While you are in the gym there are so many fun, new movements you are learning. The programming has so much variety that at first it might seem like you won’t see the same movement twice! I felt the same way when I first started. Deadlifts, Clean & Jerk, Pull Ups or Double Unders, so many interesting movements and I wanted to do all of them with perfect form and I wanted it NOW!
I would get so excited when I would see Deadlift on the schedule for the next day, super excited to lift something heavy! I would do my best, but it was never as impressive as the people that had been going to the gym for years. One day I thought, I will get there. The next time we did deadlifts was about a month later.
That is just one example of a movement I wanted to get good at but when you are seeing these movements so infrequently, it is really tough to become good, much less look like one of those bad asses in the gym.
Having a variety of movements is great for your body. You are stimulating different muscle groups and keeping your body on its toes. It’s not just the movements, it’s the intensity, the length of the workout etc. It’s just so much fun!
As you can imagine, going to the gym to do the group workout, even going 5 days a week, will absolutely help you improve your health and fitness. You will feel stronger, maybe exhausted, some people even feel so much better mentally, almost erasing the anxiety of the day! It just may take you a long time to ever get that first pull up or double under because of that variety your coach is giving you.
Focus
So how will I ever get my first pull up or double under or *insert your favorite movement here*? There are two things you have to do.
- Decide what movement you want to work on! Maybe it is pull ups or double unders, maybe it’s not. So many fun movements, so many choices! You are going to pick one movement and work on that one until you have it. Here is a fun way to pick. Write down all of the movements you are interested in learning. Put them in a pile face down and ask a friend to pick one. As they go to pick one, if you feel any type of anxiety that makes you think to yourself “I hope they don’t pick X”, then take X out of the pile. X is not what you want to work on right now. Whatever is left, have them pick and focus on that movement outside of your regular workout schedule.
- Focus on the movement you chose. Do this on your own or with a coach. You can ask your coach for some tips on how to work on it from home on your own. You can set up a skill session with your coach to help you with the form and technique you need to improve. Think about how much 2 30 minute skills sessions could help vs whenever that movement comes through on the daily workout.