 by Garrett Sylvester
co-owner: Axistence Times are always changing. Currently, things are changing fast. Most of us were unprepared. Bars and restaurants closed, then gyms were announced to close literally in the same day. Things are more unpredictable and uncertain than ever. The question now is what are we doing to do to adapt. What do we do now that we have been requested to shelter in? Does living an active existence stop due to the circumstances you were put in? Or does it continue because it’s a mindset that is always adaptable regardless of what is thrown at you? ... One of the unwritten qualities of an Axistence Athlete is adaptability. One of the biggest setbacks for us was the forced closure of our sacred training grounds. Overnight, we were no longer able to train in the places we loved. We are now trying to figure out how to stay strong, durable, and fit without our beloved training facilities. Some of you may have thrown in the towel and said that’s it until the gym reopens. The rest of you decided that you would not succumb to the circumstances. You looked for ways to adapt. Some of you immediately bought gym equipment to have at home. Others looked for programs and coaches to follow and train under. Some of you even decided it was a great opportunity to get your cardio up and you started running again (I will be the first to admit that I am not one of those). The point is you figured out a way to stay on top of your health by ADAPTING to the circumstances, not giving in! ... Here are some ways YOU can adapt to stay strong, fit and living an active existence! ... 1) Find Odd Objects Around Your House to Train With This is an opportunity to let your creative side shine! Are there rocks in your backyard? Pick them up and put them down (just be mindful when doing so). Maybe you have five-gallon water jugs laying around. Fill them up and use them as weights. Grab an old backpack and turn it into a sandbag. You get the point. 2) Create Daily Challenges with Your Community This is a great way to get others involved as well. Get whoever you know to participate in a challenge. This can anything from doing bodyweight exercises to getting your steps in to doing goofy challenges. You and those involved will feel connected in times where we may be the most physically isolated. The bonus of accountability is thrown in there as well! 3) Get a Puppy There is no better time to get a dog. With being stuck at home, this is the best time I can think of for you to have a well-trained dog. There is nothing like having little companion to go on walks or runs with. Your new furry companion will likely make you move a lot more too. 4) Pick a Skill You Always Wanted to Have Now for some of you, this totally could be another fitness movement. Want your first pull up? Find a program and get after it. Maybe you know deep down that you need work on your mobility (this is me telling myself to get on it). Go online and search for a follow-along yoga flow. On the non-fitness side, this is also a great time learn a skill. This could be drawing, picking up an instrument, learning a new language, or practicing survival skills. ... Remember that the ball is still in your court despite the circumstances. The Axistence Athlete is always learning, growing, and adapting. Decide how you want to adapt, reach out to your communities, and create opportunities in this rare time in history!
0 Comments
 by Ryan Humphries, Co-Founder & Fitness Coach, Axistence Athletics
Mastery sounds pretty cool right? But what does it take to achieve it? Sure, we have to do the work, put in our 10,000 hours, and stay consistent. We all know that. But prior to our first repetition, there's something else we must do, and that's change our mindset. Take your own personal fitness for example. If you think of fitness as "just something I know I should do", it's not going to be much fun, and you probably won't be very consistent. However, if you think about it as achieving mastery within your own body, you'll likely develop a deeper respect for the movements, leading to the results you're looking for... The way to develop mastery is through practice, through training. The violinist at Carnegie Hall didn't pick up her instrument last month. She practiced. She trained. For years. And even though she is now a master of her craft, she continues to practice. This makes sense when we think about artists, musicians, top chefs, and other master craftsman. However when it comes to fitness, everybody just thinks they can speed up the movements, load more weight, and somehow they'll bypass the mastery aspect. I'm here to tell you that in order to get to Carnegie Hall, you have to practice. You have to unlock the mystery of mastery. We’re about two weeks into the pandemic. Some of you thought it was going to be over, didn’t you? Well it isn’t over, and it may not be over for a while. With the disruption that has swept the world, we have been severely knocked off our regular routine. The structures of life that we once had kept us in routine. Our jobs gave us the structure that required us to use our time wisely. Things like training, meal prepping, making time for our significant others, and family had to be planned accordingly.   By Ryan Humphries
Co-Founder: Axistence What if you could influence everyone around you? (Spoiler Alert: YOU CAN) Jim Rohn once said, we are the average of the five people we spend the most time with. That is to say that our thoughts, behaviors, habits, and actions are a sort of combination of those we associate with the most. The way we dress, the food we eat, the music we listen to, our income level, and how we respond to our environment is all relative to our social circles. We want to fit in. We want to belong. We don't want to rock the boat, and we really don't do well in isolation. Although we like to think that we're independent, we're also highly influenced by those close to us.  By Ryan Humphries Co-Founder: Axistence Danger is real. Fear on the other hand, that's a choice. Pretty sure that was a Will Smith quote from his movie “After Earth” but whoever said it, it's true (sort of). The initial fear response is NOT necessarily a choice. It’s something that’s activated in our brain (specifically the amygdala) in response to a perceived threat. If that threat is imminent, then the fear response did its job. However, if the imminent threat passes and you’re still living in a constant state of fear, that my friends IS a choice. The coronavirus is REAL. The impact it’s having on our healthcare system and our global economy, it’s all REAL. Being afraid of it, as well as being afraid of running out of TP, hand sanitizer, and non-perishables, that’s a choice. What’s the difference between a Doomsday Prepper and a toilet paper hoarder? By Garrett Sylvester
Co-Owner: Axistence Most of us could probably live life with a little less tension and be more carefree. However, the tension I am talking is the kind we create with our muscles when we’re training. Specifically, in relation to strength training. You see, most of us go through a strength training session just trying to complete the repetitions by any means necessary. There is a time and a place for that. Most of the time though, we would greatly improve our efficiency in the gym by focusing on creating as much tension as possible for longer. Too often I see people trying to use momentum to get through the movements as quickly as possible. We are leaving so much on the table by rushing through the repetitions. Not only does slowing down and creating tension make us stronger and perform better, it protects us from injuries as well.  By Ryan Humphries, CSCS
Co-Founder Axistence The FUTURE... The PAST... Plenty of spiritual “gurus” like to tell us that neither one of these time-frames actually exist, and if they do, it’s only in the context that we’re talking about them NOW. If you’ve done any exploring in the realm of personal development, this probably isn’t a new or novel concept for you. Two thousand years ago, the Buddha said “Do not dwell on the past, do not dream of the future, concentrate the mind on the present moment”. In the 1960’s Ram Dass said “Be here now”. In 1997 Eckhart Tolle wrote “The Power of Now”. In 2015, The Weeknd said “I’m just tryna life life for the moment...” (Yeah, I just quoted the Weeknd and Buddha in the same paragraph). That’s how I roll.  A personal account of pain,
by Ryan Humphries Foam rolling is the shit. Stretching is awesome. And they both work to relieve pain and tightness….until they don’t. Although soft tissue work (foam rolling, lacrosse balls, softballs, massage therapy, etc.), has now been incorporated into of many strength training programs, it may not be addressing the real issue(s). By Ryan Humphries Co-Founder, Axistence CSCS  Ladies and gentlemen, 19.4 is…
- 200’ of Overhead Walking Lunges (50/35) - 50 Box Step Ups (24”/20”) - 50 Handstand Push-ups - 200’ Handstand Walks - 12 Minute Time Cap The fourth workout of the CrossFit Open couldn’t have hit at a better time. I was almost finished with Todd Herman’s book “The Alter Ego Effect” and when I first heard what the workout was, I was…discouraged…to say the least. Here are a few of the things that went through my head as the workout was released. (Please remember that I was once a sailor) |
Our JournalOur coaches research and report on all things regarding fitness, adventure and the community within. Archives
January 2021
Categories
All
|
RSS Feed
Located in SE Denver1950 S. Quebec St.
Denver, CO 80231 Looking for a gym near Denver? We also serve Glendale, Aurora, Lowry, Virginia Village, Denver Tech Center, Cherry Creek, Indian Creek, Wash Park, Broadway, SOBO, and more.
|
|
