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Life/Training Philosophy

Learning

January 14, 2016

After 14 years of participating in generalist training programs and 12 years of writing programs for both specialists and generalists, I now feel that I’ve begun to understand a little bit about the process.

Since finding CrossFit in 2002 in California I’ve worked with limited equipment, challenged space, equally challenged individuals, conflicting mindsets, and within the often polarizing and cannibalistic conventional “fitness industry”… After sifting through it all, we’ve managed to construct a training program and a brand that has a unique identity, training mindset, and physical philosophy. We’ve managed to hybridize without bastardizing the movements, concepts, and protocols I have seen to be the most important in creating and refining strong, powerful, well-conditioned, expertly-equipped generalists. There are definitely programs that create stronger athletes, and definitely programs that dole out enough attrition-based conditioning that a few of their participants become stand-outs in it, but in surveying the world I truly believe that Wolf Brigade is among the very best at creating well-rounded, gimmick-free, strong, powerful, well-conditioned, and humble individuals.

A few things I’ve learned through trial-and-error, in no particular order, and employ (or don’t employ) in the Wolf Brigade programs:

1: The concept of “core to extremity” movement, in my experience, has often lacked a lateral, rotational, or multi-directional component in execution. I found that as I got stronger and was attempting to transfer strength/ power/ coordination to combat sports, movements such as well-executed, heavy kettlebell Figure-8’s, mace lifting and swinging, and throwing heavy medicine balls to and at things in a few different directions complimented the linear strength I was building with more conventional lifts. They also added a recovery and “strength coordination” component that could not be matched and whose value cannot be over-stated. If the exclusive goal is to be as strong as possible at lifting a barbell then some of the “Odd Lifts” can help fill in the blanks, and certainly aid in insulating against injury. If you are (or if you are training) a martial artist, cop, firefighter, field athlete, or simply aspiring to be an “Expert Generalist”, and currently leaving heavy kettlebells and heavy maces out of your program, it is an oversight that you will be pleased you corrected.; In our perspective, strength without matching coordination is a half-empty glass.

2: Separating a “strength” piece from a “conditioning” piece (or at the very least, integrating them intelligently and precisely) will increase the benefits derived from each. It will also keep movement mechanics, safety, and manageability of a group at a much, much, higher level. That is old news and common sense to some of you, but somehow, to others- it isn’t. Haphazardly programming overhead barbell lifts together with mega-set sit-ups, explosive bodyweight movements, and over-repped plyometrics is to essentially guarantee diminishing returns in each. After watching barbell-based conditioning with a “work capacity” goal translate into a wiggly, flailing attrition drill more than once, we had figured out by probably mid-2005 that they were not usually intelligent bedfellows. Whether the lifts are the vehicle or the destination, for the generalist athlete either path will be better served by separating them from any sort of timed, high-rep “met con” melee- or at the very least relegating the combination to advanced/ competitive athletes.

3: If speed is allowed to be a substitute for form (or pace a substitute for position) it will become one, with most people, most of the time. Of course there are those that truly desire progress and will take time to hammer details and enjoy the process, but in this day and age in most gym environments, they will be the exception and not the rule. Few people are as patient with progress as they are impressed by numbers on a clock or math on a bar. That is a mindset that needs to be addressed, adjusted, and abandoned; though it may take some effort, those that do so will progress beyond what they may ever have expected- the small things lead to all things.

4: Environment should not be an afterthought. It should be as well-constructed as the training itself- partially because for many they are equally important, and partially because how you operate one speaks directly, in my opinion, as to how you’ll operate the other. There is a time for casual and silly, and a legitimate training room is the time for neither. This is definitely not a call-to-arms for death metal and doom-and-gloom, but if the culture of your gym is constantly light-hearted and goofy, chances are relatively high that similar attitudes are seeping into the training itself. There simply must be a line drawn between “Boot Camp”, “Super-extreme cardio kickboxing”, “Tough Mudder training”, and other casualist exercise endeavors and detail-oriented, progress-driven strength & conditioning training. Outside of training content itself, establishing and maintaining a goal-appropriate environment is one of the only ways to firmly mark that line; Someone should know the moment they walk in your door whether they have entered a fitness Chuck E. Cheese or a legitimate training facility, and (for their benefit and yours) they should be kindly but firmly helped to identify whether they want one, or the other.

5: Details are not a sometimes thing, and should not be presented as suggestions. They need to be standardized, explainable, and constantly reinforced. Here’s hoping you have method and reason behind the ones you employ- If so, articulate and reiterate them with confidence. They’ll get sick of hearing them, you’ll get sick of saying them, and there’s really only one way around it…

6: Becoming a legitimate trainer (and even more so, a true “Coach”) does not take a weekend; It does not take a week. Or a month… Or even a year. Desperation for personnel to fill out an overbearing schedule due to want for rapid growth or financial over-extension in space, equipment, or what have you, is no excuse for putting an ill-equipped party in charge of any level group class that involves weight and/ or dynamic movement. If it was “Fill the beaker with a few liquids and give it a shake” day in Science class, would you want the study hall teacher in charge of the game? Fuck no, you would not. In my opinion there is no reason or excuse for anyone with less than 6 months experience in shadowing/ group management/ movement diagnostics/ fault-finding/ multi-level programming to be running a group CrossFit/ S&C class unassisted.

Strong, safe, progressive coaching is as much a product of developing the ability to learn as developing the ability to tell… Once you have actually learned things that truly make sense to you, how you present them to the intended recipients becomes the easy part. The “coaches” I see standing in front of a group simply parroting phrases and cues from CrossFit HQ, or defaulting to the hot-button fitness words of the week are most often the ones that will run into a brick wall when faced with the need to adapt to something outside the norm. Take the time… know what you know, and know what you don’t; Embracing, enjoying, and employing high-level details is what separates excellent coaches from run-of-the-mill personal trainers.
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There is no 100% correct, one-size-fits-all coaching style any more than there is for training itself, however there are things that are simply not good ideas. Being open to their identification and able to make adjustments (even if something you’ve previously employed ends up on the chopping block) doesn’t make you a bad coach- it makes you a better, progress-minded coach. We are lucky to exist in a time that contains big tidal shifts in fitness, and should be wide-eyed and thirsty to pass on the best information we can to anyone that trusts us with their health, strength, sanity, and safety.

REFLECTION ON PRIVILEGES OF AN ELITE LIFTER

This article isn’t meant to attack anyone, or be inconsiderate of challenges others face. What it is meant to do is to challenge the thought process of those that assume they know the privileges bestowed on others. What sparked this brief piece is being asked to reflect on my white male privilege and my elite lifter privilege before posting on social media. Specifically the elite lifter privileges of being able to train in the best facilities with the best tools, that others don’t have the advantage to use. It is this latter portion that I will address.

For the record I do indeed have these privileges. And they go beyond the training tools. Privileges I use to my competitive advantage whenever I can. I am able to interact with the best lifters in the world and owners of successful companies in the field. From them I glean knowledge and tips not available to others. Being able to learn from the best of the best in each minor discipline is invaluable. I am also able to secure the best care when I am injured with the network I have developed because of these privileges.

There is no argument to these privileges. But the better approach isn’t to ask me to consider these privileges before posting my accomplishments its to ask me WHERE these privileges came from.

It all began over 25 years ago in this house I posted on Instagram a couple months ago.

After a couple rough winters in central Oregon cooped up in a 16ft trailer in the mountains we got this ‘home’. It didn’t have electricity, running, water, or insulation. It was heated by wood and we read books by candle light at night. Once a week we would heat up water on the stove and step out the back door and poor it over your head while scrubbing down. At this time I started lifting. I bought a set of used ankle weights at goodwill and began running, doing air squats, and pushups till I couldn’t move anymore.

The next summer I began mowing lawns and chopping wood and using the money to purchase weightlifting equipment. The new lifters today have probably never seen the old plastic coated concrete weights and hollow tubular bars. But I was setup with those out back of our house.

Between that time and now there has only been a few brief breaks between either training in the gym or for sports. I was even training in the phase when I was working full-time, pursuing my degrees full-time, and had taken custody and was raising my three sisters. The latter half was due to the deteriorating environment at home that I couldn’t have continue.

Today I train in one of the best facilities available. This facility is something I started creating myself over a decade ago. To achieve what I wanted I knew I had to build it and did so from the ground up. In the first few years I designed and fabricated all the equipment myself and still do so today with when custom pieces are required. A friend and myself welded the first squat rack up in his dad’s garage, before moving it to his garage so we could train. I took on a huge financial burden to purchase or build all the equipment in our facility today. This risk was taken a step further about 5 years ago at the same time I was starting a family with my wife. A partner and myself took on a lease for a commercial building and opened Elite Performance Center to the public. All the while working my day job and raising my family.

Without a doubt there are privileges that I have from where I sit as a lifter today. But I have absolutely no reservations about using those privileges as they have been earned over the course of my life. I will use these privileges to advance myself further as a lifter and to pass that knowledge along the best I can as I do regularly. Moderation of this process, this natural way of things is detrimental to the way I chose to live…. to live, learn, and pass ala EliteFTS values.

LIFE INSULATION – VOLUME 1

“Life Insulation”, volume 1.

Whether it be physical or emotional, true strength is a demand.
Not a request.

If you are asking for it, waiting for it, or even praying for it, you have misjudged its fundamental nature; It is elusive and hard to come by, and won’t politely join by request those without the will to grab it by the throat, and squeeze until it cooperates.

Wishing you were strong is like simply wishing you were rich, or wishing you were a super-athlete genius; All the want and wish in the world won’t develop, sharpen, and civilize your mind or break down, build up, and make savage your body. Once you’ve mentally and physically built and insulated yourself with blood, sweat, and resolve, then the once fragile house of cards becomes and stays an anti-fragile house of bricks.

There is no one but yourself to look to for lasting strength- and the only question that needs to be considered is “Am I willing to live one day/ week/ month/ year without being physically and mentally stronger and more capable than I was in the previous?”

If the answer is yes, then… move along. This is not a place for you. We don’t understand you, and you certainly won’t understand us. Or, stay, with the awareness that until you adjust your mindset and actions you are being judged for condemning yourself to mediocrity* and sitting idle among your unrealized potential. If you’ve decided to stop putting pressure on yourself to progress as a human being, then step to the side so those NOT simply waiting to die can charge through the middle, and set a good example for all those that see them at work.

If the answer is no (as it should be), then embrace the mindset of a strong person, and leave the wishy-washy requests to those that don’t yet have the clarity to bite down on that which you have already begun to digest.

*The cop-out way to read this is “I’m being judged for not wanting to devote my life to lifting heavy weights and beating myself into the ground.” That is not what is being said. Physical strength is but a component of a well-rounded individual, and looks very different for almost everyone. Condemning yourself to mediocrity = Having more mental and/ or physical potential than you are willing to use based on convenience, minor discomfort, laziness, self-deception, denial, or just general ignorance.

This volatile world will eat the weak, and starve the complacent… if you’ve voluntarily chosen to be either, no one wants to hear you complaining when it does.

By: Greg Walsh

Wolf Brigade Gym & Kabuki Strength Team Member

THE 6-MONTH RULE

November 5, 2015

Oftentimes I get questions about pieces of my training that show up on log, and many times I don’t answer these questions. What may surprise you is that I’m actually doing you a favor by not answering. It is human nature to get excited with new things, be they new toys or ideas. The “shiny object syndrome” is in all of us at varying levels. As a human being its important to recognize this and particularly if you’re an influencer of any sort in your field. Hell, I’ll argue in today’s social media age we all need to be aware of this. Just think if everyone had to wait a year before they could have posted about how awesome their Bullet-Proof coffee was. By now we have seen that the novelty has worn off and most no longer do it. My choice to intentionally delay stating an opinion, what I call the 6-Month Rule, would stop nearly fads in their tracks.

What would happen if everyone had to follow a simple validation process before posting, blogging, vlogging, or whatever about their new “shiny object or idea”? The habit of promoting untested ideas is incredibly pervasive in the fitness industry where everyone wants to make his or her mark by bringing or popularizing something new. It is something that should be detested by the industry, and if you’re an influencer you should be asking yourself if your part of the problem.

You should be embarrassed if you continually promote the next hot thing, and 6-months later that thing is not part of your own program. I know I would be. This is why I use a validation process. For me it involves incorporating the tool, method, or idea in my training for several months. At this point, I will then select a few coaches or key athletes at my facility and then share the approach with them. I ask them to report back to me in a couple months. Then, I do the most important part of the process…. I WAIT. If at 6 months it’s still not a priority in my training, then the idea is dead. The “shiny and new” effect has begun to fade and the idea must stand on its own. Does it work? Does it provide value? Is it enough of a priority to make time in my life to incorporate it? Only when the answer to these questions is, “Yes!” do I start to promote an idea.

Typical Validation Process

Phase 1 – Test on myself for months and refine (typically 1-2 months)

Phase 2 – Test on select athletes & coaches who can give critical insight (typically 1 month)

Phase 3 – Review feedback, make adjustments and retest if needed (Varies from 0-3 months)

Phase 4 – Test across larger population in gym (typically 1-2 months)

Phase 5 – Reflect on importance and prioritization in training (1-2 months)

As an athlete, coach, and innovator in the sport, I am an experiment. I’m constantly trying new ideas or approaches. This honestly isn’t the best from my personal athletic perspective. But my priority is the impact I have on people in the field of strength training, so I make this compromise. In this process I am often excited about the new method, idea, or tool, but I hold to the process as I know human nature and find that most ideas simply don’t pan out as priorities in the long run.

Every article I have written or product I have produced has gone through this process. As shown in the validation process above, 6-months is the absolute minimum and it often takes closer to a year. A lot of items or ideas I have produced have been key principals in our facility for 5+ years by the time they reach publication and production phases.

Be proud of your work now and when you reflect on it years later. You can avoid being part of one of the biggest problems in the fitness industry by using a simple validation process. A process with the most important step being, the WAITING game. Yes, this means you will have a lot less new ideas to write about. And it means a lot of other people will have the opportunity to write about those ideas before you do. But it also means you won’t lose your credibility over time. And most importantly people will respect your work, including yourself.