“Difficult roads often lead to the most beautiful destinations.”
– Unknown
The older I get and the longer I train, the more I realize that the most incredible experiences of my career have been the moments that came at the end of some long and challenging roads. The harder I’ve had to work and the more I’ve had to struggle, the more I’ve come to appreciate the achievements.
It’s not so much that nothing worth having comes easy, but that it’s a shame to miss out on incredible experiences simply because the path looks too treacherous. Had I allowed fear of struggle to stop me, I would have never done a figure show, stepped in front of a camera for a photo shoot, traveled and given seminars, learned the Olympic lifts at age 29, or competed in my first CrossFit competition.
And let me tell you, winning my class at a national level NPC show, giving my first seminar at the Fit4Life Expo in Arizona, dropping beneath a barbell for a perfect snatch, placing third in my CrossFit competition, and seeing myself published in an international fitness magazine for the first time were all some of the most awesome moments of my life. All of those moments were only possible because I was willing to walk the hard road.
Fear is a paralyzing thing, but at some point you need to be willing to push past it. You need to stop looking around for the path of least resistance and instead look for the path that leads to your goals. To what you truly want for yourself in life, even if it’s the difficult road. Difficult roads can lead to some beautiful destinations. But you never will know if you’re too scared to take those steps.
Training Log
5:30am Training Session
6,000m row with varying stroke rates every 1,000m
P.M. Training Session
Aerobic:
1 mile incline walk in a weighted vest (25lbs)
Mobility: Lat warm up, kettlebell halo to get my shoulders going, bench T-spine, inchworms, lunges with a reach, some foam rolling, PVC pipe dislocates, banded shoulder work.
Weightlifting:
- Snatch @ 65% 6×2
- C&J @ 65% of jerk 3×2 (1 clean + 2 jerk)
- Clean @ 65% 3×2
- Snatch Push Press + OH Squat @ 65% of Snatch 3 sets of 3 push press + 4 OH Squat
Strength:
Back Squat 6×6 (higher volume day of my Russian squat cycle)
Conditioning/Capacity:
20 minutes EMOM
- 5 Thrusters @ 85
- 5 Burpees
Accessory:
- 10 slow, controlled “Skin the Cat”
- Powell Raise 3×10
- 10 minutes double under skill practice
- 50 GHD situps
EDITOR’S NOTE: Welcome to the athlete journal of Allison Moyer. Allison is a nationally ranked NPC Figure Athlete, nationally and internationally published fitness model, an avid CrossFit athlete, BSN, C.P.T, C.S.N, C.N.W.C, and owner ofAlli Fitness Systems and Predator Diet. Read all about Allison’s unique approach to training and diet every other week.