Perfection < Consistency

By: Ryan Parker

I don’t remember where I first heard this, but in fitness it rings painfully true: Most people overestimate what can be accomplished in five months—and grossly underestimate what can be accomplished in five years. Shannon and I hear this all the time. When we talk with strangers or new acquaintances about fitness or physique, there’s almost always an assumption baked into the conversation: You must be obsessed You must train for hours a day You must track everything you eat People are usually shocked—or skeptical—when they find out the truth.

The Inner Conversation

By: Ryan Parker

As we head into a new year, it’s tradition to think about goals. Around here, it’s obviously not “I’m going to start working out.” It’s bigger than that, we are already working hard. Instead, it might be: Finally losing the weight that’s lingered for years Feeling like our fitness has truly moved to the next level Earning an A+ on a DEXA scan or bloodwork And yet, here’s the uncomfortable truth I’ve seen play out over decades of coaching: Few people fail because they don’t work hard… They fail, stall or burn out because they never change how they work.

The CULTure of CrossFit

By: Ryan Parker

Is CrossFit a cult? Probably not…but that doesn’t mean that we don’t look pretty damned different to those on the outside looking in... We speak our own language using acronyms like AMRAP and EMOM… We choose to tackle the hardest part of our day before the sun is up… We embrace discomfort, struggle and pain in a world of convenience… And we keep trying to convince our friends to “just come try one class.”

Reflections of an Aging CrossFit Athlete

By: Ryan Parker

This month marks the start of my 18th year of CrossFit…and last week I was asked a question that made me stop and reflect: “How important is it for me to PR my deadlift?” A great question—and not one with a one-size-fits-all answer. For this particular athlete, the deadlift is her strongest lift. She has pulled well over 300 lbs in the past, which is incredibly impressive. My answer to her? Not important. She’s already close to her genetic ceiling for that movement. Unless she wanted to shift her entire training toward powerlifting, there’s only so much room left to push that number higher. And trying to squeeze out a few extra pounds comes with opportunity cost, especially when there are so many other areas of fitness that may not be as developed as her deadlift.