Dec 19 2018
Coping & CrossFit

3 ways to cope with failure and negative emotions

But, firstly, what is coping? Of course there are a million ways to describe this process but, personally, I prefer the definition provided by the transactional approach, which defines coping as “constantly changing cognitive and behavioural efforts to manage specific external and/or internal demands that are appraised as taxing or exceeding the resources of the person” (Lazarus & Folkman, 1984). Moreover, they establish two levels of appraisal strongly related to coping processes: the primary appraisal, which refers to the stressor being relevant for our goals, belief system or values; and the secondary appraisal, which is basically a screening of the coping options we might select in order to manage the stressor. 

One of the cornerstones of psychological intervention in the context of sports is to determine the factors that affect performance in order to modify the nature of their influence through proper training. In this sense, we find that the ability of an athlete to cope with major stressors during competition or training, is essential to perform at the highest level. 

But what types of coping can we use then? In general, we find problem-focused solutions – goal setting, assertive confrontation or seeking information – or emotion-focused solutions – seeking emotional support, wishful thinking or relaxation – (Nicholls & Polman, 2006) . Other authors have suggested three coping dimensions: avoidance, approach and appraisal. Avoidance strategies include actions destined to distance the individual (both physically and mentally) from the stressor at hand. Approach coping involves active confrontation of the stressor in efforts to reduce or extinguish it. Lastly, appraisal coping consists of cognitive re-evaluation of the stressor to diminish its importance. 

3 ways to cope efficiently during a WOD 

CrossFit is often considered as a challenge. The WOD is a situation we must face with our personal resources in order to put up a score we can be proud of. And if you’ve ever done CrossFit you’ll know this is no easy task. Constantly varied functional movement executed at high intensity will put you against the ropes and, sometimes, your performance may not be up to par with your expectations.

This sentiment is even more intense in a competitive setting. You’re not only faced with the challenge of defeating a particular WOD, but also beating a bunch of talented athletes to the finish line. Fear of failure, lack of confidence, expectations of others may flourish making it hard to focus on the task, resulting in a disappointing performance.

Coping mechanisms have a trick to them and I’m here to let you know a few tips about efficient coping in a stressful situation. 

1. Not every situation calls for the same coping mechanism

Not every stressor will be managed best by the same coping strategy. It is often heard that the best defense is a strong offense. A good example would be the following: imagine Mat Fraser in the final event of the CrossFit Games in 2015. He reached failure on those paralette handstand pushups and Ben Smith was running away with the event (and the gold medal). So Fraser,  actively trying to reduce the distance between him and Ben in efforts to eliminate the stress, would continuously kick back up into the handstand, only to keep failing.

If you’ve ever done technical gymnastics, you know damn well that once that lactic acid has come through, you are done for a couple of minutes. He knows it better than we do. Yet he succumbed to an instinctive coping strategy, which resulted to be inadequate for that situation. Had he taken a longer rest when he started failing, re-structuring his appraisal of the problem (which wasn’t Ben Smith winning rather the build-up of lactic acid in his upper body), he might have been able to make an epic comeback.

2. If you can control it, approach it; if not, re-structure it. 

How do I know I’m picking the right coping strategy? I like to resort to a simple mechanism. If there’s a stressor in front of me that is directly dependent on my actions (following the right bar path in my snatch, deliberately lowering my hips on the squat in each rep or sprinting to the finish line), I focus my energies on executing these tasks to actively reduce my stress. However, if stress is provoked by something out of my reach (Tia-Clair Toomey is smashing that barbell, my judge is not entirely satisfied with the depth of my squat or my bar is a few metres further from the finish line due to spatial organization) it makes no sense to ruminate on those thoughts and, consequently, blame external factors for my performance. Keep your eyes on yourself. What do you need to do to cross the finish line? Only act upon things that depend on you.

Noah Ohlsen at the 2018 CrossFit Games. Source: Noah Ohlsen’s Instagram.

3. Ain’t no shame in coping with emotions

Many people have a strong tendency towards emotion-shaming. They don’t know how wrong they actually are. Emotions are necessary and play a very important role in our lives. They drive our motivation and guide us to perform tasks that will help us achieve our goals. Bottling them up and avoiding them all together is counterproductive.

Noah Ohlsen at a certain point during the 2018 CrossFit Games hit rock-bottom after some disappointing performances. His girlfriend, Joanne, had all their friends record themselves showing Noah some love and support and she put together a little video to motivate him. This would be “seeking social support” which falls into the “emotion-focused coping strategies”. Ohlsen said this had helped him face the final stages of competition in a much healthier mindset. It made no sense to dwell on mistakes of the past, but to reach out to his friends and family to mend his emotional wounds and start off fresh.








Lazarus, R. S., & Folkman, S. (1984). Stress, appraisal and coping. New York: Springer.
Nicholls, A. R., & Polman, R. C. (2007). Coping in sport: A systematic review. Journal of sports sciences, 25(1), 11-31.
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froning vs fraser
Dec 12 2018
Las 3 grandes diferencias entre Froning y Fraser

Froning vs Fraser es uno de los grandes dilemas del CrossFit. Estos dos atletas han dominado el “deporte del fitness” (cada uno en su momento) pero no podrían haberlo hecho de forma más distinta. El objetivo de este post – que, naturalmente, está basado en mi opinión personal – es el de establecer las diferencias que percibo entre ambos desde un punto de vista psicológico. 

Ritmos de competición

Esta es la diferencia más obvia entre ambos deportistas. Froning es ampliamente conocido por ser un maestro marcando los tiempos de un evento; siempre ataca desde atrás. Cuál depredador en la Savana, lentamente se acerca por la espalda a su presa y le arrebata el liderato para acabar llevándose la victoria. La única vez que salió escopetado desde el inicio del evento fue en el complex 21-15-9 en los CrossFit Games de 2014 – y ganó igualmente, así que cualquier estrategia le funcionaba. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CXR0aNHZuqQ

Fraser, por su parte, sale como alma que lleva el diablo. Una vez Graham Holmberg describió este ritmo como “el ritmo suicida” (que se explica por sí mismo, la verdad). Es una estrategia bastante común entre crossfiteros porque la adrenalina, los nervios… hace que salgamos disparados desde el 3, 2, 1. El problema es que las capacidades físicas de la mayoría no nos permite mantener ese ritmo. Esto no ocurre con Fraser, por eso es especial. De alguna manera logra mantenerse con vida de principio a fin, a un ritmo endiablado que nadie más consigue sostener. 

Podemos ver ambos estilos en el 15.1 cuando nos deleitaron en el CrossFit Open con un Froning vs Fraser o el 16.5. El primero se lo llevó Froning y el segundo Fraser.

Interacción con el público 

Otra de las grandes diferencias entre Froning y Fraser es cómo gestionan a los fans. Lo que más me gusta de esta comparación es que están en lados opuestos del continuo de la personalidad: Froning es un atleta discreto mientras que Fraser es más enérgico que nunca frente a un público.  Froning ha dejado muy claro en diversas ocasiones que no está del todo cómodo entre las multitudes. Sin embargo, sigue siendo capaz de rendir al máximo en cada evento porque es así de competitivo el hombre. Y, cuando se trata de ganar, Froning siempre echa el resto.

Fraser, por otro lado, vive de la energía que exudan cada uno de los fans. Interactúa con ellos durante los eventos, les incentiva con su lenguaje no-verbal o directamente les habla. Me viene a la mente su frase mítica (“I’m back, motherfuckers” = “He vuelto, hij@s de pu*!”) o el evento del Clean en 2019 cuando arengó a las masas justo antes de levantar con éxito 380 lbs (algo más de 170 kg).   

Humildad vs. Arrogancia 

“Espero que juegues bien tus cartas. Espero que tengas el mejor físico de tu vida. Quiero una buena carrera. Quiero sentirme bien con esta victoria.” – Mat Fraser

Entrevista con CrossFit HQ antes de los CrossFit Games

Fraser da muchos más titulares que Froning. Los comentarios de Fraser ayudan a calentar un poco el ambiente. Para ser el mejor del mundo, hay que llegar casi a la obsesión y eso es lo que muestra Fraser en cada evento, en cada entrevista. Quiere ser el mejor y no está dispuesto a dejar que nadie se lo impida, de ahí que aún esté por llegar su declive.

Froning, en cambio, es la humildad personificada. Fue el primero en ganar 4 títulos consecutivos como individual en los CrossFit Games, el primero en ganar 4 oros como miembro de su equipo CrossFit Mayhem Freedom y tengo la teoría de que en 5 o 6 años se meterá a la categoría de Master sólo para convertirse en el único atleta con medalla de oro en las 3 modalidades (Individual, Equipos y Masters). Ahora bien, nunca le oirás vanagloriarse o retar a otros. Creo que este comportamiento se debe a una mezcla de dos factores: uno, parece que no está demasiado cómodo hablando de sí mismo; y dos, un versículo en particular de la Biblia, Galatians 6:14, que dice así: “Pero jamás acontezca que yo me gloríe, sino en la cruz de nuestro Señor Jesucristo, por el cual el mundo ha sido crucificado para mí y yo para el mundo“

froning vs fraser
Rich Froning haciendo thrusters en competición. Fuente: Rich Froning

Froning vs Fraser: ¿quién ganaría?

Es algo que nunca sabremos porque las carreras de cada uno han seguido direcciones opuestas. Froning se ha centrado en hacer crecer CrossFit Mayhem y seguir la misión que le ha encomendado su fé, mientras que Fraser continúa haciendo historia como el atleta más dominante de todos los tiempos (para saber cómo lo consigue, pincha aquí).

Lo que quería con este artículo era recordarte que no existe un programa mágico o una personalidad ideal. Más importante que seguir el programa de Froning y Fraser o su dieta, es encontrar qué es lo que te define: ¿Quién eres cuando estás sentado solo descansando entre series? ¿Quién eres cuando el contador llega a 0 antes de un evento? ¿Humilde o arrogante? ¿Tímido o extrovertido? ¿Conservador o explosivo? Sé fiel a ti mismo y los resultados llegarán a su debido tiempo. 






[NB: mi visión de sus personalidades, estrategias o juego mental ha sido construido viéndoles competir, escuchando sus entrevistas y así. En ningún caso soy una experta o tengo una relación íntima que me permita confirmar estas opiniones al 100%. Sólo soy una fan haciendo cosas de fans.]

Desiree Mejia-Naranjo 0 Comments
Dec 12 2018
What makes Froning and Fraser so different?

So close, no matter how far… Mat Fraser and Rich Froning have dominated the sport of fitness during their time but they couldn’t have done it in a more different fashion. The point of this post – which is obviously based on my own opinion – is to establish the differences I perceive between them from a psychological stance.

mat fraser

 

Pacing strategies

This is the most obvious difference between these two athletes. Rich Froning is well-known for being a pace master in the sense that he always comes from behind. As would a predator, he slowly creeps up behind whoever is in front of him and snatches the lead all the way into the finish line. The only time he went ballistic through an event was the 21-15-9 complex at the 2014 CrossFit Games and still won (but those were other circumstances).

Mat Fraser, on the other hand, is a go-go from the start kinda guy. There is something Graham Holmberg once called “the suicide pace“, which is pretty self-explanatory. This strategy is pretty common among crossfitters since people often get caught up racing. However they forget that their fitness isn’t capable of sustaining those levels of intensity for the duration of the event. Not Fraser, though, and this is why he’s special. He’s somehow able to hold on for dear life from start to finish, at a ridiculous pace that no one is able to keep up with. 

Personality in competition 

Another blaring distinction between Froning and Fraser is the way they carry themselves in competition. What I enjoy most about this comparison is that they’re on opposing ends of a continuum: Froning is the more discrete athlete while Fraser is one with the crowd. Froning has made it abundantly clear on several occasions that he is not entirely comfortable in the middle of large crowds. However he is able to bring is A-game to every event because that’s just how competitive the man is.

Fraser is a whole different story. He breathes in the energy that resonates through every fan. He interacts with them during events, firing them up with his non-verbal language or straight up talks to them (“I’m back motherf*@kers!”). Fraser puts on a great show and fans love him for it.  

 

Humility vs. defiance 

Something I’ve also noticed is that Fraser gives a lot more headlines than Froning. I must say that Fraser’s comments – paired with the magnificent editing skills that Heber Cannon, Mariah Moore and Marston Sawyers have – do a great job at keeping us fans on the edge. I’ll give you an example: “[about his competition at the games] I hope you play your cards right. I hope you are in the best shape of your life. I want a good race. I wanna feel good about this win.” Basically Fraser knows his worth and is not afraid to let it out. He knows how much better he is now and this allows him to just let it rip when the time comes. 

I’m gonna have to say I’m a sucker for Froning when it comes to this because I just love me some humility. This man has won 4 Games’ titles in a row, 3 Affiliate Cups and I have a theory that in 5 or 6 years he will get into Masters solely to become the only athlete in CrossFit history to have won a gold medal in every modality (Individual, Team and Masters), but you will never hear him speak highly of himself or directly defy his competition. The only positive adjective he’ll use to describe his strengths is “pretty decent”. I believe this behavior is due to a mix of two factors: one, he doesn’t seem too happy speaking of himself; and two, a particular versicle in the Bible, Galatians 6:14, which reads: “May I never boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through which the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world“. 

 

mat fraser

 

So…which is better? 

I will certainly not be the judge of that, mainly because both personalities have proven to work wonders for them. It’s ok for us mortals to look up to these guys and try to mimic their attitudes and behaviors in competition but, honestly, they’re striving in this sport because they’re staying true to theirselves. Well, alright it’s probably because they’re gifted AF.

All jokes aside, the point I’m trying to get across with this is that there is no magic program, ideal personality or special life circumstances. More important than following Rich’s or Mat’s training program, nutrition plan or buying their training gear is finding your competitive fire. Who are you when you sit alone in your dungeon resting between lifting sets? Who are you when the buzzer goes off and it’s time to show your fitness? Humble or boastful? Timid or out-going? Steady or explosive? Stay true to that person – whoever that may be – and results will come in due time.

 

 

[Disclaimer: my view of their personalities, strategies or mental game has been constructed by watching their performances, interviews and so forth. In no case am I an expert or have a close relationship as to where I can confirm my theories at all. This is just a fan doing fan things.]

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