Monday Workout: Ropes

Sometimes we need to keep stuff simple.  There is not much simpler than slamming ropes into the ground.  Let’s do it!  Three rounds!

rope double slams	30
squats	20
lateral raise	10
rope alternating slams	30
deadlift	20
overhead press	10
rope double dutch	30
curls	20
Russian twist	10

Timothy Leary didn't say this.

I love mindfulness, but I also love mindlessness.  I think we all need both in fitness.

Mindlessness is the thing that gets us to the gym before we are entirely awake.  It’s the thing that gets us through the boring parts of cardio with loud music or just the hypnotism of the continuous rhythmic movement.

Mindfulness, however, is what helps us tune into the quality of our motions.  It allows us to keep our knees aligned with our toes, our bellies contracted appropriately, and the breath actually moving in and out of our lungs when our instinct suggests we hold it instead.

So let’s tune in AND tune out.  It will help.

Timber!

I am the worst tree ever.  When it is time for tree pose in yoga, something happens to me.  I lose all sense of balance.  My ankles decide that really what they want is to turn into blenders full of rocks.  My hips forget that they are attached to my legs and make a break for freedom at every compass point.  The problem persists all the way up the chain.  I do it anyway.

I am making peace with my Charlie-Brown-sincere tree pose because it is better than no tree pose.  It’s also a low-risk opportunity to practice dealing with adversity.  Sure, I may fall out of the pose.  Maybe it will amuse the other yogis (and myself—I am really good at laughing at myself!).  Maybe it will even make other people more comfortable when they come across a pose that is hard for them.

My tree, slowly, is getting better.  It is putting down roots.  Maybe the branches aren’t ready to reach for the sky yet, but I can be patient.  Acorn to oak is a process.

What other exercises do we find hard, do we need to practice and learn to love anyway?