Ben Bergeron is a best-selling author and successful CrossFit coach. He works with elite athletes like Katrin Davidsdottir, who he let to two CrossFit Games wins.
The former Ironman triathlete also owns CrossFit New England. In his podcast, Chasing Excellence, he shares his thoughts, ideas and beliefs about what it means to lead a life of excellence. On episode 43, he talks about dealing with weaknesses.
Here are seven methods to help you work on your weaknesses, both in and outside the Box. All information for this article was taken from the podcast episode above.
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ROOT OUT PROBLEMS
Whether at the gym or your day-to-day life, the first step towards working on your weaknesses is to root out the problems.
Start by identifying the issues; once you know and acknowledge there is a problem you can do something about it.
Break down the issues and find what principles would allow you to improve – what exactly is stopping you from performing to the level your potential should allow you to perform? For example, is it your swimming technique or lack of time in the pool, or both? And what exactly is it about your technique?
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EXPOSE YOURSELF TO THE THINGS YOU’RE NOT GOOD AT
It’s easy to avoid things we believe aren’t our strengths. If you hate doing something – be it running or double unders or even reading – you’re less willing to go through the process of doing it and, in consequence, improving at it.
You’re only as fit as your weakest link.
This doesn’t mean you should practise legless rope climbs if you’re a marathon runner. Expose yourself to the specific set of skills that could improve your performance within the areas you’re working in. For example, as a marathon runner, your weakness might not be endurance but strength work or flexibility, both aspects that could affect your performance.
Keep working on your weaknesses
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SELF ASSES
Consciously think about where you are and what your limitations are. From there, figure out what things you should invest more time, energy and focus into.
Identify the problem; is it a neurological (technique, form, coordination, skill) or an organic issue (stamina, speed, endurance). There’s no need to work harder than you need to by focusing on the wrong solutions.
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CONTINUE WORKING ON YOUR STRENGTHS
You have gotten to where you are because you’re doing something right, don’t forget about that. Your strengths are equally as important as your weaknesses, so don’t just focus on improving where you’re terrible at but also continue to work on what got you to where you’re at, both as an athlete and in life.
As an elite athlete, is becomes more and more important that you fine-tune every detail; to not just excel at one particular aspect of the sport but all of them. Yet it’s also important to keep in mind that there was something that allowed you to climb the leaderboard in the first place.
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KEEP YOUR GOALS CLEAR
What are your goals as an athlete or an individual? Let’s imagine you’re a powerlifter, but your goal isn’t to become the best powerlifter in the world, you do it because you want to improve your overall health.
Continuing to deadlift and deadlift might not be the better option for your overall health. Reflect on your goals and realise that improving your cardio might also bring benefits to your overall health.
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CHANGE YOUR MINDSET
Call it “focus work” instead of “weakness improvement”. Simply by changing your mindset it’ll become easier to tackle the tasks at hand that you might not be as thrilled or willing to do.
The word “weakness” implies that you’re bad at something, and if you’re bad at something you don’t want to do it.
Inherently, weakness means something negative.
By changing into a positive mindset, it’ll always be clear why you’re doing the things you’re doing or acting the way you are.
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REFLECT ON WHAT’S IMPORTANT TO YOU
What matters most to you? Is the person you want to be reflected in your actions? An individual can say that family is really important to them, yet unconsciously pay little attention to them.
Reflect on what’s important to you and figure out if your actions reflect that, or if there’s a weakness to be worked on. Look at things with perspective.
