Muscle-Up Attempt Failure(s)

Not fail, a verb that I typically use as a noun.

Muscle-Ups by Tuesday (3 days ago)

I was supposed to get my muscle-ups by Tuesday and I still cannot get it. I have been going to CrossFit a lot just to work on this basic gymnastic movement. Yet it seems the harder I try, the less I improve, and the more I rip (see image above).

Less is More

I am taking the next two days off and will allow my body to recover. While it seemed that I made little progress this week, I did put in a lot of work. I believe that all this hard work, the coaching from the CF trainers, and the encouragement from my fellow athletes will all come to fruition in due time.

For now, I need to rest, trust in the training, in the trainers, and never give up.

4-D Failures

There were multiple times this week when I should have rested. I was a bit too desperate to get the muscle-up by Tuesday (or as soon as possible). Rather, like Jesus' Parable of the Sower, I need to just keep sowing the seeds in good soil. Putting in good quality workouts and ensuring adequate rest. And be patient for the fruit to come.

I find this relevant to other areas of my life. Be it being fruitlessly busy on academic work (mind), trying to find God in my own strength (soul), or trying too hard to make a relationship a certain way (heart). Whatever dimension of my life, the same general principle seems to apply:

Rather than pursuing a very specific outcome, ensure that your desired outcome is flexible and aligns with your personal values. Then, with all your might, pursue very specific processes.

For the muscle-up, I need to rush less and focus on the progressions. For my academics, I need to put in the time and ensure that I am not writing mindlessly. For my spiritual life, I need to daily rely on God for strength and wisdom, submitting my will to His will. For my relationships, I need to focus on developing my character and live by my principles and not on impulse nor emotion.

There is a fine line, drawn by Wisdom, between resting and laziness. You know yourself best and know whether you are emotional reacting to situations, or whether you are living a principled life. For me, this past week was an example of my emotional impulse to workout with no regard to my health (i.e. disregarding my sleep). This kind of behaviour can lead to a myriad of consequences, including visible skin tears on the wrists and invisible tears to the shoulders.