workout:
1 hour on the airdyne bike, easy pace.
the gym is important to me. wildly important. it is important because i see it as a transformative process. to truly transform, to grow with direction, one must control the environment in which the process unfolds. typically, as this project has grown, etiquette has been a “soft lesson”. water seeks its own level. inviting one person to join an established group has been an effective way to uphold certain behaviors and discourage others. i find this to be the ideal situation, learning by coming to your own conclusions, by understanding as opposed to being told….
there has been growth lately. alarming growth. and there is danger in growing too fast – the risk of diluting the pool, of loosing what made you successful in the first place…
since i first saw it, i have appreciated the video 10 bullets. the idea of working to code. it may become required watching, but in the mean time this is an attempt to outline the code in place at the station.
sacred space.
show up on time to your scheduled sessions and to no others without express permission. the space exists solely for those individuals working. if you arrive early the space does not belong to you yet. minimize your presence. do not interfere. no one wants to hear you laugh or talk about your day when they are fighting through their work. respect the space. do not wander aimlessly. if you need to use the restroom, stick to the perimeter. move quickly and quietly. do not try and read the board or figure out your workout. reading it will not make it any easier, but i reserve the right to make it harder if you are willing to interrupt someone elses work in order to try and ease your own curiosity.
respect the signal.
each workout is designed to send a signal. sometimes multiple signals. this is about physical fitness. this is about behavior modification. simply put – always remember why you are doing this. we occasionally use weights and percentages in an attempt to send a specific signal – we use those numbers as a guess because most of us lack the self knowledge to understand the appropriate weight intuitively. when we are working on certain attributes – power, strength, endurance, or any combination – we are trying to send a signal. be willing to use an appropriate stressor. check your ego at the door.
struggle well.
we get it, the work is hard… the gym is about stress response, and not just physical. this is all training, it is about building habits – and not just physical. we are training ourselves to respond to stress – how do you want to respond? do you want to complain? do you want to throw a tantrum? do you want to yell and scream and be dramatic? do you want to train yourself to add stress to a stressful situation or do you want to respond with confidence and grace? do not focus on other peoples workouts to try and escape your own. recognize your delay tactics, and fucking stop it. do not drop weights unless it is necessary. do not lie down after an effort unless absolutely necessary. to quote a friend and mentor “show up, ask questions, don’t quit. ”
struggle well.
the station.
3generators