Entrance points. What is a leader PT3.

Entrance points

Progressions are just that, entrance points. There are multiple entrance points to a particular skill set. I think the more of those pieces we learn the more access we have to the skill. 

Some of you might have caught onto the trend for how I program. I love working on a skill and then throwing it into a workout the following week. This week we did pistols so if the trend plays out we would be doing pistols in a metcon this week. But we are not doing them. The reason for that is that I like the ability to do something well before we add speed to it. So know that pistols will be worked on again in a skill session before we do them in a metcon.

Yesterday we did rope climbs at the end of our session because we had worked on them the week before. You will notice that the progression we did this Saturday for rope climbs included a jump up and grabbing of the rope. Why did we do that progression instead of the standard sit on a box and get your feet set? We did it because people oftentimes are scared of the very first step necessary in volume rope climbs. Jumping up to the rope. I wanted people to go from laying on the ground to jumping up to the rope. Actually one person in the 9:30 class was finally able to hook her feet on the rope and stand up for a higher grasp, even though she had worked on it for years and never got it. The confidence gained is always worth it.

Just because we don't do a particular progression doesn't mean we won't do it in the future. As you might have noticed I like doing progressions that we haven't done before so that we can gain another entrance point to the skill.

What is a leader PT3

Following well is a really important step in being a good leader. My parents are both military. Mom was 5 years in the Army and then 5 years in the Navy. My dad spent 26 years in the Marines. To say that they taught me how to follow well is an understatement. I am proud of my parents' military service and grateful for how they raised me. I needed to learn the art of discipline. That balance of following with dignity and leading others is really important.

Even though my dad was a Lt. Colonel he still knew how to follow someone's advice, direction or commands. This is something that I was able to glean from him. It allowed me to realize that other people's input is valuable. I am so grateful that we have members and coaches that have great wisdom. 

One of the things I think about often is that we are surrounded by people from all walks of life that have skill sets that we don't directly have. Lean into that. Have conversations with each other after class. Ask questions about what they do or what they enjoy the most. Those conversations can often reveal the answers to questions we might have had for a while. You might find out you are working out next to a pastor, a firefighter, a mechanic, a furniture store owner. There are all kinds of solution people in our gym.

Leading involves listening. Leading involves serving. Leading involves following.

Keep building,

James and Bre Cooper