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Wednesday, March 13, 2013

Strategy and Mangofit...

I believe that it is important to have a plan or program set up to achieve your goals. Whether your goal is to save money, build a house or make it to the CrossFit games, you must have a strategy to ensure you are on a path to meet your goal.

I am thinking of my programming and the journey that Alex and I have been on with this programming. We have sat down numerous times, talked about my goals, his goals, our goals and what we want to achieve. Many emails, texts, videos, photos and articles have been sent back and forth to determine what needs to be worked on, what needs to be improved and so on.

Alex has done an amazing job of laying out a program for me to follow. I know I have written a little bit about this before, in terms of the programming and training and work that is being done. Yes I am the one doing the workouts and the lifting, but how did it get there. It didn't just magically appear in front of my eyes. A lot of hard work and effort went into that programming and Alex did that hard work. It isn't easy to just write a program, there are so many details that go into it and I have realized a lot from sitting and talking with Alex.

We have had conversations that go into details about how to be able to do a certain movement. What is required, how do we get there. Alex has this keen sense of understanding everything in a broad picture and then being able to break it down into steps or sections. He is incredible and it has been an amazing journey with him, thank you Alex! I look forward to more that is ahead, with all aspects of our life.

In regards to my programming, how did I get to where I am at today? I followed a plan, a strategy laid out in front of me. Alex and I talked about things that needed work and what would need to be done in the gym to get there. I worked hard and did what I needed to do to get stronger in areas that I was lacking. I was having a shoulder issue and we decided that we would avoid overhead movements for a while until it got better.

We talked about things that I should incorporate and start doing to strengthen my shoulders and arms. I started doing some movements that he had researched and some that I had found and I considered them my shoulder rehab exercises. I also did things that might not be considered 'CrossFit'... bicep curls, tricep extensions, core work, etc. How did people respond when they saw me doing these? A little bit of laughter, some curiosity, some taunting... hahaha what are you doing?! Tricep extensions? Mangofit exercises...

I would laugh it off and let it slide off my back. It didn't get to me; it didn't bother me or make me feel insecure about what I was doing. I just know that people would say stuff because I was doing something different, I wasn't doing what everyone else was doing.

But I was okay with it because growing up, I wasn't always doing what everyone else was doing. I would be a little different than everyone else. I just didn't want to be another person in class, I wanted to make a difference, a positive impact. Maybe I stood alone sometimes, but oh well, that's what you need to do sometimes. I think back to 7th grade when a guy was getting made fun of in class by a few kids and when I walked into the room I told them to stop and leave him alone because it wasn't nice and they shouldn't make fun of him. I don't think those kids expected an answer like that from me or let alone another person; but they stopped bothering him.

I continued with the plan that Alex had laid out. I had faith in him and faith in the plan and program. If there was something I didn't understand, I would ask to make sure I was on the same page as him. I kept doing my Mangofit, but I was proud of it. I had fun, I was learning and doing new things that I had never done before. As the weeks and months went by, we started to see results; I was slowly getting stronger and better at things that needed improvement.

As I look back from where Alex and I started, there has been huge growth and we have come a long way. I smile as I think of my Mangofit, because it was the foundation that I needed. You have to have a strong foundation first and we worked on building that foundation. It took some time to get strong and have a solid base, but it was all worth it. :)

I am sharing a video that Alex sent to me the other day to show me how far I have come. It was good to see because I remember that day and all the days that we worked on muscle ups. Definitely a good reminder to see how far I have come. I think of all the long hours that Alex has put into the programming, all his dedication, love, hard work and effort... you are amazing Alex and hope you know this! I am very blessed to have an amazing partner and companion in life who supports me. I love that we can experience and live life together. Forever and always.

Remember to always have a plan and stick to it. There may be small bumps that come up, but think of your plan as a river, it takes turns left and right and it may not be a straight line but know that you are working towards your goal. It's always ok to have your own thing.

~ MCA aka Mango




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