"The mind and body adapt to both comfort and deprivation.....Suffering provides the opportunity to exercise will and to develop grit....Suffering is the gateway to true knowledge of one's self, and therefore humility. Season the physical with psychological difficulty and risk and administer at the proper dosage to achieve higher consciousness." Mark Twight, http://www.gymjones.com/
New girl shows for class today. She WON 12 weeks with me in a bridal drawing I did and today was here first day. She needs to drop some weight before she gets married next spring.
She tells me she already knows how to do the swing. Upon demonstration I am reminded of Brett Jones' wisdom -"Swinging a kettlebell and doing kettlebell swings ain't the same thing."
I clean up the mess and proceeded to the Getup, which she had some trouble with, but nothing that wouldn't work itself out in a few reps. I explain to her that she is going to be very sore in the next few days. "I doubt it, I already do a lot of squats."
Now, I can tell but the way you look and squat how much squatting you do on a regular basis. She doesn't squat much. She doesn't move like she squats and she isn't built lke she squats.
"Besides," she continues, "it can't be worse that the hiking trip I took this summer." Really?
Musta been some hiking trip.
The rest of the crew shows up and it is time for class, which looks like this:
Get-ups 10:00
10 lunges/10 pushups 10:00
Swing 1:00
run 1:30
x4 rounds
She didn't make it.
During the 1st set of post-swing running, one of my other ladies cuts me a look that says "She doesn't belong here." I am inlcined to agree. On the 2nd set of swings, she started :30 after everyone else and dropped the KB with :10 to go. Some kinda hiking trip indeed...
After the 2nd set of swings, new girl is walking, not jogging.
After the 3rd set, she doesn't even bother to walk. She tells me "This isn't for me." I ask why.
"It's just so BORING" she gasps. " I need a lot of variety."
By BORING I think she meant "too hard" and by "variety" she meant "treadmill".
A lot can be said about my class, but boring? No....not hardly. It was too hard and she didn't have the courage to look at herself and admit it. She did not even have it in her to finish the class, which is actually kind of rude in my opinion. Had she told me it was too hard, I would have respect for her decidion to QUIT before the end.
As she walked away, one of my other ladies was returning from the short jog. She looked at the quitter, hobbling off to her car and said "Well, there you go" and got back on the line for the next set of swings.
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7 comments:
I think sometimes we forget that not everyone has the work ethic or even the work capacity that we do. Maybe her introduction could have been handled a little more gently?
Great blog, by the way, Dave. The only reason I'm not rockin' close to 300 snatches like you is because they look pretty boring. ;)
Your class shouldn't be boring.
I have gone to a same self defense school for nearly 5 years and watched many people quitting.
They have various reasons, but much of them don't make sense. The reasons have to appear good for them and bad toward the school.
Most people quit aren't successful in anything despite saying lots of crap about the place they quit.
I can't be more gentle, and even if that were the case, she would've been the girl who shows up for 2 classes, misses 2, shows up for 1, doesn't keep a food log.
I have worked with peoeple like that before. She would blame either my program or her wretched genetics and metablosim for her muffin top, because she's "trying real hard" by drinking diet coke with her Bagel and low-fat cream cheese.
She was right about one thing-my class is NOT for her.
Sounds like a fun (though brutal) workout.
Although a bit of an awkard situation, I'm sure it's for the best. No one needs 'downers' like her in their class, whether you're the instructor or student. I know you know that, Dave.
It is a bit sickening to see the level of self-deception people will go to to avoid reality, though.
Another nice thing about kettlebell folks. We tend to look reality right in the eye and say, "Is that the best you got, boy?"
Hi David,
All I can say about her is at least she showed up. You didn't need her dragging down your class anyway.
What I like is when people sign up for my class, pay for it and don't even bother to show up. Free money! Thank you very much!
I'm adding your blog to my favorites.
Keep up the good work.
- Joe
"...handled a little more gently?"
Seriously?!?
What the hell is this, knitting class?
C'mon, folks, accept brutality as part of your daily diet. You'll be glad you did...
It seems to me that she had her mind made up before you all even got started. I have been throught this with soo many people myself. It's not thw workout its ANY workout. Some people want that "magic pill" and it should go down easy as well.
REALITY is what is is...no need to sugar-coat it.
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