Junkies,
The Syphus Survivor finals are a few short days away It has been inspiring to watch you
push yourselves past your comfort zones in the name of competition, but it is also
important to keep in mind that competition should be a tool for motivation – not your
primary focus!
Six years ago, I set out to create a workout that would provide individuals feedback on
their own person fitness levels and to do so in a way that was done in a fun, team-like
atmosphere. It has been brought to my attention that recently we had a confrontation
where members were calling each other out for poor form and rep-skipping. Please
understand that Syphus Training strives for sportsmanship, not division.
When hitting the turf, please leave any and all exercise critiquing to your Turf Pro
(instructor). Our staff has a plethora of things to accomplish mid-workout from assisting
with forms, helping members navigate the patterns and above all creating a safe
environment in which to work out. It is a very delicate balance for the staff to allow room
for competition while also trying to streamline the “rules” of the game. While we know
that the very nature of Syphus is predicated on elements of competition and scoring the
main idea is that you are competing with yourself – not one another…no matter what
competition we may be hosting.
Your scores are greatly subjective no matter how objective we have tried to make them.
Indeed, your 800 level may be different than someone else’s 800. Not everyone has the
physical ability to perform the tasks EXACTLY as they were designed. All we ask is for
100% effort and integrity in their execution. To that, if someone is “shaving” repetitions
intentionally for the sake of scoring higher, so be it. As frustrating and disruptive to the
collective that this may be, we must remember that it is THEIR workout, too. If you
witness “score-seeking” my suggestion is to keep your blinders on and focus on your
personal task at hand. Leave it for your pro to try to make any adjustments – chances
are your Pro has already detected errors in form and is taking measures to address
them the wait they were trained to do so.
My best bet is that everyone who came to Syphus Training did so initially to better
themselves both physically and mentally and NOT to score higher than everyone. Our
goal should be to build each other up not to call each other out. If this is not in your
nature – that’s fine, you do not need to be a cheerleader – instead, try refocusing on
getting the best workout that you can for that hour. My philosophy is that if you cannot
compliment someone on their form and effort then simply remain silent and harness that
extra energy into your workout.
Above all remember that we are all cut from the same cloth. We are all Syphus Trainers
participating in a truly unique genre of exercise. I implore you to pivot your perception of
competition; we are competing together as a community rather than individuals. As you
will soon discover through Turf Wars and some new website updates on the horizon,
the idea is to better your abilities for the betterment of your Turf. Just as in any team
sport; you need to improve the aspects of your individual game to uplift your team to its
highest potential. While there are certainly all-stars on every team; individuality will only
get you so far.
Learning to perfect the smallest tasks is the first and most crucial step as it will lead you
to perfecting the hardest tasks later. Take pride in doing the small things right. In
Syphus-speak: You will not be able to do a Hack-It until you first learn how to perfect a
Peg Leg, Rev Bovine or a Diablo.
I assure you that if you turn your energy into becoming a catalyst for the group that it will
come full circle in fueling your individual workout. I have been a part of some of the
most amazing workout experiences on the Turf and they were all driven by the vibe of
the group pushing together as one. Take the opportunity to feed off individuals doing the
best that they can do, supporting of one another; becoming cogs in a machine that is
churning out amazing athletes.
Congratulations to the members moving on to round two of Survivor. I’ve seen the
names of who’ve made it past the first round and it will surely make for an exciting
finish. Best of luck to those finalists – if you get the chance to watch one of your turf mates
going this week, be sure to cheer them on.
Form First,
Mike Hackett
Creator and CEO of Syphus Training