I've been riding bikes since I was, I don't know, 8 years old I suppose. Its pretty much a given now; get on and pedal. Not much thinking is required and my brain has mastered the skills to the level that even after a whole winter of not riding a bike, I can get on and go.
It was a different story, however, a couple of years ago when I got my first bike that required me to be "clipped in." I remember distinctly the fear that rushed through my body the first time I straddled the Roubaix with my funky bike shoes strapped to my hooves. Sweaty palms, heart racing. I remember I was more worried about looking like an idiot than I was about the ramifications of tipping over while clipped in. But, I managed to face my fears, clipped one foot in and figured the rest out on the fly. And, no tipping over!
The funny thing about learning something new is that many times the biggest hurdle is the beginning: the start. We have to take so many things into consideration any more when trying something new: how can I avoid embarassing myself?; can I get hurt?; what if I don't like it?: will this end up on Facebook?
Whether it's wake surfing, roller blading, golfing, beer pong or CrossFit, the key to getting started lies in focusing on the end result, not simply the process of learning. Learning a new skill, activity or even musical instrument demands a high degree of adaptation in the central nervous system. It is for this reason that the beginning can be so difficult. With an untrained brain, new neurologic pathways have to be created in response to the stimulus that we are providing. Once there is enough stimulus for the brain to connect the dots, our new task is accomplished.
Malcolm Gladwell, in his book Outliers, reports that it takes 10,000 hours of stimulus or practice to become a master of the task at hand. With that knowledge, how is that one could possibly think that they could walk into a Box and be good at all of the movements? Unrealistic expectations backed by a super ego inhibits many fine athletes from experiencing CrossFit. Combine the science with the emotional challenges and we have a humongous obstacle to conquer. That's why the simple answer to the problem of trying something new is simple:start.
The moment from your first attempt at a new skill, your brain is engaged and brilliantly begins making millions of new connections, which, over time, leads to the development of "pathway". The more that pathway is trained, the more accurate and efficient your body can perfrom the task. Hence the old saying, practice makes perfect. While this attribute of the brain is amazing, it can also be detrimental. Especially when trying to change a movement or behavior.
Imaging trying to change the path of the Mississippi River. It would take a lot of smart people, heavy equipment and time. The same is true with changing a behavior or a movement. Old neurologic pathways that have been engrained for years in the brain take a boat load of time and effort to change. Think about how bad your air squat sucked when you started CrossFit? Knees caved in, couldn't get below parallel, upper back collapsed, feet rolled over. While most believe that these faults are the result of muscular weakness, the reality is that they are more likely the result of neruologic deficits. The brain had been trained improperly in that movement pattern and had been repeating it for years, if not decades, resulting in your crappy movement pattern.
Here in lies the reason it is easier for children to learn new tasks and movements versus adults: they don't have years of faulty neurologic programming and their brains exhibit more neuroplasticity. (Google that one). There is, however, hope for all of us disinclined movers. With time, proper execution and lots of repititon of the proper movement, we can create those new brain pathways. Did you know that learning new skills like playing an instrument, the snatch and needlepoint actually slow brain degeneration and can prevent conditions like Alzheimers and Dementia?
Learning and mastering new skills is essential to living a vibrant, healthy life as well as becoming a CrossFitter. And, as with learning any new skill, the solution is simple: start.
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