Context is Everything

Context is everything. Just yesterday I was flipping through some of Coach Carl Paoli’s Gymnastics WOD archived workouts for some midday skill work before class. One workout looked something like:

5 rounds:
10 Handstand Push Ups with Wall and a Kip
10 Burpees
10 Kipping Pull Ups

 

The entire look, feel, and purpose of this simple workout is changed simply because of where I found it. The context is different on GymnasticsWOD.com because the purpose is skill development, position, and practice. Imagine the same workout on CrossFit.com. I know I’d treat it differently.

I find that context helps create intention. Intention helps direct our focus and it creates our reality. If you’re not setting an intention for your day, your training session, or this very moment, chances are you’re leaving an added layer of your experience on the table.

I challenge you to increase your awareness during the part of class where the coach is trying to communicate the context of the training session. It’s in these moments that you’ll learn whether you’re what your reading on the whiteboard should feel like main site or gymnasticswod.com, for example.

 

Logan Gelbrich

@functionalcoach