“That level of flow state is sometimes rare and what you always chase...You get a few of those in a career, and they’re cool.”- Patrick Vellner on his performance in Test 8: Intervals at the 2023 CrossFit Games
COMPETITION
Guest Post: Flow State: The Importance of a Quiet, Confident Mind During Competition
Every athlete puts in an immense amount of physical training; tackling weaknesses and honing strengths.
It is not possible to be at the elite level without this hard work. But when it comes time to compete, the individuals that really shine have something unique that sets them apart. They are able to get in a zone that allows them to rise above the rest.
This is often referred to as a flow state.
The big picture: To reach a flow state, one must quiet their mind and eliminate distractions. It is a difficult task if they are stuck in a negative past, or worrying about a hypothetical future, or what others might be thinking of them.
Only when an athlete is fully immersed in the present can they reach a level of calmness while a flurry of activity happening around them. Their confidence grows and negativity disappears.
The opposite seems to be true as well. When an athlete makes mistakes or digs themselves a hole early in a workout, the extra stress and strain to catch up can be extremely costly. Their confidence vanishes and distractions take over.
Remind me: Pat Vellner looked calm and collected waiting for the second and final interval to begin during “Test 8: Intervals” at the 2023 CrossFit Games in Madison. He summoned the crowd to a roar by waving his arms in the air, the stoic look on his face unchanged. Pure confidence.
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Ready for Rogue? Check out this “Road to the Invitational” video featuring Third Fittest Woman on Earth, Arielle Loewen.
Former MMA fighter, Emil Valhalla Meek is taking on a CrossFit competition under the guidance of Games veteran, and Norwegian legend, Kristin Holte. Meek will train and compete at the Oslo Throwdown later this month on October 27-29.
🔥 🔥 The TYR Wodapalooza Team Online Challenge and Qualifier began last week with the first workouts being announced. Registration closes and scores are due on October 23 and video submissions are due on October 26. Learn more now and get registered!
The 2023 Fittest Tour: Fittest Man on Earth, Jeffrey Adler, his coach and partner Caroline Lambray and Aerobic Capacity guru, Chris Hinshaw are coming to Europe the first week of November. Check out all the stops (London, France, Belgium, Italy) and get tickets now.
How to Prioritize Your Nutrition and Training for a Healthy Menstrual Cycle
After taking a phenomenal, quick, and easy free course by Molly Galbraith, CSCS, the creator of GirlsGoneStrong, I wanted to share some helpful insights and takeaways about prioritizing your nutrition and training for a healthy menstrual cycle.
She does an amazing job providing information and actionable steps to promote and support a healthy menstrual cycle.
Defining terms: The word “hormones” refers to regulatory substances produced in an organism and transported in tissue fluids such as blood or sap to stimulate specific cells or tissues into action.
Fit People Move Less When Not Exercising, Study Finds
“Eating and resting.”
That’s how the Fittest Man on Earth Jeff Adler said he spends his time when he’s not training in the weeks leading up to the CrossFit Games.
He’s not alone:
“If I’m not in the gym, I ain’t doing nothing. My wife likes to point out I manage to do everything very slow, except workout,” is how two-time Games athlete Dallin Pepper described his life leading up to a big competition.
“I try to answer emails, or read a book, or have productive phone calls, but it can be exhausting to do that in between two training sessions,” added eight-time Games athlete Brent Fikowski.
While it’s not surprising to hear this from Games athletes, turns out ordinary people are no different.
A 2023 study out of the University of Copenhagen published in the Journal Current Nutrition Reports found that those who engage in a consistent, structured exercise program are more likely to avoid physical activity the rest of the day in favor of lazing around.
The details: The study was a systematic review of 24 previous studies and found that in 67 percent of the studies, people who followed a workout routine regularly tended to do less non-exercise physical activity (NEPA) the rest of the day—activities such as walking, riding a bike, or using a standing desk—often as a compensatory measure to having exercised.
The research also showed that the reduction in physical activities among those who exercise regularly was true for those with a healthy body weight, as well as those who are overweight.
Games Rookie Abigail Domit Found AIRWAAV and She Hasn’t Looked Back
Abbie Domit made her first appearance at the CrossFit Games this year and was almost never without her AIRWAAV mouthpiece throughout the competition weekend. The mouthpiece brand has become a staple performance tool for many elite athletes seeking to improve their athletic performance.
Remind me: The AIRWAAV Performance Mouthpiece comes in two different versions; HIIT and Endurance. Both provide similar benefits, but differ when it comes to the fit. Once the device is molded to your mouth, it’s placed on your bottom teeth, while your tongue rests underneath the intake bar..
“By directing your tongue down and forward, this mouthpiece gently widens your airway while simultaneously igniting cortical brain function when biting down. The result? A game-changing enhancement to your performance,” according to a blog post from AIRWAAV.
Domit, 25, finished in 26th place at the 2023 NOBULL CrossFit Games and has made Semifinals 3 times in a row. She found the AIRWAAV after seeing others use it and gave it a try a little over a year ago and can’t imagine being without it during her workouts.
“I’ve never worn a mouthpiece before, but I figured, at the very least it’ll protect my teeth,” said Domit. “After a week or two it fit my mouth perfectly and I’ve kind of just gotten used to it.”
“I remember we took a trip, not too long after that, and I had forgotten my AIRWAAV. And I said, ‘Oh my God, why does this feel so weird? Why is my breathing so radical all of a sudden?’ I’m like, Oh, shucks, I’ve been wearing my AIRWAAV this whole time and I forgot it. And now everything is different. It kind of happened organically.”
“I wore it for every workout [at the Games]. I would go back and forth between my HIIT piece and my Endurance piece. I think I mostly wore the HIIT piece and then for the long run, I wore the Endurance piece. There might have been another one that I wore the endurance piece for, but I wore it for every workout.”
Today’s workout is programmed by Built for Athletes ambassador and CrossFit Games Team and Individual veteran, Sam Stewart. The Irish competitor competed in Madison in 2021 after taking third place at the CrossFit Lowlands Throwdown and in 2023 on the CrossFit Walleye Athlete team who took sixth overall in the Affiliate Cup.
Sam Stewart
20-Minute EMOM
Minute 1:
8 Toes to Bar
8 Chest to Bar
3 Bar Muscle Ups
Scaling tips: This EMOM will provide both volume and skill work, but athletes need to scale or adjust the movements to receive the most benefit so they are able to keep moving without failing to complete the work in a given minute early in the workout.
For the toes to bar, adjust to toes to target, knees to elbows or knee raises. For the chest to bar, adjust to pull ups, jumping pull ups or ring rows. For the bar muscle up, adjust to chest to bar or jumping bar muscle up. For the strict handstand push ups, adjust to kipping handstand push ups or pike handstand push up. For the handstand walk, adjust to wall walks.
Advice from Sam: “This gymnastic EMOM can be adjusted to your ability to get in some quality skill volume. Each minute should have a 50-second cap so you have enough transition time between movements and to maintain the correct stimulus of the workout.
For the first minute, scale reps and movements as necessary that allow you to go unbroken when fresh. As the rounds go on, you can have 1 or 2 breaks but the aim is to still complete the work within the minute. For the second minute, you should go straight from the strict into the kipping handstand push-ups, with minimal transition time into the handstand walk.
If you fail a minute, rest for three minutes and continue where you left off.”
To inquire about submitting an upcoming workout of the week, shoot us a note.
THINGS TO...
...WATCH
Jason Daniel: Reflect and Grow
Check out this mini-documentary about the man behind the brand surging in popularity in the CrossFit world, LSKD. From a BMX biker to a carpenter, a clothing designer, now a thriving business owner in the CrossFit space and beyond, watch the evolution of the Australian brand.
The Gainz Box Q4 Fitness Frontier Box is selling out fast and features Reflex Joggers from The Barbell Cartel + 11 other full size products. Use code MCU45 for 45% off your first box.
Tough: Building True Mental, Physical and Emotional Toughness for Success and Fulfillment
Check out the latest book written by world championship weightlifting coach, and founder and co-owner of Catalysit Athletics, Greg Everett. It's one you'll refer to over and over again, and a great addition to a personal library.
For a limited time, Butcher Box is offering free ground beef for new customers in each box. Yeah, that’s a lot of free beef. Go sign up before it goes away!
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