Train with Intention

We recently spent a lot of time trying to boil down what single message best sums up what we value most in our offerings at TwinTown. This took more time than we would have ever anticipated, but looking back, all the effort was worth the grind since the slogan we landed on now serves as a guiding light for many of the decisions we help our members make.

This process had us exploring an expanse of topics so diverse that sometimes we ended our sessions more confused than excited. We looked at elements of physical training that we utilize, the mental perseverance we see in our members, the sense of community that we value so highly, and many other offshoots of these important characteristics of our gym. In the end though, we decided that what really matters most to us is what matters most to you.

We can put all the effort in the world into a training program that we love, but if it’s not getting you–our members–the results you’re looking for, all of that effort is for nothing. CrossFit is, in our opinion, the most beneficial exercise regime to date. With that though, comes lots of room for molding our program to meet the needs of the individual. This is where having intention in your training is vital.

Just as there isn’t one perfect way for all of us to eat, there also isn’t one perfect workout program. There are similarities between what works well, for sure, but it’s not a cookie cutter process.

Why are you here at TwinTown with us? Stop and think for a moment on what truly matters most to you in your time at the gym. Are you focused on goals that will only bring momentary satisfaction, or are you thinking long-term, big-picture?

We challenge you not only to know what you’re doing here, but to be mindful of never losing sight of what truly motivates you. On paper this doesn’t seem like a big deal, but try keeping it in mind the next time you’re in class–it’s not always easy!

There are countless scenarios that highlight the importance of training with intention, but a recent conversation with a longtime member does a better job of explaining our vision than me drudging through endless examples.

This particular member has been doing CrossFit for many years. He’s had his ups and downs, but he’s stuck with it for a long time. He was recently dealing with frustration around the fact that, despite his effort over the years, there are still movements that he’s not comfortable with. His frustrations had brought him to a place where he was on the brink of throwing in the towel.

When I sat down and talked with him about what he was looking for, he was pretty straightforward about the fact that he wasn’t looking to stop exercising, just that he isn’t always looking for the extreme challenge that CrossFit can provide - he just wants to work out.

If his true goal is to get in some quality exercise and to be active for the rest of his life, why should a few specific movements in the gym prevent him from chasing continued progress? Well, they shouldn’t!

Yes, this can certainly go the other way, too, and become an easy out where you don’t push yourself to get better, but I’ll save that battle for another day. The issue in this case, is that without intention in this person’s time at the gym, he was chasing performance (better scores in workouts) and movements that ultimately are not vital to being in shape, when in reality, these aren’t even important to him.

If we aren’t intentional about what we’re really after in our training, it is all too easy to start accidentally chasing the goals of the people around us. Your intention is yours, but you need to identify it.

I hope that this idea of intention can light a fire underneath you the way it has me. At the end of the day it’s not having intention that’s the hard part, but keeping your efforts true to the pursuit of what you’re really after.

We want nothing more than to help you get where you’re looking to go, but if you don’t know what direction you’re heading it’s really hard for us to be of assistance! So, what’s the solution? Know what you’re looking for, keep it in mind when you’re training, and don’t let yourself stray from your path!