You love to workout. I love to workout. It is some sick gene that weaseled its way into our DNA. I have a secret though. Adding hobbies as part of your exercise regime will dramatically improve your mental health. This isn't a statistical fact I have for you, just experience from my own journey and from training others. This funny thing happens when you take the work you put in at the garage and apply it in a sport outside of the garage. Now, I know, as soon as I say sport you want to check out. You hear something along these lines . . . Check out this definition of "sport" from dictionary.com though, "an athletic activity requiring skill or physical prowess and often of a competitive nature, as racing, baseball, tennis, golf, bowling, wrestling, boxing, hunting, fishing, etc." Don't get hung up on the word "competitive." Instead pay attention to this phrase, "requiring skill or physical prowess." Remember, we spend about 4% of our time in the garage to be better off in the other 96%. In the gym we are building that skill and developing that physical prowess. So I would suggest we are missing the mark if we never test the 4%; if we just workout and never use what we gain from the work.
Think about this - in the garage we work to build cardiovascular endurance, stamina, strength, flexibility, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, and accuracy. It is outside of the garage that we test these skills. A great example for me is trail riding. I love trail riding because it taxes me in a way my workouts cannot. It tests my endurance and stamina, requires reoccurring output of power, and forces me to have consistent control of the bike necessitating coordination, balance, and accuracy on the trail and to a greater degree as I fatigue. In one single ride I am able to determine if the gym is paying off. It is a proving ground for my programming. Am I on point or do I have glaring holes in my game? On top of that, there is this interesting thing that takes place in our brain when we apply these skills outside of the garage. We find greater joy in the activities because your efforts in the gym become validated. You realize that all the lifts, all the running, all the burpees are making you more capable of using your body for adventure. In case you are wondering, adventure = fun = joyful living. If you don't believe me, test it out. Instead of coming to the garage one day next week, commit to another activity - rock climbing, kayaking, swimming, or an obstacle course run. See how it feels to put your hard work to the test. Then get back to me and tell me what a beast you felt like!
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Have you ever had one of those tough workouts where you get to the end and feel good? Then, after the post workout fog has passed and you're working through some mobility you start to assess your numbers. Upon assessment, what initially felt like a good workout has you a little disappointed. This is where the spiral begins. And while we should anticipate these moments - the struggle with our perceived growth, this discontentment with our progress - we need to have a plan for not getting stuck in those feelings. I experienced this, once again, just a few weeks back. The week before I had wrapped up a solid back squat cycle, so I was rolling into a front squat cycle. I hadn't tested at the end of my last front squat cycle and I wanted to start with a better grasp on where I was, so I tested. This was the beginning of the end. I tested, felt good, hit a conditioning piece, and then followed up with my girls for accountability. These are two ladies I became friends with way back in Quinn's garage. Over the years our friendship has grown and we share . . . a lot! Even as miles have parted our paths we are constantly in touch. We're each on different paths but we continue to hold each other accountable in our workouts and nutrition. So when I sent them a very routine text to account for my workout I didn't think anything of it. However, once I hit send the number jumped off the phone at me and I felt struck by what I perceived as its mediocrity and this is what I said: "To some degree." This is where accountability is huge - and it doesn't just apply to our workouts or nutrition, but truly in life. When we are our only lens it is easy to miss the big picture. It's easy to not look at all sides, but to dwell on that moment. However, when you have friends that you are open and transparent with you will get a more level perspective. Let's face it, nobody's growing by hiding and keeping the not-so-fun parts covered up. I am where I am in the front squat and I can't change what the numbers say, end of story. However, it doesn't change the disappointment and the fact that I want to wallow over not progressing as I'd like. Yet because I have people keeping tabs on me they force me to look outside this singular moment and weigh it in light of my entire journey. This keeps me balanced and, honestly, motivated. It helps me to see my progress in a panoramic picture instead of a standard frame. Think about that for a moment. Ponder the comparison. Want to see it from a different angle? Check this out: Think about that. Your view is all within that white box. Inside the box is today's lift - today's conditioning session - the injury you're rehabbing - the sleep you're lacking - the weariness of your week. When you share that information with your buddy they don't see the box, they see so much more. They see everything in your life that is outside of your box. They see your lift, your conditioning session, your injury, your tiredness, your weariness within the context of a much broader view. They are, dare I say, essential to your health because they bring necessary perspective to your journey. We can only be so introspective, and so many of us just aren't introspective to begin with. We need outside eyes and minds.
So the question is, which picture would you prefer to work from? Do you want to live in that little box? Let me tell you, you don't. Not if you want chase your dreams and hopes and make gains. You don't. Which begs the question, who is it that you are accountable to? I'm not talking about your workouts, your nutrition. I'm talking about life. Who knows it all, or if not all, a lot? Who's standing beside you? Who's got your back and wants you to be your best? Who's going to talk you off the ledge when you feel all is lost? Who's going to run and hug you when you smash your goals? And maybe, a better question, who are you doing that for? Here's to my crew . . . all the love! This Transformation Tuesday isn't full of quantifiable evidence. I don't have huge numbers to brag on. I don't have staggering statistics to throw your way. Which sort of makes it an awkward Transformation Tuesday - which is why I keep putting off this post. Yet today, as I sat before the computer, it struck me, this is the very reason why this Transformation Tuesday is so important! Sometimes our transformation is visible, the moment the cocoon cracks open and that beautiful butterfly works its way out. Spreading its gorgeous wings, taking flight. We sit in awe and remember the caterpillar it once was and how it sat, seemingly dormant, in that cocoon and then suddenly and most miraculously it reveals its glory to the eye willing to behold it. All that time inside that cocoon transformation is taking place - even before our eyes though they cannot see it - because inside a metamorphosis is transpiring, work is being accomplished, a caterpillar is becoming a butterfly! Though we cannot see the change, it does not change the very true fact that indeed change is happening. That is the story of this Transformation Tuesday. I see the cocoon wrapping around this person. I see the signs of impending change. I see the glimmer of growth. We're sitting on the cusp of transforming into something spectacular. The most beautiful thing to me, right now, is that the change is in the mind - this is the most pivotal place for enduring change to begin. The cocoon she is wrapping herself in is a changed perspective, a new understanding of fitness. Inside that cocoon she is putting in the hard work that will reap the reward of her goals - becoming the butterfly she wants (cheesy, I know, but so absolutely and beautifully true). So today I celebrate this amazing lady (yes, you have permission to drool over her solid low plank!): Kristy is tough to describe in a nutshell, but I'll give a crack at it . . .
These are just a few of the things I love and am proud of about this girl! She's a hard worker, she's kind, she's contagious! Keep it up, Kristy!! Guys these. . .I just can't. I love these so much I want to tape them on everyone's foreheads! I want it to be the first thing you think about. The underlying truth is that skinny does not equate to healthy. Many, many skinny folks are walking around in horrible health. This is because you see the outside and not the inside. They appear thin and healthy, but their internal organs may be wrapped in fat due to an unhealthy diet and lack of exercise. We call this skinny fat. Do not be deceived. Health is not a number on a scale. Health is having a healthy functioning body - externally and internally! This is built through the discipline of making healthy choices every single day - both in your diet and exercise. So let that number go and chase good health! The rest will work itself out!
When I meet a newbie to the garage I can expect one common thing, no matter the person, they expect me to make them better. It doesn't matter where they come from, how old they are, what they do, etc. The common thread is that their goal is to improve. The distinction is - improve on what? Let's focus on the part we all have in common though . . . improving.
While the improvement list varies from athlete to athlete, it does not change the singular motivation shared - help me be better. What becomes so important is cutting through what we think we want and getting down to what we actually value. It is our values that will most impact our lifestyle and therefore our ability to create change or improvement. These values, whether we've openly recognized them or not, will have the power to build us into who we're aiming to be or, quite honestly, wreak havoc on any work we're putting in. Let me explain better. You come to the garage and you tell me you want that bikini body by June (you all know who you are). I can set you up on a killer workout program. Shred pounds and build strength to give you that toned look you're thirsting for. However, this is about 4% of your day. So let's think how effective this will be when you skipped breakfast, ate a donut with a latte at 10am, had salad and soda for lunch, grabbed a pack of peanut M&M's from the vending machine around 3pm (oh and another Diet Coke, you do have to make through the rest of this work day, good grief), come workout, go home and eat dinner (which is chicken and broccoli - we're doing good, right?), and then, after the kids are down you have a glass of wine . . . or maybe two, depends on how easy they went down. That's not all though, now you're going to binge watch your new favorite show which means you finally hit the sack at 12:30am just so you can start this cycle all over at 6am. So go ahead and tell me, how effective do you think that single hour in the garage is going to be for achieving bikini body by June (and I am NOT just talking to the ladies - you gents know who you are with your six pack for summer)? Your values tell me that you don't really care about that goal you told me about. Your values tell me a very different story. Now before you just quit everything because this seems like such a hopeless and deflating post, I want you to pause. I want you to really think about what you value and then determine yourself if your lifestyle properly reflects your values. I'll go first. I value life long wellness. I want to be healthy now and I want to be healthy later. I want to play with my kids, my grandkids, and, if I'm super blessed, even my great grandkids. I want to enjoy life everyday for the rest of my life with my fun loving husband. These things require me to have a healthy functioning body. So, I look at how I am living and ask myself, "am I living into this value?" I am not perfect, hear that first, but high on my priority list to live into this value are: working out, eating well, sleeping plenty, and keeping my stress low. I workout 3-5 times a week completing a strength and conditioning to keep my heart healthy and my body moving well. I eat mainly meat, fruits & veggies, and nuts - I partake in a little grain, a little dairy, and as little sugar (that is not naturally occurring in my food) as possible! I sleep 8-9 hours a night, without question. This keeps stress down and allows me recovery. Also to keep stress down I stay connected to the Lord, exercise, eat well (funny how those jump right back in there), and make effort to have margin in life. I am not saying I do this perfectly all the time. I am saying it is always on my radar. I am always attempting to improve and do it better SO THAT I can feed what I value most! Take some time. Sit down alone and really think about what you want in life. Not a new car, or that fun trip, but how do you want to live. What quality of life do you want to have? Then ask yourself, are you really doing what you need to do to achieve and sustain that? I am super excited about this! It's not because I love shirts, but because I love what is happening in the garage (if you just want to see the shirts and get the link to buy one for yourself, then scroll down, but you'll miss this awesome story if you do)! Rewind to four years ago, I was just beginning my journey as an athlete at Quinn's Gym. Six months later, I took the initiative to invite myself onto the team of athletes Quinn had selected to become coaches at the new CrossFit he was opening. This was an entirely new field to me - learning about the body, its systems, and all sorts of things I had no previous knowledge of. Tons of studying and educating myself so I could attend the Level 1 CrossFit Seminar with a near stranger (who Quinn HAD invited to coach, in my defense he thought I was too busy (I was homeschooling all three of our kiddos at the time)) and, hopefully, pass the course! Which I did and immediately jumped right into coaching at Quinn's Gym (which was in his garage). Shortly after, 79 South CrossFit launched and I began coaching and writing the programming (workouts) there. Then we moved across the country for a stint. While away I thought about training people in my garage, in fact Quinn really wanted me to, but I was a little chicken. So I simply continued working for 79 South from the other side of the country - writing programming and running admin. When we returned to California I thought I was going to step up and be the operations manager for 79 South - not just because I thought that, but because it was what Quinn and I had planned on. However, we were both in for a surprise. When I returned God kept preventing me from working with 79 South. I no longer wrote the workouts, I didn't coach any classes, actually I stopped doing everything I had been doing. It was challenging to surrender what I loved and had so much passion for. Meanwhile, folks outside of the CrossFit were asking me to coach. Not being interested, I kept stiff arming them. None of it felt right. I didn't feel like I belonged at 79 South anymore. I didn't feel like launching a garage gym was right. I had no clue where I belonged and why I had taken the arduous journey to learn all I had for no apparent purpose. I was struggling to pinpoint how this passion and knowledge were now to be used. I whittled away these uncertain days working out in my garage - coincidentally with that girl I had barely known when we got our Level 1's (at this point we were BFFs). It didn't take much longer for it all to make sense. A position opened for the hubby in Kansas City just three months after we returned to California. Within six months of being back we were loading up and moving. . .again! In the midst of all that chaos we took a week trip to Kansas City to find a house. About a day after our return, I woke up and, no sooner than my eyes were open, did I hear God say, "open a garage gym." The rest my sweet friends is history! But, because I LOVE a good story, you can keep reading more of the dirty details! When God tells you to open a garage gym in what will be your new hometown the most practical thing to do is . . . get started! I began building a webpage and praying over the details. The one question I kept asking was, how am I ever going to find clients? Those of you who have been to the garage know there is not a lot of clientele around my house - unless I'm going to train deer, turkey, or coyotes (or there is that Goat CrossFit thing...??)! So I asked God, like a lot, the question of how to find athletes. Each time he would tell me to simmer down and not stress. Eventually he got real specific with me and said, "Do nothing. You'll have athletes in January. Just trust." Now, I dare you to tell someone this is your business model! I especially dare you to use it with your super practical husband! While I felt like I should be doing something, God kept relentlessly telling me to just be still and wait for him. Ultimately, his word was that He would establish this business. . .this garage gym! He kept telling me this was bigger than I could imagine and that he had plans. Plans that I am simply along for the ride on! So, after building a website I waited and prayed. Imagine the fullness of my heart, after putting out zero effort to make contacts, when on January 2, 2017 I got a text asking for personal training (from an old friend I bumped into at Target after 10+ years of not being in touch)! I can help you know that fullness - I immediately cried tears of joy and overwhelmed love. I did nothing. God did everything. Now, just five very quick months later, I have nine regular athletes! That's huge! I have done nothing (I know, I know - I have used the passion and tools God has equipped me with). But truly, God has done everything. So this shirt is a big deal to me. It is a testimony of God's faithful promise to me. That from nothing He would build a beautiful community, because that's really what the garage is. It is a community of people who get together, share life's highs and lows, laugh a ton (especially at ourselves), and get in a good workout. We're just doing life together and trying to make life better for the long haul. This shirt is the beginning, because I am certain God is not finished writing this story and making miracles out of and through Frank Fitness!
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AuthorMy name is Tiffany and I am the owner and trainer at Frank Fitness, a garage gym. I provide workouts to increase/maintain cardiovascular wellness and build strength. My goal is to help athletes maintain life-long wellness. Archives
January 2018
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