to get a fresh take from someone about longevity, but not just for longevity’s sake. I think the concepts in this book will help a lot of people live life to the full. Let me know what you think if you check it out.
Send me your influences. Music? Books? Movies? Series?
