As awesome as our box is, it seems that everyday there is always a fight. I'm not talking about coming to fisticuffs or anything like that, but a general disagreement that usually results in a (nicely) worded insult or two and the ocassional reference to someone's mom. This hotly contested topic of dissention? Why it's the music of course!
You know, it's funny that this one minor part of CF always brings up such discussion. Some people are opposed to anything with vulgarity, some swear by stuff with lots of vulgarity, some swear by classic rock, some swear by heavy metal, some swear by 80's rock, and some just say so long as there is some background noise to cover their grunting, that's all that matters. You know what I say? Groove is in the heart! Break it down now!
I seriously am a firm believer in the idea that music is essential to life. I'm serious. I know it sounds funny but think about it. You hear songs and all of a sudden you're transported back to another time, another place, another memory. It's all about how our brains work. All these associations that our brains have made come up just with a few simple chords. You hear "Chariots of Fire" or "Jaws" and all of a sudden, you know. It's just what music is, and we'd be lying if we said that it's not important. It can brighten your mood, or help you wallow in it, whichever you choose to do. I'm not going to lie. Country music and some ice cream really do you good when someone's broken your heart. (Yeah, ok, it's happened a time or two, or ten... whatever I suck at relationships...) But anyhoo, moving on...
The point is, that when it comes to CF and music, there is no right answer. You can try to divy it up and make it fair so that there's variety or each person has their day/say, but the end result is that music is personal. Our brains make associations in different ways. A great workout song for me, may not be for someone else. I will admit that I love working out to some random stuff. Why? It's all about the rhythm. For me, rhythm is what I need to get through a run, or a metcon wod. If I can find the rhythm, I'm good to go. I won't lie, I've matched my pull-up rhythm to music. For whatever reason for me, it just works. People say that hard rock is best for lifting, but you know what I say? I say, if it moves you, it moves you. And after the last month or so, I'm a firm believer in finding music that moves you because it can help push you through that wod. Find what makes you feel good. Find what makes you want to tear the roof off. Because in the end it doesn't matter what everybody else is doing, it matters what YOU do. Find music that makes you feel like you WANT to pull that PR, you WANT to crush this metcon. Find the groove in your own heart. Music is personal... it's why people write it. Let it move you and you may just be surprised at the results.
I didn't really intend to get so "in your face" with this post. I really meant to keep it lighthearted, but lately, I've really been feeling a connection with music again and I guess maybe I want others to be able to find what I've found, or maybe just look at music in a different light. I haven't sang in years, but music has always been "in me". And this particular piece of music that I've found recently has probably been played by me more times in the last month than by all the other people in the world combined. It just resonates with me and makes me want to tear the roof off a wod, whether lifting or running. And the funny thing about it (and the reason I'm hesitant to share it) is because IT'S CLASSICAL. There isn't a SINGLE word in it. And it's rather long too. It's almost a 10 minute piece! But the runs, and the horns just make me want to throw things and MOVE.
To be honest, this piece has become almost like an anthem to me. When I hear it, it makes me think of battle. Although the title is "The Battle" it would make me think that even if I didn't know that's what it was supposed to be. You can almost see the action as you hear the song. It's like these great ancient men preparing for battle in the first three minutes. Taking their time, testing their shields and swords, readying their men, and as minutes 3-5 start to run you can feel the beginning. Tentative, perhaps a few skirmishes on the battlefield, but by 5:30 into the song, the battle is full on and you can hear it all. The infantry, the calvalry, the seige weapons. The full attack driving into the enemy, it's all there, and it just makes me feel sort of like that. I think of CF and I can imagine that feeling mid wod. I FEEL like a warrior when I'm battling for reps, battling for strength, battling to the end. That idea of pushing through and battling through to the end has sort of been my motto for the last three to four months, and with sectionals just around the corner, I feel that way more than ever. I feel like a warrior. I feel like a Gladiator just pushing through everything to be victorious. Victorious for me probably means something different than it does for other people, but for right now it means fighting til the end, not quitting. Because believe me, I've wanted to. I've forgotten why I signed on the dotted line, and I've wanted to just be like, f it all. But funny how this piece, this "song" has me ready to go. Funny how that music without any words made it all make sense again. Funny how a song said it all without actually saying anything.
I orginally heard part of the piece on a Penn State You Tube video, which now makes me love it even more. I realized though where the You Tube piece came from when I caught the movie Gladiator on TNT one night after work. I realized that I couldn't buy the song without purchasing the whole soundtrack, so I spent the money regardless. This one piece has been worth every single penny. It moves me, and that's what music should do. I would encourage everyone to find their "piece" or their "jam", or whatever you want to call it. Find your inner Gladiator. Become that warrior. Find that song that just does it for you. And when you get that jam, ask your box if you can play it while you try to tear that 400lb DL PR off the floor. I promise you, I don't think you'll be disappointed. Get the groove in your heart.
The YouTube that started it all....
No comments:
Post a Comment