The Test

“Tests”

Occasionally here there are workouts that are different from the rest of the things that show up on the board. We have “tests”, or as I like to think about them, performance opportunities.  They usually consist of something that might resemble a “Crossfit” workout or some other “P90X muscle confusion” sequence on initial investigation.

This is not the case though.

These workouts are only done once. They are the workout. They have very specific goals, intentions, and very strict rules. If done correctly, they lead to self-investigation and ultimately answers to some of those questions. Not always “good” answers, but they are always honest answers. These answers lead to development, physically and mentally.

 

Tests are designed to force you out of your comfort zone, to challenge your perception of quality, quantity, and performance. The body is weak, frail, soft. The mind on the other hand is none of those things. It can easily quit if that is the choice you make during the application of the exam. If you ask it to keep going, it will always force the body to follow.

What separates great athletes from good athletes is their ability to think and make good decisions while under stress and exhaustion.

The test

Rules/Needs:

Two kettle bells or dumb bells. Their combined weight is that of half the athlete performing the test. A physio ball/foam roller/or medicine ball is needed for the planche pulls. Lastly, Guts.